Volkswacht Bodensee - News from Lake Constance, St. Gallen, Thurgau, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, Europe and the whole world

The former head of a notorious Syrian prison was charged Thursday in the United States with torturing opponents of the now-collapsed government of Bashar al-Assad, the Justice Department said.

President Emmanuel Macron is set to name a new prime minister on Friday after days of deadlock over finding a candidate to replace Michel Barnier, whose ousting by parliament pushed France into a fresh crisis.

Most of what we know about humans living to very old age is based on faulty data, including the science behind the "blue zones" famous for having a high proportion of people over 100, according to one researcher.

As we move into 2025, the conversation around Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to evolve. New consumer research commissioned by the leading tech event for business leaders in the UK, Tech Show London reveals that over 12 million UK consumers plan to make learning AI a New Year's resolution for 2025. This growing interest in mastering AI signals a shift towards greater understanding and engagement with the technology that is increasingly shaping our lives.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is "in perfect neurological condition" after surgery to relieve bleeding pressure on his brain and should be leaving intensive care on Friday, his medical team said.

Rasmus Hojlund fired Manchester United to a late 2-1 win at Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday, while Tottenham were held to a stalemate at Rangers.

Juan Soto said Thursday the prospect of being part of a "dynasty" with the success-starved New York Mets had prompted his record-breaking $765 million move to the club.

Gaza's civil defence agency said a series of Israeli air strikes on Thursday killed at least 58 people, including 12 guards securing aid trucks, while the military said it targeted militants planning to hijack the vehicles.

The dramatic collapse of Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime has thrown light into the dark corners of his rule, including the industrial-scale export of the banned drug captagon.

Rasmus Hojlund fired Manchester United to a 2-1 win at Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday, while Chelsea beat Astana 3-1 in the Europa Conference League.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is "cognitively healthy" after surgery to relieve bleeding pressure on his brain and should be leaving intensive care on Friday, his medical team said.

Thousands of people took to the streets of the Slovakia capital Thursday to protest against Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova who has dismissed several heads of major cultural institutions and halted projects steered by LGBT+ associations under the pretext of promoting "Slovak culture".

Second-half substitute Rasmus Hojlund scored twice as Manchester United fought back to earn a 2-1 win at Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday.

Google is ramping up its push into smart glasses and augmented reality headgear, taking on rivals Apple and Meta with help from its sophisticated Gemini artificial intelligence.

President Emmanuel Macron is to name a new prime minister on Friday, aides said, after days of deadlock over finding a candidate to replace Michel Barnier whose ousting by parliament pushed France into a fresh crisis.

Riller & Schnauck GmbH, one of the leading car dealerships in Berlin and Brandenburg (Germany), is pleased to announce that Oliver Hein is joining the company's management team as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) with immediate effect. This step is a further sign of Riller & Schnauck's future strategic direction for its operational business and the expansion of its premium portfolio.

Bashar al-Assad's government has been accused of carrying out torture, rape, summary executions and other abuses since since Syria's civil war started in 2011.

US space tourism company Virgin Galactic announced Thursday it is exploring the possibility of opening a new base in Italy, potentially bringing crewed launches to Europe for the first time.

Georgia's pro-EU protests entered their third week Thursday, amid fears the post-electoral crisis could further escalate with the ruling party set to appoint a loyalist as the country's next president.

Thousands of Afghans on Thursday attended the funeral of the refugees minister, AFP journalists saw, after he was killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul the day before in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

The common murre, a large black-and-white seabird native to northern waters, has become far less common in Alaska over the past decade due to the impacts of climate change.

French luxury brand Chanel on Thursday named former Bottega Veneta creative boss Matthieu Blazy as its new artistic director, one of the biggest jobs in fashion tasked with finally turning the page on the Karl Lagerfeld era.

Brazil's 2026 presidential election may offer a field of candidates featuring neither incumbent Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva nor far-right rival Jair Bolsonaro.

Four men will appear in court next year in Paris over allegations they harassed French First Lady Brigitte Macron online, the public prosecutor said Thursday.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday was returning early from a trip abroad as pressure grew to name a new prime minister a week after MPs toppled the government.

Narges Mohammadi, the Iranian 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate on temporary medical leave from prison, said in a video call released Thursday that she would never let prison silence her.

Dortmund's Westfalenstadion will host the second leg of Germany's Nations League quarter-final clash with Italy in March 2025, the German FA (DFB) announced Thursday.

Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has called for tough action to tackle online abuse after he received a "vile, racist and threatening" message following Wednesday's 2-0 loss at Juventus.

Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes on Thursday killed at least 33 people, including 12 guards securing aid trucks, while the military said it targeted militants planning to hijack the vehicles.

French prosecutors on Thursday demanded jail terms of up to 14 years for three rugby players formerly with French side Grenoble, charged with the 2017 gang rape of a student.

Human-induced climate change fuelled a rare string of back-to-back typhoons that battered the Philippines this year and boosted the chances of powerful storms making landfall, a new study said on Thursday.

India on Thursday hailed chess prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju after the 18-year-old became the youngest world champion with a thrilling final win over China's Ding Liren.