An unlucky lightning strike caused a short-lived power outage in Monaco on Monday morning.
While part of the Principality escaped unscathed, two-thirds of the territory was without electricity from 09:24. The blackout also affected neighbouring Beausoleil and Cap-d’Ail.
Throughout the blackout, the Princess Grace Hospital was unaffected as emergency generators started automatically. The train service was also unaffected, apart from the usual delays.
More than twenty calls were received by the fire service, which was called out to rescue a number of people stuck in lifts.
Power started to return from 10:15 and by 10:33 the whole of Monaco was back on the grid, with telephone lines and the Internet fully restored.
France has enacted legislation approved earlier this year that will enable significant fines where sexual harassment is committed in the streets and on public transport.
The newly-introduced law on “Sexist Outrage” is defined as “sexual or sexist conduct that is offensive to one’s dignity because of its degrading or humiliating character, or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive situation.”
Photo: Monaco Life
However, the law fails not specify what kind of behaviour this may be, with some French media outlets speculating that whistling and prolonged stares may fall foul of the law, although the Secretary of State has rejected these claims.
The law is meant to “punish the harassment suffered by millions of women daily, not stares or compliments,” the office of the State Secretary for Equality between Women and Men said.
Fines for perpetrators will vary from €90 to €750.
Traffic experiment on Casino Square causes concern
While visiting tourists may be happier not to have to compete with traffic outside the Casino, the professionals who work on the square have voiced their frustration with the experimental re-routing of local traffic.
A number of parking valets at the Hotel de Paris and the Casino of Monte-Carlo told local French-language daily Monaco Matin that the plan will “kill Casino Square.”
“Now that pedestrians can move freely in front of the casino, parking a car becomes very complicated. If I crush someone, I will go directly to prison,” one attendant told the newspaper.
Another complained that the number of parking spaces at the Hotel de Paris has dropped from 40 to 15, with only five directly in front of the iconic Hotel. Meanwhile, the slower queue of luxury cars offers more chances for milling tourists to take their selfies.
Madonna will be one of the event chairs at the Monte Carlo Gala for the Global Ocean, an event to be presided over by HSH Prince Albert on September 26.
“Taking care of the planet is incredibly important to me, so I am delighted to be supporting HSH Prince Albert of Monaco and his foundation,” said Madonna, who released the charity track “Hey You” for the Live Earth campaign in 2007.
“The serenity and life of the oceans are under threat – we can make a difference now and should do everything possible to preserve it. The Monte Carlo Gala in September couldn’t be more needed to raise the money to help save our oceans.
Event chairs include Orlando Bloom, Goldie Hawn, Adrien Brody, Eva Longoria, Pierce Brosnan, Hugh Grant, Diane Lane, Andy Garcia, Olga Kurylenko and Chris Tucker.
Prince Albert launched the gala last year to raise money for the cause: “Our living standards, economy and even our health depends on it. However, pressures from climate change and marine pollution are putting our ocean under severe stress,” he said, adding: “I believe that there is hope, if we work hand-in-hand.”
The strike by a number of Monaco bus drivers is now three weeks old, with no sign of a resumption of normal service. Union officials have said that they have made a number of concessions, but the Management of CAM has failed to meet them halfway.
More than 80 people, including drivers, demonstrated at Place Sainte-Devote at the end of last week, calling for better conditions and more time off at weekends.
Users of Monaco buses are facing lengthy delays as the service is running only a skeleton service.
HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs), will be holding a roadshow in the Principality to raise awareness of two important changes to UK tax legislation. The roadshow will be on September 6, with the venue to be announced, BAM said.
The legislative changes refer to Corporate Criminal Offences (CCO) and the HMRC ’Requirement to Correct’ ( RTC) that legally obliges taxpayers who have undeclared UK tax liabilities in respect of offshore interests to put things right by telling HMRC about outstanding tax due by September 30, 2018. This gives tax payers the opportunity to put their affairs in order before tougher penalties come into force in October 2018, says HMRC.
“As part of the British Government’s “Requirement to Correct” legislation UK taxpayers must make sure that all their foreign income and assets, where there might be tax to pay, have been declared to HMRC before the 30 September 2018.
“From the 1 October 2018, new, substantially higher penalties will apply for those who have failed to pay all the tax due on foreign income and assets. The vast majority of people and businesses pay the right amount of tax. The requirement to correct legislation is aimed at those who fail to pay tax on their offshore income or assets.
“However, many people may not realise that some straightforward actions, such as renting out a property or transferring income and assets from one country to another, could mean having to pay tax in the UK. This includes having income from or an asset in Monaco or anywhere else in the world. These must all be declared to HMRC.
“HMRC is therefore urging people to check they have paid the right tax on their offshore assets, before the tougher penalties are introduced from 1 October 2018.
“Although the Requirement to Correct applies to people who pay tax in the UK, it could still affect people if they live abroad and pay tax outside the UK, for example people who rent out their UK home whilst living in Monaco or another country.”
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