NEWS
Today the End-of-Life Bill, has been presented to the Council of Ministers, and proposes the legalization of assisted suicide under certain conditions. These conditions include the patient being of adult age, having French nationality or having lived in France for a long time, and they must be able to clearly express their wishes. The patient must also be experiencing unbearable and untreatable physical or psychological suffering, with a prognosis of life-threatening condition in the short or medium term. The decision to grant assisted suicide is ultimately up to a doctor, who will have a maximum of 15 days to decide. While some believe the bill is not strong enough, others view it as posing potential dangers. Opponents believe that the focus should be on improving palliative care services to prevent patients from feeling the need to ask for assisted suicide. The government plans to invest €1.1 billion over the next decade to improve palliative care, with an aim to spend €2.7 billion per year by 2034. Supporters of the End-of-Life bill, while disappointed with the restrictions, are glad that the bill is being considered after concerns that it may be abandoned. The bill will now be examined by MPs in the National Assembly, with a long parliamentary process expected before it is officially adopted.
Dolphins were spotted in the Bay of Nice from the Promenade des Anglais yesterday. Laura, a tourist who came to spend a few days on the Côte d'Azur with her husband, spotted a mother dolphin and her calf swimming along the bay of Nice on Tuesday afternoon under cloudy skies. So, keep your eyes open and you might have the chance to this show for yourself.
France's parliament has adopted a bill on so-called sectarian abuses. That's the name given to acts committed by members of a sect, or conspiracy theorists who encourage others to mistrust the system. The bill targets self-styled "new gurus" in particular, and creates an offense of incitement to abandon medical care. However, the bill caused a stir in the House, amid concerns about "fundamental freedoms". According to the rapporteur for the text, Brigitte Liso, between 2015 and 2021, the number of reports of sectarian abuses almost doubled. More than 4,000 cases were recorded in 2021 - including conspiracy theories surrounding the Covid-19 vaccine.
A Russian oligarch with two properties on the Riviera has successfully appealed against being included on an EU sanctions list. Mikhail Fridman, who is close to Vladimir Putin, had seen his villas in Saint-Tropez and La Turbie frozen by the French government following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Today, the European Union's General Court ruled in his favor.
BUSINESS
Chinese games company NetEase has announced that popular games such as World of Warcraft will be returning to China this summer. Last year, NetEase and game developer Activision Blizzard ended their long-standing partnership due to a disagreement over intellectual property control. This resulted in millions of Chinese gamers losing access to their favorite games. However, the tensions between the companies have eased after Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard for £54bn in October. This has paved the way for the return of Blizzard titles including Hearthstone, Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft to the Chinese market. China is the world's largest online gaming market, with domestic revenues up 13% to £33 billion at the end of last year.
SPORTS
Triathlon - The swimming leg of the triathlon at this summer's Olympics could be canceled if heavy rain affects water quality in the River Seine, says Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet. Recent testing by charity Surfrider Foundation Europe revealed "alarming", external levels of E. coli in the river. Estanguet said contingency plans are in place, including delaying the event until later in the Games.
In other news, Three-time Olympic gold medallist Max Whitlock will retire after the Paris 2024 Games. The 31-year-old, who has won 32 major international medals, is Britain's most successful gymnast. He will become the first gymnast to win four Olympic medals on the same apparatus if he adds to his two golds and a bronze on the pommel horse this summer.
Football - England and Aston Villa forward Rachel Daly has retired from international football. The 32-year-old, who has 84 caps, was part of the England side that won Euro 2022. She came on as a late substitute in Tuesday's 2-0 Euro 2025 qualifying win over the Republic of Ireland.
ROLEX MONTE CARLO TENNIS MASTER REPORT FROM BANQUE HAVILLAND
TENNIS - After a lengthy rain delay, Novak Djokovic came out onto court and showcased some of his best tennis after cruising past Roman Safiullin (6-1 6-2) in this Monte-Carlo Masters second-round clash. The Serbian is now the oldest men's world No. 1 in history after breaking Roger Federer's record. Meanwhile, Jack Draper bowed out to Hubert Hurkacz, while Alex de Minaur and Alexander Zverev progressed.
In other news Carlos Alcaraz will not play in Monte Carlo. Juan Carlos Ferrero's protégé was too weak physically, with a strapped right forearm that prevented him from putting any intensity into his training sessions. Like last year, he has withdrawn from the tournament.
In action today
On the court des Princes / close victory for Australian Alex de Minaur who was up against Dutch Tallon Griek-spoor finishing in 3 sets 2-6 6-2 6-3.Amercian Sebastian Korda faced Rank number 2 Jannik Sinner and lost 6-1 6-2 / followed by French Gael Monfils who lost against Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-2 6-4
On the Court rainier III, Rank number 4 Andrey Rublev was defeated by Australian player Alexei Popyrin 6-4 6-4; An almost flawless victory for the Greek player ranked 12th Stefanos Tsitsipas who faced Argentinian player Etcheverry. And Casper Ruud has defeated his opponent Alejandro Tabilo 6-2 6-4
On Court 2 Game Set and Match Karen Khachanov 4-6 6-4 6-3 against Argentinian Cerundolo. Also, Hurkacz won 7-5 7-6 against Bautista Agut
On court 9, Game Set and Match Lorenzo Sonego wins 6-4 7-5 against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime; and Ugo Humbert wins the point on his 1st serve Ending with 6-1 6-4 after a swift 1h13min match / against Chinese player Zhizhen Zhang.
WEATHER
Cloudy with moderate winds this afternoon from Nice to Saint-tropez with scattered rain planned for this evening. Highs of 18 degrees in Nice and Cannes, 19 in Marseille, 20 in Saint-Tropez and 21 degrees in Toulon.
Tonight should be clear all across the riviera with highs of 18 degrees.
The outlook for tomorrow sunny throughout the day with highs of 22 degrees
The days are getting longer as we approach the summer, with the sun setting at 8:08pm
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