News
David Hockney poster banned in Paris metro - A poster for David Hockney's upcoming exhibition has been banned from the Paris metro due to its depiction of the artist holding a cigarette. Under French law, which bans tobacco advertising, the image violated regulations. The poster, showing Hockney with his painting "Play within a Play within a Play and Me with a Cigarette," was rejected by the RATP, the company managing public transport ads. Hockney criticized the ban as "censorship," calling it "utter madness." This isn't the first time such images have faced similar bans, as figures like Coco Chanel and Jacques Tati have encountered the same issue in the past.
New measures presented for seasonal rentals in Nice - The Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi has presented new measures to regulate furnished tourist rentals in the city due to rising housing prices and limited supply for residents. Nice has over 13,000 active tourist rentals, with some neighbourhoods like Vieux-Nice and the Promenade des Anglais seeing up to 70% of properties owned by investors. Key changes include reducing the duration of temporary permits from 6 to 3 years, limiting primary residence rentals to 90 days a year, and requiring energy performance certificates. In high-demand neighbourhoods, permit quotas will be imposed, cutting the number issued by at least 50%. These measures aim to restore balance to the housing market and ensure affordable living for locals. The regulations are expected to be finalized by mid-May 2025.
Prefect of the Alpes Maritimes set to leave his post - Hugues Moutouh, Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes since September 2023, is set to leave his post and be appointed Secretary General of the Ministry of the Interior. Moutouh, 57, is expected to be replaced by Pascal Bolot, the current Prefect of the Morbihan. Moutouh has had a varied career, including roles as a lecturer, advisor to several government offices, and Prefect of multiple regions. He made headlines in 2023 for his controversial comments about young rioters in Montpellier and Béziers. His time in the Alpes-Maritimes was notably marked by strained relations with the mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi.
New summer youth pass - A new summer youth pass could soon be available for those under 26 in the parts of the Alpes-Maritimes, covering all bus networks in the Cap Azur metropolitan area. The pass, proposed by Jean Leonetti, president of the Cap Azur area, aims to simplify travel between the region’s four urban areas, which currently have varying prices. Set to launch this summer, from June 15 to September 15, the €26 pass would also include access to free or low-cost leisure activities. The initiative seeks to encourage young people to use public transport and participate in cultural events.
First official visit for Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella - Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella will join their parents, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, for their first official visit to France today Wednesday 9th April. The royal family will visit the regions of Brittany and Normandy, which are linked to their ancestry. The family’s visit includes stops in the Côtes-d'Armor, Manche, and Calvados departments. They’ll start in Matignon, where they will meet locals and visit the market. Later, they will tour the historic Fort La Latte in Plévenon and the Grimaldi media library in Moyon Villages. Tomorrow, they plan to visit Percy in Normandy, where Prince Albert will attend a bell blessing. The family will also stop at the Château des Matignon and Saint-Laurent Church, where the prince’s ancestors are buried. Finally, in Calvados, the royal couple will unveil a plaque marking Souleuvre-en-Bocage’s membership in the Grimaldi Historic Sites network.
Political movement “Generation Monaco” - The newly launched political movement "Génération Monaco" held its first conference on March 31, focusing on health. The event, attended by 150 people, brought together health professionals like doctors, physiotherapists, and osteopaths to discuss Monaco's healthcare challenges. Benoît Paulmier, a member of the movement's steering committee, highlighted Monaco's top-quality healthcare, with the longest life expectancy and excellent medical facilities. However, he also pointed out issues like longer wait times due to the growing number of patients referred from France. The conference marked the beginning of a series of public discussions, aiming to engage Monaco residents in addressing key issues facing the Principality’s healthcare system.
Facebook group – Finally, the Facebook group "Help and Solidarity Between Monaco Residents," created during the 2020 lockdown, celebrated its fifth anniversary with over 19,400 members. Originally started by Julia Moraly to help herself during isolation, the group quickly grew as others, also lacking local family support, joined. What began as a small network to help neighbours has become a thriving community space for sharing information, offering support, and solving problems. The group’s success led to its expansion, with new rules to ensure it remains focused on people living or working in Monaco. Five years later, Julia, who spends 15-20 minutes daily moderating posts, reflects on how the group has become essential to many. It provides a sense of reassurance and connection, especially in times of uncertainty.
Business
Donald Trump's "explosive" tariffs are now in effect, including a 104% levy on China, the world's largest exporter. Another 60 countries deemed the "worst offenders" will face tariffs ranging from 11% to 50%. The China tariffs came after Beijing missed Trump’s deadline to remove its own retaliatory tariffs. Trump insists these measures are key to his financial vision, but experts warn of a potential full-scale trade war. While US financial markets initially rallied on Tuesday, they later fell after the White House confirmed the new tariffs on China.
