Paris Soir - News from Paris, France, Europe and the world – 24/7

Global stocks sank Thursday as central banks hiked interest rates again and signalled they needed to go higher to tame inflation.

The US Commerce Department on Thursday blacklisted 36 Chinese companies including top producers of advanced computer chips, severely restricting their access to American technology.

Through to their fourth World Cup final in seven editions, France have become accustomed to success on the international stage and central to it all has been Didier Deschamps, a born winner as a player and now an inspirational leader as a coach.

The US announced financial sanctions targeting one of Russia's wealthiest men, Vladimir Potanin, the Treasury Department and State Department said Thursday, adding to efforts that curb Moscow's ability to fund its war in Ukraine.

Russian shelling on Thursday killed two people in Kherson and left the southern city "completely without power", Ukrainian officials said after the latest strikes on infrastructure as temperatures have plummeted.

Lionel Scaloni is just one win away from joining the pantheon of all-time Argentina coaching greats alongside former World Cup winners Cesar Luis Menotti and Carlos Bilardo.

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday stood by his decision to travel to Qatar to support France's World Cup team, despite allegations linking the Gulf monarchy to corruption in the European Parliament.

Disgraced former tennis superstar Boris Becker was due back in Germany on Thursday after being deported following his release from a British prison where he served a sentence relating to his 2017 bankruptcy, his lawyer said.

The European Central Bank opted for a smaller interest rate increase of half a percentage point on Thursday but warned of more hikes to come in the "long game" to tame red-hot inflation.

Wales star George North could still be involved in their opening match of the Six Nations despite undergoing surgery for a cheekbone injury, according to club boss Toby Booth.

Industrial production in the US slumped in November with "broad based" decreases, the Federal Reserve said Thursday, as output for bigger-ticket consumer products and manufacturing fell.

The last French troops deployed in the Central African Republic left on Thursday following a chill in relations caused by closer ties between Bangui and Moscow, an AFP reporter saw.

Global stocks sank Thursday as central banks hiked interest rates again and signalled they needed to go higher to fight inflation.

A Swedish zoo said Thursday it had to shoot dead three chimpanzees after they escaped from their enclosure, with the situation still not under control.

Disgraced former tennis superstar Boris Becker was flying to Germany on Thursday after his release from a British prison where he served a sentence relating to his 2017 bankruptcy, his lawyer said.

The United States is expected to announce it will equip Ukraine with Patriot missile units, boosting its defenses against Russia's assault on its infrastructure.

Israeli scientists have created a species of egg-laying hens that only produce females, a breakthrough that could help end the annual culling of around seven billion male chicks globally.

Retail sales in the US turned negative in November as the holiday shopping season got underway, dragged by auto, furniture and building supplies, according to official data released Thursday.

The European Central Bank opted for a smaller interest rate rise of half a percentage point on Thursday but warned it expects "significantly" further hikes as red-hot inflation was still "far too high".

In just the first weeks of Moscow's war in Ukraine, Russian forces summarily killed hundreds of civilians, the UN rights chief said Thursday, decrying likely war crimes.

The Bank of England on Thursday hiked its interest rate by half a point to 3.5 percent, the highest level in 14 years, in a bid to cool sky-high inflation.

The family of Palestinian activist Nizar Banat submitted a case Thursday to the International Criminal Court accusing top Palestinian officials over his death in custody, relatives told AFP.

As winter temperatures plunge, a Lithuanian metal processing company has been turning used car parts into small stoves to keep war-weary and power-starved Ukrainians warm.

Volkswagen's new boss Oliver Blume will seek to rally the board and shareholders at back-to-back meetings from Thursday to support his strategy on a crucial automotive software that felled his predecessor.

The International Criminal Court on Thursday threw out an appeal by Dominic Ongwen, a Ugandan child soldier-turned-commander in the Lord's Resistance Army, against his conviction for war crimes.

Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav shone with both bat and ball as India plunged Bangladesh into serious trouble on the second day of the first Test in Chittagong on Thursday.

It was the Greek city where the ancients flocked in the hope of learning the secret of life after death.

Avid fans of the best-selling FIFA video game watched on a big screen as leading Senegalese gamers battled it out as virtual iterations of footballing royalty like Cristiano Ronaldo and Olivier Giroud.

Kyle Chalmers outswam Romanian sensation David Popovici to win the 100m freestyle title at the World Short Course Championships on Thursday, with Emma McKeon making it a golden night for Australia by claiming the women's crown.

Global stocks sank Thursday and the dollar rose after the US Federal Reserve hiked interest rates again and signalled they would go higher to fight inflation.

Boris Becker became an overnight sensation when he won Wimbledon as an unknown teenager but personal and financial troubles have dogged him since he hung up his racquet.

Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav shone with both bat and ball as India plunged Bangladesh into serious trouble on the second day of the first Test in Chittagong on Thursday.