The Council Common Interests (CCI) “unanimously” approved the digital census 2023 on Saturday, Dawn reported citing a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). This new statement signifies that there will be a delay in the general election which was expected to take place soon as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other members of the ruling coalition have agreed to dissolve the National Assembly prematurely on August 9 — three days before its term ends. As soon as the CCI meeting ended, Pakistan's Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar on Saturday revealed that holding general elections on the basis of the 2023 digital census was not possible before January-February 2024, The News International reported. Talking to the Pakistani private news channel, Tarar said that a meeting of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif "unanimously" approved new census results.The law minister said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is to complete the delimitation process within an outer limit of 120 days. However, it is the prerogative of the ECP how soon they start the process.  This meeting came days after PakistanPM said that the upcoming elections in Pakistan would be held on the basis of the 2023 digital census, Dawn reported on Tuesday. The premier, whose government is expected to hand over the country’s reins to a caretaker setup this August, shared this during a recorded interview on the Aaj News show ‘Faisla Aap Ka’, which was aired on Tuesday. “We have to hold the elections on the basis of the new census … When a census has been conducted, the [polls] should be held on its basis unless there is an obstacle that cannot be overcome. But I don’t see [any such hurdle],” Dawn quoted Sharif as saying. He added that a meeting of the Council of Common Interest (CCI) — the body that approves census results — was expected. Sharif further said the census results would be referred to the CCI as soon as they were finalised. Notably, PM Sharif’s statement is a deviation from that of his ministers’ previous assertions, who said that the upcoming election would be held on the basis of the 2017 census, Dawn reported.

Berlin signed off on €8.9 billion in arms exports during this year, with more than a quarter of that heading to Ukraine. The intelligence service said there had been over 4,500 cyberattacks since the war began. Germany's government gave the greenlight to arms exports amounting to at least €8.9 billion ($8.48 billion) this year, making it the second-highest annual figure ever, according to the German Economy Ministry following a request from Left Party (Die Linke) lawmaker Sevim Dagdelen. Over a quarter of the weapons and military equipment sent during the course of the year has gone to Ukraine as it battles Russia's invasion. Germany's coalition government had sought to reduce exports of arms after coming to power but had to change tack after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. In the face of severe criticism over the country's postwar policy of not providing lethal aid to conflict zones, the Scholz administration announced a reversal of that policy as part of the country's military and security politics "Zeitenwende" or "turning point" announced shortly after the invasion began. Germany has made deliveries worth €2.24 billion including anti-aircraft tanks, multiple rocket launches, the IRIS-T air defence system and self-propelled howitzers, among other pieces of military equipment. The official figures are expected to be announced in January. Separately, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, the chairwoman of the parliamentary defense committee, told German news agency RND that the federal government needed to have a better strategy in place to deal with what was happening in Ukraine. Strack-Zimmerman also questioned the wisdom of not sending battle tanks to help Ukraine and said the decision was "not only incomprehensible, it is alarmingly short-sighted." 'Over 4500' cyberattacks since start of war — Ukrainian cybersecurity chief There have been over 4500 cyberattacks in Ukraine since the start of Moscow's invasion, according to Ukraine's intelligence service. Ukrainian cybersecurity chief Ilya Vityuk said in televised comments that Russia has been carrying out "on average more than ten cyberattacks per day." According to Vityuk, Russia's main targets were the energy sector, logistics, military facilities and government databases. The cybersecurity chief said thatKyiv has been grappling with such attacks for eight years and that it was well prepared against them. Lavrov issues ultimatum According to the Russian state-run Tass news agency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine must meet Moscow's demands or else the matter will be decided by Russian forces. "Our proposals for the demilitarization and denazification of the territories controlled by the regime, the elimination of threats to Russia's security emanating from there, including our new lands, are well known to the enemy," Lavrov reportedly said late Monday. "The point is simple: fulfill them for your own good. Otherwise, the issue will be decided by the Russian army," Lavrov added. He also accused the West and Ukraine of having a "strategic goal" with that being "to defeat Russia on the battlefield as a mechanism for significantly weakening or even destroying our country." More on the war in Ukraine Find out British historian Mark Galeotti's take on the war in Ukraine in an interview with DW. DW also takes a look at the role women have played in Ukraine, in particular the work of one woman seeking to hold those responsible for atrocities, accountable for their actions.

