Sebastien Ogier won the Monte-Carlo Rally on Sunday, his 39th race win and a first for his new team, M-Sport.
It was the 33-year-old Frenchman’s fourth consecutive win in an event he has said is his favourite of the season.
Ogier finished two minutes, 15 seconds in front of Finland’s driver Jari-Matti Latvala and three minutes ahead of Estonia’s Ott Tanak, who suffered engine problems. Ogier has won the last four world titles and is now targeting his fifth.
VIDEO: Click on image to watch Ogier win
Mr Ogier praised his team on Twitter: “To win with @MSportLtd at the 1st race after 1 month of preparation is amazing! Thank you so much to the team, you deserve this victory” added, “It doesn’t mean the season will be easy, we know we have to keep working hard, but at least we start with a lot of points so we’re happy!”
The competition was marred by the death of a spectator during the opening stage, hit by a car that left the road. According to police reports the man had been standing in a forbidden zone.
Mr Nils Muiznieks, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, paid a working visit to Monaco on January 18 and 19. He was accompanied by Mr Giancarlo Cardinale, Deputy to the Director of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights and Mrs Françoise Kempf, Counsellor.
This was the second visit made by a Commissioner for Human Rights since the accession of Monaco to the Council of Europe, following Mr Thomas Hammarberg visitation in 2008.
These periodic visits or examinations are part of the mandate of the Commissioner for Human Rights, whose task it is to monitor and evaluate the human rights situation in the member states of the Council of Europe.
The latest visit focused on the legal and institutional framework for the protection of human rights in Monaco and the rights of persons belonging to vulnerable groups.
A hearing was granted by HSH Prince Albert in the presence of Mr Gilles Tonelli, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Mrs Anne-Marie Boisbouvier, Counselor to the Prince’s Cabinet and HE Mr Rémi Mortier, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Monaco to the Council of Europe.
Earlier on the morning of January 19, after a meeting with the Minister of State, Mr Muiznieks attended a working meeting with the Ministers of the Interior, Health and Social Affairs and Foeign Affairs and Cooperation.
The Commissioner also met with Mr Philippe Narmino, Director of Judicial Services, and Mr Christophe Steiner, President of the National Council. On 18 January, he had met with the High Commissioner for the Protection of Rights, Freedoms and Mediation, Mr Anne Eastwood, and with representatives of civic society.
The visit provided an opportunity for Mr Muiznieks to talk about the work of the High Commissioner to the pupils of a class at the Lycée Albert 1er.
A Winter School, organised by the Department of International Cooperation (DCI), was held last week on the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Menton Campus of Sciences Po Paris to make first-year students aware of the importance of international cooperation.
From January 16 to 20, the DCI brought together several of its high-level partners to work with some 100 students from nearly 40 different countries on the theme “Humanitarian crises and refugees”.
Representatives of United Nations Agencies (High Commission for Refugees, UNRWA, World Food Programme), major international organisations (International Committee of the Red Cross) and renowned NGOs (Médecins du Monde, Handicap International, Fondation Mérieux) hosted interactive conferences and workshops throughout the week.
The objective was to provide students with an opportunity for reflection on international humanitarian law, the reality of the humanitarian crises in Africa and the Middle East, prevention of genocide and war crimes, and access to basic services for refugees, including health, nutrition, and education.
Gilles Tonelli, Monaco’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, opened the teaching week, stressing that “Students from Sciences Po, coming from some 40 different countries, are future public and private decision makers. It is our duty to make them reflect on the difficult realities of humanitarian crises and to inform them of the actions of the Princely government to help the victims.”
The results of the “Challenge solidaire”, a team competition to train students in the setting up of development projects, were announced at the official closing ceremony of the Winter School, in the presence of Isabelle Rosabrunetto, of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Among the projects in competition three have been awarded prizes and will be implemented in 2017, with the support of the DCI, to support vulnerable children in Morocco.
Ceremonies commemorating San Sebastian, the patron saint of the Prince’s Carabinieri, took place on Friday morning, in the presence of Prince Albert.
This was the first event in a calendar covering the year 2017, which will celebrate the bicentenary of the creation of the Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince in 1817 by the future Prince Honore V.
For this occasion, the Sovereign Prince, Colonel Luc Fringant, the officers and the guard with the standard of the company carried the Medal of the Bicentenary.
During the Taking of Arms in the main courtyard, the new Chief of Corps, Commander Gilles Convertini, was awarded the Command of the Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince.
At the end of the ceremony, the company went out by the Porte d’Honneur of the Prince’s Palace marching to the sound of the Carabinieri Band and continued to the Cathedral to celebrate the Mass of its Saint, Saint Sebastian.
A few gasps Sunday morning at Monte-Carlo’s 41st International Circus Festival when tightrope walkers fell several metres during a performance.
The incident was triggered during a seven-person pyramid high-wire act by The Gerlings – “a new group of experienced acrobats which will turn any show, fair or occasion to an unforgettable one”, according to their website – when an eighth troupe member tried to do a handstand on top of the last acrobat but lost his balance.
Several of the acrobats fell, but, reported Nice-Matin, only one was injured suffering a wrist fracture, and was operated at the Princess Grace Hospital in the afternoon.
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