Main news of August 12

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours.

RUSSIA

* Raging forest fires in central Russia, Siberia and western Canada have created an enormous cloud of pollutants covering the northern hemisphere, according to NASA

* The fifth Russian Mangust class patrol boat has arrived in Abkhazia to help the former Georgian republic guard its maritime border in the Black Sea, a source in the local administration said

* A fifth Indian Kilo class diesel-electric submarine has arrived to Russia's Zvezdochka shipyard for an overhaul under a recent contract, the shipyard company said

* The appeals board of the Russian Supreme Court dismissed a complaint filed by environmental groups over the decision to reopen the controversial Baikal paper mill

SPORTS

* Irish Celtic winger Aiden McGeady has passed his medical exams in Moscow's Spartak and may soon make his debut in new football team, Sovetsky Sport reported

* Russia's Nikolai Skvortsov snapped up the silver medal in the men's 200m butterfly at the 2010 European Swimming Championships in Budapest

* Russia's Yulia Koltunova took bronze in the women's 10m individual platform event at the 2010 European Swimming Championships in Budapest