The government today (Wednesday) approved a proposal in principle to procure SARS COV 2 (COVID-19) vaccines from Sinopharm of China under Direct Procurement Method (DPM) in order to meet the growing demand of vaccines in the country. The approval came from the 15th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in this year held virtually today with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair. Briefing reporters after the meeting virtually, Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Dr Sahida Akhter said that the proposal was given approval considering protection of public health, reducing COVID-19 infection rate on emergency state purpose. Answering to a question, the Finance Minister said had the Ministry of Health brought this proposal much earlier, the government could have avoided the DPM method and thus could have saved money. “But, the COVID-19 is now continuing its havoc across the globe while new variants are coming every now and then. This procurement proposal of vaccines has been given approval in order to save lives of people and also to render health services,” Kamal said, adding that the Ministry of Finance has urged all to maintain austerity during this difficult time of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Sahida said the day’s meeting also approved a proposal in principle from the Health Services Division to procure some 40 oxygen generators under DPM method for the CMSD for the use of COVID-19 infected patients. Besides, the meeting approved another proposal in principle from the Ministry of Industries for signing agreements for procuring some 12.80 lakh metric tons of urea fertilizer by the BCIC to maintain the necessary supply of urea fertilizer throughout the next fiscal year (FY22) under different state-level agreements. Out of the 12.80 lakh metric tons of fertilizer, some 5 lakh metric tons will be procured from Muntajat, Qatar, some 5 lakh metric tons will be procured from Saudi Arabia, and some 2.80 lakh metric tons from UAE. Source: BSS AH

A US intelligence report has found that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman approved the murder of exiled Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. The report released by the Biden administration says the prince approved a plan to either "capture or kill" Khashoggi. The US announced sanctions on dozens of Saudis but not the prince himself. Saudi Arabia rejected the report, calling it "negative, false and unacceptable". Crown Prince Mohammed, who is effectively the kingdom's ruler, has denied any role in the murder. Khashoggi was killed while visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, and his body cut up. The 59-year-old journalist had once been an adviser to the Saudi government and close to the royal family but he fell out of favour and went into self-imposed exile in the US in 2017. From there, he wrote a monthly column in the Washington Post in which he criticised the policies of Prince Mohammed. What does the report find? "We assess that Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman approved an operation in Istanbul to capture or kill Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi," the report by the office of the US director of national intelligence says. The crown prince is the son of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud and is considered to be the effective ruler of the kingdom. The intelligence report lists three reasons for believing that the crown prince must have approved the operation: His control of decision-making in the kingdom since 2017 The direct involvement in the operation of one of his advisers as well as members of his protective detail His "support for using violent measures to silence dissidents abroad" The report goes on to name individuals allegedly complicit in, or responsible for, Khashoggi's death. But it says "we do not know how far in advance" those involved planned to harm him. Saudi authorities have blamed the killing on a "rogue operation" by a team of agents sent to return the journalist to the kingdom, and a Saudi court tried and sentenced five individuals to 20 years in prison last September, after initially sentencing them to death. In 2019, UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard accused the Saudi state of the "deliberate, premeditated execution" of Khashoggi and dismissed the Saudi trial as an "antithesis of justice". What does this mean for US-Saudi relations? Shortly after the report was released, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the travel restrictions, dubbed the "Khashoggi Ban". Those targeted are "believed to have been directly engaged in serious, extraterritorial counter-dissident activities", he said. "Perpetrators targeting perceived dissidents on behalf of any foreign government should not be permitted to reach American soil," he warned. In addition, the treasury department sanctioned some of those around the crown prince: one of his close aides, former deputy intelligence chief Ahmad Asiri, as well as his personal protective force, which was involved in the killing. As far back as 2018, the CIA reportedly believed that the crown prince had ordered the murder but the allegation that he was involved has never been made publicly by US officials until now. Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, is a key American ally in the Middle East. US President Joe Biden is expected to take a firmer line than his predecessor Donald Trump on human rights and the rule of law in Saudi Arabia. In a phone call on Thursday with King Salman, the president "affirmed the importance the United States places on universal human rights and the rule of law", the White House said. According to sources quoted by Reuters news agency, the Biden administration is also considering the cancellation of arms deals with Saudi Arabia that pose human rights concerns as well as the limiting of future military sales to "defensive" weapons. Dismissing the US report, the Saudi foreign ministry insisted that those responsible for the crime had been properly investigated and justice had been served. "It is truly unfortunate that this report, with its unjustified and inaccurate conclusions, is issued while the Kingdom had clearly denounced this heinous crime, and the Kingdom's leadership took the necessary steps to ensure that such a tragedy never takes place again," it added. It further rejected "any measure that infringes upon its leadership, sovereignty, and the independence of its judicial system". How was Khashoggi killed? Khashoggi went to the consulate in October 2018 in order to obtain papers allowing him to marry his Turkish fiancée. He had allegedly received assurances from the crown prince's brother, Prince Khalid bin Salman, who was ambassador to the US at the time, that it would be safe to visit the consulate. Prince Khalid has denied any communication with the journalist. According to Saudi prosecutors, Khashoggi was forcibly restrained after a struggle and injected with a large amount of a drug, resulting in an overdose that led to his death. His body was then dismembered and handed over to a local "collaborator" outside the consulate, prosecutors said. The remains were never found. Details were revealed in transcripts of purported audio recordings of the killing obtained by Turkish intelligence. Source: BBC AH

