NEWS
The Monegasque State has successfully conducted its first national voluntary surrender operation, with 123 firearms being handed over by private individuals. These firearms, collected from 42 residents of the Principality, many of whom inherited them from their grandparents, are now destined for destruction. By participating in this surrender, these individuals have avoided any administrative or legal proceedings. The ratio of surrendered firearms per inhabitant in Monaco is similar to that of a national campaign conducted in France, which collected 150,000 weapons. The Princely Government's goal was to remove firearms from circulation that could pose a danger in homes and potentially be stolen during burglaries and distributed to criminal networks. Many of the surrendered firearms had been forgotten and stored in attics or cellars, with one individual having sixteen guns in their home. Some latecomers are still reporting to the authorities to surrender their firearms.
Motorized two-wheelers are now required to undergo roadworthiness tests every three years. These tests will consist of 78 checkpoints for Category L vehicles such as motorbikes, sidecars, cars without a license, and other scooters. The examinations will not only evaluate the condition of the brakes, but also assess excessive pollutant and noise emissions, and inspect the handlebars, suspension, mirrors, and tires. However, vintage motorbikes and certain competition bikes will be exempted from these tests. For vehicles registered before 2017, the checks must be conducted in 2024. For the rest, the tests will be gradually introduced from 2025 until 2026. Motorists who refuse to comply with these tests can face a fine of €135 or have their vehicle immobilized. The cost of the test can range from €50 to €100.
250,000 new tickets for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games went on sale today, announced Organizing Committee Chairman Tony Estanguet. Half of these tickets will be sold for less than €100. Of the tickets on sale, 35,000 will be for the beach volleyball events, 15,000 for swimming, 12,000 for table tennis, 12,000 for tennis, 10,000 for artistic gymnastics and 9,000 for equestrian sports. Some 7.9 million Olympic tickets have already been sold, 63% of them by French buyers, and 900,000 for the Paralympic Games.
A man was sheltering up to 450 migrants, the largest squat in France evacuated this morning in the southern suburbs of Paris ahead of the Olympic Games. Some 250 agents were mobilized for this operation, according to the Val-de-Marne prefecture. Some of them had been living in these premises for several months, unable to find accommodation in the private sector or waiting for social housing. According to the United Migrants association, which regularly provides them with assistance, 80% of them are legally resident in France. The Revers de la Médaille collective, which brings together associations that help people living on the streets, is warning of the plight of the homeless, whose makeshift camps are being dismantled at a faster rate as the Olympics approach.
After the beautiful sunshine...the storms. Temperatures of up to 21°C and bright sunshine are set to give way to lightning and thunder, according to Météo-France. The weather forecasting service has therefore placed the 06 department under yellow alert for thunderstorms on Thursday 18th, from midday to 6pm. Most of the rain is expected to fall in this period, with the Alpes-Maritimes, Var and the two Corsican departments affected.
In Cagnes-sur-Mer, the stop-and-go parking spots in the town center have been replaced by the parking observatory. This concerns more than twenty minute-stops which will now be converted to pay zones.
BUSINESS
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that Russia's economy will grow faster than any of the advanced economies, including the United States, this year. The IMF has revised its January forecast and now expects Russia to grow by 3.2%. This growth is significantly higher than that of countries like the UK, France, and Germany. Despite the economic sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, the IMF believes that investment by businesses and state-owned enterprises, as well as strong private consumption and oil exports, have contributed to Russia's impressive growth. Looking ahead, the IMF forecasts that Russia's growth will slow in 2025 but will still remain higher than expected at 1.8%. Despite sanctions, the UK has continued to import fuel made from Russian oil.
Economists at the IMF warned that if the Israel-Hamas conflict escalates further in the Middle East it could lead to rising food and energy prices around the world. Continued attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the ongoing war in Ukraine could also affect the so far "remarkably resilient" global economy, it said. A potential spike in food, energy and transport costs would see lower-income countries hit hardest, it added.
SPORTS
Tennis : Rafael Nadal makes a successful return to Barcelona. The Spaniard beat Flavio Cobolli (6-2, 6-3) in the first round of the ATP 500 in Barcelona on Tuesday, having not played since the Brisbane tournament at the beginning of January. During that tournament, Nadal played Three matches in Brisbane before withdrawing from the Australian Open, the American tour and then Monte-Carlo due to recurring pain.
Cycling : Jonas Vingegaard is out of hospital after his heavy crash in the Tour of the Basque Country. The winner of the last two editions of the Tour de France spent twelve days in hospital in Vitoria (Spain). He suffered a contusion of the lungs, a pneumothorax, several broken ribs and a fractured collarbone following a massive crash on the fourth stage of the Tour of the Basque Country on April 4. His team has not announced a return date for the Dane, whose participation in the Tour de France, which starts in Florence (Italy) on 29 June, remains uncertain.
Football : Paris Saint-Germain are in the semi-finals of the Champions League today. After losing 2-3 to Barcelona in the first leg of their quarter-final at home, the Parisians went on to beat the Catalans 4-1 at home. They will now face Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals on April 30 and May 7.
WEATHER
Clear and sunny for the rest of this afternoon. Moderate to high winds towards Toulon with gusts of up to 65 km/h. Highs of 18 degrees in Marseille and Toulon, 19 in Nice, 20 degrees in Cannes and 21 degrees in Saint-Tropez.
Later tonight, the clouds will cover the sky around Nice and Cannes with lows of 13 degrees.
The outlook for tomorrow, Clear and sunny morning with chances of thunderstorm later in the afternoon, highs of 18 degrees.
Weather elsewhere
London 12 degrees Cloudy
Marbella 23 degrees Cloudy
Montreal 9 degrees Cloudy
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