A massive blaze that reached the edge of a power plant in Turkey’s southwestern Mugla province was contained early on Thursday, authorities said.

The blaze reached the perimeter of the Kemerkoy Thermal Power Plant in Mugla’s Milas district late on Wednesday, prompting the evacuation of all personnel as well as people living in nearby areas.
Firefighters worked through the night to contain the blaze and started a cooling process to ensure it does not reignite, according to officials.

Firefighters start cooling process after overnight efforts to contain blaze in Mugla province

Firefighters worked through the night to contain the blaze and started a cooling process to ensure it does not reignite

Blaze near power plant in southwestern part of country is contained

Dozens of villages were evacuated and thousands of residents were forced to leave their homes on Thursday because of forest fires in Greece.

Firefighters said a fire that ignited in the forest area in the Olympia region in the northwest of Peloponnese on Wednesday continued throughout the night and extraordinary efforts were made to protect the ancient city and the museum, which was threatened.
Prime Minister Kiryakos Mitsotakis, toured Olympia, made investigations and received information from authorities about the status of the fire.
Ninety people stuck on the coastline in Euboea were rescued by boats and at least 13 villages were evacuated as a precautionary measure, while an emergency was declared in the region.

Firefighters protecting ancient city of Olympia from flames for past 2 days

Firefighters continue works to extinguish the fire in the area of Greek island of Euboea, 150 kilometers from Athens, Greece on August 05, 2021.

Greece evacuates villages after forest fires

Drug maker Moderna said Thursday that its coronavirus vaccine is 93% effective six months after injection.

In a statement regarding ongoing clinical trials, CEO Stephane Bancel added: "The Delta variant is a significant new threat, so we must remain vigilant."
All three of the current COVID-19 vaccines on the market in the US are believed to offer protection from the more contagious Delta variant. In rare "breakthrough" cases, in which vaccinated people get the virus, symptoms are generally mild or non-existent.
Bancel said the company is working on a booster shot that he envisions being a single-shot vaccine that would be doled once a year and would protect against COVID-19 and the basic flu.
Bancel says in clinical trials, the booster shots "demonstrate robust antibody responses to COVID-19 variants."
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working on granting full approval for the Pfizer vaccine by September. The Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines are expected to get full approval sometime after that approval.
The three vaccines have been available on an emergency use authorization and the FDA is speeding up its timetable to grant full-use authorization.
The moves come as vaccine hesitancy in parts of the US, even vaccine hostility, is helping the spread of the Delta variant. But the White House is reporting that in areas where hospitalizations have been surging, vaccination rates are starting to tick up.

Potential booster vaccine shows promise, says CEO

The three vaccines have been available on an emergency use authorization and the FDA is speeding up its timetable to grant full-use authorization

Moderna says vaccine 93% effective through six months

Members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Sarajevo Canton (MUP SC) searched the property owned by Osman Mehmedagić Osmica, director of the Intelligence and Security Agency (ISA) of B&amp;H, three days ago.
According to the request of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H and the order of the Court, Mehmedagić's house, two apartments and vacation home were searched.

<h2>He knew about the search warrant</h2>

Searches were conducted at four locations, in Hrasno, Trnovo, the city center, in Mis Irbina Street, where Mehmedagić has an apartment, and in Dobrinja.
According to the request of the state prosecutor Oleg Čavka, the police asked for documentation on Mehmedagić's education at the American University in B&amp;H, whose owner is the compromised Denis Prcić.
As we have learned unofficially, the police did not find anything that could serve the prosecutors in the further course of the investigation, because this documentation is obviously hidden.
The reason is the obvious agreement between the individuals in the Court and Osman Mehmedagić, who knew about the search warrant.
We learn that the police did not find a computer or a mobile device in four locations, as well as any documents related to Osmica's education.

