News National France
War between Israel and Hamas - French President Emmanuel Macron, the Egyptian president and the king of Jordan have called for an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza. On Monday April 8th, the three called for an "immediate" ceasefire and the release of "all hostages" in Gaza adding that “the war in Gaza and the catastrophic human suffering it causes must end immediately”. They also called for a “massive increase in the provision and distribution of humanitarian aid” in Gaza, “as a matter of urgency”. Emmanuel Macron, Abel Fattah al-Sissi and Abdallah II also want to bring about “the two-state solution”.
Warmest March on record - New data has shown that last month was the warmest March on record, extending the run of monthly temperature records to ten in a row. The data has caused concerns among some that the world could be tipping into a new phase of even faster climate change. March 2024 was 1.68C warmer than "pre-industrial" times - before humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels. For now, longer-term warming trends are still pretty much consistent with expectations, and most researchers don't yet believe that the climate has entered a new phase. But scientists are struggling to explain exactly why the end of 2023 was so warm.
Weather warning – Meanwhile, in north and northeastern France Meteo France has placed eleven departments on an orange weather alert today Tuesday 9th April, flooding, waves-submersion and strong winds are forecast. The warning is in place until the end of this afternoon.
Patients to be charged for not showing up to a doctor’s appointment - A proposal from the French government will see patients in France who fail to turn up to a doctor’s appointment without a good excuse fined 5 euros. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced on Monday that medical professionals reported an estimated 27m no-shows every year, adding: “We cannot allow this to continue.” The prime minister announced the €5 penalty as part of a series of measures intended to boost a health service that is suffering due to staff shortages, increasing costs and growing demand. The proposal however has been criticised by doctors’ unions and patients’ groups who say that “it won’t work. It’s just a tax … and the end result will be that the health system will lose.” One GP told French media that it would be better to “educate people rather than tell professionals they have to tax them, which will strain patient-doctor relations”. The Prime Minister said the step would be part of a law he hoped would be approved by parliament and come into effect from January next year.
Ambulance drivers in the Var claim they are “paid the minimum wage to save lives” - Meanwhile locally ambulance drivers in the Var region have revealed their daily lives to local elected officials on National Ambulance Day, declaring they are “paid the minimum wage to save lives”. Var Assistance is the first medical transport company in the Var with a fleet of 200 vehicles and provides an average one thousand interventions every day.
Mayor of Nice offers a place for celebrations for the Muslim community - The mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi has offered the Muslim community a place to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Similar to last year Estrosi announced on Monday that a large hall in Nice will be made available to celebrate. Estrosi added that he “recognised the importance of the occasion” saying that it is “an opportunity to highlight the values linked to compassion, unity, peace and is a time of celebration and rejoicing.”
Mayor of Monaco resumes his duties - Suspended from his duties since last December, the mayor of Monaco Georges Marsan returned to his post on Monday. Charged for corruption and influence peddling in December of last year. The mayor has since been subject to strict judicial control. Marsan was re-elected mayor of Monaco for the sixth consecutive time in 2023. A press conference is expected to take place on April 16th.
Former manager of AS Monaco dies following illness - Former manager of AS Monaco, Nicolas Holveck has died at the age of 52. President of AS Nancy Lorraine, formerly of the Principality club, Holveck died of cancer. His career took him to AS Monaco in 2014, a club in which he served as deputy general manager. In the Principality, Nicolas Holveck won the 2017 French champion title but also the semi-final of the Champions League, against Juventus the same year.
Kevin Costner to make a comeback at this year’s Cannes Film Festival - Twenty years on and the American actor Kevin Costner is set to make a comeback at this year’s Cannes Film Festival with an epic saga. Two decades after his last appearance at the Cannes Film Festival, Costner will make his comeback on the Croisette with “Horizon; An American Saga”. The upcoming two-part American epic Western film is produced by, directed by and stars Kevin Costner. Described as a two-part event, the film is scheduled to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2024, with Chapters 1 and 2scheduled to be released in the United States on June 28th and August 16th, 2024
New Miss France Museum - A Miss France Museum is to be created in Var in 2025. Unique in France, the museum will take up 500 m2 on two floors in Saint-Raphaël. Visitors will be able to discover some of the 2,530 costumes and accessories. It will include unique pieces, tailor-made for each of the Misses who wore them. The president of the Miss France Society says he is “delighted by the project”. The opening is scheduled for the spring of 2025.
British Party - The Monaco Town Hall is holding a British-themed party at the Marché de la Condamine. The British Party is to be held on Tuesday, April 16 at 7.15pm. British cuisine will take centre stage at the market alongside musical entertainment of the British variety. Reservation is required and for more information go to the www.mairie.mc website.
It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over – Finally, Lenny Kravitz has been announced as the guest star at the MC Summer Festival. The Société des Bains de Mer has revealed this summer’s programme and the artists who will take to stages of the Salle des Etoiles and the Garnier Opera. Singer Lenny Kravitz will perform on August 15 and 16. For more information go to.
https://www.montecarlosbm.com/fr/spectacles/monte-carlo-summer-festival
Business
French President Emmanuel Macron is still battling with a public deficit of 5.5% of GDP, which is well above the government’s objectives, so much so that according to French media he invited himself to the coordination meeting which takes place every week at the Élysée and dotted the i’s. France’s budget deficit is slipping away from the government’s control and is undermining the President’s creditability. Official figures have shown that the gap between income and outlays expanded to 5.5% of economic output in 2023 from 4.8% the previous year, far wider that the 4.9% that the government had planned for.
