Salma Hayek reveals she thought she was going to die during Covid-19 battle

Salma Hayek has revealed she battled an aggressive case of Covid-19 last year, adding she feared she would not survive the virus.

The Mexican actress, who has Lebanese heritage, refused doctors' pleas to go to hospital, but was put on oxygen as she fought the coronavirus.

The Frida star, 54, revealed she was struck down by Covid-19 in the early days of the pandemic, telling Variety in a new interview: "My doctor begged me to go to the hospital because it was so bad."

Instead, Hayek said she told medics: "No, thank you. I'd rather die at home."

The actress, who is married to Kering chairman and chief executive Francois-Henri Pinault and with whom she has a daughter, Valentina, 13, said that she ended up spending seven weeks in self-isolation at her London home.

Hayek joins a number of stars who have spoken out about their personal battles with Covid-19, including Tom Hanks, Gwyneth Paltrow and Idris Elba.

It took her the best part of a year to recover from the virus and Hayek told Variety she still hasn't fully regained her energy.

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Last month, the actress returned to work to film Ridley Scott's House of Gucci, which focuses on Patrizia Reggiani's 1995 killing of her ex-husband and Gucci heir, Maurizio Gucci.

"It was the perfect job to just get back into it. I had started doing Zooms at one point, but I could only do so many because I would get so tired," Hayek said.

The film is based on a book about the murder-for-hire of Gucci and the subsequent trial and conviction of his ex-wife. Adam Driver will play the fashion mogul while Lady Gaga portrays Reggiani. Hayek takes on the role of a clairvoyant who was convicted of helping Reggiani orchestrate the killing.

House of Gucci is scheduled to be released in cinemas in November.

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)

SQUADS

Bangladesh (from): Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain, Nayeem Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain, Abu Jayed

Afghanistan (from): Rashid Khan (capt), Ihsanullah Janat, Javid Ahmadi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Afsar Zazai, Shapoor Zadran

Bio

Born in Dibba, Sharjah in 1972.
He is the eldest among 11 brothers and sisters.
He was educated in Sharjah schools and is a graduate of UAE University in Al Ain.
He has written poetry for 30 years and has had work published in local newspapers.
He likes all kinds of adventure movies that relate to his work.
His dream is a safe and preserved environment for all humankind.
His favourite book is The Quran, and 'Maze of Innovation and Creativity', written by his brother.

Captain Marvel

Director: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck

Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn

4/5 stars

If you go:

Getting there:

Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.

Getting around:

Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com

On Women's Day

Dr Nawal Al-Hosany: Why more women should be on the frontlines of climate action

Shelina Janmohamed: Why shouldn't a spouse be compensated fairly for housework?

Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality

The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?

THE LOWDOWN

Photograph

Rating: 4/5

Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies

Director: Ritesh Batra

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz

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SQUADS

South Africa:
JP Duminy (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wkt), AB de Villiers, Robbie Frylinck, Beuran Hendricks, David Miller, Mangaliso Mosehle (wkt), Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi

Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Imrul Kayes, Liton Das (wkt), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wkt), Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Taskin Ahmed

Fixtures
Oct 26: Bloemfontein
Oct 29: Potchefstroom

Guide to intelligent investing

Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:

Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.