'We can negotiate with bombs'
The war escalates
It’s Thursday June 11, and this war is not ending.
Hello all, it’s almost the weekend and my stock broker friend sent a message to our whatsapp group this morning saying that because of the war yet again, it wasn’t the best time to trade given US airstrikes last night and Iran’s retaliation.
Its gnawingly never-ending, this war, which is why I think, I included the Zac Efron story in highlights. How lovely would it be to get up and just go?
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In the upcoming budget (to be presented tomorrow) the govt is expected to give tax relief to salaried people earning roughly Rs230,000 to Rs341,000 per month, including a possible cut in the maximum income tax rate from 35% to 30%. However, those earning between Rs100,000 and Rs183,000 per month are unlikely to see any major benefit. At the same time, the upcoming budget will introduce Rs660-700 billion in new tax measures as the govt aims to collect a record Rs15.3 trillion in tax revenue next year under commitments made to the IMF. Officials are privately warning that the revenue target is highly ambitious, especially as economic growth remains weak and consumer spending continues to slow.
A team at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre (PKLI) in Lahore claims to have performed 10 liver transplants in just 23 hours and 20 minutes, including one on a nine-month-old baby, prompting interest from Guinness World Records. Using advanced transplant techniques, doctors were able to help nine children and one adult receive life-saving transplants from just three donors, a breakthrough aimed at tackling organ shortages. Guinness has requested medical records and evidence, and may send a team to Pakistan to verify what could become a world-record achievement.
Pakistanis may soon be able to receive their passports at home, as the govt has approved a nationwide doorstep passport delivery service and finalized new SOPs to make the process faster and easier. The normal passport processing time is being reduced from 21 to 14 days and plans to introduce a fully cashless system at passport offices to improve transparency and curb the role of middlemen.
Actor Zac Efron is reportedly planning to move permanently to Australia, where he is building a self-sustaining, off-grid home on a 128-hectare remote rainforest property in New South Wales. Sources say Efron has already been living near Byron Bay and is drawn to Australia’s laid-back lifestyle and connection to nature, and is putting his Los Angeles home up for sale.
NEW WAVE OF ATTACKS
The conflict between the US and Iran escalated sharply last night as the US launched a new wave of strikes across Iran, targeting military surveillance systems, communication networks, air defence sites, radar installations and other facilities that the US said posed a threat to their forces and commercial shipping. Trump warned that if Iran did not accept a US proposal, further attacks could follow. Trump also claimed Iranian officials had contacted him asking for the bombing to stop, although Tehran strongly denied any such communication and called the claim false.
Iran responded by launching retaliatory attacks, saying its Aerospace Force and Navy carried out two waves of strikes against US military facilities in the region. Iranian media reported attacks on US-linked targets in Bahrain and Kuwait, including the US Fifth Fleet and air bases hosting American forces. Iran said it targeted 18 key facilities, while Bahrain issued air raid alerts and Kuwait has closed off its air space.
STRAIT OF HORMUZ
A major development came when Iran announced the complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the US strikes, warning that no one could cross. Iranian media reported that two ships attempting to transit the strait had already been hit. The closure immediately rattled global energy markets, with Brent crude rising to around $95.40 per barrel and US crude climbing above $92.60. Iran described the move as a response to what it called ‘American aggression’ and warned it could make the region “hell” for US interests.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Diplomatically, tensions remain high. Trump argued that military pressure was intended to force Iran back to negotiations and said the US would continue striking if necessary. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strategy, saying Washington would “negotiate with bombs” if required. Iranian officials rejected the approach, insisting they were preparing for a “crushing retaliation” rather than talks. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran would stand firm against threats and described warnings against Iranian infrastructure as a sign of desperation rather than strength. Meanwhile, the UN secretary-general warned that the region risks sliding back into a full-scale Middle East war.
The US has also imposed fresh sanctions on individuals and companies linked to Iran, while continuing naval enforcement operations in the Gulf. India also lodged a strong protest with the United States after an attack on a tanker off Oman left three Indian nationals missing.
It’s difficult being happy for this person in your life but force yourself to feel it. You’ll feel great relief if you manage to do so.
Lahore is exploding with coffee shops and one we love right now is Retrograde in Gulberg. Great coffee, super cool vibe and that biscotti is to die for. Check it out!
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