On the other hand, the Prosecution is actively working to expand the investigation in relation to Mehmedagić also because he terminated his accelerated retirement, to which, according to the law, he was not entitled.
Osmica has stopped reporting length of service since 2017.
According to the information that "Avaz" has, Osmica in September 2016, using the powers given to him in the service of Article 3 of the Law on OSA B&amp;H, passed the Rulebook on the internal organization of ISA B&amp;H in which he directly violated the legal provision by direct violation of the Law on ISA B&amp;H, which stipulates that employees of the Agency in jobs that include the performance of operational activities, are entitled to an extended period of insurance.
As we find out, without the legally prescribed form, Mehmedagić made a list of jobs that prescribes the duration of the increased length of service and submitted everything to the Council of Ministers of B&amp;H for adoption as part of the Rulebook on Internal Organization of ISA B&amp;H.

The director of ISA decided on these moves all with the aim of achieving illegal property gain in the form of illegal performance of office and in order to avoid mandatory retirement.
The Prosecution has obtained evidence that Osmica in the table which is an integral part of the Rulebook in the position of headings of the Director General, Deputy Director General and Chief Inspector avoided to put any indication of the length of service for these positions, so when the B&amp;H Council of Ministers adopted the rulebook, he immediately ordered the competent services of ISA B&amp;H to stop paying and reporting the accelerated retirement in his name, as well as his deputy Trifko Buha and Chief Inspector Damir Bevanda from the beginning of 2017.

<h2>He stopped reporting the legally prescribed accelerated retirement</h2>

Osmica, by falsely presenting the facts to the competent ethical body, more precisely to the Federal Pension and Disability Insurance Institute, stopped reporting the legally prescribed benefited accelerated retirement, due to which he continued to perform the duty of director, although at the end of 2020, according to the force of law, a retirement age of 40 years was required for mandatory retirement. Osmica has turned 40 years and six months of work experience and already had to retire.
However, in this way, Mehmedagić, by deceiving the Pension and Disability Insurance Institute by deleting his length of service, as the Prosecution suspects, achieved an illegal property gain in the amount of 50,000 KM. In that way, he damaged the budget of Bosnia and Herzegovina because he received at least ten salaries.

Three days ago, the police did not find anything that could serve the prosecutors in the further course of the investigation

Mehmedagić: He is defending himself from freedom

B&H Prosecutor's Office expands investigation: Osmica canceled accelerated retirement and illegally earned 50,000 KM

A British security guard who was killed in a suspected Iranian drone strike on an Israel-linked tanker was a former soldier in the British army, his employers said on Thursday.

Maritime security firm Ambrey said Adrian Underwood was on board the M/T Mercer Street when it came under attack in the Indian Ocean off Oman last Thursday.
A Romanian national was also killed.
-Adrian was a former soldier in the British Army with a distinguished record of service- Ambrey's managing director John Thompson said in a statement.
-He came to work for Ambrey in 2020 and his qualities were quickly recognised as he was rapidly promoted from maritime security officer to team leader.-The United States and Israel have both pointed the finger at Iran for being behind the attack on the tanker, which is managed by a prominent Israeli businessman in London.
Security analysts have said the fatal attack -- strongly denied by Tehran -- has upped the stakes in the "shadow war" against vessels linked to Iran and Israel.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the attack "unacceptable and outrageous" and warned Iran of consequences.
On Tuesday, Iran was again blamed for an alleged hijacking of an asphalt and bitumen tanker in the Gulf of Oman, prompting more denials from the Islamic republic.

Maritime security firm Ambrey said Adrian Underwood was on board the M/T Mercer Street when it came under attack in the Indian Ocean off Oman last Thursday

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the attack "unacceptable and outrageous" and warned Iran of consequences

Tanker attack victim was ex-British soldier

Britain's leading newspapers and broadcasters on Thursday urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to give sanctuary to media workers in Afghanistan under threat from the resurgent Taliban.

