Iraq At least 33 Iraqis died in car bomb attacks and clashes in a restive town north of Baghdad, undermining efforts to crush Iraq's insurgency as US troops geared up for a possible assault on Fallujah. ICoast Eight French soldiers were killed and 23 wounded when Ivory Coast aircraft attacked French troops deployed in the central rebel stronghold of Bouake, the French defence ministry told AFP. Mideast Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat remained in an unchanged but still critical condition, with his closest adviser insisting that a recovery was possible. Mideast Prime minister Ahmed Qorei urged leaders of armed factions not to drag the Palestinian people into internecine conflict as their veteran leader Yasser Arafat fought for his life in a Paris hospital. Iraq US forces pounded suspected rebel targets around Iraq's flashpoint city of Fallujah as 20 US soldiers were wounded in action in neighbouring Ramadi, the military and an AFP cameraman said. Afghanistan Militants claiming to hold three kidnapped UN workers hostage said they would open talks with Afghan government negotiators on Sunday, raising hopes that a peaceful solution to the crisis could be found. Iran China gave Iran crucial backing in its stand-off with the UN's nuclear watchdog, with Beijing saying it opposed US efforts to have the Islamic republic referred to the United Nations Security Council. NKorea US President George W. Bush and his South Korean counterpart Roh Moo-Hyun have agreed to step up efforts to resume multilateral talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programme, officials said. Thailand Thailand's premier has cancelled his trip to the APEC summit in Chile this month amid continuing violence after 87 Muslim protestors died in the country's strife-hit south, officials said. India India's home minister made his first visit to insurgency-hit Indian Kashmir as 15 people died in the latest violence.