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

The UK had its sunniest spring since records began, the Met Office said on Wednesday after weeks of above-average temperatures and dry weather in the country known for its rainy days.

A French court on Wednesday gave the maximum 20-year jail term to a surgeon who admitted sexually abusing hundreds of patients, most of them children, during more than two decades.

Taiwan's world number 175 Joanna Garland told AFP she will rely on her self-belief as she prepares for her second-round match at the French Open after overcoming a serious injury to qualify for a maiden Grand Slam appearance.

Jasmine Paolini moved into the French Open third round on Wednesday as Iga Swiatek continued her bid for a fourth straight Roland Garros crown, with title favourites Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz also in action.

Kazakhstan said Wednesday it will authorise the hunting of saiga antelopes, once an endangered species that the government says is now threatening farming in the vast Central Asian country.

Protests have become part of daily life in Bangladesh's capital, with residents either taking part as political parties jostle for power after an uprising last year -- or avoiding them.

With reports of acute suffering in Gaza flooding the airwaves, EU leaders have toughened their tone on Israel -- but the bloc will need to bridge deep divisions to move from rhetoric to a real-world impact on the conflict.

Stock markets dipped Wednesday as optimism over easing trade tensions ran out of steam and a weak Japanese debt sale fuelled concerns about rising bond yields.

Iran on Wednesday executed a man convicted of spying for Israel, in defiance of pleas from his family and activists for his life to be spared after what they described as an unfair trial.

Manchester United are set to sign Brazil international Matheus Cunha after meeting the £62.5 million ($85 million) buyout clause in his Wolves contract, British media reported on Wednesday.

Vladimir Tretchikoff's iconic painting "Lady from the Orient" has sold for more than $1.7m in a new world record for the Russia-born South African painter, a Johannesburg auction house said Wednesday.

A German court on Wednesday rejected a climate case brought by a Peruvian farmer against German energy giant RWE, but set a potentially important precedent on polluters' liability for their carbon emissions.

A French court is to give its verdict Wednesday in the trial of a surgeon who admitted to sexually abusing hundreds of patients over more than two decades, in one of the country's largest child sex abuse cases.

The Kremlin on Wednesday rebuffed a call by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a three-way summit with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as Kyiv seeks to force Moscow to halt its three-year-long invasion.

Leaders of ECOWAS are gathering on Wednesday to celebrate 50 years since its formation and are expected to address regional security challenges as the continent also seeks answers in the face of US trade tariffs and aid cuts.

The UN on Wednesday condemned a US-backed aid system in Gaza after 47 people were injured during a chaotic food distribution that saw shots fired by the Israeli military.

Nearly 380 writers from the UK and Ireland, including Zadie Smith and Ian McEwan, penned an open letter Wednesday denouncing what they called Israel's "genocide" in Gaza and urging a ceasefire.

Liverpool's beloved former manager Jurgen Klopp said there are more "serious things in the world than football" after car ploughed into supporters at the end of a parade to celebrate the club's Premier League title triumph.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Germany on Wednesday to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has pledged muscular backing for Kyiv in its fight against Russia.

The Indian Premier League has finally reached the playoff stage, later than planned, leaving four teams to battle for the title beginning on Thursday.

Virat Kohli can fulfil his dream of finally winning the Indian Premier League when the playoffs begin this week, desperate to banish the "heartbreak" of losing the final as captain nine years ago.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was due to visit Germany on Wednesday for talks with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has pledged muscular backing for Kyiv in its fight against Russia.

At least 10 people were killed and 43 injured as strong winds and thunderstorms triggered flash floods and destroyed homes in central and northern parts of Pakistan, officials said Wednesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a three-way summit with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin as he seeks to force Moscow to halt its three-year-long invasion.

France and Indonesia called Wednesday for progress on "mutual recognition" between Israel and the Palestinians at a key meeting next month as Emmanuel Macron visited Jakarta, bringing the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation into his diplomatic efforts.

The US State Department on Tuesday ordered the suspension of student visa processing, as President Donald Trump's administration seeks unprecedented control of the nation's universities by slashing funding and curbing international enrollment.

Asian equities wobbled Wednesday as investors struggled to track a Wall Street rally fuelled by forecast-beating US consumer confidence data, with a weak Japanese debt sale adding to worries about rising bond yields.

Auto giant Stellantis, whose brands include Jeep, Peugeot and Fiat, on Wednesday named company veteran Antonio Filosa as its new chief executive officer as the US-European group navigates US tariffs and slumping North American sales.

With its sun-drenched beaches and vibrant nightlife, Spain has long been a top destination -- not just for tourists, but also for criminals looking to vanish.

The European Union is on track to reach its 2030 climate targets, Brussels said on Wednesday, but uncertainty remains over the bloc's ambitions to cut greenhouse gas emissions much further by 2040.

French President Emmanuel Macron met his Indonesian counterpart on Wednesday, seeking to deepen trade and defence ties with Southeast Asia's largest economy on the second leg of a three-country tour promoting France as a balancing power between the US and China.

Australia on Wednesday approved a 40-year extension to a major liquified gas plant, brushing off protests from Pacific island neighbours fearful it will inflame climate damage.