The cabinet has given final approval of the draft of ‘Secondary and higher education board (amendment) law 2021’ to publish Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination results without taking examinations due to coronavirus pandemic situation. The approval came in at the cabinet meeting on Monday virtually presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The premier joined the meeting from Ganabhaban and the ministers joined it from cabinet division at the secretariat through video conference. After emerging from the meeting Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni informed the newsmen about it. Later Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam briefed the newsmen at a press briefing. The education minister said, under the existing law there is no jurisdiction to publish results without taking examinations. So the cabinet approved the draft of the law to publish the HSC results. The draft of the revised law will be tabled in the winter session of the parliament that begins in January 18. After passing the law the HSC results will be published. According to the amended law results can be published based on evaluation if the authority fails to take examinations due to natural calamities. AH   

A budget worth 700 crore taka was approved to bear the expenditure of eleventh parliamentary election. The budget was approved at the 36th preparatory meeting of the eleventh national parliament election at the Nirbachan Bhaban at Agargaon in the capital on Monday. After the meeting Election Commission (EC) Secretary Helal Uddin Ahmed informed the newsmen about it. The EC Secretary said, to take votes 40 thousand 199 voting centers were finalized. Besides, decision was taken to prepare 5 percent additional centers. Constituency based voter lists were prepared. CDs of the lists were sent to every constituency. He said, decision was taken to invite the local and foreign election observers in this coming election. Opportunities were kept to submit nomination papers through online. Helal Uddin Ahmed said, in this time voting results will be declared from the Election Commission by using special technologies. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) will hold meeting in 10 districts including eight divisional districts and Rangamati of Chattogram Hill Tracts before the election. About meeting boycott of Election Commissioner Mahbub Talukder he said, he demanded to include one issue in the agenda of the meeting, but the other three Commissioners and CEC did not agree to the matter. For this reason he boycotted the meeting. AH   

The cabinet has approved in principle the drafts of Broadcast Act-2018 and Media Employee Act to keep radio, television and online news media under regulations. The two draft laws were approved in the regular cabinet meeting at the secretariat on Monday keeping provisions for formation of commission and facilities for the mass media employees. After the meeting Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam briefed the newsmen. He said, the new law named Broadcast Act-2018 is going to be formulated after discussing the matter with concerned authorities. In the proposed law it is said about formation of a seven-member broadcast commission and members of it will be appointed through a search committee. Following recommendation of that committee the President will appoint the commission members. The Cabinet Secretary said, the commission will issue license for broadcast equipments. For issuing registration for online mass media this commission will have unique authority. He said, as well as formation of the commission the draft law also gives detail explanations in different aspects such as- commissioners’ appointment, qualifications-disqualifications, tenure, resignation, removal, designation and remuneration. The Cabinet Secretary said, under the media employee act journalists will be judged as newsmen not as workers. Other facilities including annual leave were increased in the law. It is mentioned in the law that if anybody violates the law then owner of the mass media will be punished and the government will shut down the media under any specific cause. AH    

The cabinet has approved the draft of 17th constitutional amendment by extending the tenure of reserved women seats in the parliament. The approval came in at the cabinet meeting on Monday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair. With this amendment the tenure of reserved women seats has extended for more 25 years. Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam said this to the newsmen after holding the meeting. As per the constitution, there is obligation to keep 50 women seats in the parliament. The tenure of this provision will end in January next year. But before that the government has taken initiative to extend the tenure for reserved seats for at least four parliament elections with this amendment. The draft approved by the cabinet will be placed to the parliament through law ministry. The ruling Awami League has the two-third majority in the parliament to amend the constitution. The last constitutional amendment was brought to the parliament under this government in 2016 which is known as the 16th constitutional amendment. The apex court later declared the amendment as illegal. AH