Card discounts reduced?
Restaurant-goers in Punjab will now pay more sales tax
Weddings and proposals on this Thursday, July 2.
Hello all, and it’s going to be a Taylor Swift wedding weekend if you haven’t heard yet. Also a couple got engaged on top of the Empire State building which is in recs below.
Lots of GREAT court news with the Supreme Court giving women their inheritance rights in a landmark 71-year-old case, and a bank manager who defrauded a blind woman got jail time and had to hand over his cars to her.
Iran and the US are on the right track too so overall, its a good, good day.
(except for the Punjab restaurant tax…WHY!!)
Details below and see you guys on Sunday!
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In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has held that women’s inheritance rights are protected under Sharia and law, and cannot be stripped away through family pressure, fake gifts, or manipulated records. The court settled a 71-year-old dispute, restoring the rightful shares of a widow and her two daughters who were deprived of their inheritance by male heirs.
A visually impaired woman has recovered nearly Rs19.2 million after being defrauded by her bank manager, following intervention by the Islamabad High Court. The court has now ordered that two vehicles belonging to the convicted manager be handed over to settle the remaining Rs3.3 million. The manager, already serving a five-year sentence in Adiala Jail, was found guilty of embezzling over Rs20 million from her account.
Restaurant-goers in Punjab will now pay 8% sales tax on digital payments (up from 5%) under the new Punjab Finance Act, while cash payments remain taxed at 16%. The move narrows the tax advantage of paying by card, though digital payments are still cheaper overall and meant to encourage documented transactions. This doesn’t reduce the bank’s discount itself (like 20% off on cards), but the higher tax means your final bill will be higher, so the net savings from those restaurant card deals will feel smaller.
US-Iran talks in Doha ended with what both parties called “positive progress,” with Pakistan and Qatar helping keep the channel open. The US said the negotiations are moving “extremely well,” with Vice President JD Vance saying there is momentum for a deal and a chance to “turn a new page,” even adding that war might not happen again. Iran, however, maintains that its missile and drone programme remains a red line and is not up for discussion under any circumstances. Tehran also pushed back against what it says are US violations of the earlier MoU, insisting the agreement must be treated as a complete package. Iran has also accused Israel of “state terrorism” at the UN over assassination threats against Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, warning of retaliation if provoked. The US-Iran sides have agreed to continue talks after the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
India’s opposition Congress has demanded the resignation of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accusing him of misleading parliament over military deaths during the May 2025 conflict with Pakistan. The controversy erupted after India officially acknowledged six military casualties, on June 26th, months after the conflict ended. Congress also wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apologise, saying the fallen soldiers did not get the recognition they deserved.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are reportedly set to celebrate their wedding this week at Madison Square Garden, with a rehearsal today and the wedding tomorrow, with a major cocktail celebration. Around 1,000 guests are expected, with festivities running into the early hours of Saturday. The high-security venue, unusual for a wedding but iconic in Swift’s career as New York braces for a Swift fan takeover.
Love is in the hot air today. Take a chance and it might change your life.
Proposal and political statement on top of the Empire State building? Yes, please!
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