Hybrids just got more expensive
Prices raised by more than Rs1.3 million
Hello all to this rainy Sunday in Lahore. It’s Sunday, July 12.
At times, I do enjoy a good horror movie (not in the cinema though, I’m not that brave), but it feels like good movies are really not what the global entertainment industry is focusing on anymore. Obsession was a great horror/thriller (if you haven’t seen it, you must), but it wasn’t a big production sensation.
It was written by Curry Barker, a 26 year old, who wrote and directed it after his viral YouTube horror projects (Milk & Serial and The Chair) attracted industry attention. When Obsession premiered at a Toronto film festival, it was bought by Focus Features for $15 million in distribution rights. The movie was made in 20 days with a $750k budget. Goes to show you really don’t need big budgets and even experience to create a blockbuster.
Any horror recs, please send my way. Other than that, the war is still on, Pakistan’s blue passports are becoming controversial and does the govt want us to buy hybrid cars or not?
See you tomorrow!
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The Senate Standing Committee on Interior has unanimously approved a bill allowing former parliamentarians, their spouses, and dependent children under 28 to receive official blue passports. The proposal will now go before the Senate for debate and a final vote. Interior Minister of State Talal Chaudhry backed the move but cautioned that extending the privilege to adult dependents could be open to misuse.
Geo News has resumed broadcasting after completing its 15-day suspension imposed by Pemra over a Muharram transmission that violated broadcasting rules. The regulator has also issued a final warning, saying any similar violation in the future could result in the channel losing its licence.
The govt has increased the GST on hybrid vehicles from 8.5% to a whopping 25%, prompting Toyota and Honda to raise prices by more than Rs1.3 million. At the same time, the new Auto Policy is still delayed, leaving many buyers waiting as some companies have paused deliveries. The higher prices could also discourage people from switching to more fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles.
The govt’s digital assets regulator has called for a more detailed review of cryptocurrency after meeting Mufti Taqi Usmani, who recently ruled that crypto transactions are not permissible under Islamic law. The regulator says blockchain, stablecoins and other digital assets should be assessed individually rather than treated as one category. It has urged continued dialogue between religious scholars, regulators and industry experts as Pakistan develops its crypto policy.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced it has closed the Strait of Hormuz “until further notice” after firing warning shots at a container ship it said had taken an unauthorised route. The Guards said the closure would remain in place until what they described as American intervention in the region ends. The US carried out another major wave of attacks after accusing Iran of attacking ship. US Central Command said it struck approx 140 military targets during its latest operation, while adding that over the course of three nights it has now attacked more than 300 Iranian targets. The IRGC said the American attacks hit several coastal military bases and communication towers along Iran’s southern coastline. Iran responded by launching attacks across multiple countries in Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, while stating that Gulf states hosting American military bases were facilitating US operations. At present, mediators from Qatar and Jordan say diplomatic channels remain open despite the latest fighting.
A day of gratefulness. Show thanks for what you have by helping someone else, with your time, money or even a smile.
This is an important watch on the growing number of crimes against children in Pakistan and what's really behind the surge (the dark web is involved).
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