MONACO ARTS: Shakespeare’s 16th-century Padua is a far cry from Jean-Christophe Maillot’s scintillating new Taming of the Shrew at the Moscow Bolshoi, AFP reports. Instead, for his debut this month at the scandal-hit theatre, the French-born choreographer has devised a sensual and modern version of the comedy, with a minimalist stage set and music woven together from film scores...

MONACO TOURISM: The Monaco Government Tourist Office in New York has been elected one of the best official tourism offices (non-US destination) by the readers of Successful Meetings magazine and will be awarded the prestigious "Pinnacle Award 2014" for the fourth consecutive year. Recognising excellence in the tourism business, "Pinnacle Awards" rewards organizations that offered a high quality service around their meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions during the previous year. Winners are chosen through an online vote…

MONACO EVENTS: After marking time, the Monaco Watch Club, a Monegasque association created in 2009, has been revived by Thomas Fallegger, its chairman, and David Wigno to allow lovers of fine watches to gather at several events throughout the year. A big cocktail party in the salons of Barclays Bank this week hosted many watch brands that the Club was anxious to discover or rediscover…

PREMIUM - MONACO NEWS: Monaco tops the poll in a global study of wealth published by Spear's magazine and wealth consultancy company WealthInsight, with almost a third of its tiny 37,000 population classed as dollar millionaires. Swiss banking centres Zurich and Geneva are second and third, followed by New York and Frankfurt…

MONACO BUSINESS, MONACO TOURISM: To boost business and make the country more attractive especially to visitors, Monaco is offering Sunday opening for shopping, and also for wellness, gastronomy and culture...

MONACO SPORT: Monaco used a 14-1 run to start overtime to grab a 61-48 win over Wales in Group B in the U18 European Championship Women Division C in Andorra, with Emma Zeghdar scoring five of her team-high 13 points in the decisive surge…

PREMIUM - MONACO NEWS, MONACO BUSINESS: Following our report yesterday that Monaco Telecom is about to introduce ultra high-speed internet connections in the Principality, a spokesman for the monopoly provider responded by confirming the news and clarifying a number of inaccuracies in our story...

MONACO NEWS, MONACO BUSINESS: The workforce at pharmaceutical company Théramex have taken to the streets again, despite the fact that final negotiations on a severance package have been completed with a slightly improved offer. The reason for the workers’ anger is the fact that top executives from the firm’s Israeli mother company, Teva, turned up in Fontvieille this week to garner information about production…

MONACO SPORT, ASM: The soccer website beinsports.tv is one of several sports media that have wondered what it all means after ASM made the decision to sell World Cup superstar James Rodgriguez; “Based in an attractive destination, the favourable financial laws enjoyed in the well-known tax haven allow ASM to pay whatever they like to their players – foreign and domestic – as they seek to build a European footballing superpower...

PREMIUM - MONACO NEWS: According to reliable sources, Monaco Telecom will introduce much faster mobile and internet connections by the end of this summer, in addition to those recently-announced. The new speed of 1.2 gigs will be the fastest in Europe and will make 4G technology obsolete. The bandwidth of a normal WiFi is currently in the order of 300 megabits, and there is much more to come…

MONACO NEWS: Nigel Farage, leader of Britian’s UKIP party, has told Monaco Today that Britain will leave the European Union at some point in the not too distant future. Speaking before a Monaco Life Business Leaders’ Lunch yesterday at the Pacific Restaurant in Monte-Carlo, Mr Farage said that Britain needs to protect jobs and guard against policies dictated from Brussels…

MONACO SPORT, MONACO CARS: With six months to go before the start of the 2015 season, the ACM (Automobile Club de Monaco) has revealed the basic outline of next year’s Rallye Monte-Carlo which will be 75 percent new compared with the 2014 event. After shakedown near Châteauvieux, six kilometres south of Gap, as this year, on Thursday morning, competitors will travel to Monaco for the official start ceremony in front of the Casino…

MONACO NEWS: Doha is confident of winning the bid to host the IAAF World Championships in 2019, the head of the country’s athletics body has said. Qatar Athletics Federation president Dahlan al-Hamad, who also heads the Asian Athletics Association, last week led a delegation to Monaco to attend a seminar at the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) headquarters where representatives of bidding cities were briefed about the requirements for the prestigious event, www.gulf-times.com reports…

MONACO SPORT, ASM: AS Monaco won their second pre-season friendly against the Columbian club Atletico Junior Barranquilla by 1-0, thanks to a superb volley just before half-time from Berbatov, the highly-praised Bulgarian striker. ASM’s previous friendly, on July 12 against the St Veit amateur club of Austria, was a 12-0 debacle. Meanwhile, Monaco’s Columbian star James Rodriguez has been described by several sports media as being ‘too big for Monaco...’

