Traffic on avenue Princesse Grace will revert to two directions from Friday, July 7, where a one-way system has been operating to the right of the building work on Testimonio II.
At the same time, the construction of a temporary bridge will make it possible to maintain the two lanes of traffic on the boulevard du Larvotto West.
Operation Testimonio II is due to be finished by 2021, and will accommodate the International School of Monaco, with 700 pupils, a crèche for 50 youngsters, 150 public housing units and private housing.
There will also be a landscaped public space and a public car park with 800 spaces. Public elevators will serve avenue Princesse Grace and boulevards Larvotto and Italy.
Martine Garcia-Mascarenhas, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Monaco in Rome; HE Robert Fillon, Ambassador of Monaco in Italy, Permanent Representative of the Principality to FAO, and Elisabeth Lanteri-Minet, Director of International Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. Photo: CD
A Monegasque delegation consisting of HE Robert Fillon, Ambassador of Monaco in Italy and Permanent Representative of the Principality to FAO, Elisabeth Lanteri-Minet, Director of International Affairs in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, and Martine Garcia-Mascarenhas, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Monaco in Rome, are taking part in the 40th UN Food and Agriculture Organisation Conference, being held in Rome from July 3 to 8.
The Conference opened with a statement by the Italian Prime Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, who highlighted Italy’s strong commitment to international cooperation in the fight against hunger and the eradication of poverty.
His Eminence Archbishop Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy State, took the floor to read a message in which Pope Francis urged participating states to make the right to food for all individuals an absolute priority.
The overall theme of the Conference is the review of FAO’s Work and Budget Programme for the upcoming 2018-2019 biennial summit on climate change, agriculture and food security. It will address food issues through Sustainable Development Goal No. 2: Eliminating hunger, ensuring food security, improving nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture.
The Rome Conference will also address famine situations that currently threaten 20 million people in four countries – Yemen, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan – which require the international community to act urgently. The Principality has already contributed with the payment of €300,000.
The numbers are in: 10,000 turn out for dance festival
Almost 10,000 people attended the first edition of F(ê)aites de la Danse, organised by Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, the Monaco government and Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, on July 1, making the night a huge success.
The festive atmosphere on the Place du Casino was also a tremendous achievement for Jean-Christophe Maillot, Director of the Monte-Carlo Ballets. Many genres were in evidence: dances of the world, dances of salons, jazz, urban dance, tango, hip-hop, free skate, and pole dances, added to the growing excitement.
After midnight, Place du Casino became a huge open-air nightclub with DJ Greg Boust, and from 2 am onwards, the French DJ moved to the Monte-Carlo Opera, transformed for the occasion into a nightclub, while outside the public also danced to his music in the impromptu discotheque on the Casino terrace.
For the event’s creator, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Director of the Ballets of Monte-Carlo, it was a dream come true, although did admit to having pre-festival nerves as to whether people would get involved.
Within minutes he had his answer, with the public and the dancers mixing together. “The magic started immediately,” he said.
At midnight, attendance was at its maximum and Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo presented a public performance of the creation Core Meu, with the music of Antonio Castrignano.
“People showed great happiness, the dancers descended into the crowd and I saw the famous line that always separates the artists and the spectators disappear. These are images that will give me beautiful emotions for a long time. I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the Monte-Carlo ballet team that works every day alongside me and all the people of the Société des Bains de Mer and the Prince’s government who cooperated for this event.”
Hoping for a repeat in the future, he added: “I will always have a special attachment for this first time.”
A serving British soldier who stole a car early in the morning while very drunk and then crashed into an upmarket Chinese restaurant, demolishing its terrace and sending debris into a Rolls-Royce dealership, has narrowly escaped a sentence in jail.
The 25-year-old had taken the car at 6:00 am the morning of June 24 when the driver trustingly left keys in the ignition while he delivered baguettes and croissants to Costa at the Estoril building. The miscreant drove a few hundred yards before losing control at speed and hitting Song Qi on blvd Princess Grace. The impact was such that those who heard the crash feared a terrorist attack, Monaco’s Criminal Court was told.
The driver had fled the scene and was apprehended on the roof of Ni Box.
The level of alcohol in his blood was so high that the accused had no recollection of events when questioned by police, the court heard.
Defence lawyer Thomas Brezzo brought out every possible argument to avoid a prison sentence for his client, a result that would most certainly have meant his dismissal from the British military, a fact confirmed by an Army Major present in court last Friday.
Perhaps it was because the defendant had served in Iraq, fighting ISIS, as well as due to the spirited defence, that he narrowly avoided being sent immediately to jail. The court sentenced him to 12 months and 15 days in jail, suspended, plus a fine of €45. In the afternoon he was taken back to the UK to face a military court.
A further hearing will be held on September 22 to consider claims for damages: €83,160 for Song Qi (which was able to open for lunch), €75,000 for Costa and €10,895 for the Rolls-Royce dealership.
The government’s Department of the Interior and the Monegasque Digital Security Agency (AMSN) held a meeting with Operators of Major Importance in the Principality in late June to discuss cybersecurity risks.
The meeting was chaired by Admiral Dominique Riban, Director of AMSN, in the presence of Serge Telle, Minister of State, who said that Monaco’s cyberspace – an important vector of growth – needs to be safe. The government plans to introduce relevant legislation to improve the protection of Vital Information Systems (VSIS) for Operators of Major Importance (OIV).
Mr Philippe Trouchaud of PWC and Siemens’ Jean-Christophe Mathieu expounded on the dangers posed by cyberattacks when IT systems are not protected.
In conclusion, Patrice Cellario, Minister of the Interior, said: “The government has launched an ambitious and long-term process to enhance the level of digital security in the Principality.”
Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director-General, Department of Foreign Affairs opens meeting. Photo: Charlie Gallo/DC
From July 3 to 5, Monaco has been hosting a meeting organised by the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR), the Prince’s government, the Monaco Scientific Centre (CSM) and Monash University, of Melbourne, Australia.
In her opening address, Isabelle Rosabrunetto, Director-General of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, said that since 2015 the international community has adopted a number of major decisions that will play a role in preserving the Antarctic region. These include Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.
The objective of this week’s gathering, which brings together 22 international experts in the fields of law, science, ecology, conservation and ecosystem management, is to identify feasible strategies and action plans that could be implemented by 2020 to strengthen the conservation and protection of biodiversity in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions.
It follows the first edition of the workshop entitled “Antarctica and the Strategic Plan for Biological Diversity 2011-2020: the Monaco Evaluation”, held in June 2015 in Monaco. This has been published in the international journal PLoS Biology.
The government’s Department of the Interior and the Monegasque Digital Security Agency (AMSN) held a meeting with Operators of Major Importance in the Principality in late June to discuss cybersecurity risks.
