Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, 46, and her daughter, Aaradhya, 8, have confirmed they will self-quarantine at home after being diagnosed with the coronavirus.
The Bollywood actress and her daughter were revealed to have tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, July 12, a day after Aishwarya's husband, Abhishek Bachchan, confirmed he had the coronavirus.
Abhishek, 44, and his father, Bollywood screen legend Amitabh Bachchan, 77, both announced that they had tested positive on Saturday, July 11.
Abhishek confirmed that his wife and daughter would stay at home, rather than hospital, on Twitter.
"They will be self-quarantining at home," he wrote. "The BMC [Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation] has been updated of their situation and are doing the needful."
As Aishwarya and her daughter are asymptomatic, they were able to stay at home after signing a declaration that they will isolate.
Abhishek also confirmed that his mother, Jaya Bachchan, had tested negative for Covid-19, but he and his father would remain in hospital for the time being.
"The rest of the family including my mother have tested negative. Thank you all for your wishes and prayers," he added.
"My father and I remain in hospital 'til the doctors decide otherwise. Everyone please remain cautious and safe. Please follow all rules!"
Amitabh is in hospital in an isolation unit, but his symptoms are currently being reported as mild and he is in a stable condition.
"They both voluntarily undertook antigen tests and since the results were positive, they both have been admitted to Nanavati Hospital," Maharashtra state health minister, Rajesh Tope, said in a video statement about Amitabh and Abhishek on Sunday, adding that they both had a mild cough and fever.
Suresh Kakani, commissioner from the BMC said that 16 people from the household have been tested, including those who work there.
On Sunday, BMC workers were seen at the Bachchan family home: they were there to sanitise the premises.
Mumbai is among the Indian cities worst hit by the coronavirus. On Monday, the country's virus caseload reached almost 880,000, with 23,187 deaths recorded.
More on 'Big B'
Known as "Big B", Amitabh rose to fame in the early 1970s on the back of roles in hit movies such as Zanjeer and Sholay.
Active in the film industry since 1969, he has worked on more than 200 movies. His films still open to packed cinemas across India, but his new movie – comedy-drama Gulabo Sitabo – was released on Amazon's streaming service due to the coronavirus restrictions.
Amitabh is an active Twitter user, where he has 43 million followers, and his career has branched into television presenting, business and politics, as well as countless commercial endorsements.
Amitabh, who has won multiple awards for his acting, also hosts Kaun Banega Crorepati, India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire – one of the most-watched shows on Indian television for 20 years.
Although the actor lives a healthy lifestyle, he has a history of health issues. He suffered a near-fatal injury during the shooting of an action scene on a film set in 1982 and was critically ill for several months. Thousands gathered outside the hospital and offered prayers daily.
The accident led to the actor to contract the Hepatitis B virus after a blood transfusion from a donor who was carrying it unknowingly. Reports say his liver lost 75 per cent of its function last year due to cirrhosis caused by the virus.
The Bollywood film industry only recently opened for work after a months-long hiatus following the imposition of a nationwide lockdown in India in late March. But actors that are over 65 – who are often most vulnerable to the virus – such as Amitabh, have been told to stay off set amid the pandemic.
Millions of Indians revere Amitabh like royalty, hanging on his every word, seeking his blessings and congregating outside his Mumbai bungalow every year on October 11, his birthday.
Fellow Bollywood stars left well wishes on social media. Sonam Kapoor tweeted: "Get well soon Amit uncle. All my love and prayers." South Indian superstar Mohanlal tweeted, "Wishing you a quick recovery, prayers" in reply to Abhishek's tweet about his diagnosis.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
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
The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela
Edited by Sahm Venter
Published by Liveright
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Background: Chemical Weapons
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
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)
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
MATCH INFO
Watford 1 (Deulofeu 80' p)
Chelsea 2 (Abraham 5', Pulisic 55')
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Game Of Thrones Season Seven: A Bluffers Guide
Want to sound on message about the biggest show on television without actually watching it? Best not to get locked into the labyrinthine tales of revenge and royalty: as Isaac Hempstead Wright put it, all you really need to know from now on is that there’s going to be a huge fight between humans and the armies of undead White Walkers.
The season ended with a dragon captured by the Night King blowing apart the huge wall of ice that separates the human world from its less appealing counterpart. Not that some of the humans in Westeros have been particularly appealing, either.
Anyway, the White Walkers are now free to cause any kind of havoc they wish, and as Liam Cunningham told us: “Westeros may be zombie land after the Night King has finished.” If the various human factions don’t put aside their differences in season 8, we could be looking at The Walking Dead: The Medieval Years.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE SPECS
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors
Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5