Actress Laila Taher has recovered from Covid-19.
Her condition was revealed at the weekend by talk show personality Mahmoud Saad.
On Saturday’s episode of Bab Al Khalk, broadcast on Egypt’s Al Nahar television station, Saad revealed Taher, 79, cancelled a recent appearance on the show after falling ill with Covid-19.
"We had an appointment with the great artist Laila Taher and when I spoke to her she said 'I got corona,’" Saad said, urging viewers to adhere to safety measures.
"This shows that this journey is not easy. While a lot of people are recovering from this, some remain unwell."
While Saad didn’t say when Taher was diagnosed, he mentioned the worst stages were over and she is on the mend. "I mention artists like Taher, people who we love and admire and who went through difficult stages... to show we need to look after ourselves in the best way we can.”
Laila Taher on her experiences with Covid-19
After the programme was shown, Taher’s name was trending on the Egyptian Twittersphere and it wasn't long before the star publicly declared she was fine.
In an interview on Saturday, on Egyptian TV show Al Tasse’ah, she said she tested positive with the virus a month ago and was treated in Cairo’s Sheikh Zayed Hospital.
"I am feeling better and I experienced this about a month ago. I went to the hospital immediately and then I stayed home [in quarantine] for 10 days and I realised the situation wasn't getting better so I transferred back to the hospital,” she said.
"I sincerely just want to thank those who helped me in the treatment and getting me to hospital.
“I want to thank all the doctors and nurses at the Sheikh Zayed Hospital for not only their medical and humane treatment for all their patients.
“Without them, I wouldn’t have recovered so quickly.”
The Egyptian entertainment industry has lost a number of revered film and TV stars to the virus.
In March, Sawsan Rabie died aged 59 after being hospitalised with Covid-19 two weeks prior.
In February, Youssef Shaaban also died, aged 89, in intensive care after complications caused by the virus.
Also succumbing to Covid-19 was Ragaa Al Geddawy in July last year, aged 81.
Who is Laila Taher?
Born Shrewit Mustafa Fahmy, Taher began her career as a TV presenter for variety shows before entering the film industry with roles in drama Abu Hadid (1958) alongside Farid Shawqi and the following year’s Qablani fi alzalam with Hind Rostom.
Tahir went on to gain fame with memorable performances in films Al-Qahira Fi Elleil (1963) and Zaman Ya Hob (1973), and TV series Al Qada' Fi Ell-Islam, 1990's Eayilat al'ustadh shalash and 1998's La'bet Al Haya.
Taher's last major role was in 2013's Qisas Nisa’ Fi Ell Quran, a series exploring the lives of powerful women portrayed in the Quran, according to El Cinema.
The same year, Algeria's Oran International Arabic Film Festival honoured Taher and screened a number of her key works.
Her last public appearance was in February at the Cairo Opera House, which hosted a retrospective of her work.
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Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Hoffenheim (11.30pm)
Saturday
Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (6.30pm)
Schalke v Fortuna Dusseldof (6.30pm)
Mainz v Union Berlin (6.30pm)
Paderborn v Augsburg (6.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (9.30pm)
Sunday
Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen (4.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)
SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (9on)
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
if you go
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The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
