CAIRO: United Arab Emirates extended on Thursday the suspension of entry of all valid visa holders who are outside the country for two additional weeks, the state news agency reported.
The statement added that the two-week period, which starts Thursday, could be renewed according to updates on the coronavirus pandemic, and that this comes as a precautionary measure.

TEHRAN, Iran: Iran’s parliament says speaker Ali Larijani has tested positive for the new coronavirus and is in quarantine.
Larijani is the highest-ranking official within Iran’s government to test positive for the virus and the COVID-19 illness it causes.
Parliament announced Larijani’s illness Thursday on its website, saying he was receiving treatment in quarantine.
Iran has one of the world’s worst outbreaks of the virus.

DUBAI: All private tutoring sessions for students have been banned except for remote learning classes, state news agency WAM reported on Thursday citing the Ministry of Education.
The decision was taken as part of the country’s efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Schools and universities in the UAE are to continue online distance learning until the end of the academic year in June amid coronavirus fears, the education ministry said Monday.
The state-run news agency WAM said studies would continue online for students in all public and private schools and universities until the end of the 2019-2020 academic year.

TEHRAN: Iran on Thursday reported 124 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising its total to 3,160, as President Rouhani warned that the country may still battle the pandemic for another year.
Health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour announced the latest toll in a news conference and confirmed 3,111 new infections over the past 24 hours, bringing Iran’s total to 50,468.
He said 16,711 of those hospitalised had so far recovered.
Iran has been scrambling to contain the COVID-19 outbreak since it reported its first cases on February 19.
After weeks of refraining from imposing a lockdown or quarantine measures, Tehran decided last week to ban all intercity travel until at least April 8.
There is no official lockdown within Iran’s cities, although the government has repeatedly urged Iranians to stay at home to contain the spread of the virus.
Rouhani warned at a cabinet meeting Thursday that there was no quick fix.
“Coronavirus is not something for which we can point to a certain date and say it will be completely eradicated by then,” he said.
Rouhani said the virus “may be with us in upcoming months, or until the end” of the current Iranian year, in March 2021.
The country, one of the world’s worst hit by the pandemic which originated in China, must remain vigilant and more limitations may be implemented, he said.
Iran has closed schools and universities until early April and also four key Shiite pilgrimage sites, including the Fatima Masumeh shrine in Qom.
It has discouraged travel, cancelled the main weekly Friday prayers and temporarily closed parliament.

DUBAI: Kuwaiti authorities ordered the closure of all car workshops and a reduction of the number of workers at cooperative supermarkets, state news agency KUNA reported on Wednesday.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and the Union of Consumer Cooperative Societies will stop recruiting volunteers at co-ops to protect them from the virus, who will be instead helping out in other positions.

The authorities will also remove non-essential workers at the co-ops, while allocating buildings were essential workers will be housed after being checked by the Health Ministry.

They will choose two buildings in each area, one for male and the other for female workers.

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Interior are studying curfew options to protect residents and citizens from COVID-19.

Kuwait has reported 317 infections, 81 recoveries and no deaths so far.