Amitabh Bachchan has denied reports that he has tested negative for Covid-19.
Drawing attention to one clip in particular, the Bollywood legend retweeted a Times Now video on Thursday, July 23, writing: "This news is incorrect, irresponsible, fake and an incorrigible lie!"
The banner of the Twitter video reads: "Amitabh Bachchan tests -ve for Covid." In the clip, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit discusses Bachchan's health with a news anchor.
"We are hoping to get an official word that Amitabh Bachchan is now fully recovered," the Times Now newsreader says.
"It's good news, [not only for us] in the industry but for the entire country at large, all his fans, all those who prayed for him and his fast recovery," Pandit told the anchor. "We were all sure he would get well very soon."
"I am sure the family now will test negative and they will all get well very soon," he continued.
The anchor then reflected on the spirit of Bachchan, who she says "didn't seem to let Covid get the upper hand, even while he was hospitalised". She paid particular attention to the poems he shared for fans on Twitter.
"[Yes,] Bachchan has always been very positive," Pandit replies in the clip. "He has been a fighter, he has been encouraging people to do good things, he has been promoting injections ... he comes out for social causes."
Multiple news reports suggested that Bachchan, 77, and his son, Abhishek Bachchan, 41, tested negative for the coronavirus before the actor made his Twitter statement. Abhishek has not yet commented on his social media.
The father and son were admitted to hospital in India on Saturday, July 11. At the time they were described by authorities as "stable with mild symptoms".
The following day, Abhishek's wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, 46, and their daughter, Aaradhya, 8, both tested positive for Covid-19. At first, they were described as asymptomatic, however, they were admitted to hospital on Friday, July 17, after complaining of "breathlessness". At the time, a hospital representative assured fans "they are fine".
All four family members are thought to remain at Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai.
The four actors are among the most high-profile people in India to have tested positive for Covid-19. At the time of writing, the country of 1.38 billion people had reported more than 29,800 deaths and more than 1.2 million cases of the coronavirus.
Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
