Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene have expressed their “profound sorrow” following a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia on Monday 10th August.
The disaster has resulted in more than 200 fatalities and widespread destruction, according to the most recent reports from officials, with rescue teams still unable to reach the worst-affected epicentral region.
In a formal statement released by the Palace, Monaco’s Prince Albert II conveyed his family’s and the nation’s solidarity with the Colombian people, adding that the tragedy follows closely after a double earthquake hit neighbouring Venezuela six weeks prior.
“Princess Charlene and I learned with deep emotion of the powerful earthquake that struck western Colombia, resulting in numerous victims and injuries,” Prince Albert II said. “My family and the Monegasque population join me in sending our most sincere condolences to the Colombian people and demonstrating our full solidarity in the face of this tragedy, which occurred a month and a half after the double earthquake that hit Venezuela.”
As emergency crews continue battling challenging conditions to reach cut-off communities near the Chocó epicentre, the Prince offered words of comfort to those affected by the unfolding disaster: “Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and the injured, to whom we send our deepest compassion in these painful moments.”
Zuma has taken a commanding position on the waterfront at Palm Beach, the beautifully restored 1929 Art Deco pavilion out on the tip of the Croisette, engulfed by the Mediterranean. It is the brand’s first permanent restaurant on the French Riviera — a large, expensive, and attractive contemporary Japanese room that opened in the spring of 2024 and has been more or less full ever since.
Already established in London, Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, Miami, Rome and Madrid, Zuma runs to a formula that travels well. Cannes keeps to it — the robata grill, the sushi counter, the long list of small plates. But the sheer scale of the place, the size of that terrace and the view give this address a character of its own. A Zuma ‘pop-up’ has since followed further along the coast, at the Byblos in Saint-Tropez, though Cannes remains the permanent, seasonal, fixture.
A dining room at full volume
Night after night, Zuma Cannes fills with a steady stream of tanned, well-dressed guests, seated either inside – alongside the energetic open kitchen, sushi counter and robata grill – or outside on the vast wraparound terrace, overlooking one of the most jaw-dropping views on the French Riviera.
Despite its size, the restaurant is cleverly divided into distinct spaces, allowing each table to retain a sense of intimacy.
The staff move fast and read the restaurant well; they also genuinely appear to be enjoying themselves. In an operation this size, that is important.
Inside Zuma Cannes
The menu, and what to order
The cocktails come with their own Japanese/Zuma inflections – standouts include the chanko sour and the Zuma negroni with a memorable blue wedge. The food menu is long and easy to graze — snacks and soups, tempura, sushi, caviar, wagyu selection, and seafood and meat off the robata — you can build dinner to whatever appetite, and budget, you walked in with.
But the Signature Omakase menu is a great introduction. At €185 a head, ordered for the whole table, it is not a small commitment, but a generous journey through the dishes that Zuma is known for, among them the caviar topped tuna tartare and lightly marinated black cod in hoba leaf.
The entire menu stays light, refined and exactly balanced from the first plate to the last. Not a single dish disappoints.
The exterior bar and restaurant terrace of Zuma Cannes
The view
Then there is what’s in front of you. The terrace looks straight out over the Mediterranean, the coast bending away around the Bay of Cannes, the Îles de Lérins set just offshore. When the light goes and the water turns dark and lit, there are few better places to be sitting on this stretch of coast.
Zuma has taken one of the best addresses in Cannes and filled it properly — the room loud, the service sure, the food delicious enough to hold its own against the spectacle outside, which is saying something. The view draws your eye on the way in. The restaurant gives you every reason to stay, and to book again.
See more of Monaco Life’s experience in the gallery below. All photos credit: Cassandra Tanti/Nico Timmermans …
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Main photo source Zuma Cannes
Charles Leclerc and wife Alexandra reveal baby bump in summer holiday photos
Charles Leclerc and his wife Alexandra look set to become parents for the first time, after the couple shared a run of summer holiday photographs that leave little doubt they are expecting a baby — and all without a word of official announcement.