A recent study published on Monday has shown that the rate of sick leave within French companies was down last year compared to 2022, due to a drop in stoppages due to Covid, but the average duration of time off due to illness is increasing by more than two days. The study also shows that only 22% of work stoppages were linked to Covid-19 contamination in 2023, compared to 43% in 2022. Ordinary illnesses, fatigue, and poor working conditions have regained their first place in the ranking as causes for sick leave.
Meanwhile, a temporary postal worker recruited on a fixed-term contract in Rochefort (Charente-Maritime) has been accused of having made 400 letters disappear during his rounds. This is not the first time that an agent has shed part of his mail to go faster. The letters had been left in a bush, and to justify himself, the postman simply indicated that he wanted to end his day as quickly as possible because "it was cold". The bags marked “La Poste” were thrown into a bush and were discovered by a passerby, as a result the 20-year-old postman was placed in police custody, charged with “theft and destruction” and faces up to 3 years in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros. This is not the first time that post personal have dumped letters. Last year, a postman from Nancy was arrested after the discovery of around a hundred letters thrown into the wild, in 2017, a 21-year-old temporary worker who had shed 40 kilos of letters and parcels, to “lighten” his load, was sentenced to three months in prison and in 2015 in southwestern France a 19-year-old postal worker was caught in the act throwing away letters. He said he was “under pressure and unable to complete his round by 5pm”. He was sentenced to three months in prison, and 2,000 euros in damages to be paid to La Poste.
Sport
Football - Everton football club say they will appeal after being found guilty by an independent commission of breaching profit and sustainability rules. The rule allows clubs to lose £105m over three years. Everton however were found to have breached that by £16.6m for the three-year period from 2022 to 2023. It’s the clubs second breach of the Premier League financial rules and sees them lose two points. They now drop one place to 16th and are two points above the relegation zone.
In the Champions League this evening Arsenal play Bayern Munich and Real Madrid face Manchester City. Kick off for both matches is 9pm French time.
Cricket - England's Harry Brook hit a stunning final-day 100 not out as Yorkshire and Leicestershire had to settle for a draw at Headingley.
ROLEX MONTE CARLO TENNIS MASTER REPORT FROM BANQUE HAVILLAND
Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans lost their matches in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Monday. Norrie was beaten in straight sets by 15th seed Karen Khachanov. Norrie fought hard in a match lasting two hours and 25 minutes but went down 7-5 7-6 (7-3) to the Russian. Fellow Briton Dan Evans was beaten 6-1 6-4 by Austria's Sebastian Ofner.
Meanwhile, the young 19-year-old Frenchman and first Frenchman to qualify in Monaco Arthur Fils was quick to beat German Yannick Hanfmann on Monday winning in two sets (6-0, 6-2). Fils, 36th in the world, only needed 62 minutes in the first round of the Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo. He will face the Italian Lorenzo Musetti, 24th in the world, in the next round to try to reach the round of 16 where he could face world number 1 Novak Djokovic.
Today’s action on court rainier III will see Zverev play Ofner.
Practical Information for attending the tournament.
If you are planning on coming to the tennis then to make it easier for you to get to the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and avoid parking constraints, we recommend that you travel by train. During the tournament, trains will stop at the “Monte-Carlo Country Club” station between Monaco and Roquebrune Cap Martin. The TER will drop you 500 metres from entrance 4 of Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. Passengers can also stop at the Monaco station and, on presenting their valid tennis tournament ticket, use free of charge the Principality buses (lines 1,4 or 6) to get to the Monte-Carlo Country Club.
By car the simplest way is to exit the A8, at junction 57 “La Turbie” (from France) or the junction for “Monaco” (from Italy), then simply follow the signs. Several car parks are available, and you will be eligible for a special tournament price. Complimentary shuttle buses will then take you to the Monte-Carlo Country Club. Departure from the port area in Nice and bus station in Menton every 15 minutes: Nice-Monaco: LIGNE 607 Menton-Monaco: LIGNE 608
Finally by helicopter BLADE offers by-the-seat flights, every 30 minutes from Nice Airport (Terminal 1 / Terminal 2 / Affairs Terminal) to Monaco Heliport in 7 minutes only. From there, a BLADE van will accompany you to the tournament gates.
For more details on the tournament go to https://montecarlotennismasters.com/en/
Weather
Rain is forecast for the Alpes Maritimes and the Var. Windy in the west of the Alpes Maritimes in Cannes, with gusts of up to 60km/hr. Rain clearing by this afternoon in the Var due to moderate to strong winds with highs of 19 degrees in Saint-Tropez and 18 degrees in Toulon. Cloudy in Nice with highs of 17 degrees.
The outlook for Wednesday, should be mainly fine scattered showers by the afternoon and feeling cooler with highs of 17 degrees. Thursday sunny highs of 19 degrees.
Sunrise 06.57am
Sunset 08.07pm
Sea temperature
Nice 14.7
Weather elsewhere
Palma 19° Sunny.
New York 23° Sunny.
Liverpool 10° strong winds and heavy rain.
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