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Month: August 2025

Monaco bus company warns of new Facebook scam targeting passengers

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
10/08/2025

The Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco has issued an urgent alert about fraudulent Facebook posts promising unlimited bus travel for just €2 per month.

The scam involves fake social media advertisements offering six months of unlimited travel on Monaco’s bus network at the heavily discounted rate. These posts are designed to steal personal and banking information from unsuspecting users.

Cybercriminals are using convincing fake pages that appear to represent CAM, exploiting people’s interest in discount transport to gather sensitive data. Once users enter their information on these fraudulent sites, scammers can use it for identity theft and financial fraud.

This is not the first time Monaco’s transport network has been targeted. In October 2024, a similar scam operated through a fake Facebook page called ‘Special Offer for Monaco Residents’, while another attempt last summer advertised bus cards for €3.

The repeated attacks highlight the persistent cyber threat facing both individuals and businesses in the Principality. Earlier this year, the government issued warnings about suspicious communications from unofficial sources.

CAM explains how to avoid scams 

CAM reminds passengers that legitimate transport information comes only from the official website www.cam.mc and the Monapass mobile application.

Additionally, people should be suspicious of unusually cheap travel offers on social media, any requests for personal or financial details through unofficial websites, and posts claiming to represent CAM that don’t come from verified accounts.

Anyone who has already provided personal information through these posts should immediately contact Monaco’s Public Security cyber unit or email cyber@gouv.mc

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life.

 

Monaco Classic Week set to return with nearly 200 historic vessels

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
09/08/2025

Monaco’s harbour is set to become a floating museum next month as 187 classic and vintage boats converge for the 17th edition of Monaco Classic Week – La Belle Classe, one of the world’s most prestigious gatherings of historic vessels. 

The invitation-only event, first launched in 1994 and organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco under the high patronage of Prince Albert II, takes place from 10th to 13th September with 52 sailing yachts, 53 powerboats, 45 motorboats, 15 motor yachts up to 80 metres in length, and 22 Dinghy 12′ vessels.

Vessels that stand out

Among the standout vessels is Partridge, celebrating its 140 anniversary after being rescued from the River Blackwater mud in 1979 and restored over 17 years. The sailing fleet includes the legendary 65-metre Creole (1927) and Zaca (1929), which served as Errol Flynn’s floating home and appeared in Orson Welles’ ‘The Lady from Shanghai’.

Invader (1905) once hosted Hollywood stars and Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin, while Manitou (1937) earned the nickname ‘Floating White House’ for its use by the President John F. Kennedy.

The motor yacht category is led by the 79-metre Delphine (1921) and the 45-metre Kalizma (1906), famously gifted by Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor after her Oscar win and now knows as the ‘Orient Express of the seas’.

Competitions and public access

Vessels will be judged by a panel chaired by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, with the Elegance Contest judged by Allegra Gucci. The popular Chefs Competition returns, challenging crews to create gourmet dishes using organic ingredients from a mystery box.

The quays and Exhibitors’ Village will be open to the public for free from 10-13 September, 10am to 7pm. Visitors can explore the historic vessels up close, browse works by marine painters and photographers, discover traditional maritime craftsmen at work, and shop at the YCM Official Boutique.

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Main photo credit: YCM Studio Borlenghi

 

Oceanographic Museum summer party raise funds for heritage projects

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
08/08/2025

The Friends of the Monaco Oceanographic Museum Association (AAMOM) hosted their second annual charity on 26th July to raise funds for restoring historic pieces from the museum’s collections. 

The ‘Party for a Cause’ event took place on the museum’s rooftop in collaboration with Trinity, welcoming nearly 250 guests for an evening focused on heritage preservation.

“I wish to express my profound gratitude to the owners and team at Trinity, as well as all our partners, participants, and volunteers who contributed to the success of the second Summer Party,” said Leila Elling, AAMOM president. “Thanks to you all, historically significant objects will be passed on to future generations.”