In images posted from a break spent partly aboard a yacht off Sardinia, Alexandra is pictured in a green dress with her growing bump clearly on show. In a separate set shared by Leclerc himself, the pair appear together, Alexandra in a plunging purple dress, her pregnancy plain to see. Neither has said anything directly, which is entirely in character for a couple who keep their private life firmly to themselves.
A bump that has been quietly building
The first real glimpse came earlier, at the Hungarian Grand Prix in late July, the last race before Formula 1’s summer break, where Alexandra arrived in the paddock in a pastel blue dress — alongside the couple’s dachshund, Leo — and set social media speculating. Rumours had been circulating since the spring, but it was the holiday photographs, with the Mediterranean as a backdrop, that turned quiet guesswork into something close to a certainty.
Still, there has been no formal statement, no captioned announcement, nothing beyond the pictures themselves. For a couple watched as closely as this one, letting the images do the talking is a choice in itself.
Alexandra Leclerc simultaneously posted baby bump photos on her instagram account
A couple used to keeping a secret
It is, in a way, fitting. Leclerc, 28, and Alexandra, 24, managed to keep their own wedding under wraps until the very last moment, marrying in a private civil ceremony at the Mairie de Monaco on 28th February, on the Rock, with only close family and friends present. News of the marriage stayed secret until the couple revealed it themselves days later, sharing vintage-style photographs and video on Instagram, and Alexandra quietly changed her name online to Alexandra Leclerc.
Even then, they gave only part of the story. Leclerc described the day as ‘part 1’, telling followers that “part 2 will be next year with all of our close ones”, while Alexandra wrote that she could not wait to marry him all over again. A larger, more public celebration is planned for 2027. The pair, both highly active on social media, have long shown a talent for sharing exactly as much of their lives as they choose, and no more — their engagement, announced in November 2025, was revealed with Leo wearing a tag that read ‘Dad wants to marry you’.
Back to the track before long
For now, Leclerc is enjoying the F1 summer break, but not for much longer. The season resumes with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort on 21st to 23rd August, the circuit’s final appearance on the calendar, with the Ferrari driver and the rest of the grid back in the cockpit for the run to the end of the championship.
By then, the holiday will be over and the speculation will likely have run its course — leaving Monaco’s favourite driver to prepare for one of the biggest seasons of his life, on and off the track.
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Monaco is about to write a historic new chapter in its sporting calendar. From 20th to 23rd August, the Principality will host the prestigious Grand Départ of La Vuelta 2026, bringing one of cycling’s three Grand Tours to the Mediterranean coast.
Here is Monaco Life’s complete guide on everything you need to know to experience the event, navigate the streets, and catch the action live.
The official programme
The festivities kick off on Thursday 20th August with the official presentation of the teams and riders, giving the public a rare chance to meet the peloton before racing begins. Following a preparation day on Friday 21st August, Saturday 22nd August brings the ‘Stage 1 Individual Time Trial’, where riders will race against the clock on a spectacular circuit entirely within Monaco’s borders. Finally, on Sunday 23rd August, the ‘Stage 2 Start’ commences with a ceremonial roll-out at the Place du Palais Princier, followed by the official racing start at the Exotic Garden as the pack heads toward Manosque, France.
The route: ‘Stage 1 Time Trial’
Saturday’s individual time trial offers a double spectacle: elite-level racing combined with a scenic tour of Monaco’s most iconic landmarks. Starting from the Place du Casino, the route weaves through the Moulins district, navigates the legendary Fairmont Monte-Carlo hairpin bend, sweeps past Larvotto, Port Hercule, and the Port of Fontvieille, passes the Stade Louis II, and finishes on the official Grand Prix start/finish straight on Boulevard Albert Ier.
Where to watch
To get close to the action, the best vantage points include the Place du Casino, Port Hercule, Fontvieille, Larvotto, and the Stade Louis II area.
Transport and getting around
Because street closures and diversions will be in place, spectators are strongly advised to plan journeys in advance. To ease congestion, the Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco (CAM) network will be completely free of charge on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd August. On Saturday, visitors should expect multiple bus route diversions and temporary stop closures due to the time trial. Normal services will resume on Sunday, though passengers should anticipate brief, occasional delays as the race passes through.
Checking real-time timetables and the official CAM practical guide beforehand is recommended.
