Tom Hanks announces positive test for coronavirus

Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson have coronavirus. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 12 March 2020
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Tom Hanks announces positive test for coronavirus

NEW YORK: Tom Hanks and his actress-singer wife Rita Wilson have tested positive for the coronavirus, the actor said in a statement Wednesday.
Hanks said the couple were in Australia and felt tired, with colds, body aches and slight fevers. “To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus and were found to be positive,” Hanks said.
The 63-year-old Oscar-winner said they will be “tested, observed and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires.”
“Not much more to it than a one-day-a-time approach, no?” added Hanks.
Hanks had been in Australia shooting an untitled Elvis Presley biopic directed by Baz Luhrmann. Hanks plays Presley’s manager, Col. Tom Parker. The film, currently slated for release in October 2021, has suspended production, Warner Bros. said.
Australia has confirmed more than 120 cases of infection, with three deaths from COVID-19.
Hanks and Wilson, 63, were married in 1988. In 2013, Hanks disclosed that he has type 2 diabetes. He is easily the most famous person yet to publicly announce a positive test for the virus, which the World Health Organization on Wednesday declared a pandemic.
Hanks also posted his message on social media with an image of a surgical glove in a garbage can. He signed off saying that he would “keep the world posted and updated.” Said Hanks: “Take care of yourselves!”
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
 


Mohamed Abdo rings in New Year with landmark Saudi celebration in London

Updated 02 January 2026
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Mohamed Abdo rings in New Year with landmark Saudi celebration in London

  • Abdo performs 16 of his most beloved songs over 4 hours
  • He lauds ‘genius choice’ of first Saudi-led New Year show

LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s music icon Mohamed Abdo welcomed the New Year with a historic sold-out concert in London, marking what organizers described as the first Kingdom-led celebration in the UK capital.

Organized by Global Gala, the event drew more than 1,400 people, with Saudis traveling from the Kingdom and across Europe to attend.

There were also local fans, underscoring the wide appeal of the evening and the growing international presence of Saudi Arabia’s cultural events.

The concert was held at the Great Room at Grosvenor House, a venue of particular significance for Abdo because it was the same location where he first performed in London.

Tickets sold out rapidly following the show’s announcement. The organizers said the strong response reflected both Abdo’s enduring popularity and the anticipation surrounding a Saudi-led New Year’s event abroad.

When asked about the timing of the concert, Abdo praised the organizers’

decision to stage the event on New Year’s Eve, describing it as a “genius choice” that aligned naturally with the spirit of welcoming a new year.

Over the course of four hours, Abdo performed 16 songs, spanning decades of his career.

The audience responded warmly throughout the night, particularly during well-known tracks including “Al Amaken,” “Ashofak Kil Youm,” and “Majmouat Insan.”

The audience included prominent figures from the worlds of entertainment, media and public life.