On Friday, parliamentarians of the Republic of Macedonia voted to change their country’s name to the “Republic of North Macedonia”. The move now awaits approval from Greece’s Parliament. A longstanding dispute between the two countries led to the move, because a region of Greece bordering the Macedonian republic is also called Macedonia. The change of name, if cleared by Athens, would pave the way for the small republic to enter NATO and the European Union.

Macedonia broke away from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 and declared independence. It measures a little over 25,000 sq km, and has a population just over 2 million. Neighbouring Greece has objected to its name all through, suggesting it implied the Macedonian republic’s territorial aspirations over the northern region of Greece. For the Greeks, Macedonia is significant as the cradle of Alexander the Great’s empire. Insisting that the name apply only to the Greek region, the Greeks have been blocking the Macedonian republic’s entry to NATO and EU membership.

In June last year, the two countries reached an agreement. Macedonia said it would change its name, and Greece said it would drop its objection to the neighboring country’s entry into the EU and NATO if the changes are formally adopted. The name appears to have been chosen back then, with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras having said that the neighbouring country would be Severna Makedonija or Republic of North Macedonia. On Friday, 81 of 120 Macedonian MPs voted in favour of the name change, securing the required 2/3rds majority. However, the Greek Parliament still needs to vote — and this will likely prove no easy task given how deeply divisive the issue remains there, a report in The New York Times observed. Before the vote in the Macedonian capital Skopje, a rift seemed to be growing over the issue between Prime Minister Tsipras and his right-wing coalition partner, Panos Kammenos, who has threatened to leave the government, The NYT report said.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said on Sunday said that the cabinet has decided to ban production, sale and use of single-use plastic products in the Union Territory from March 1. He said a massive drive would also be launched to create awareness among the merchants and the public on the necessity of the ban.

“We want to gift a plastic-free Puducherry to the future generation and curb the plastic in the larger interest of the environment,” he told newsmen after the cabinet meeting. The neighbouring Tamil Nadu government had in June 2018 announced that it would ban the use of plastic items including non-biodegradable carry bags from January 1, 2019, to “gift a plastic-free state to future generations”.

A nominated BJP MLA caused a flutter on the Assembly premises here on December 31 by resorting to sudden dharna urging the Puducherry government to ban immediately production, sale and use of plastic products in the Union Territory on the lines of neighbouring Tamil Nadu.

Narayanasamy also said the cabinet has decided to introduce ‘voluntary retirement scheme’ for the workers and staff of the century-old Anglo-French Textiles (AFT) mill and two other textile mills, named Bharathi and Swadeshi (run by Puducherry Textile corporation) in a phased manner in the next six months.

The liquor business of the Puducherry Agro Service and Industries Corporation Limited, popularly known as PASIC and the Civil Supplies Corporation (PAPSCO) would be handed shortly to private players by auctioning licenses, the CM said.

A two-day Global Aviation Summit 2019 will take off in Mumbai today. Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said this will be the first-of-its-kind event in the world with participation from more than 86 countries. Addressing a press conference in Mumbai yesterday, Mr. Prabhu said India is among the fastest growing aviation sector. He said the Vision 2040 for aviation sector and the Air Cargo Policy will also be unveiled during the summit. 

The Global Aviation Summit with a theme “Flying for all - especially the next 6 Billion”, being organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation in association with FICCI. The Summit offers stakeholders an opportunity to explore, deliberate and understand how technology-driven innovations will change air travel in the decades to come.  Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jayant Sinha; Chairman of Airports Authority of India, Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra; DG of Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Mr. B S Bhullar and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will address the summit. 

The world's largest religious and cultural human congregation -Kumbh 2019 has begun with the holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati at Prayagraj early this morning. The first bathing was taken by saints and seers of different Akharas. According to Kumbh Mela administration around one crore 25 lakh devotees area expected on this Royal bathing Makar Sankranti.

Twenty-one Snan Ghats have been set up for bathing. Special arrangements have been made for women devotees and for the first time three women police units have been pressed into service. More than one lakh twenty thousand toilets have been erected for making Clean Kumbh. AIR correspondent reports that the Kumbh Mela will conclude on 4th of March. 

Whole the area is reverberated with the sound of conch shells, bells, drums and chanting of Mantras, Bhajan and Kirtan. People are donating khichdi bhog and cloths on Makar Sankranti. Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place for the safe bathing. Besides, three Jal police stations, 9 NDRF water emergency teams have been pressed in service. The whole kumbh area is divided into 20 sectors and 9 zones for keen vigil by sector and zonal magistrates. Forty police stations, 58 police outposts including three women police station are erected where more than  20 thousand security personnel are deployed.

The Act providing 10 per cent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to Economically Weaker Sections of general category has come into effect. The government notified 14th January as the date from which the provisions of Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act, 2019 will be effective.