MONACO TRAVEL: A suspected suicide close to the station of Beaulieu-sur-mer stopped trains in both directions for two and a half hours on Saturday afternoon. A 25 year-old woman was hit by a Monaco-bound train at about 15:30, with traffic restarting just before 18:00.

MONACO SPORT: According to local French daily Nice Matin, this weekend’s Herculis Diamond League athletics meeting in Monaco has produced a new wave of young French champions. Pierre-Ambroise Bosse and Pascal Martinot-Lagarde said that the support of the crowd at Stade Louis II has been an important factor in their performances...

PREMIUM - MONACO LIFESTYLE: The Government yesterday unveiled plans for a major new development on the eastern border of the Principality, between blvd. d’Italie and ave. Princesse Grace. Unlike other recent announcements of construction projects, Testimonio causes little offence to anyone largely because it doesn’t involve the demolition of alluring villas…

MONACO EVENTS: Diana Krall, the Canadian singer, will be the start of the summer Gala of the Monegasque Red Cross on August 1 at the Salle des Etoiles. Appearing alongside the jazz contrallto will be the South African group Freshlyground. The evening is one of the most fashionable of the year and is a fund-raising event for the work carried out by the local Red Cross across the world. Tickets are 1,000 euros each.

PHOTO: Diana Krall  www.artistsfirstmusic.com

PREMIUM - MONACO LIFESTYLE: Holidaymakers on the beach and residents are saddened to learn of the imminent destruction of the only building in the area with some style… the belle époque Palais de la Plage, next to the Police and post office building in Larvotto and the first building to grace the small beach of Monaco, long before the existence of Avenue Princesse Grace or Larvotto...

MONACO NEWS, PASTOR: Wojciech Janowski, accused of organising the murder of multi-billionaire Helene Pastor, had run up huge debts prior to the lethal attack on Mrs Pastor and her majordomo two months ago, according to reports in Le Parisien. In addition to a total of nine million euros owed to banks, the former Polish consul to Monaco was due to make a 30-million euros settlement in an oil deal, the daily said…

Monaco Events & Announcements

The Tasting Room would like to invite you to come and enjoy the “Last Taste of Sporting D’Hiver” before sadly it closes later this year. La Maison D’Ecosse has taken the opportunity of using this beautiful space in one of the world’s most prestigious locations, to allow you to taste and buy exquisite whisky. La Maison D'Ecosse, Galerie Sporting D'Hiver, Place du Casino. T: +33 (0)6 43 91 27 00 E: info@lamaisondecosse.com

Tuesday to Saturday from 15:00 to 21:00 or by Appointment - Centre of Excellence for Rare and Collectable Whisky - Taste and Buy Exceptional Whisky - Meet the Experts and Book a Master Class - Private Whisky Tastings - Whisky Gifts. Taste the original Monaco Blend - Whisky Apero
Tuesday to Friday from 18:00 to 20:00. Our selection from €10 to €2000 per glass.

ANDY WARHOL: The exhibition “Andy Warhol” is at the Galerie Adriano Ribolzi all the summer (Tuesday – Saturday / 10:00 - 12:00 and 15:00 until 18:00).

Global High Net Worth Conference: Thursday, November 6 and Friday, November 7, at the Salon Bellevue of the Cafe de Paris in Monte-Carlo, a two-day conference of professionals serving the HNW and UHNW sectors. Distinguished speakers from around the world will address the major issues of the moment. Organised by the publishers of monacolife.net. Visit www.globalhighnetworth.com for more details.

Monte Carlo Whisky Conference: Friday, November 21, 2014 and Saturday, November 22, Oceanographic Museum - St. Andrews gala dinner, Saturday November 22, Salle Belle Époque, Hermitage Hotel, The Monaco blend after party, Friday, November 21, Cafe de Paris -  Murrays fish and Chip, Street Party, Culture of Scotland, Friday, November 21, Place de Casino.

Listings in Events & Announcements are free for non-profit associations, charged for commercial events and entities. To place listing email monacotoday@gmail.com

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MOVING: Many items for sale, including lamps, chairs, tables, white goods: +33 6 78 63 24 75 PLEASE?

