Afghan government has said that the memorandum of understanding signed between Afghanistan and the US for special night operations, is a great progress in the fight against insurgency in Afghanistan.   foreign troops would not be allowed to enter Afghan homes and a special Afghan force will be constituted to conduct night raids and special operations to nab the insurgents. The personnel of the force will have all necessary equipments, expertise and expericnce to carry out such operations and they will work strictly under the Afghan laws. Yesterday President Hamid Karzai has also hailed the US-Aghan MOU over controversial night raids and called it consolidation of Afghan sovereignty. Addressing the cabinet meeting he said, the agreement has entrusted the Afghan security forces lead role in night operations. President Karzai also said that the people of Afghanistan have suffered much and now all government agencies should work to convince the people that the government was the protector of the interests, security and lives of Afghans. The night raids by international troops targeting insurgents in their homes have been a stumbling block in the proposed long term stretagic partnership agreement between Afghanistan and the United States. With the signing of the MOU Afghan government has tried to give a healing touch to the innocent Afghans who have lost their near and dear ones in the controvertial night raids. It has paved the way for stretagic partnership between the two countries after the departure of all foreign forces from Afghanistan in 2014. The MOU makes Afghan security forces responsible for the night operations. Although, Western military commanders maintain that nights raids are a key tactic in their fight against insurgecy, but the Afghan people condemn night raids as a violation of their privacy. By signing the MOU, Afghan government has given an assurance to the people of Afghanistan that foreigners will not be allowed to enter Afghan homes and the human rights of Afghans will be respected at all costs.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that the Eurozone must hold together. 

Speaking to BBC, the German leader said it would be a huge political mistake if debt-stricken Greece was allowed to leave the Eurozone. She said Germany will do everything it could to keep the eurozone together. 

She also calmed fears of further bailouts for eurozone countries, saying important lessons have been learned. Applauding the British government's austerity programme, Mrs Angela Merkel said no country can live beyond its means. 

Asked how she saw the future for Greece, Mrs Merkel said that Athens have repeatedly said it wanted to remain within the eurozone. She said the eurozone will be incredibly weakened by a Greek exit. 

Bangladesh will be honouring more than seventy foreign friends from several countries on Tuesday for their contribution to the country's liberation in 1971. The Foreign Friends are being honoured as part of the Independence Day and National day celebrations of the country which began on Monday.

Bangladesh President Zillur Rehman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will present the awards at a special ceremonial function at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka. Some of the prominent Indians being honoured by the Bangladesh Government for their contribution to the country's liberation include Sachindra Lal Singh, Siddhartha Sankar Ray, P.A. Sangma, Manik Sircar, Sardar Swaran Singh, Jyoti Basu, Dr. Karan Singh, Sarat Chandra Sinha, Justice Abdul Masud, Rajmata Bibhu Kumari Devi, Field Marshal S.A.M. Manekshaw, Lt.General J.S.Aurora, Lt. General J.F.R Jacob, Lance Nayak Albert Ekka, Pandit Ravi Sankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Sunil Datt, Nargis Datt, Kaifi Azmi, Bhupen Hazarika, D.P. Dhar , P.N.Haskar and Arudhanti Ghose. Akashvani is also being honoured by the Bangladesh government and the award will be received by the Director General of All India Radio Leeladhar Mandloi. Union Minister of State for Defence Mr. M. M Pallam Raju who will be receiving the award on behalf of the Mitro Bahini arrived in Dhaka Monday afternoon by a special flight.

Following his arrival, Mr. Raju called on Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. Dipumoni during which the Foreign Minister noted that Bangladesh would remain ever grateful to the government and the people of India for their contribution to the country's liberation war. , Minister of State for Defence Mr. M. M Pallam Raju said that it was a momentous occasion and a rare privilege for him to receive the award on behalf of the nation. He said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka last year was a pinnacle in the bilateral relations and both countries are working towards greater economic co-operation. He also added that India is glad to help in capacity building of the Bangladesh's armed forces as part of the co-operation in the defence sector with reciprocal training programmes for officers of both the countries.

AIR correspondent reports, the award ceremony to honour Foreign friends on Tuesday is part of the Bangladesh government's initiative to honour people from different parts of the world for their contribution to the country's liberation. The process began last year in July with the Bangladesh government conferring the country's highest Freedom award on Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for her tremendous contribution to the country's liberation. Earlier in the year, the Bangladesh cabinet had approved a list of 132 people and organisations to be honoured this year as part of the Independence day celebration out of which seventy five had confirmed their participation in Tuesday's award ceremony till Saturday.


According to the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, the process of honouring the foreign friends will be a continuous process with government having drawn up a list of 560 people to be honoured in different phases.

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The US President, Barack Obama, has told his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, that both their countries have an interest in addressing the nuclear programme in Iran and North Korea.  President Obama urged Beijing to do more to restrain his Communist ally.

Mr Obama said that America would not allow more and more regimes to possess the world's most deadly weapons. He also said that the United States would work with Russia to pursue further reductions in their nuclear arsenals.

Global challenges to tackle international terrorism, climate change, food and energy security, developmental issues and the international financial crisis will dominate the agenda of the fourth BRICS Summit taking place in New Delhi next week. Presidents of the BRICS countries including Russian President Dimitry Medvedev, Chinese President Hu Jin Tao, President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil and President Jacob Zuma of South Africa are expected to participate in the summit. 

India will assume the Chairmanship of the BRICS Grouping at the Summit on the 29th of this month. the summit envisages to increase trade and investment between the members of the grouping and also reflect on global peace, security, stability among other issues. He said, two Frame work Agreements including one on Interbank Cooperation Agreement are also to be signed by the member nations. An Action plan and a Delhi Declaration will be issued at the end of the Summit. 

 He said, the President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff will also be extending her stay after the Summit on a State Visit to India.