Journal du Club des Cordeliers - News from Marseille, the political, economic and cultural centre of southern France and the whole world

With his blackflips, one-handed cartwheels and quadruple-jumps galore, US figure skater Ilia Malinin's rip-roaring routines have proved a star attraction at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

Ukrainians were outraged Thursday by a decision from the International Olympic Committee to disqualify their skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Olympics over his helmet honouring killed athletes.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin on Thursday said European football's governing body was not currently contemplating bringing Russia back into the international fold, after FIFA chief Gianni Infantino recently indicated he backed easing a ban on the country.

Australian freestyle skier Cooper Woods won Olympic men's moguls gold in dramatic fashion on Thursday, with a tiebreak needed to separate him from Canadian great Mikael Kingsbury.

A new Italian bill allowing for a "naval blockade" to temporarily ban the arrival of migrants by sea violates international law and will lead to more deaths, rescue groups warned Thursday.

Turkey's central bank on Thursday increased its estimates for inflation as officials try to rein in soaring price increases that have weighed on the economy for years.

Ange Postecoglou insisted Tottenham Hotspur were "not a big club" following the sacking of head coach Thomas Frank on Wednesday.

Police raided the premises of the European Commission in Brussels Thursday in a probe into a 2024 real estate deal done with the Belgian state, a source close to the investigation told AFP.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that the decision to ban skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych from the Winter Olympics for refusing to ditch a helmet depicting victims of the war with Russia plays "into the hands of aggressors".

Pro-Kremlin social media accounts are using the latest Jeffrey Epstein files to bolster efforts to spread baseless claims that Russia has saved Ukrainian children from sex trafficking, research by AFP and a London-based think-tank showed Thursday.

Marco Odermatt is the self-proclaimed leader of the Swiss men's team, but Olympic gold in Bormio has so far eluded the all-rounder, who has set his sights on rectifying that in Saturday's giant slalom.

Berlin Film Festival jury president Wim Wenders on Thursday hailed the power of cinema to "change the world" as the event's 76th edition kicked off, promising an eclectic selection of films reflecting current upheavals.

Centre Fabien Brau-Boirie will make his Test debut for France against Wales in the Six Nations this weekend after head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday named a new centre pairing as the only two changes to his starting line-up.

Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe apologised Thursday for his "choice of language" after saying the "UK has been colonised by immigrants".

Britain's economy grew less than expected in the final quarter of 2025, according to official data Thursday, dealing a fresh blow to embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government.

EU leaders Thursday vowed to act boldly to bolster Europe's economy faced with twin threats from China and the United States, as they huddled in a Belgian castle to bridge differences on the path ahead.

A UK childcare worker appeared in court Thursday to be sentenced for years of child sexual abuse, as the government considers making CCTV mandatory in nurseries after a string of similar cases.

A leading British football anti-discrimination body on Thursday slammed as "disgraceful" comments by Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe claiming the "UK has been colonised by immigrants".

German carmaker Mercedes-Benz reported Thursday its lowest annual profit since the Covid pandemic, as it counted the cost of US tariffs and cutthroat competition in China.

Federica Brignone crowned a sensational comeback from injury to win the women's super-G at the Winter Olympics on Thursday and bring gold medal joy to the host nation.

European stock markets rose Thursday as traders digested a string of company earnings and a stronger-than-expected US jobs report, which boosted optimism about the health of the world's largest economy.

French luxury house Hermes reported Thursday an increase in 2025 sales even though it faced steep US tariffs and a weak dollar, which made its leather handbags and other goods more pricey for customers worldwide.

Russia has blocked the popular messaging service WhatsApp over its failure to comply with local legislation, the Kremlin said Thursday, urging its 100 million Russian users to switch to a domestic alternative.

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Winter Olympics on Thursday after refusing to back down over his banned helmet, which depicts victims of his country's war with Russia.

Counting began on Thursday in Bangladesh's first election since a deadly 2024 uprising, with powerful political heir Tarique Rahman bullish about defeating an Islamist-led coalition.

Thomas Tuchel has signed a new contract that will see him remain head coach of the England national football team through to the end of Euro 2028 in the UK and Ireland, the Football Association announced on Thursday.

Pro-Kremlin social media accounts are using the latest Jeffrey Epstein document release to bolster their efforts to spread baseless claims that Russia has saved Ukrainian children from sex trafficking, AFP research showed Thursday.

Centre Fabien Brau-Boirie will make his Test debut for France against Wales in the Six Nations this weekend after head coach Fabien Galthie on Thursday named him as one of two changes to his starting line-up.

Thomas Tuchel has signed a new contract that will see him remain head coach of the England national football team through to the end of Euro 2028 in the UK and Ireland, the Football Association announced on Thursday.

England football coach Thomas Tuchel is set to sign a new contract that will see the German remain in charge of the national side until 2028, according to a report in The Times.

A cyclone packing violent winds has killed at least 35 people and caused devastation in Madagascar's second-largest city, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Thursday, releasing an updated toll.

Dasun Shanaka hammered the fastest half-century by a Sri Lankan in T20Is as the co-hosts thrashed Oman by 105 runs at the T20 World Cup on Thursday in Pallekele for their second win in Group B.

French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi has removed Paul Hudson as chief executive, thanking him Thursday for "valuable contributions" but without giving any reason for his surprise exit.

Japanese automaker Nissan said on Thursday it expected to suffer a net loss of 650 billion yen ($4.2 billion) in its fiscal year that ends in March, as it struggles with sluggish sales.

Venezuela could pass a landmark bill on Thursday granting amnesty to political prisoners, marking an early milestone in the transition from the rule of toppled leader Nicolas Maduro.

Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from the Winter Olympics on Thursday after refusing to back down over his banned helmet, which depicts victims of his country's war with Russia.

Equities mostly rose on Thursday as investors cheered a bumper US jobs report that eased concerns about the state of the world's top economy, even as they pared back their bets on Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.

A French court has jailed three young men for the gang rape of an 18-year-old in 2020, after the victim's mother kept evidence in a plastic bag for year, until her daughter was ready to file a complaint.

Following the global success of "Derry Girls", the uproarious comedy about Northern Irish teenagers navigating life during the Troubles, writer Lisa McGee is back with a new show.