President Ram Nath Nath Kovind had given his assent to the Act on Saturday. The Act amends Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution, by adding a clause which allows states to make special provision for the advancement of any economically weaker sections of general category.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kerala and Odisha today. Mr Modi will reach Thiruvananthapuram and attend a function at Kollam to inaugurate a 13-kilometre bypass connecting a stretch from Mevaram to Kavanad. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will also attend the function. Later the Prime Minister will address a public meeting at Asharamam ground  in Kollam.

Mr Modi will also offer prayers at the famous Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram. He will commission several developmental projects undertaken in the temple complex under Swadeshi Darshan scheme.

The Prime Minister Modi will also visit Balangir in Odisha to dedicate several development projects. Mr Modi will dedicate Multi-Modal Logistics Park Jharsuguda and inaugurate a new railway line from Balangir-Bichupali. An official release said the Prime Minister will also lay foundation stone for Kendriya Vidyalaya building at Sonepur. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach Kerala around 4 pm today. He will inaugurate the 13 kilometer long Kollam bypass. The bypass will ease traffic flow from  Thiruvananthapuram to the rest of the state through Kollam. Constructed at a cost of Rupees 352 crores, it includes three bridges over Ashtamudi Lake. The Prime Minister will also address a Rally at Peerangi Maidan in Kollam. In Thiruvananthapuram, Shri Narendra Modi will visit Padmanabha Swamy Temple and unveil a plaque to mark the launch of visitor facilities under the Swadeshi Darshan programme. Tight security arrangements and traffic restrictions are  in place in view of the Prime Minister's visit. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award in New Delhi.

The award focuses on the triple-bottom-line of ‘people, profit and planet’. It will be offered annually to the leader of a nation, a statement from the Prime Minister’s office said.

According to the award citation, Modi was selected for his “outstanding leadership for the nation”.

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“His selfless service towards India, combined with his tireless energy has resulted in extraordinary economic, social and technological advances in the country,” it read.

The citation also states that under his leadership, India is now identified as the centre for innovation and value-added manufacturing (Make in India), as well as a global hub for professional services such as information technology, accounting and finance.

The statement quoted the citation as saying Modi’s visionary leadership has also resulted in the digital revolution (Digital India), including the Unique Identification Number, Aadhaar, for social benefits and financial inclusion.

The citation, the statement said, mentions initiatives such as Make in India, Startup India, Digital India and Swachh Bharat, “which have positioned India as one of the most lucrative manufacturing and business destinations in the world”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attacked the previous Congress government for its inability to bring Kartarpur Sabib under India during partition.

Releasing a commemorative coin as part of the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of 10th Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh, Modi also came down on the Congress for the 1984 riots that took place following the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Referring to the Kartapur Sahib corridor, he said now devotees do not have to look at the shrine in Pakistan using binoculars and they could visit the place without visa using the corridor.

"A mistake took place in August, 1947. It (the corridor) is an atonement of the mistake. An important place of our guru was only a few kilometers away. But it could not be made part (of India during partition) ... the corridor is an effort to reduce the damage," he said in a veiled attack on the then Congress government. Guru Nanak passed away in Kartarpur on September 22, 1539.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former chief justice of India J S Khehar and several Sikh leaders were present at the Prime Minister's residence to participate in the event.

Modi said be it Guru Nanak or Guru Gobind Singh, they have taught us to be on the side of justice. Following the path shown by them, the central government is trying to get justice for the people who suffered during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Modi said.

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling on January 12 launched the 'One Family One Job' scheme which entitles one government job for every family in the state.

Chamling had announced the scheme last year during the winter session of the state Legislative Assembly.

At a "Rojgar Mela" (employment fair) organised at the Paljor stadium in Gangtok, over 12,000 unemployed youths were handed out appointment letters on January 12.

However, the letters were awarded only to members of those families which do not have a government job at present.

The task of providing employment was entrusted to the Department of Personnel.

Chamling also announced that over 25,000 already employed but unregularised government employees would also be subsequently regularised within 2019 according to their seniority.

"Sikkim has become the first state in the country to carry out such an exclusive programme for the people who would now be entitled to state government employee benifits," Chamling said.

He also said that Sikkim was the only state that earmarks 70 per cent of its revenues towards salaries for state government employees.

As of now, the state government has over 1 lakh regularised employees on its rolls from a population of just 6.4 lakh.

At the Khelo India Youth Games in Pune today, ten year old Abhinav Shaw became the youngest gold medallist in shooting.  

He teamed up with Mehuli Ghosh to help West Bengal win the 10m air rifle mixed team event. Delhi's Devanshi Rana bagged gold in Under-21 girls  25m pistol event. 
  
Maharashtra once again dominated the gymnastics arena at the Games to wrap up the Under-21 category with a whopping nine medals on the last day of gymnastics events. 

With 18 medals comprising nine gold, six silver and three bronze in gymnastics,  Maharashtra were also crowned champions.

In Hockey under -21 category,  Odisha beat Uttar Pradesh in the first semi-final 2-1 while Haryana proved better than Punjab with a 3-1 win. Odisha and Haryana will now play for gold on Tuesday.  

In overall medals tally, Maharashtra completed its half century of gold medals. Delhi follows with 36 gold and Haryana 31 golds so far.