The UK government is investigating the fast-growing "green fuel" HVO diesel amid claims of significant fraud. HVO, made from waste materials like used cooking oil, is touted to reduce carbon emissions by up to 90%. However, industry whistleblowers suggest that large amounts of the materials used may be virgin palm oil, fraudulently relabelled. Data shared with the UK's Department for Transport raises further concerns about palm sludge waste, a key ingredient in HVO.
And - A new Universal theme park is set to open in Bedfordshire in 2031, the first of its kind in Europe. The UK government expects it to bring £50bn to the economy and create 28,000 jobs, including 20,000 during construction and 8,000 in hospitality and the creative industries. The park, built on a former brickworks site, will feature a 500-room hotel and a retail and entertainment complex. Universal, owned by Comcast, expects 8.5 million visitors in its first year. The project is still awaiting a formal planning decision.
Sport
Football - Declan Rice delivered a sensational performance in Arsenal's 3-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg last night. The England midfielder, who had taken just 12 free-kicks in his career, scored twice in a stunning 12-minute span. Rice called the night "historic" and admitted he was speechless after the game.
Meanwhile, Inter Milan took a crucial step towards the Champions League semi-finals with a late goal in their 1-0 win over Bayern Munich in the first leg of their quarter-final tie. Bayern dominated the early stages, with Harry Kane hitting the post, but Inter made the most of their first shot on target.
This evening in the Champion s League quarter final Barcelona play Borussia Dortmund and PSG are at home to Aston Villa. Kick off for both matches is at 9pm French time.
In the Women’s Nations League last night, Germany beat Scotland 6-1, France beat Norway 2-0, England were beaten 3-2 by Belgium and Wales drew 1-1 against Sweden.
Tennis - British number one Jack Draper cruised into the Monte Carlo Masters third round with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Marcos Giron. The 23-year-old, fresh off his Indian Wells title, needed just 61 minutes to secure the victory, matching his best result at a clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event. Draper will next face either Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Tomas Martin Etcheverry for a spot in the quarterfinals. Despite past struggles on clay, Draper hit five aces and 21 winners, overpowering his opponent.
Rugby Union - Cardiff Rugby has filed a notice of intent to enter administration, with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) set to take over the regional team. The formal document, filed in court, signals the club’s intention to undergo a process aimed at rescuing it from liquidation. An emergency meeting was held on Tuesday afternoon with staff, including players and coaches, and chief executive Richard Holland. A statement confirmed the filing of the notice to appoint administrators.
Golf - Scottie Scheffler has been in high spirits ahead of the Masters, where he could claim a third title in four years. The defending champion spent Sunday playing a practice round with his mum and joked on Tuesday about taking out the competition with a cookery lesson. As part of his Champions Dinner, Scheffler served 'Papa Scheff's' meatball and ravioli bites, laughing when asked if players should "make their own ravioli."
Weather
Cloudy start clearing by this afternoon to give way to sunny intervals. A gentle breeze. Highs of 15 degrees in Monaco, 16 degrees in Nice, 17 degrees in Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Rayol Canadel. This evening going down to 12 degrees along the coast with clear skies.
The outlook for Thursday and Friday, sunny with highs of 18 degrees.
Sunrise 06.57am
Sunset 08.06pm
Weather elsewhere
Cardiff 17° sunny. Lyon 20° sunny.
London 16° sunny. Palma 21° sunny.
Dublin 15° sunny. Birmingham 16° sunny
Beach weather forecast
La Ciotat Plage – Cloudy with some sunny spells. Gentle breeze. Sea temperature 15°, air temperature 17°, feels like 19°. UV level 4.
Nice Plage – Cloudy start clearing by this afternoon. Gentle breeze. Sea temperature 16°, air temperature 16°. UV level 4.
And Finally
A new report shows that more millionaires are leaving London, with the city losing 11,300 dollar millionaires over the past year, including 18 centimillionaires (those with at least $100 million) and two billionaires. This decline is due to several factors, including tax hikes, economic uncertainty, and the fall in the value of the pound. The study by Henley & Partners and New World Wealth highlights that London is one of only two cities in the top 50 with fewer rich people than 10 years ago, losing 12% of its wealthiest residents since 2014. Moscow, with a similar trend, is the other city to show a decline. Despite this, London still has more millionaires than anywhere else.
Over the past decade, around 30,000 millionaires left London, while only 10,000 left Moscow. Many wealthy Brits are relocating due to increased taxes, including the abolition of the non-domiciled tax status, which previously allowed foreign nationals to avoid UK taxes on their global assets for a fee.
Other cities are seeing significant gains in wealth, with New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo topping the list for the number of millionaires. Meanwhile, London is now ranked 6th, with cities like Los Angeles and Paris ahead. Despite these losses, London remains an expensive city to live in, ranking as the fourth most expensive globally.
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