In an open letter, every major newspaper plus broadcasters Sky News and ITN said media workers risk "persecution, physical harm, incarceration, torture or death".
The "peril is acute and intensifying" as the Islamist insurgents take control of vast swathes of the countryside and key border towns, they added.
-President Biden's decision to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan without conditions is a risk to western security, but more urgently still to Afghanistan's people- the letter said.
-None are more exposed than Afghan civilians who have served western military forces during their 20-year mission to thwart terrorism and Islamist extremism in the country, and in particular those who have helped western media organisations to report it- it continued.
-We and other media organisations implore and plead with Boris Johnson and (Foreign Secretary) Dominic Raab to put in place a special visa programme for journalists and other media workers who are at risk in their home country. Honour and duty require it.-The letter was organised by the Times and The Guardian, who fear the return of the Taliban following the NATO pull-out spells danger for those who helped western entities during the two-decade war, or who reported critically on the group.
They pointed to the murder of Mohammad Ilyas Dayee, a reporter with Radio Free Europe, who was killed in November last year by an explosive device attached to his car. 
-Time is running out. Should Afghan journalists be left to the Taliban's mercies, the costs to Britain's reputation will be immense- they wrote. 
A number of Afghan journalists and media workers have been killed or wounded in attacks over recent months. 
Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer backed the campaign, saying "the UK must not abandon them".

In an open letter, every major newspaper plus broadcasters Sky News and ITN said media workers risk "persecution, physical harm, incarceration, torture or death"

An Afghan journalist films the site of a bomb explosion in Kabul on 10 July.

UK media urge govt to give Afghan colleagues refuge

A human rights group and two media outlets linked to self-exiled Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky said Thursday they were closing under pressure from authorities after their websites were blocked.

The Russian opposition says the authorities are stepping up a campaign of intimidation against independent media and dissenters ahead of parliamentary polls in September. The Kremlin has rejected these claims. 
On Wednesday evening, Russian internet watchdog Roskomnadzor restricted access to the websites of Open Media and MBKh Media, as well as the website of the Pravozashchita Otkrytki human rights group following a request from prosecutors, they said.
On Thursday, the media outlets and the rights group said they were shutting down to shield staff from prosecution.
Veronika Kutsyllo, former chief editor of MBKh Media, said the risks were "too big" for the media outlet to continue operating.
-The country is rapidly falling into some unbelievable feudal darkness- she said on Facebook.
In a statement on Twitter, Open Media said that Russian authorities did not want critical media. "But at least we tried," it said.
Both media outlets were founded by Khodorkovsky in 2017 and were critical of the Kremlin.
A number of independent media organisations and groups have been banned in Russia in recent months as part of an increasing crackdown on the opposition ahead of parliamentary elections in September.&nbsp;

Open Russia, an opposition group founded Khodorkovsky, was designated an "undesirable" organisation in Russia in 2017 in line with a law targeting foreign groups accused of political meddling. In May, the group said it was closing to protect its members from prosecution.

Pivovarov, the former executive director of Open Russia, was pulled off a Warsaw-bound plane in June and is currently in pre-trial detention. The 39-year-old faces up to six years in prison for his involvement in an "undesirable" organisation.
Khodorkovsky, who owned the oil giant Yukos before he was convicted in two controversial cases and spent a decade behind bars, now lives abroad.
In July, authorities outlawed Proekt, one of the country's last independent media outlets that focused on in-depth reporting into the wealth of Russia's elite including President Vladimir Putin. Its chief editor Roman Badanin has left Russia.
The same month the media regulator blocked 49 websites linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny including his main website navalny.com.
Russia's parliamentary vote will be held from September 17 to September 19.
On Wednesday, international monitors said they would not send observers to Russia for the September election because of a limit on numbers imposed by Russian authorities.

On Wednesday evening, Russian internet watchdog Roskomnadzor restricted access to the websites of Open Media and MBKh Media, as well as the website of the Pravozashchita Otkrytki human rights group following a request from prosecutors

On Thursday, the media outlets and the rights group said they were shutting down to shield staff from prosecution

Russia blocks websites linked to Kremlin critic Khodorkovsky

In the early morning hours, the Service for Foreigners' Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina undertook activities aimed at controlling the movement and stay of migrants in the municipality of Velika Kladuša and relocated migrants to the temporary reception center Miral.

