Europe

(Reuters) - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany rose by 945 to 161,703, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday.

The death toll rose by 94 to 6,575.

LISBON, May 1 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has called his Portuguese counterpart Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, praising the country's efforts in controlling the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, according to a statement from the website of the Portuguese Presidency on Friday.

Trump also offered "any help that was considered useful and necessary," said the statement.

Trump highlighted the participation of Portuguese researchers in scientific tests carried out in the United States to develop a drug against COVID-19, it said.

GENEVA, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday welcomed the news that there are no more hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China, praising its people's "tireless efforts" to combat the pandemic.

After more than three months of arduous fight, Wuhan, the central Chinese city once hardest hit by the coronavirus outbreak, cleared all COVID-19 cases in hospitals on Sunday.

LIEGE (Belgium), May 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The UN World Food Program on Thursday sent a first plane loaded with medical supplies for developing nations especially vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic, aiming to ramp up the service to 350 flights per month.

WFP chose nine airports across the world to take part in the special humanitarian air bridge, which will also feature up to 350 passenger flights per month to transport medical and humanitarian teams from early May.

ROME, May 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte Fcriticised regional chiefs for defying the government and lifting lockdown measures early, saying it risked undoing efforts to prevent a second Coronavirus wave.

He also rebutted opposition accusations that he was robbing Italians of their constitutional rights.

“Initiatives involving less restrictive measures are contrary to national rules and are therefore to all intents and purposes illegitimate,” Conte told parliament.

PARIS, May 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — France reported 289 coronavirus deaths on Thursday, a drop of more than 100 from the previous day, as well as another decline in the number of patients in intensive care.

Top health official Jerome Salomon said the increase brought the country’s total death toll to 24,376, the world’s fifth highest figure after the United States, Italy, Britain and Spain.

The daily toll was well down from the 427 reported on Wednesday.

PARIS, May 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Criminals are using food delivery services as a cover to transport drugs and other illegal goods during the Coronavirus crisis, which has seen countries around the world go into lockdown, said the Interpol police organisation.

Interpol said it had received reports from police in Ireland, Malaysia, Spain and Britain identifying delivery drivers transporting drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, ketamine and ecstasy.

MOSCOW, May 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin says he has been diagnosed with coronavirus.

His positive test came on the same day that Russia recorded a record 7,099 cases, taking the total number of infections above 100,000.

Mishustin was given the role of prime minister in January and has been actively involved in Russia’s handling of the epidemic.

Russian TV showed him telling President Vladimir Putin of his diagnosis.

MOSCOW, May 1. /TASS/: Israeli Air Force helicopters delivered missile strikes on the southern parts of Syria, SANA news agency reported on Friday.

According to the agency, the air strikes were delivered around midnight on Thursday from the Golan Heights aiming at targets located about 40 kilometers (some 25 miles) to the southwest of the Syrian capital of Damascus.

The Syrian state-run agency did not report any casualties after the air strikes stating only that "the damages were restricted to materials."

MOSCOW, April 30. /TASS/: A number of anti-crisis measures to support the Russian economy comes into effect on May 1.The total amount of these measures is estimated at more than 2 trillion rubles ($26.9 bln). However, experts interviewed by TASS note that it will require more extensive action to prevent the recession.

So far, the support of the economy is planned in the form of separate packages of measures. Currently, the first two packages have been approved and are being implemented, while the government is discussing the third and fourth packages.