In their traditional Christmas card, issued on Friday, December 22, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene and their children, hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, wish everyone a Merry Christmas and beautiful festive season.
Photo: Vanessa Von Zitzewit /Palais PrincierPhoto: Vanessa Von Zitzewit /Palais PrincierPhoto: Facebook Eric Mathon/Palais Princier de Monaco
On Wednesday, December 20, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene warmly welcomed young Monegasques for the traditional Christmas celebration at the palace.
After watching a performance of Palladienne dance in the palace courtyard, with Santa in attendance, some 500 petite guests, aged 5 to 12, attended a magic show in the throne room, where they were also treated to a snack.
They youngsters also received Christmas gifts from the princely couple, and the children of Princess Stephanie, Camille Gottlieb and Louis Ducruet.
Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, who celebrated their third birthday on December 10, did not attend the festive events as they, reportedly, have a touch of the flu.
(L-R): Dr Kohei Ogawa (Robotics and AI Researcher, University of Osaka), Henk Potts, (Director of Global Research, Barclays Private Bank), Jean Castellini (Minister of Finance and Economy), Philippe Gudin, (Chief EMEA Economist, Barclays Investment Bank), Geminoid Android Hiroshi Ishiguro and Francesco Grosoli (CEO, Private Bank EMEA & Monaco Branch, Barclays Private Bank). Photo: Oznerol
Barclays hosted its annual client lunch on Tuesday, December 12, and welcomed 120 guests at the Salle Eiffel at the Hotel Hermitage. With the theme “The Future of Artificial Intelligence” Henk Potts, Director of Global Research Barclays Private Bank, moderated the two and a half hour event that focused on Artificial Intelligence’s influence in the Fintech and Finance industry.
Francesco Grosoli, CEO, Private Bank EMEA & Monaco Branch, Barclays Private Bank, delivered the official welcome to the investment conference and told the audience that Barclays works across the whole of the Barclays network and beyond, bringing together the right people, ideas and opportunities to connect clients with new possibilities. Mr Grosoli also commented on the launch of the Barclays Private Bank advertising campaign saying that big challenges suddenly seem small when able to exploit the power of collaboration.
Philippe Gudin, Chief EMEA Economist, Barclays Investment Bank, provided an in-depth economic outlook outlining how global growth was on its way to 4 percent. For the first time since the great recession following the financial crisis, growth is totally synchronised across the world, and this is creating a virtuous circle, with strong global demand and accelerating global trade boosting inventories and investment, especially in developed countries.
Photo: Oznerol
Nevertheless, and despite the labour market tightening in the wake of economic expansion, global inflation is picking up only very gradually, owing to temporary factors such as technological changes and globalisation, which are holding up wage inflation. Consequently, central banks are embarking into a gradual normalisation of their monetary policies, although the ECB and the Bank of Japan are still lagging behind, with still negative interest rates and large provision of liquidity, which could, if maintained too long, affect financial stability.
One of the main risks ahead is related to the uncertainty around Brexit, which has not disappeared after the agreement on the divorce settlement. Our economic scenario is based on the assumption of a hard but orderly Brexit, with a transition period that would avoid the UK economy falling off a cliff on March 29, 2019, but we may know only late in 2018 whether an agreement is reached.
Dr Mike Lynch, Founder of Invoke Capital, discussed with guests Artificial Intelligence (AI) opportunities and its impact on investing. He said that computers in many areas are becoming more accurate than humans, a process that could dramatically alter corporate business models and have a profound effect on society. While not an investor in cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, he did say that Blockchain technology offers some attractive investment opportunities.
Jean Castellini, Monaco Minister of Finance and Economy, spoke on the subject of “MonacoTech and the Principality’s Financial Ecosystem”. He presented the MonacoTech startup program launched early November. The main goal of the incubator is to bring consultancy expertise by various differing methods and allow young CEOs to get tips about managing and developing a company.
The Minister of Finance and Economy concluded his speech with an update on the latest developments in the area of tax transparency, with a focus on the recent publication by the European Commission of its black and grey lists. He noted with satisfaction that the efforts of the Principality, as far as exchange of information and international cooperation are concerned, were now fully conformed by entities such as the European Union (indeed Monaco is not on the lists recently published).