Inspectors of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs, with the assistance of the USC Ministry of the Interior, controlled the movement and stay of migrants at the location of Ćurića Brod, Velika Kladuša municipality, where they found 44 migrants, most of whom are citizens of Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
The Service relocated the migrants to the temporary reception center Miral, where they were provided with medical assistance, identification and registration, as well as provided accommodation, food and other non-food products.
The implemented activity is a continuation of operational activities of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs on relocating migrants from abandoned facilities to temporary reception centers in order to better manage migration processes, in coordination with local authorities in Una-Sana Canton, the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs of B&amp;H said.

Most of them are citizens of Bangladesh and Afghanistan

The implemented activity is a continuation of operational activities of the Service for Foreigners’ Affairs on relocating migrants from abandoned facilities to temporary reception centers

Migrants from the area of Velika Kladuša relocated to Miral reception center

More than 200 million cases of Covid-19 cases have now been registered worldwide since the novel coronavirus emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 0700 GMT on Thursday.

At least 200,065,905 cases have been officially recorded, but the actual number is believed to be even higher, since a large number of the less severe or asymptomatic cases remain undetected, despite intensified testing in many countries.
The number of infections is currently rising sharply, driven primarily by the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, but the number of deaths is increasing at a slower rate, the data showed.
The global average daily number of new infections over the past seven days stands at more than 600,000, an increase of 68 percent over the seven-day average in mid-June.
At the same time, the average number of daily deaths stands at 9,350, an increase of 20 percent compared with the beginning of July. 
The gap between the number of infections and the number of deaths is most noticeable in the countries currently hardest hit by the pandemic. 
In the United States, for example, the number of new cases has exploded by more than 820 percent, now standing at an average of 94,000 per day compared to 11,000 at the end of June. 
But the rise in the daily number of deaths in the US is much slower, climbing 105 percent to 430 over the same period.
In Britain, where as many as 47,000 new cases have been recorded every day for the past few weeks -- a 30-fold increase compared with May -- the number of deaths has increased more than ten-fold from six to over 80.
Nevertheless, that is far below record levels seen in January, when Britain's daily number of deaths shot to 1,250. 
By contrast, the average daily number of infections in hard-hit Indonesia has fallen by 19 percent over the past week to 35,000, but the daily number of deaths is up eight percent at 1,700. 
The current wave in Indonesia is the worst since the outbreak of the pandemic and the country is now recording by far the most daily deaths worldwide. 
The difference reflects the inequality in access to vaccines -- 58 percent of Americans and 69 percent of Britons have received at least one jab, but only 18 percent of Indonesians. 
The US health authorities estimate that people who are vaccinated are 25 times less likely to be hospitalised or die from Covid-19 than those who are not. 
The novel coronavirus has killed more than 4.25 million people worldwide since the start of the pandemic, but the World Health Organization estimates that the overall toll could be two to three times higher than official records, due to the excess mortality that is directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19.&nbsp;

At least 200,065,905 cases have been officially recorded, but the actual number is believed to be even higher, since a large number of the less severe or asymptomatic cases remain undetected

The number of infections is currently rising sharply, driven primarily by the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, but the number of deaths is increasing at a slower rate

More than 200 million coronavirus cases worldwide

Arijana Memić, the sister of the murdered young man Dženan Memić, told the media today in front of the Court of B&amp;H that they were provoked by members of the family of police officer Hasan Dupovac.

<h2> They will have to answer for this</h2>

- We were provoked in the parking lot when we came, where the ladies in question came towards us, I don't know who they are. They addressed Hasan Dupovac loudly, telling him: "my love", as if to provoke us. My love is gone, my love is killed. In the courtroom, I heard that it was Hasan Dupovac's sister. I replied, "Your love is going to jail." I am convinced of that. They will have to answer for this. Their client said that the Prosecution should restrain the witness. I am not a witness for the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I am the sister of the murdered Dženan Memić. I have the right to say what I want and to whom I want. They had the right to cover up the murder of Dženan Memić, I have such a right to tell them what lies in my heart. So I don't regret it. We are here at every hearing and we will attend until the end. The most important thing is that the investigation of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H goes further and we expect new arrests - added Arijana Memić.

