US US President George W. Bush and Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai signed a "strategic partnership" enabling long term American involvement in Afghanistan's security as well as reconstruction. Germany German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was planning to call a vote of confidence in his government, a high-stakes gamble to force an early general election which opinion polls show he will lose. Iran Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered hardliners to review their decision to block reformists from standing in next month's presidential polls, fearing the disqualifications could result in a boycott. China China urged people not to panic as it scrambled to vaccinate three million birds in response to the first confirmed outbreak of avian flu in nearly a year. Iran Senior Iranian officials were heading to Europe for crisis talks with Britain, France and Germany, amid warnings that the meetings may be the last chance for a deal on the Islamic republic's nuclear programme. Iraq Insurgents bombed a crowded restaurant in Baghdad, killing at least eight and wounding more than 100, as thousands of US and Iraqi troops rounded up almost 300 rebels in a massive sweep. Britain The BBC, the world's biggest public broadcaster, dropped live news programs when thousands of employees staged a 24-hour strike over plans to cut nearly 4,000 jobs. France The political heavyweights of France's "yes" campaign for the EU constitution stepped up efforts to persuade undecided voters to back the treaty, with the "no" camp still running ahead in the polls. Liberia More than one million Liberians have registered to vote in October polls, election officials said, lauding high turnout among women and the young but noting with concern the low registration rate among refugees.