An official Canadian panel has provided initial recommendations on the use of a second COVID-19 vaccine booster dose for some Canadians as infections rise in many parts of the country, Health Canada said on Tuesday.   

The developing East Asia and Pacific countries is projected to grow by 5 percent in 2022 amid the resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic, tighter financial conditions and the Russia-Ukraine war, the World Bank said Monday.

* Kuwait's government submitted its resignation on Tuesday, state news agency KUNA reported, ahead of a no-confidence vote against the prime minister in parliament, amid a lengthy political feud that has hindered fiscal reform in the Gulf oil producer.

* Asian stocks ticked up to their highest in more than a month supported by broad gains on Wall Street on Tuesday, while the euro was stuck near a one-week low against the dollar amid talk of more sanctions against Moscow.

* Japan's services sector activity shrank for a third consecutive month in March as the coronavirus pandemic weighed on demand, while the Russia-Ukraine conflict cast doubts over the outlook.

* Republic of Korea's consumer prices rose at their fastest pace in more than a decade in March, fuelled by rising energy and commodity costs due to the Ukraine crisis and adding pressure on the central bank ahead of its rate decision meeting next week.

* Participants of an international support conference on Tuesday announced a total amount of 659.5 million euros (about 720.5 million USD) of financial support for Moldova.

* While South Africa is amending the COVID-19-related health regulations, people should not let their guard down, said Minister of Health Joe Phaahla on Tuesday.

* Brazil is set to host the world's leading business to business (B2B) travel fair, the World Travel Market (WTM) Latin America 2022 between April 5 and 7 in the city of Sao Paulo, organizers said Monday.

* Israel's Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Tuesday announced a reduction in the supervised gasoline price by lowering the excise tax.

* The International Organization for Migration on Monday called for a safe disembarkation mechanism for illegal migrants crossing the sea from Libya to Europe, following the death of dozens of migrants.

* Costa Rica's former Finance Minister Rodrigo Chaves of the Social Democratic Progress Party is leading the second round of presidential elections on Sunday with 52.89 percent of the vote, the country's Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) said.

* China’s Beijing has been cleared of high and medium-risk areas for COVID-19, the municipal government said on Tuesday.

* Negotiators in Congress have agreed to an additional 10 billion USD in COVID-19 funding to address US needs but have dropped international aid from the package, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday.

* South Africa's national state of disaster, in place for more than two years in response to COVID-19, will end from midnight local time on Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said.

* Italy reported 88,173 COVID-19 related cases on Tuesday, against 30,630 the day before, the health ministry said, while the number of deaths rose to 194 from 125.

* Pfizer Inc said on Monday it made 6 million courses of its antiviral COVID-19 pill Paxlovid in the first quarter, hitting a target set by Chief Executive Albert Bourla.

* Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh on Tuesday issued a decree on reducing alcohol misuse.

Xinhua/Reuters/VNA