<h2> We are a damaged family whose Dženan was killed</h2>

The most important thing for the family of Dženan Memić is that the indictment is confirmed, Arijana pointed out.

- What I can say to the Dupovac family, from Hasan Dupovac, is that they should first inform their client who we are and who they are. We are the damaged family, our Dženan was killed, and they tried to cover up his murder. Because of these people who are here, in the courtroom today, because of Hasan Dupovac, there is no Dženan, he was killed - said Arijana.

I am not a witness for the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, I am the sister of the murdered Dženan Memić, said Arijana

Shameful: Arijana Memić revealed that they were provoked by the sister of police officer Hasan Dupovac

A hearing was held in the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to extend the custody of the accused Zijad Mutap, Alisa Ramić Mutap, Hasan Dupovac, Josip Barić and Muamer Ožegović, who are charged with hiding evidence and covering up the murder of Dženan Memić.
The Court of B&amp;H has extended the prohibitive measures in the case of Dženan Memić and everyone will defend themselves from freedom.

Prosecutor Dubravko Čampara corrected his proposal and emphasized that the Appellate Panel of the Court of B&amp;H has already decided to impose prohibitive measures on the accused and that the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H agrees with that.

The prosecutor said that he was proposing that Mutap and Dupovac be ordered to leave their place of residence, with the police obligatorily checking whether they were complying with the measures. Also, the prosecution requested that a measure prohibiting mutual meetings between the accused and contact of any kind be imposed.
The Defense agreed with the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H that at this stage of the proceedings, detention is not ordered, but prohibitive measures.
Ermin Gačanović, Hasan Dupovac's lawyer, said that his client was provoked in front of the courtroom.
- Hasan Dupovac's sisters greeted him with the usual greeting "my love", to which Arijana Memić told them "your love is going to prison". She is a prosecution witness and I am asking my colleagues to restrain their witnesses - Gačanović stated.

<h2> Alisa Mutap must not leave the Municipality of Stari Grad</h2>

Prosecutor Čampara reacted to this by saying that he would not restrain anyone nor was the term appropriate.

- They are damaged and they deserve to be heard with feelings here because it is human - stated Čampara.
Lawyer Nina Kisić asked the judge to keep in mind that Alisa Ramić Mutap must not leave the Municipality of Stari Grad and that both hospitals are in the center.
Čampara reacted to this by saying that there were a lot of medical workers on the list of witnesses and that she could not go to the Municipality of Centar and those medical institutions.

Prosecutor Dubravko Čampara corrected his proposal and emphasized that the Appellate Panel of the Court of B&H has already decided to impose prohibitive measures on the accused and that the Prosecutor's Office of B&H agrees with that

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has extended the prohibitive measures in the case of Dženan Memić, everyone is defending themselves from freedom: "Your love is going to prison"

A hearing began today in the Court of B&amp;H according to the proposal of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H to extend the custody of the accused in the "Zijad Mutap and others" case.
These are the accused for covering up and covering up the murder of Dženan Memić on February 8, 2016 in Ilidža. We remind you that Alisa Mutap, Dženan Memić's ex-girlfriend who was with him in Great Alley on the fateful night, her father Zijad, police officers Hasan Dupovac and Josip Barić and Muamer Ožegović, an employee of the Crystal Hotel in Ilidža, are the accused.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina is requesting that the accused, who are defending themselves at large, be returned to custody, which can now last up to three years.
The extension of custody was requested with the confirmed indictment of the Court of B&amp;H.
The father of the murdered Dženan, Muriz Memić, his sister Arijana and friends and citizens who want to follow today's hearing arrived at the Court of B&amp;H.

The Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina requests that the accused, who are defending themselves at large, be returned to custody, which can now last up to three years

"Memić" case: See the arrival of Zijad Mutap and others at the hearing in the Court of B&H

In the past 24 hours, 1,345 samples were registered with the Public Health Institute of the Federation of B&amp;H, of which 64 were positive for SARS-CoV-2. 

A total of 757,404 samples have been tested so far, and SARS-CoV-2 has been confirmed in 134,805 individuals.
In the past 24 hours, no deaths were reported in the Federation of B&amp;H, and the total number of deaths in the Federation of B&amp;H is 5,542, the Institute announced.
In the last 24 hours, 214 laboratory samples were tested in Republic of Srpska, and coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was confirmed in 17 people.
In the last 24 hours, no deaths have been reported to the Republic of Srpska Institute of Public Health.
So far, 64,514 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Republic of Srpska, and a total of 3,809 people have been confirmed to have been tested for coronavirus.
In the last 24 hours, 143 samples were tested in the Brčko District and one case of coronavirus was detected.

143 samples were tested in the Brčko District and one case of coronavirus was detected

In the last 24 hours, 214 laboratory samples were tested in Republic of Srpska, and coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was confirmed in 17 people

B&H registers 82 new cases of COVID-19, with no deaths

Turkey has successfully contained a total of 167 wildfires that have emerged a week ago, according to the country’s agriculture and forestry minister.

The wildfires took place in 33 of Turkey’s 81 provinces, Bekir Pakdemirli said on Twitter, adding that efforts continue to put out the remaining 16 blazes in seven provinces around southern/southwestern Turkey: Adana, Antalya, Aydin, Denizli, Hatay, Isparta, and Mugla.
In an earlier statement, the Turkish Forestry Directorate said that they responded to wildfires in 98 rural areas with 16 firefighting aircraft, nine unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 51 helicopters, one unmanned helicopter, 850 firefighter trucks and water tankers, 150 construction vehicles, and 5,250 personnel.
The National Defense Ministry said on Twitter that the Air Force Command continues to provide airspace use permits, monitoring and coordination of flight traffic, and ground support services for fighting the fire.
-In addition, the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of our Air Force Command monitor the fire zones from the air 24/7, and provide instant image transfers- it added.
Turkey’s high-tech drones are playing a key role in battling forest fires now raging in various parts of Turkey.
Turkey’s Forestry Directorate affiliated with the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry uses state-of-the-art technology to shorten the detection, response, and extinguishing time to fight forest fires.
Through extensive surveillance by drones, the size of the fire can be assessed more quickly and a precision response can be done.
Turkish army UAVs get real-time visuals in wildfire-prone areas and share them with a coordination center that sends them to aerial firefighting vehicles, telling them the location and direction of wildfires.
Working to detect and locate fires, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have so far logged 462 hours in the air.​​​​

1st wildfires emerged one week ago, with 16 still ongoing in 7 southern/southwestern Turkish provinces

The wildfires took place in 33 of Turkey’s 81 provinces

Total of 167 wildfires are now under control

A German-Iranian woman held in Iran has been given a decade-long jail term by an Iran court for participating in an outlawed group, her daughter said Wednesday, a verdict Germany described as "incomprehensible".

Nahid Taghavi, 66, was given "10 years for membership in an illegal group" and "eight months for propaganda against the regime," her daughter Mariam Claren said.
Taghavi was arrested at her Tehran apartment on October 16 after years fighting for human rights in Iran, in particular for women's rights and freedom of expression, according to the rights group IGFM.
-The conviction and sentence are incomprehensible from a constitutional perspective- Germany's foreign ministry said. 
According to Claren, Taghavi has been held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, where she recently contracted Covid-19.
Claren has repeatedly flagged up warnings about her mother's health, saying that she suffers from pre-existing conditions including high blood pressure and diabetes.
Germany's foreign ministry said in October that it was aware of the arrest of a German-Iranian woman in Iran, but did not name the detained citizen.
Frank Schwabe, who is the spokesman on human rights issues for the Social Democrats, condemned the verdict.
-The charges are baseless and the verdict a farce- he wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

Nahid Taghavi, 66, was given "10 years for membership in an illegal group" and "eight months for propaganda against the regime," her daughter Mariam Claren said

Iran court sentences German woman to decade in jail: daughter

France's top administrative court on Wednesday fined the government a record sum for failing to reduce air pollution to acceptable levels.

