Schools told to keep children inside as polluted fog envelops Bosnian capital

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — Flights were cancelled, children were told to stay indoors and outdoors construction work was banned in Sarajevo Thursday as a thick layer of fog enveloped the Bosnian capital.

Sarajevo traditionally faces severe pollution during winter, mostly from house heating and transport pollution. The city is located in a valley surrounded by mountains which can keep polluted air stuck for days at a time if there is no wind.

Several flights from Sarajevo airport were cancelled, and cars moved slowly in low visibility during the morning rush hour. Some residents of Sarajevo could be seen wearing face masks for protection from toxic air.

The Swiss air quality technology company IQAir on Thursday ranked air quality in Sarajevo as “unhealthy." The city often tops the list of places with poor air quality globally.

Authorities on Wednesday banned trucks of over 3.5 tons in the Sarajevo city center along with cars and trucks that do not meet European Union environmental standards. Any construction work outside has been banned as well as public gatherings.

Experts have warned that exposure to PM2.5 – fine inhalable particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller – has led to a rise in respiratory infections as well as cancer, cardiovascular diseases and premature deaths in Sarajevo, other major cities in Bosnia and elsewhere in the Western Balkans.

Enis Krecinic, an expert for air pollution from the state meteorological institute, said the levels of toxic particles in Sarajevo are sometimes 10 times higher than they should be. He noted that it is unlikely that the situation will change any time soon.

“We need a systematic solution,” he said, adding that some 40,000 households need time to “switch to alternative heating systems which are environmentally friendly.”

Many Balkan countries have a poor record in environment protection despite promises to improve the situation as they seek to move closer to EU membership. Balkan rivers are often clogged with garbage and recycling is almost non-existent, while many cities have seen rampant construction diminishing green areas.

The air in Belgrade, the capital of neighboring Serbia, also was deemed “unhealthy for sensitive groups” on Thursday.

An aerial view of buildings peaking through a dense layer of fog in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

An aerial view of buildings peaking through a dense layer of fog in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

An aerial view of houses blanketed by a dense layer of fog in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

An aerial view of buildings peaking through a dense layer of fog in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged Thursday for the fourth meeting in a row as the economy in the 20 countries that use the euro increasingly looks strong enough to get by without the stimulus of lower borrowing costs for businesses and consumers.

The bank’s rate-setting council left the benchmark deposit rate unchanged at 2%, where it has been since a rate cut in June. Economists now think the rate could stay there for months - and possibly into 2027.

That’s because the ECB remains poised between inflation that’s just a bit too persistent and growth that’s underwhelming but steady after a trade deal with the US remove some of the uncertainty that had held back business planning. Higher rates fight inflation while cuts support growth.

The bank said in a statement following the decision that economic growth “is expected to be stronger” than in the bank's last projections in September, while inflation in services businesses was declining more slowly, even as overall inflation was expected to stabilize at the bank's 2% target.

Surveys of purchasing managers by S&P Global slipped slightly for December but still showed business activity expanding as the year comes to an end, reinforcing expectations that the 20 countries using the euro currency will continue to see growth of around 0.3% per quarter over the previous quarter, said Adrian Prettejohn, Europe economist at Capital Economics.

That outcome is better than feared during turbulent trade negotiations with the United States over the summer, which finally settled with a 15% tariff, or import tax, imposed on European goods by U.S. President Donald Trump.

That is not great for European exporters. But Trump had threatened higher rates and the deal struck with the European Union's executive commission appears to have removed uncertainty and made it easier for businesses to make decisions.

So the economy can get by without the added boost from a cut, analysts say.

“The haze of economic uncertainty has somewhat lifted, especially regarding trade,” economist Lorenzo Codogno said.

On top of that, inflationary pressures remain too high for the ECB to contemplate a cut.

The headline rate of 2.1% for annual inflation in November is roughly in line with the bank's goal of 2%, thanks in part to a drop in volatile energy prices. But inflation was higher at 3.5% in the services sector, which encompasses much of the economy from hairdressers and hotels to concert tickets and medical services.

Central bank rate cuts can support growth because they strongly influence borrowing rates throughout the economy, lowering credit costs and promoting credit sensitive purchases such as new homes by consumers or new production facilities by businesses. Higher rates have the opposite effect and are used to contain inflation by dampening demand for goods.

FILE - The European Central Bank is seen near the river Main in Frankfurt, Germany, early Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)