SERVICE: Computers, IT, Internet, BBC reception - Philip - 06 1542 3824

FOR SALE: We have one blank 40 inch dome and 1 Seatel 4003 VSAT with cross pol and Co pol and a 6 watt Buc , 2003 model.
Material in storage in Antibes for collection by buyer , all offers considered. Contact lorraine@cochlias.com

FOR RENT: One bedroom flat for rent in centre of Cap d’Ail, fully furnished, parking, 55m² with 20m² terrace.  Available immediately, short or long term.  Price €1,265 pm incl charges. Please call 06 07 93 40 18.

FOR RENT:  3 Bed / 3 Bathroom beautiful modern townhouse in the centre of St Jean Cap Ferrat's fishing village. Approx floor space 90m2 over 3 floors. Patio 16m2. On street parking. Air-con/heating throughout. Priced at €3000 PCM +33 6 01 43 55 89 

FOR SALE: A collection of 46 works by Adriano Maraldi, the famous Italian artist. Call Olga for details +393480891547 or e-mail: obolenka3@gmail.com

FOR SALE: Fletcher 19 Sportscruiser with 115 hp Mercury outboard. Year 2000, one owner and regularly serviced from new. Dry berthed near Cannes and berth available. Perfect for summer at € 9,500. Tel. 06 78 63 73 56.

ANGLAIS: Parfaire votre communication écrite et orale en anglais. Cours d'anglais et/ou  accompagnement sur mesure pour groupes ou en individuel. Rédaction et révision de tous type de documents (CV, lettre de présentation, offres d'emploi, thèses académiques). Professeur de langue maternelle anglaise, Formation Berlitz, MBA et expérience professionnelle. Flexible et disponible - se déplace à domicile si souhaité. Téléphone:  0678635709   Email:  englishplusmc@gmail.com

LANGUAGE SERVICE: Improve Your Communication in English — Written and Spoken. English language training, coaching and consultancy tailored to your needs. Group or individual. Help with Documents, CVs, Cover Letters, Academic Theses, Writing and Editing. English mother tongue teacher. Berlitz trained, MBA, professional background. Flexible availability. tel:  0678635709   email:  englishplusmc@gmail.com

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Buy local or bye local

I passed a sign at a farmer’s market in the UK recently that said: “Buy local or bye local.” As a farm-bred girl, I endorse the philosophy of buying local. Indeed, I hanker back to the halcyon days of my youth when my family lived a self-sufficient utopia with an organic vegetable garden, a chicken coop, bee hives, and fields where a local farmer grazed his sheep and paid us annual rent in half a lamb for our freezer.  My sisters and I spent our days hunting for blackberries, and canoeing and swimming in the muddy river at the bottom of our garden. At least that’s how I remember it, but the rose-tinted spectacles of nostalgia probably make it sound a lot more Swallows and Amazons than it was...
 

A bemused reader in Beaulieu-sur-mer speculates about the air traffic controllers' strike and President Hollande and his runabout.

Dear Sir, More travel misery – that’s why Trierweiler was flying back home from India yesterday; the whole trip was planned round the air traffic controllers' strike programme.

The only answer for these disruptive strikers is to delocalize the whole French ATC sector to Bangalore. The Aiguilleurs du ciel never see a plane anyway, just their computer screens, so no problem putting the images offshore. As has been done with the military radar on Mont Agel – all the screens are manned in Lyon so only a few maintainers are left in BA943 above Monaco, a good nuclear target, but don’t tell the buyers flocking to settle in the tax haven just below, in the fall-out zone.

As for the Elysée, nobody has asked who the owner is of that Paris apt, home to Valerie. She says it is “in his name”; but his Declaration de Patrimoine (www.huffingtonpost.fr/.../declaration-patrimoine-francois-hollande-117-)...makes no mention of it – only the Mougins house and two small apts in Cannes.  Nor of any liquid capital to buy a large Paris apt.  So he keeps below the threshold for the ISF.  There's work for investigative journalists.

My main gripe about the President is he rides a foreign scooter – an Italian Piaggio, whereas I have just done my best to save France by buying not only a new Peugeot scooter, but also a ditto car (Peugeot 107).  Why does he not buy French, like me? Earlier civilizations were run by specially treated men, called Castrati, who were also in demand as singers. Not too late to apply this in the Elysée – though some high-profile ladies might not appreciate it.