The Council of State slapped its highest fine ever, 10 million euros ($12 million), on President Emmanuel Macron's government, warning it would do so again within months if the authorities failed to act quickly to combat smog.
The Court, which has become increasingly watchful over the government's environmental record, said measures decided by the government were insufficient to improve air quality, because some might not actually be implemented, and their likely effects had not been properly evaluated.
Last year, the Council ruled that the government had failed to implement a court order dating from 2017 to curb air pollution levels, and gave it six months to take corrective action or face a 10-million-euro fine every six months until air quality improves.
With the six-month deadline having elapsed, the Council is now implementing its threat.
Air pollution is believed to cause 40,000 premature deaths in France per year.
The Court said that pollution by nitrogen dioxide -- produced by fossil fuel combustion, notably by cars -- was still excessive in five urban areas: Paris, Lyon, Marseille-Aix, Toulouse and Grenoble.
It also singled out Paris for persistently high levels of PM10 micro particle pollution.
The Court said it will examine air pollution levels again at the start of 2022 and could impose another fine which could come in "above or below" the latest one, depending on the outcome.
The Council said the fine issued Wednesday would be mostly shared among various anti-air pollution agencies.
NGO Friends of the Earth, which launched the pollution lawsuit against the government, will get 100,000 euros, the judges ruled.

The Council of State slapped its highest fine ever, 10 million euros ($12 million), on President Emmanuel Macron's government, warning it would do so again within months if the authorities failed to act quickly to combat smog

Air pollution remains the leading cause of premature death in Europe

Blaze near power plant in southwestern part of country is contained

Greece evacuates villages after forest fires

Moderna says vaccine 93% effective through six months

B&H Prosecutor's Office expands investigation: Osmica canceled accelerated retirement and illegally earned 50,000 KM

Tanker attack victim was ex-British soldier

UK media urge govt to give Afghan colleagues refuge

Russia blocks websites linked to Kremlin critic Khodorkovsky

Migrants from the area of Velika Kladuša relocated to Miral reception center

More than 200 million coronavirus cases worldwide

Shameful: Arijana Memić revealed that they were provoked by the sister of police officer Hasan Dupovac

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has extended the prohibitive measures in the case of Dženan Memić, everyone is defending themselves from freedom: "Your love is going to prison"

"Memić" case: See the arrival of Zijad Mutap and others at the hearing in the Court of B&H

B&H registers 82 new cases of COVID-19, with no deaths

Total of 167 wildfires are now under control

Iran court sentences German woman to decade in jail: daughter

Court fines France record sum over air pollution

News

Blaze near power plant in southwestern part of country is contained

Greece evacuates villages after forest fires

Moderna says vaccine 93% effective through six months

B&H Prosecutor's Office expands investigation: Osmica canceled accelerated retirement and illegally earned 50,000 KM

Tanker attack victim was ex-British soldier

UK media urge govt to give Afghan colleagues refuge

Russia blocks websites linked to Kremlin critic Khodorkovsky

Migrants from the area of Velika Kladuša relocated to Miral reception center

More than 200 million coronavirus cases worldwide

Shameful: Arijana Memić revealed that they were provoked by the sister of police officer Hasan Dupovac

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has extended the prohibitive measures in the case of Dženan Memić, everyone is defending themselves from freedom: "Your love is going to prison"

"Memić" case: See the arrival of Zijad Mutap and others at the hearing in the Court of B&H

B&H registers 82 new cases of COVID-19, with no deaths

Total of 167 wildfires are now under control

Iran court sentences German woman to decade in jail: daughter

Court fines France record sum over air pollution