National News France
Headmaster resigns after receiving death threats - The headmaster of a high school in Paris has resigned after receiving death threats on social media following an altercation with a student, which dates back to February of this year. The headmaster had at the time had asked the student to remove her veil whilst on school premises. The incident has resulted in the headmaster announcing this week that he was “leaving his duties for security reasons”. An investigation has been opened in Paris for cyberharassment following the online death threats.
Motorists no longer required to display insurance on windscreen from April 1st - From April 1st motorists in France will no longer be required to display their insurance sticker on their vehicle. France’s Minister of the Finance Bruno Le Maire confirmed the change, which was introduced in France in 1956 under the fourth Republic. Proof of insurance will now be provided by consulting the Insured Vehicle File or the FVA, which compiles all “third-party” car insurance contracts in France. The file is accessible to law enforcement during checks and in the event of an accident insurance companies able to access the Insured Vehicle File specifying the registration of the third party involved. However, all motorized vehicles still remain subject to insurance. Lack of insurance represents a criminal offense punishable by a fine of up to €3,750, with the possibility of a three-year suspension of your driving license or confiscation of your vehicle and other additional penalties.
Local News
Eric Ciotti warns that Nice is becoming like Marseille - Éric Ciotti the president of the Republican Party in France has warned that Nice is becoming like Marseille following clashes with police in the Moulin district at the beginning of the week which resulted in an officer being injured and a police car vandalized. Ciotti has denounced a “lack of action” by the authorities in a district which has been marred by drug trafficking and violence. In response to his comments the prefect of the Alpes Maritimes pointed to figures confirming “a zero tolerance” in which 399 interventions by police had been carried out in the past year, 938 people have been questioned and 142,000 euros has been seized along with 31 kilos of drugs.
MIPTV moves to London - It’s the end of an era for the MIPTV conference held in the Croisette in Cannes since 1964 following the news that it is to move to London next year. The last MIPTV at the palais des festivals will take place from the 8th to the 10th of April.
Film locations - Meanwhile, new figures have confirmed that the Riviera remains a hugely popular location for shooting films and TV series. The number of productions filmed on the Côte d'Azur rose by 6% last year according to the Alpes Maritimes Côte d'Azur film commission. In total there were 551 productions recorded on the Riviera in 2023. That's a total of 1,600 days of filming. They include 10 feature films, more than a dozen major TV dramas, including productions commissioned for Apple TV, Netflix and Amazon Prime, and 145 TV adverts. According to the film commission, filming on the Riviera generates about €200 million a year in terms of direct and indirect benefits. They include accommodation and catering for the film crews, and the longer term benefits to the region's image and tourism.
Olympic Games in Marseille - More than 1000 boats will be alongside the “Belem”, the last French three-masted ship, for the arrival of the Olympic flame. The "Belem" will drop off the bearer of the Olympic flame in the Old Port of Marseille. The arrival of the Olympic flame, on May 8th, will be a celebration on land and at sea. One hundred years after the last Summer Olympic Games held in Paris in 1924, the torch bearer will return to France by sea and disembark in Marseille. Departing from Greece, the flame will arrive on the Quai d'Honneur of the Old Port on the evening of May 8.
Easter celebrations here in Monaco - The town hall here in Monaco is gearing up for the Easter holidays with plenty of activities for children. Like last year, the Botanical Centre is organizing a major “plant hunt” on Saturday March 30th between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., for children aged 3 to 12 attending school or living in Monaco. The event is free but reservation is required by telephone +377 93 15 29 80 or by email: jardin-exotique@mairie.mc. On Sunday March 31st from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., children will be able to come to Princess Antoinette Park to cuddle farmyard animals who have come especially for the occasion! As well as makeup workshops, cookie decorating and note that an Easter bunny will distribute chocolate eggs at the Condamine Market, Sunday March 31st from 9:30 a.m.!
Winning couple in the Var - A couple in their fifties from the Var region have won 73 million euros in the Euromillions jackpot. The winning ticket was purchased on February 20th, in the Beaucaire district of Ollioules., The couple are keen players having kept note of combinations over several years. Despite winning the large sum the couple say they intend to continue playing adding that they wish to go on a gastronomic tour of France and Europe, travel and enjoy time with the family. The win is the biggest in the Var, a previous record for the region stood at 16 million euros in Carnioules.
