SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — Macedonia’s government has ordered the winter break for students to be extended to Jan. 23 because of extremely high levels of toxic particles in the air in many cities throughout the country.

The government said in a statement Sunday that the measure is to “shorten the time of exposure of students to air pollution and to protect their health.”

City authorities in the capital Skopje also have introduced free public transport and have doubled the prices for parking in order to force people not to use private cars.

NALCHIK, January 21. /TASS/. Russia’s oldest woman, Nanu Shaova, a native of Russia’s North Caucasian Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, has died at the age of 128, the local administration said on Monday.

"Nanu Shaova, a centenarian from the village of Zayukovo, Kabardino-Balkaria’s Baksan district, and Russia’s oldest woman, according to the Russia Book of Records, has died at the age of 128. She would have turned 129 in May. The administration of the Baksan district offers its most sincere condolences to her family," it said in press statement.

BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's Spring Festival travel rush started Monday, unleashing the country's largest seasonal migration of people as families reunite for China's most important traditional holiday.

The travel rush began 15 days ahead of the Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 5 this year.

In the following 40 days, from Jan. 21 to March 1, nearly 3 billion trips are to be made via China's transport system, as people rush for family gatherings or travel around the country.

Tehran, Jan 21, IRNA – After China, South Korea, India and Turkey, Japan has also resumed importing Iran oil, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) said.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A coordinated Taliban assault on a military base and police training center in eastern Afghanistan on Monday morning killed at least 12 and wounded over 30 people, provincial officials said.

Salem Asgherkhail, head of the area’s public health department, said that most of those killed in the attack in Maidan Wardak province were military personnel. Some of the wounded were taken to provincial hospitals for treatment while the more serious cases were sent to the capital, Kabul.

BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's per capita disposable income stood at 28,228 yuan (4,165 U.S. dollars) in 2018, up 6.5 percent year on year in real terms, official data showed Monday.

Separately, urban and rural per capita disposable income reached 39,251 yuan and 14,617 yuan in 2018, up 5.6 percent and 6.6 percent in real terms after deducting price factors, respectively, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

YAKUTSK, January 20. /TASS/. Italian extreme sports lover Paolo Venturini ran nearly 40 km in northern Yakutia’s Oymyakon region where temperature hit minus 52 degrees Celsius, the local department for external relations told reporters on Sunday.

"Paolo Venturini ran for three hours, 54 minutes and 10 seconds covering the 39.12 km from Tomtor to Oymyakon with the temperature of minus 52 degrees," the department’s press service said.

New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led high-powered panel on CBI chief will meet on Thursday and discuss probable names for the coveted post.

The panel meeting will be attended by Chief Justice of India Rajan Gogoi or his nominee and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, officials said.

Among the officers whose name would be discussed at the meeting are J K Sharma and Parminder Rai from the 1982 batch -- the senior most but lacking experience in the CBI.

KANPUR: In a raid at the centre of Uttar Pradesh Civil Court Staff Centralised Recruitment Examination in Govindpur area here on Sunday, the Special Task Force team has caught two solvers along with the linchpin.

21 Jan 2019; DW: An al Qaida-linked group has claimed responsibility for an attack that killed 10 UN peacekeepers from Chad in the north of Mali on Sunday.

In a statement posted on messaging platform Telegram, the Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen group said the attack was a response to Chadian President Idriss Deby's revival of diplomatic relations with Israel.

At least 25 others were injured in the attack on the UN camp, which was one of the deadliest attacks against MINUSMA, the UN mission in Mali.

New Delhi, Jan 20 (PTI) An alleged rape victim and her husband, who have temporarily shifted here from Jammu and Kashmir apprehending threat to their lives, have been given protection by the Delhi High Court.

The high court was informed by the couple that personal circumstances forced them to leave their native place and made serious allegations against some police officials and political workers.

KANPUR:  Encroachers have got their hands on the green belt assigned from Yasoda Nagar to Kidwai Nagar crossing in the city’s south area. It now looks more as the pollution belt. The residents around the roads blame on them for the problems.

They were bringing in use vacant space for servicing vehicles, dumping building materials and running a shop selling pan masala and tobacco pouches. The Kanpur Development Authority provided as many as 30-feet space for the development of the green belt.