For the past two decades, Stars ‘n' Bars has been a prominent fixture in Monaco's restaurant scene; the only place in the Principality where sports stars and princes get the same treatment as postmen and five-year-olds. This year marks the restaurant's 20th anniversary, so The Riviera Times caught up with owner and creator Kate Powers, who shared with us some of her standout moments of the past 20 years, and revealed how she's managed to maintain a down to earth attitude in a region that is renowned for its opulence and over indulgence.

It’s not often you get to see a tennis pro and a prince pitted against the legends of the race track but on Tuesday 21st, two teams of sporting icons and Monegasque royalty descended on the Principality’s Louis II stadium for a unique playoff match that kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

With two wins out of four races so far this year, Team Red Bull are on fire but there is hot competition from Ferrari, now on the same number of wins. So what will 26th May hold for last year's Monaco Grand Prix winner Mark Webber? Any amount of controversy will no doubt stir the pot again for this Australian driver, who seems to be at the centre of a media storm. After the team orders row at Red Bull in Malaysia, dubbed the 'Multi-21' affair, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has been forced to reject suggestions of a team conspiracy against Mark Webber.

Bus services in the Principality of Monaco are to be diverted and changed during Monaco’s long-awaited Grand Prix. Several lines across Monte Carlo will be affected by the four day event.

Just as the Principality is embracing a more prominent role in the international community, its leading news source Radio Monaco is ready to spread its wings. Keen to reach out to the vast number of English-speaking expats settled on the Côte, Radio Monaco has entered into a partnership with The Riviera Times, giving us the chance to speak to Christophe Laury, general director of programmes and information.

To celebrate the 71st Monaco Grand Prix, a 20-year retrospective of Formula 1 will be presented in the Principality through the Antique Car Collection of H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene will be in Corsica this Monday public holiday. The one-day trip is packed with events and places to visit, from masses and fairs to processions and parishes, in the company of many important local figures.

The Monegasque government has launched a project to create a third power source in the Principality. From this week, controlled underground explosions will be conducted in the hope of securing a new network by the summer of 2017.

Monaco’s Princess Grace Rose Garden will be closed to the public for a year in the run up to the park's 30th anniversary in 2014. In the meantime, work will be carried out, adding 1,500 metres to the grounds and bringing the number of rose varieties to 340.

AS Monaco had reason to rejoice following its 1-0 win over Nimes on the weekend - the match delivered the Principality’s favourite team directly into the long-awaited arms of League 1. Now, the club can look forward to a Mercato period of heavy recruiting, with its eye on everyone from Rooney to Lampard.

The BNP Paribas branch in Monaco has been exposed by the Sherpa organisation for allegedly concealing a money laundering network between Monaco and various African countries. Directed at battling economic crime, Sherpa claims that BNP exploited corrupt regimes in Africa to its own advantage.

It’s not all just sun, sea and sand this June in Monaco, the Principality is also set to welcome the massive FxPro Monte Carlo Beach Volley tournament to its beaches. The internationally renowned competition will assemble eight of the world’s best female volley ball teams, including the queens of the summer sport, America and Brazil.

Monaco’s new Wifi services have been inaugurated in the ports of the Principality as part of a large scale plan to increase the region's internet facilities. Thanks to technical advances, Monaco Telecom can now offer Wifi and telecom services onboard boats, with special packages just for the Grand Prix F1 and the Monaco Yacht Show.

For the first time in SBM's history, a foreigner has been selected as Casino Director. The Principality's biggest employer hopes that British-born John Galvani will breathe new life into the economically flailing industry when he assumes the role at the end of June.

Monaco's annual celebrity football match will see two teams brimming with international stars battling it out on the Stade Louis II soccer pitch. From Schumacher to Prince Albert, the guest list is prestigious.

The next phase of the Monaco land extension is underway, with the government putting out the call for tenders. Further details are emerging of the highly anticipated project, which could see an extra 60,000 square metres added to the Principality.

Tensions have never been higher between AS Monaco and the French league, as discussions over the club's relocation to France reach boiling point.

It was during the month of April, 150 years ago, that the Societé des Bains de Mer et du Cercle des Etrangers à Monaco was born, known today as Monte Carlo SBM. Headed by the ‘Wizard of Monte Carlo’, François Blanc, SBM successfully managed to develop Monaco as a prestigious tourist destination of wealth, gambling, luxury and indulgence. SBM is now the largest and most respected employer in the Principality.

The date has been set for the White Feather Foundation Charity Ball. The big event on 10th May will be presented by Julian Lennon, head of the foundation, and hosted by none other than the Hollywood legend, Whoopi Goldberg.

Prince Albert II has inaugurated the new psychiatric and medical psychology unit ‘La Roseraie’, which will help deal with an ever-growing influx of psychiatric patients.

A whole new meaning will be brought to the concept of 'Europe' on 18th May in Monaco. It will soon be known as a group of countries united under one man – boasting the ultimate combination of charisma, physic and intellect - Mister Europe Euronations. With choreographed pieces, a wild-animal enthusiast heading the event and 18 specimens of ‘the perfect guy’, anything could happen at the Gala Show.

Two foreigners have been arrested for allegedly trying to use counterfeit credit cards and false passports to purchase a 6,650 euro Rolex watch in Monaco. Police say the pair is responsible for a string of thefts in the Principality and are part of a wider Asian fraud network.

Linked to shareholder Robert de Niro, the prestigious Nobu restaurant chain is setting up shop in Monaco exclusively for the Grand Prix. Guests will have the privilege of tucking into the Japanese chef's signature dishes such as yellowtail sashimi, crispy pork belly and black cod den miso.

Prince Albert II of Monaco has travelled to the Netherlands for the Dutch royal family’s big day. The throne is soon to be occupied by Willem-Alexander, the first king in over a hundred years, in a secular ceremony that will inaugurate, not coronate, the Crown Prince.

For the first time in three years, Monaco's exclusive population is on the rise. The Principality counted 500 new members in 2012 - a significant climb for a community that barely outstrips the five-figure mark.