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THE STANS
China, France's views on Iran, Afghanistan 'identical': PM

British soldier killed in second suspected friendly fire case
A British soldier has been shot and killed in southern Afghanistan, in what the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday could have been the second death from friendly fire in as many days. The soldier died from wounds sustained during a firefight near a patrol base in Sangin in Helmand province on Monday. "Initial reports suggest that this death may have resulted from a friendly fire incident," an MoD statement said, adding the death would now be investigated by the Royal Military Police. The soldier's next of kin have been informed. An investigation will also be carried out into the death of a soldier killed on Sunday in a different area of Helmand, amid the "possibility" that it was caused by friendly fire, the MoD said on Monday. The latest death brings to 242 the number of British troops killed in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion in October 2001. Some 105 of these have occurred this year, making it the deadliest year for Britain's armed forces since the 1982 Falklands War. The rising death toll has eroded public support for the war in Afghanistan, where around 10,000 British troops serving within the international coalition are battling Taliban insurgents.
by Staff Writers
 Beijing (AFP) Dec 22, 2009
 China and France share identical views on the Iranian nuclear issue and on Afghanistan, French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Tuesday following talks with China's top leaders.

Fillon held talks Monday with China's Premier Wen Jiabao and met President Hu Jintao Tuesday as the two nations signed a series of lucrative accords.

"We share identical views on how to lead Iran away from its threatening stance and isolation on the nuclear issue, as well as how to bring back peace, security and development in Afghanistan and assist Pakistan in its fight against extremism," Fillon told reporters.

China and France are involved in marathon talks over the Iranian nuclear issue, negotiations that also include the United States, Russia, Britain and Germany.

Tehran insists its nuclear programme is solely for civilian purposes and rejects Western suspicions that it is covertly trying to develop a bomb.

Iran is under three sets of UN sanctions for refusing to suspend enrichment and risks a further round after rejecting a UN-brokered deal to send its low-enriched uranium abroad to be further refined into fuel for the reactor.

Tehran has rejected offers of dialogue with the Western nations, while China has only reluctantly agreed to sanction a nation that it depends on for oil resources.

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THE STANS
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