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

Gale-force winds and storms barrelled through northern Europe on Friday, disrupting air and rail travel and cutting power to hundreds of thousands in freezing temperatures.

Polish farmers descended on Warsaw on Friday to protest a European trade deal with the South American Mercosur bloc, marching just moments after it was accepted by a majority of EU nations in Brussels.

World number two Iga Swiatek defied a partisan crowd to thrash Australian Maya Joint in Sydney on Friday and help take Poland into a United Cup semi-final clash with the USA.

Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok has turned off its image creation feature for non-paying users following backlash over its use to create sexualized deepfakes of women and children.

Two-time Olympic champion skier Marcel Hirscher announced on Friday that he was pulling out of the rest of the season, including the upcoming Winter Games, due to a lack of form.

Russian strikes cut heating to half of the Ukrainian capital on Friday, prompting the mayor to issue an exceptional call for residents to temporarily leave the city with temperatures at -8C and set to drop further.

Pope Leo XIV warned Friday that war was "back in vogue" and highlighted the "ambition of belligerents", as his own country the United States flexes its military muscles.

Gale-force winds and storms barrelled through northern Europe on Friday, disrupting air and rail travel and cutting power to hundreds of thousands in freezing temperatures.

France has the right to say "no" to its historical ally the United States when it acts in a way deemed unacceptable, the foreign minister said on Friday, warning that the European political order was "in danger".

Prague has long been a tourism hub thanks to its Baroque architecture and deep cultural history, but its latest draw -- a statue of thousands of books made famous on TikTok -- has blindsided officials in the Czech capital.

Venezuela began releasing a "large number" of political prisoners, including several foreigners, in a move praised by US President Donald Trump on Friday as a step toward cooperation after the ouster of ruler Nicolas Maduro.

The EU gave Friday a long-delayed go ahead to a huge trade deal with South American bloc Mercosur championed by business groups but loathed by many European farmers -- overriding opposition led by France.

A Russian warship arrived off South Africa's main naval base Friday to join Chinese and Iranian vessels in military exercises that risk further damaging Pretoria's relations with Washington.

Stock markets advanced Friday as traders awaited the release of crucial US jobs data and a possible Supreme Court ruling on US President Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs.

Tear gas burning his eyes, his voice hoarse from shouting anti-government slogans as cars honked around him, Majid joined crowds of Iranians taking to the streets in defiance of a crackdown on a swelling protest movement.

Kurdish fighters rejected a call to leave Syria's Aleppo on Friday after the government announced a truce in deadly fighting that forced thousands of civilians to flee.

Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok has turned off its image creation feature for non-paying users following backlash over its use to create sexualized deepfakes of women and children.

German industrial production unexpectedly jumped in November but exports fell heavily, data showed Friday, offering a mixed picture for Europe's struggling top economy.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday insisted that the Islamic republic would "not back down" in the face of protests after the biggest rallies yet in an almost two week movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living.

Russian strikes cut heating to half of the Ukrainian capital on Friday, triggering the mayor to issue an exceptional call for residents to temporarily leave the city with temperatures at -8C and set to drop further.

Switzerland was to hold a national day of mourning Friday for the 40 people killed, mostly teenagers, when fire ravaged a ski resort bar filled with New Year partygoers.

US President Donald Trump said Friday the world’s biggest oil companies pledged to invest $100 billion to revive Venezuela's oil sector as he prepared for a meeting with top industry executives.

Fierce winds battered France and Britain on Friday as storms barrelled through northern Europe, snarling train travel, shutting schools and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of homes in plunging winter temperatures.

Manchester City added to their attacking arsenal on Friday with the signing of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth for a reported £65 million ($87 million).

The world's oceans absorbed a record amount of heat in 2025, an international team of scientists said Friday, further priming conditions for sea level rise, violent storms, and coral death.

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner teased Friday the prospect of teaming up for doubles as the world's top two prepare to open their seasons with a lucrative exhibition match in South Korea, a week before the Australian Open.

Manchester City added to their attacking arsenal on Friday with the signing of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth for a reported £65 million ($87 million).

Shares in Chinese AI startup MiniMax soared 109 percent as it went public in Hong Kong on Friday, raising US$619 million in a sign that strong investor demand is rewarding the country's rapidly developing sector.

Iranians staged their biggest protests yet of an almost two week movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, chanting slogans including "death to the dictator" and setting fire to official buildings, videos showed Friday.

Stock markets were mixed Friday after a two-day stutter as traders look ahead to the release of crucial US jobs data and a possible Supreme Court ruling on Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs.

World number two Iga Swiatek defied a partisan crowd to thrash Australian Maya Joint in Sydney on Friday and give Poland the lead in their United Cup quarter-final.

Tens of thousands of Philippine Catholics twirled white cloths and chanted "Viva, viva" as a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ was paraded through the streets of Manila on Friday in the nation's biggest annual religious event.