Guests enjoyed cocktails and dining while DJs Seb and Marc provided entertainment, alongside performances from duo Anata Project. Drinks were provided by Monte Carlo Champagne and Monte Carlo Vermouth, with artisanal ice creams from Rossi.

The organisers included family-friendly elements, setting up a relaxation area with Thermes Marins and a children’s corner with activities, including a ceramic painting workshop run by Forms Monaco.

Prize draw

The evening featured a tombola with several notable prizes. The main prize was an original lithograph of a crab, donated by the Oceanographic Museum.

Other prizes included dinner for two at Yannick Alléno’s Pavyllon Monte Carlo restaurant courtesy of Hôtel Hermitage, a jewellery set from APM Monaco, dinner at Trinity, tasting sets from Monte Carlo Champagne and Monte Carlo Vermouth, and a €200 voucher from Bukawa Swimwear.

The evening concluded with Monaco’s firework display.

AAMOM, established in 2011, brings together people interested in maintaining links with the museum and promoting its work. The association supports the museum’s activities, encourages its ocean protection policies, and works on public education about marine conservation

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Main photo credit: Musée océanographique de Monaco

 

Cannes implements Airbnb quotas in two districts

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
08/08/2025

Cannes has announced it will introduce quotas on Airbnb rentals in two key areas of the city, making it one of the first French cities to implement such restrictions under new legislation. 

Mayor David Lisnard confirmed the measures will apply to La Banane district, which includes Boulevard de la Croisette, and Le Suquet, the city’s historic quarter. The quotas will come into force between summer and autumn 2026.

The decision is enabled by France’s Le Meur law, adopted in November 2024, which permits local councils to limit short-term rental properties in areas facing housing pressure.

“We are going to set a maximum percentage of Airbnb-type rentals allowed in the most affected neighbourhoods,” Lisnard told Actu Nice.

Cannes has already implemented several restrictions on short-term rentals, including banning lockboxes, limiting rentals to 120 days per year, and prohibiting buildings that consist entirely of Airbnb properties.

“When we identify clusters of Airbnb properties held by a single individual or company, we reclassify them as undeclared hotels,” said the mayor.

But this latest move represents a major escalation.

According to Lisnard, the policy is not aimed at Airbnb itself but rather at limiting the broader impact of short-term rentals on housing availability for locals.

“In our city, 92% of these (short-term) rentals are in second homes,” said Lisnard. “Rather than leaving those homes empty, it’s a good thing to rent them out, generate activity and contribute to the tourist tax. Thankfully, we have this rental supply for all Cannes events, because not everyone can afford 15 days in a five-star hotel.”

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life

Italy greenlights €13.5bn Messina Bridge as Rome revives controversial mega-project

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/08/2025

The Italian government has given final approval to a €13.5 billion project to build the world’s longest suspension bridge, connecting Sicily to mainland Italy across the Strait of Messina. The plan, one of Europe’s most ambitious infrastructure projects in decades, aims to unite Calabria and Sicily with a 3.3-kilometre crossing in one of the Mediterranean’s most seismically active regions.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the bridge as “an investment in Italy’s present and future”, acknowledging the immense political and logistical hurdles the project has faced. “We enjoy difficult challenges when they make sense,” she said on Wednesday, following the Cabinet’s approval of the final project.

The Messina Bridge has been under discussion since the 1970s, but repeated attempts to launch construction have been abandoned amid concerns over cost, environmental impact, safety, and the potential for mafia interference. The bridge’s resurrection under Meloni’s government, backed by Transport Minister and Lega party leader Matteo Salvini, marks the most determined effort yet to push the plan into reality.

According to the approved designs, the bridge will be suspended between two 400-metre towers and will carry six lanes of traffic and two railway lines. The government has stated its intention to classify the bridge as a military infrastructure investment, allowing it to count towards Italy’s NATO defence spending targets.