Peter, Beaulieu-sur-mer (name and address supplied)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CAN BE SENT TO monacotoday@gmail.com. Please include a telephone number.

Previous letters can be found at MORE

MONACO MEDIA: The media world has been stunned this week by news that the founder of Amazon - the online shop - has bought the iconic Washington Post newspaper at what seems to be a knockdown price. The $250 million Jeff Bezos paid is just a little over one percent of his personal wealth of $23 billion, making a very small dent indeed in his bank account. Never mind that since its founding Amazon has lost money more than it has made, making Bezos a virtual billionaire in charge of a virtual empire. Perhaps he bought the Post because he yearned for something real.

To decry the sale of the Post is not just to indulge in unworldly sentimentality. Its disposal marks another milestone on the way to the cemetery for printed newspapers as we have known them for the centuries since the Times of London first appeared in 1785 as the Daily Universal Register, changing its name three years later. In the ever-evolving world of media, print is in its death throes.

If it's almost all over for ink except the burials, and the standouts are disappearing fast, should we be surprised? No. Disappointed, sorry? Yes. The great newspapers of the past, including the Post, the New York Times, the Times, the UK's Daily Telegraph, are empty imitations of their former selves thanks to cost-cutting. The greatest loss as these titles decline and disappear is the quality of the journalism that called them home..

TEL AVIV: WEDNESDAY JULY 23 - Israel's army has denied targeting the Gaza offices of al-Jazeera TV after the network's correspondents reported that the building had come under fire on Tuesday. Earlier in the day the Israeil Defence Forces said that they 'could no longer guarantee the safety of journalists' in Gaza, which many reporters believed to be a direct threat.

Staff in Gaza said their 11th floor bureau was hit by two Israeli bullets as a crew was preparing to broadcast live from the balcony. "Two very precise shots were fired straight into our building," said Stefanie Dekker. "We are high up in the building so we had a very strong vantage point over the area. But we have evacuated." Al-Jazeera aired footage of their staff standing outside the building.

A spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said no warning shots had been fired but could not confirm or deny whether there had been indirect damage to the building from firing at nearby military targets, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The incident came a day after Israel's foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, called for al-Jazeera to be banned. Lieberman accused the Qatar-based channel of being a mouthpiece for Hamas, and said the foreign ministry was taking steps to prevent it from broadcasting from Gaza, according to Israel's Channel 2 TV.

Al-Jazeera "has abandoned even the perception of being a reliable news organisation and broadcasts from Gaza and to the world anti-Israel incitement, lies, and encouragement to the terrorists," he said.

"All the big networks operate in Israel, some of them are not exactly pro-Zionist, and yet as a democratic state we allow them to operate here. In the case of al-Jazeera it is not an issue of freedom of the media but of a terrorist wing that currently fights against Israel."

A statement posted on the al-Jazeera website said: "Al-Jazeera network considers statements made against it by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman a direct incitement. (It) considers (his) comments as a very serious matter. Israel is accountable for the safety of al-Jazeera teams working in Israel and the Palestinian territories."

Hospitals in Gaza have also been warned to evacuate, and several have taken direct hits shortly afterwards. SOURCES: The Guardian, BBC

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MORE MONEGASQUES: FRIDAY JULY 18 -  As at December 31, 2013, the number of Monegasque nationals was 8,837, according to the state statistical office, IMSEE. The population increased significantly compared to 2012 (+1.9%).

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Pushed to the Max

SATURDAY, JUNE 21: There will always be tensions when a large crowd of people are crammed into small spaces, especially when they take an instant dislike to each other or harbour long-term differences. I am not talking about the long-running opening ceremony of the splendid new Monaco Yacht Club attended by le tout Monaco - a splendid affair - but the lingering impact of the lengthy and tedious French rail strike.

Tasked with taking my youngest son to Nice for a Saturday rendez-vous with a schoolmate, I squeezed with him onto the 16:43 from Monaco - delayed for 18 minutes in Menton while the frazzled French border police sifted out the usual suspects, young Somalian males who, having crossed the inhospitable Sahara, are trying in considerable numbers to make their way to the economic paradise that is France. Or possibly the UK.

Most people were eminently sensible and moved down the train to occupy every available space to allow yet more frazzled and luggage-laden bemused first-and-last-time tourists onto the only TER regional express to visit Monaco for the previous three hours.
Someone sitting down said something to me. I assumed he was offering me a space to sit. I bent down to hear better. Translated from the French, what he said was: “Can you get your arse out of my face!”