The last speaker of the event was Dr Kohei Ogawa, Robotics and AI researcher from the University of Osaka who covered the topic of “Human, Android, and Connecting Technology” and was helped by a Geminoid android that entertained the audience.
A geminoid is a special type of android that doesn’t just broadly resemble a human; it is meant to look like a specific person and in this case it was the twin of its creator Hiroshi Ishiguro, who is the director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory, part of the Department of Systems Innovation in the Graduate School of Engineering Science at Osaka University.
In closing the Global Outlook 2018, Mr Potts commented that the outlook for the global economy is strong and corporate earnings should continue to thrive in 2018 which should be positive for equity market investors particularly in the US and Europe. Mr Pots wished everyone a happy and prosperous New Year from the Barclays Private Bank team.
Otto Kern with Ehefrau Naomi Valeska at UNESCO Charity Gala 2012. Photo: Michael Schilling
The Public Prosecutor Office in Monaco has issued the authorisation to bury the body of German designer Otto Kern, who died December 10.
An initial investigation into the circumstances of the death of the long-time Monaco resident has ruled out the influence of alcohol and drugs, bild.de was first to report.
The 67-year-old designer fell from his thirteenth floor apartment on avenue Princess Grace, and his body was found the following morning on a first floor terrace.
The exact circumstance of Otto Kern’s death is still to be determined.
Otto Kern is survived by his fourth wife, Naomi Valeska, two ex-wives (his third wife Daniela Filipovic died, 32, in 2004 in a car accident) and three children, Otto Amadeus, Olivier and Candy, from his first two marriages.
Model Sarah Kern, was married to the Kern from 1995 to 1999. She told bunte.de, “He was a rock star. He looked like a rock star, he lived like a rock star. He was the most charismatic, handsome man I know. He was a great person – and it’s a big loss.”
The Monaco Athletics Federation announced that it will not be able to hold the 2018 Riviera Classic run from Ventimiglia to Monaco, an event with a 20-year history.
After the cancellation of the 2017 run following the tragic events on the Promenade des Anglais in July 2016, the Federation had asked the Prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes in April to ascertain the security measures that were needed and could be implemented for the event in 2018. The answer did not arrive until early November and was discussed at a meeting on December 20.
The conditions set by the state services, although similar to those imposed for the Nice-Cannes Marathon accepted by the municipalities concerned, were deemed impracticable by the towns of Menton and Roquebrune.
Faced with this regrettable dilemma, the Monaco Athletics Federation decided that organising the event would be impossible and wanted to inform runners as soon as possible.
The other planned events, including the Monaco Run – the 10k from Monte-Carlo on March 11, the Herculis Relay and Pink Ribbon Walk will take place as planned.
HE Isabelle Picco, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Monaco to the UN, presenting the Prince Albert II of Monaco and UNCA Prize to Somini Sengupta, New York Times. Photo: DR
The traditional Gala of the UN Press Correspondents Association (UNCA) was held on December 16 in New York, in the presence of UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
The prizes were awarded in the 21st UNCA contest for the best coverage of the UN and its agencies.
Her Excellency Isabelle Picco, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the UN, presented the Prince Albert II Prize to four women journalists for their reporting on climate change.
The highest award went to Somini Sengupta, of the New York Times, for her coverage of the impacts of climate change on migration. Her article is part of a series of eight on “Carbon’s Casualties”.
Actress Angelina Jolie, Special Envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, received the Global Citizen of the Year Award.
The Monaco Digital Security Agency held an awareness meeting on the risks and safety of industrial systems on Thursday, December 21, with the participation of the French National Security Agency of Information Systems, Siemens, Schneider Electric and Stormshield.
The so-called “industrial systems” include traffic lights, variable message signs, parking barriers, and ventilation/air conditioning management systems.
These systems are highly computerised and interconnected with conventional information systems by online means, and as such they are exposed to the same threats, with potentially more serious consequences.
Participating in this meeting were state user services, industrial system installers/integrators, public service concessionaires, SMEG, SMEaux, Monaco Telecom, health facilities and others.