Economic promise meets fierce local opposition

Salvini claims the bridge will bring economic growth and employment to two of Europe’s poorest regions, forecasting the creation of 120,000 jobs per year during the construction phase. Supporters argue that the project will end the logistical bottleneck that currently requires trains to be loaded onto ferries for the 30-minute journey across the Strait.

But local politicians and residents remain sceptical. Senator Nicola Irto of the Democratic Party called the bridge “controversial and divisive”, arguing that funds would be better spent improving local services such as transport, schools and healthcare. Giusy Caminiti, mayor of Villa San Giovanni on the Calabrian coast, said her town stood to be “badly affected” and called for further consultation.

Environmentalists and grassroots groups, including the long-running Calabrian committee “No to the Bridge”, have raised fresh objections. They warn of damage to protected coastal areas and question the bridge’s long-term viability in a region plagued by earthquakes, water scarcity and governance challenges. Some opponents also fear the construction could draw the attention of criminal networks with deep roots in southern Italy’s public contracts sector.

Bureaucratic roadblocks still ahead

Though final ministerial approval has been granted, the project must still pass several more hurdles. The Italian Court of Auditors and various environmental authorities—both national and European—must sign off on the plans. Meanwhile, any local expropriation of land for the project could be subject to legal challenges, potentially delaying or even halting construction.

Whether the Messina Bridge finally becomes a reality or joins the long list of Italian infrastructure projects that never leave the drawing board remains to be seen. For now, it symbolises Rome’s renewed appetite for grand projects—and the political risks that come with them.

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Photo: A rendering of the bridge by the Messina Strait company

Aude wildfire slows but devastation mounts as France faces worst fire since 1949

by: Cassandra Tanti
07/08/2025

The wildfire tearing through the Corbières region of southern France has now become the worst blaze the country has seen since 1949, as more than 16,000 hectares of forest and scrubland have gone up in flames. While cooler overnight temperatures helped slow its advance, officials say the fire remains active and dangerously unpredictable.

This latest development comes a day after the fire’s rapid spread across the Aude department, which left at least one person dead and thousands evacuated. Since then, the number of injured has risen to 13, including eleven firefighters, with two individuals in critical condition.

The villages of the Corbières massif remain on high alert. Emergency crews are battling against time – and the wind – to prevent further disaster. “Our strategy is to hit fast and hard before this wind rises,” said Colonel Christophe Magny, head of Aude’s firefighting operations. While the fire is progressing more slowly, around 90 kilometres of its perimeterremain active, much of it in difficult and steep terrain.

A massive response, but the danger isn’t over

Some 2,000 firefighters are currently deployed in the area, backed by aerial resources operating continuouslythroughout the day. According to local authorities, 36 homes and 40 vehicles have already been destroyed or seriously damaged.

Seventeen temporary shelters have been opened across the department, housing nearly 1,800 evacuees, while three people remain unaccounted for. A medical-psychological emergency unit has been activated in Narbonne to support those traumatised by the blaze.

The Prefecture of Aude continues to advise residents in at-risk areas to remain indoors unless formally evacuated. Those who have already fled their homes are not yet permitted to return.

Watch the evolution of the fire here (source: OroraTech)

A fire fuelled by climate breakdown

France’s Minister for Ecological Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, has linked the fire directly to climate change, citing drought and record heat as key drivers. “This is the largest fire France has experienced since 1949,” she said on Franceinfo. “It is a fire that results from the drought in this region and the broader climatic situation our country is facing.”

Her comments come amid confirmation from the European Drought Observatory that over 51% of soils across Europe and the Mediterranean are now affected by drought — the highest rate ever recorded at this time of year.

Despite a shift in wind from the hot, dry tramontane to a cooler sea breeze, the fire’s containment remains uncertain. Authorities continue to urge caution, warning that any flare-up could reignite large sections of forest.

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Photo source: OroraTech