Entertainment
Cabinet approves 15% raise in EOBI pensions
In a sigh of relief for retired employees, the federal government approved a 15% increase in pensions under the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) on Saturday.
Talking to journalists, following the cabinet meeting, Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain said: “EOBI pensions have been increased.”
He said that the EOBI pensioners will be paid, including arrears, from September 1, the minister added. Hussain said that the EOBI would release Rs10 billion in monthly pension.
“Pensioners with long service will now be able to receive a pension of more than Rs30,000 per month,” the minister added.
He maintained that a committee had been formed to include the informal sector and domestic workers in the EOBI. The committee would also work towards including agricultural labourers in the EOBI system, Hussain added.
The fresh increase in pension is in addition to the 15% raise approved by the cabinet last month.
In July, the cabinet approved a 15% hike in pensions under the EOBI, which was to take effect from January 1, 2025.
Earlier this week, the EOBI assured the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development that the pensions would be released, with the minimum pension raised from Rs10,000 to Rs11,500 with effect from January 1, 2025 to be disbursed along with all arrears on September 1, 2025.
Entertainment
Georgina Rodriguez not really impressed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s $3m ring?
Georgina Rodriguez shared her thoughts following her engagement to Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese footballer, 40, proposed the Argentine-Spanish model, 31, with a with a $3m (£2.2m) 30-carat engagement ring back in August following a nine-year courtship.
In an interview with ELLE Spain, Georgina joked that such a ring was the ‘least he could do’ after waiting so long to pop the question.
She said: ‘It’s gorgeous. It’s the least he could offer me after ten years of waiting (laughs). The truth is, when he proposed, it was the last thing on my mind.
‘It took me a long time to process the enormous stone he gave me. I was so shocked that I left it in my room and didn’t open it in the sunlight until the next day (laughs).’
The couple have been in a relationship since 2016 and have daughters Alana, seven, and two-year-old Bella together. Bella’s twin brother Ángel tragically died during childbirth.
Georgina is also the stepmother of Cristiano’s other three children, Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., 15, and twins Eva and Mateo, eight, who were born through a surrogate.
The couple have not ruled out having more children.
Entertainment
Meg Ryan honors Rob Reiner and his wife Michele, praising their belief in love, fairy tales and laughter
Actress Meg Ryan paid tribute to Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner on Wednesday, praising the couple for their belief in “true love, in fairy tales, and in laughter.”
Ryan starred in Reiner’s “When Harry Met Sally…,” a classic rom-com that served as her breakout role.
“Oh how we will miss this man,” Ryan said in a post on Instagram. “Thank you, Rob and Michelle, for the way you believe in true love, in fairy tales, and in laughter. Thank you for your faith in the best in people, and for your profound love of our country.”
“I have to believe that their story will not end with this impossible tragedy, that some good may come, some awareness raised,” Ryan continued. “I don’t know, but my guess is that they would want that to be hopeful and humane, to be something that brings us all to a greater understanding of one another and to some peace.”
Reiner and his wife were found dead Sunday at their home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Their son Nick Reiner has been arrested on murder charges.
Ryan’s “When Harry Met Sally” co-star Billy Crystal released a joint statement with several other close friends of Reiner’s, including his childhood friend Albert Brooks. In the statement provided to The Associated Press, they said, “Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master story teller. … His comedic touch was beyond compare.”
Emma McIntyre / Getty Images
“Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens,” the statement said. “They were a special force together-dynamic, unselfish and inspiring. We were their friends, and we will miss them forever.”
The happy ending of “When Harry Met Sally…” had some real-life inspiration, with Reiner saying he changed it to have the couple end up together after meeting his future wife Michele on the set of the film. The two married in 1989 and had three children together: sons Nick and Jake, and daughter Romy.
CBS celebrates Reiner’s life and life’s work through the eyes of those who knew him in “CBS News: Rob Reiner – Scenes from a Life,” a one-hour special that will be broadcast Sunday at 8:30 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
Entertainment
Selena Gomez addresses changes in voice: ‘No excuse’
Selena Gomez is speaking out directly to fans to clear up ongoing questions about changes people have noticed in her voice, offering a candid and calm explanation during a recent Instagram Live session.
The 33-year-old singer and actress addressed the topic head-on on Tuesday, Dec. 16, making it clear there is no dramatic reason behind it.
“There’s no excuse, I don’t really care,” Gomez said during the livestream, according to fan-recorded footage.
“I think my point is that sometimes things happen. I get weird [or] my throat swells from the inside sometimes. That’s all.”
The Only Murders in the Building star has long been open about her health journey, including her lupus diagnosis, which she first publicly discussed years ago.
In a 2015 Billboard interview, Gomez explained the seriousness of what she was dealing with behind the scenes.
“I was diagnosed with lupus, and I’ve been through chemotherapy,” she said at the time.
“That’s what my break [from the spotlight] was really about… I locked myself away until I was confident and comfortable again.”
During the same Instagram session this week, Gomez also took a moment to respond to comments about her appearance, specifically addressing questions about facial hair.
Appearing makeup-free, she shared a clip on her Instagram Stories and explained, “someone made me laugh because they asked me, ‘How do you shave your mustache?’” She clarified that what people may be noticing isn’t hair at all.
“It’s my melasma,” she said. “I take care of it and treat it, but yeah it’s there.”
Gomez went on to reassure fans that melasma is common and manageable, adding, “I totally get it. It’s from the sun,” while encouraging followers to be consistent with sunscreen.
Melasma is a skin condition that can cause darker patches on the face, often triggered by sun exposure or hormonal changes.
By addressing both her voice and appearance openly, Gomez once again reinforced her reputation for honesty and transparency with her audience.
Rather than offering excuses, the singer emphasized acceptance, reminding fans that bodies change, health fluctuates, and sometimes explanations are simple.
Her message resonated as a grounded reminder that public figures experience the same physical realities as everyone else.
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