To say I was astonished hardly covers it. A number of responses flashed through my hot head: “I am surprised you are bothered about my arse, since it resembles so closely your face,” was the most polite. I wanted physically to strangle him, and since I was standing up and he was sitting down I sure as hell had a good shot at it.

My nine year-old restrained me. “He’s an idiot Dad, don’t take any notice,” he said in a French that can only be described as impeccable. At the next available jolt in the tracks he managed to more or less fall onto the idiot’s mobile phone he was holding high in the air while playing what looked like patience, and make it look like an accident.

You can mess with me, but you can’t mess with Max.

Jeff Daniels

previous column at MORE

Nall on Nall

Pauline Litvin of the Chamber Music Association

Vasily Klyukin talks about his tall ambitions

Treorchy Male Voice Choir the stars of St Davids Day

Adriano Ribolzi is extending his Andy Warhol expo until the end of April

Nick Danziger was the special guest at a British Association of Monaco event at BOMO

Marika Taishoff, MBA Professor at the International University of Monaco, talks about luxury

Martina Brodie interviews top wildlife artist and Monaco resident Spencer Hodge

Sir Jackie Stewart and Roman Polanski at 'Weekend of a Champion' press conference

Father Walter Raymond tells us what's on at St Paul's Church this Christmas

Kory Tarpenning on opening the first Starbucks in Monaco

Dena Lyons and Art Factory Monaco

Anita Di Sotto talks about Whisky Weekend

Martine Ackerman talks about Child CARE Monaco

Martina Brodie interviews artist Laure Fissore

Martina Brodie interviews Peace and Sport champions

Ian Brodie interviews President of National Council

Ian Brodie interviews author of Mayhem in Monte Carlo

click on images to view

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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Monte-Carlo Diary

6/6 for effort

I can hardly put into words how welcome some sunny weather will be. Every school day we trudge to the train station and from Nice Riquier to the school with our nine year-old genius. When it's raining, as it has been, we have to take a change of clothes, although I have greatly benefited by the recent purchase of sailing boots for the teenager. I have to wear three pairs of socks to stop them sliding off.

Monaco, so I am told, turned down the offer of an alternative private school, so it migrated west. Perhaps the Principality was too keen on its position at the top of the exam league tables to want anything more adventurous than a standard French school with its strict and orthodox adherence to 'the system.' We are very happy with Nice. The school, that is.

George is doing very well. He knows all about the pyramids and the solar system, although I have to admit to a nagging nervousness over his numeracy. Last week he showed me his sums. 0/6. Bearing in mind the need for constant praise and encouragement, I wished him better luck next time, as if he were a gambler at the Monte-Carlo Casino. "Ah, but Dad," he said, "I did much better than Michel. He got 0/0."

"Merde!" I said. "No Dad, not merde, merrde." His French is brilliant.

Jeff Daniels

The Jeff Daniels column is published in the interests of editorial diversity, and views expressed do not necessarily represent those of the publishers.

to read previous columns, please click on MORE

What on earth is the French President doing in Monaco? Well, there are a few things to see, such as the Oceanographic and Monaco's Scientific Centre. And a few bits of paper to sign. Lunch at the Palace should be good, and will not disappoint the Socialist President's champagne tastes. Otherwise, not much will be going on and the visit will be marked by an inconvenience to road traffic. That will be its high point, since it seems that the President won't be meeting any of the remaining 8,000 French residents - whose families have lived here for generations - to discuss the fact that they have to meet the high cost of living in Monaco while paying French taxes, an arrangement inherited from the treaty with France into which Prince Rainier was famously coerced in 1963.

If I were a Frenchman, or woman, I would wonder what my President was doing in Monaco. Perhaps he has come to open a bank account. Switzerland is certainly less attractive than it was for French savers. Or perhaps I would conclude that Mr Hollande fancied a day away from the office and a very unattractive in-tray.

Jeff Daniels

Jeff Daniels reviews

Mayhem in Monte Carlo

Long-term Monaco resident and former ad-man Mike Ferrier's second book in a trilogy, Mayhem in Monte Carlo, is at first sight a mixed bag of intelligent insight and mundane stereotyping. And as many new writers do, Mike has cut out the middleman. The book can be ordered on Amazon, to be read on a tablet or consumed in book form, a modern form of buying novels that appeals to some more than others...

(more and video)