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India wants best of relations with China: PM BALI (INDONESIA): Weeks after war of words between India and China over the exploitation of South China Sea resources, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao met here on Friday and agreed on the need for working together as there was "enough space" and areas for them to work together for mutual benefit. Singh told Wen that India was committed to developing the "best of relations" with China, while the latter underlined that the two countries should work "hand-in-hand" to ensure that the 21st century belongs to Asia. "We are neighbours and also large growing economies of Asia. We should cooperate bilaterally and globally," Singh told Wen as they met here on the sidelines of the ASEAN and East Asia Summits. To press this point, Singh noted that whenever India and China had worked together on climate change, it had had a "positive impact" on the global stage. Visualising "cooperative partnership" with China, Singh reminded Wen that he had said that "there is enough space in the world for both India and China to grow". Adding on this point, Wen said, "there are enough areas in our world where India and China can enhance cooperation."— PTI
'Zardari was ready to hand over 26/11 culprits to India' Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari was so scared of a military coup after Osama bin Laden's death that he was ready to create a "new security team" favourable to Americans and promised the US to hand over Pak-based 26/11 perpetrators including those from its intelligence agency to India. The promises were part of a secret memo to the then chairman of the Joint US Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen. The secret memo from Zardari, was apparently handed over to Mullen by Mansoor Ijaz, a Pakistani-American businessman, in May this year in the aftermath of the May 2 killing of bin Laden in a safe house in Abbottabad. The information about this secret memo was first leaked by Ijaz himself in an op-ed in the Financial Times last month. According to this memo, Zardari, leading a civilian government wanted to create a new national security structure. Ijaz has claimed that this memo was drafted by the Pakistani ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, who has denied these allegations, but has tendered his resignation to Zardari over the same. Capt John Kirby, who was Mullen's spokesman, told Pentagon reporters on Thursday in a statement. "Neither the contents of the memo nor the proof of its existence altered or affected in any way the manner in which Adm Mullen conducted himself in his relationship with Gen Kayani and the Pakistani government," he said. "He (Mullen) did not find the memo at all credible and took no note of it then or later. Therefore, he addressed it with no one," Kirby said. The content and a copy of the said sacred memo was posted by The Foreign Policy's blog Cable on Thursday night. The memo further said, "Request your direct intervention in conveying a strong, urgent and direct message to gen Kayani that delivers Washington's demand for him and Gen Pasha to end their brinkmanship aimed at bringing down the civilian apparatus – that this is a 1971 moment in Pakistan's history." "Should you be willing to do so, Washington's political/military backing would result in revamp of the civilian government that, while we weak at the top echelon in terms of strategic direction and implementation (even though mandated by domestic political forces), in a whole sale manner replaces the national security adviser and other national security officials with trusted advisors that include ex-military and civilian leaders favorably viewed by Washington, each of whom have long and historical ties to the US military, political and intelligence communities. "Names will be provided to you in a face-to-face meeting with the person delivering this message," it said.
— PTI
Azhar rubbishes Kambli's 'match-fixing' claims New Delhi: Former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin today lashed out at Vinod Kambli for hinting that India's 1996 World Cup semi-final match could have been fixed, saying the allegations have been made by a person who lacks character and were "absolutely rubbish". "Absolutely rubbish, whatever he (Kambli) is talking. He doesn't know what he is talking, when you have people who have no character and no background come on TV and talk absolute rubbish in front of the nation and demeaning all the players who played in the team, it is totally disrespectful and its very sad," a livid Azhar told reporters. Azhar, who was the Indian captain at that time, said the decision to field first was a collective decision. "May be when he was sitting in the meeting, he must have been sleeping," he added. Kambli, a former Indian cricketer who has often been embroiled in controversies both on and off the field, yesterday raised suspicion on the 1996 World Cup semi-final between India and Sri Lanka and said he found "something amiss" in the game. "I will never forget the 1996 match because my career ended after this and I was dropped from the team. I was stunned by India's decision to field," Kambli had said. Azhar, however, refuted all the allegations leveled against him saying it was a team decision to field after winning the toss. "It was a team decision which was taken by all the team members that when we win the toss, we will field. Whatever he is talking is absolutely rubbish and nonsense". Azhar also refuted the claims that Kambli was made a scapegoat, saying the cricketer got enough chances to prove himself but failed to capitalise on the opportunities. PTI
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