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Here is the latest top stories from Press TV on March 31, 2021.

Russia-Italy row

Moscow says it will take reciprocal measures against Italy after Rome expels two Russian diplomats for alleged spying. The Russian foreign ministry slammed the expulsions as regrettable. Separately, the Kremlin expressed hope that Italy and Russia would maintain positive and constructive ties despite the incident. This comes after Rome summoned the Russian ambassador and announced the dismissal of two Russian diplomats over "an extremely serious intelligence case". Earlier, Italian police said they had arrested a navy captain and a Russian diplomat who were swapping documents. Local news agencies reported that NATO documents were among the files being exchanged. 

Hungary Covid crisis 

In Hungary, the daily tally of Covid-19 deaths has hit a record high of over 300. The officials also reported more than 6,000 new daily infections. The government and doctors have warned that the country’s health care system is under extreme pressure and hospitals are filling beyond capacity. Elsewhere in Europe, Ukraine has also reported a new daily high of 407 deaths and over 11,000 new cases. In Kyiv, which has the highest Covid-19 infection rate in the country, authorities have decided to close all schools and kindergartens and restrict public transport. Ukraine’s total Covid infections are now above 1.6 million, with nearly 33,000 deaths. Several European countries have seen record jumps in their coronavirus figures, which is blamed on new virus variants and a sluggish vaccination program.

Covid-19 in Gaza Strip 

Gaza's health ministry says more than a thousand cases of coronavirus have been recorded over the previous day, the highest daily infection tally in recent months. The ministry said the epidemiological situation in the Gaza Strip is dangerous, referring to a clear increase in hospitalizations. Authorities have announced new restrictions to stem the spread of the disease in the territory. The region’s fragile health system suffers from acute shortages in medicine and hospital equipment due to years-long Israeli blockade. The Israeli regime has allowed only a small shipment of Covid-19 vaccines into the populated coastal sliver. More than 65,000 Gazans have so far been infected with the deadly virus, with 610 deaths.

 


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