Business
A Chinese firm has brought the technology behind a European flying car. The flying vehicle powered by a BMW engine and normal fuel known as the “AirCar” has been developed and successfully test-flown in Europe. In its test flight it flew for 35 minutes between two Slovakian airports in 2021, using runways for take-off and landing. It took just over two minutes to transform from a car into an aircraft. Now vehicles based on its design will be used within a "specific geographical region" of China.
Barclays bank has apologised to customers after issues with payments into and out of the accounts of some of its UK customers. The bank announced that its payment systems and banking app were now fully operational after earlier glitches which occurred on Tuesday evening. Other firms such as Sainsbury's and McDonald's were recently hit by technical issues.
It was a win, win, win, situation for Donald Trump’s media firm after it made its formal debut on the stock market. In early trade, shares surged past $70, giving the firm a market value of more than $9bn. They ended the day at about $58, still up more than 16%. The long-awaited moment will inject more than $200m into Trump Media & Technology Group and hands the former president a stake worth more than $4bn.
Sport
Football – It was a last-minute equaliser by Jude Bellingham which saved England from a second successive Wembley defeat after defensive errors threatened to cost them dearly in the friendly against Belgium with the match ending two all.
Meanwhile it was a disappointing night for Wales after they missed out on their qualification for Euro 2024 suffering a penalty shootout defeat in their play-off final against Poland, which ended 5-4 on penalties for Poland.
Women’s Rugby – England’s Sarah Beckett has been banned for three weeks following her red card against Italy in the Six Nations on Sunday. Sarah will miss England's next three Six Nations games against Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. The 25-year-old will be eligible for the Red Roses' final match of the tournament with France on 27 April.
Tennis – It was a straight set win for top seed Carlos Alcaraz against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti. The result see Alcaras reach the Miami Open quarterfinals.
Weather
Cloudy with light showers in places. This afternoon sunny intervals are forecast. Highs of 15 degrees in Nice and Saint-Tropez. 14 degrees in Monaco, Cannes and Toulon. A fresh breeze across the region. This evening going down to 10 degrees.
The outlook for Thursday and Friday. Thursday fine with highs of 18 degrees and strong winds by the afternoon. Friday cloudy with highs of 18 degrees and scattered showers.
Sunrise 06.20am
Sunset 06.51pm
Sea temperature Monaco
15°
Weather elsewhere
London 10° light rain
Brussels 12° light cloud
New York 13° light rain
And Finally
Scientists from the US have made the curious discovery that women are more likely to become addicted to smoking cigarettes than men. Researchers in the US found this holds true despite the fact that there are more male smokers in American than there are female. Roughly 13 in every 100 adult men smoke, compared to about 10 in every 100 adult women. The new study has also shed light on why this might be.
The findings reveal that estrogen, the female sex hormone, can make a person's brain more sensitive to the effects of nicotine in cigarettes - and therefore more likely to get addicted.
Competition time!
The Full English Breakfast Show – Anyone for tennis? All week we are giving away tickets to the ROLEX MONTE-CARLO MASTERS.
All you have to do is listen to the Full English Breakfast Show and answer the tennis question. All correct answers will be entered into a draw which will be held on Friday at 10am live on air.
Everyday a tennis story will be given here on our FB page and our website rivieraradio.mc in the morning’s news section. The tennis story will help you to find the answer to the question asked on air. Best of luck!
Tennis story – Did you know?
Before using rackets tennis players would use the palm of their hands to hit the ball back and forth over the net. People in the 12th century suffered from swollen and red hands in a game called ”jeu de paume” meaning “game of the palm.” It was not until the 16th century that racquets were used.
Also, before yellow, tennis balls were white. It wasn’t until Wimbledon in 1986 when yellow tennis balls were used. Officials believed that a yellow ball would be easier for spectators to follow on TV.
And - The origin of the tennis term “love” is unknown. The word “love” or zero in tennis possibly derives from the French word “l’oeuf” meaning “egg,” which may represent the figure zero.
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