WORLD

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute on Friday to Prince Philip who visited the former British colony four times, not always helping to mend ties.

PM Modi praised the "distinguished" military career of Queen Elizabeth II's husband, who has died at the age of 99.

"My thoughts are with the British people and the Royal Family on the passing away of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh," said the prime minister of the Commonwealth's biggest nation on Twitter.

"He had a distinguished career in the military and was at the forefront of many community service initiatives. May his soul rest in peace."

A government committee in the UK advising on coronavirus vaccinations has said people under the age of 30 should be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine, after 19 people died in the country from rare blood clots after receiving the jab. Altogether, 79 such cases have been reported in the country.

"Adults who are aged 18 to 29 years old who do not have an underlying health condition... should be offered an alternative Covid-19 vaccine in preference to the AstraZeneca vaccine, where such an alternative vaccine is available," Wei Shen Lim of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said at a press conference.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is being manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute under the name of "Covishield". It is one of the two vaccines approved by India's drug regulator in January this year.

US President Joe Biden will announce Tuesday that all adults across the United States will be eligible for Covid-19 vaccines by April 19 -- well ahead of the already ambitious previous target.

The White House said Biden is shifting the deadline for full eligibility from May 1 to April 19 after rapid progress in all 50 states in the vaccine rollouts.

A senior administration official, who did not want to be identified, said the announcement would be made by the president later Tuesday.

If the target is met, this would mean an end to restrictions by age, health issues or other categories for people wanting to get coronavirus vaccines. It would not necessarily mean that anyone could get a shot immediately, as distribution remains a work in progress.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday during a live interaction that until and unless India retracts its "actions leading up to the revocation of Article 370" in Kashmir, the relationship between the two neighbouring countries cannot be normalised, according to a Pakistani news channel.

On August 5, 2019, the Indian government revoked Article 370, thereby repealing the special status accorded to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Article 370 allowed the state constituent assembly to make its own Constitution and hence gave it an autonomous state power.

Additionally, the state was bifurcated into two union territories Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Political leaders in the state such as Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah were put under house arrest in the strife-torn region.

The Indian government is ready to help the people of Myanmar with ration and medical supplies but won't encourage illegal infiltration into the country, said Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday.

Speaking about the ongoing crisis in Myanmar in an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Amit Shah said there is a limit to what India can do "because there is a boundary" between the two countries.

"We want to help everyone. If they [people of Myanmar] want ration or medical supplies, the Indian government can set up camps and help them. But we can't encourage illegal infiltration into India from Myanmar," Amit Shah said.