Harvard University’s oldest a capella singing group the Krokodileos will perform at MonacoUSA’s next monthly networking event at Stars’n’bars on Tuesday, July 31, 18:00-20:00. The group, founded in 1946, has recorded over 30 albums and performed live in more than 100 countries.
“The Krokodileos are 12 very talented young Harvard undergraduates with great voices and a very cheeky sense of humour,” according to Annette Anderson, Director of MonacoUSA. “They’ve performed for presidents, kings and even our own Princess Caroline and Princess Grace whom they made an Honorary Krokodiloe in 1982.”
The Kroks are rooted in the Hasty Pudding Club, founded in 1770 and recognised as the oldest collegiate social organisation in the United States.
The event is open to all nationalities and there is no entrance fee.
First participation of SICCFIN in competition organised by Egmont group
The Egmont Group is an international organisation that brings together nearly 160 Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) around the world. All these FIUs have the same mission in their respective countries: to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT).
In order for these various FIUs to be able to train each other on the basis of real cases that have been handled by their peers and successfully prosecuted, the Egmont Group decided in 2011 to launch the “Best Egmont Case Award” (BECA) competition.
This competition allows participating FIUs to submit anonymous real cases to a jury of five members. The objective is to enable investigators and analysts from five continents to learn from concrete actions, by being quickly informed of the new channels and mechanisms used by organised crime or terrorist groups to launder capital and income from illegal activities (counterfeiting, bribery, pimping, extortion, fraud, fraudulent bankruptcy, arms trafficking, trafficking in cultural property, etc.).
The best cases, chosen by the jury, are presented by the finalist countries during the annual plenary assembly of the Egmont Group, which this year will be held in Australia (Sydney) in September. Officials of the FIUs are invited to vote for the case they consider the best.
The winner is awarded the BECA trophy and international recognition for excellence in the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and corruption.
This year, for the first time since the creation of the BECA contest in 2011, Monaco’s SICCFIN is participating by presenting a case entitled “International money laundering, a family fraud story.”
The participation of the Monegasque Financial Intelligence Unit in BECA demonstrates the Principality’s strong involvement against the scourges of terrorism, corruption and money laundering, Monaco’s Government said.
Magic of Persia’s ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ returns to Monaco next week with an art exhibition and auction, presenting works by emerging and established Iranian artists, Harpers Bazaar reports.
Since its establishment in 2004 the Magic of Persia Foundation has striven to promote and disseminate Iranian contemporary art and culture abroad. Yearly gala dinners, auctions and exhibitions have taken place in Dubai, London and Los Angeles, giving both established and emerging Iranian artists the chance to show their work to a greater audience.
Next weekend, Magic of Persia returns to the Cote d’Azur with an auction preview at Kamil Art Gallery in Monaco on July 27 followed by an auction and gala dinner on July 28 at the Yacht Club in Monaco in association with Christie’s.
“This year we have put ourselves to the test by organising two Fundraising Galas in six weeks in Two different Cities, Monaco and Los Angeles,” says founder Shirley Elghanian. “The Tale of Two Cities has attracted the attention of our supporters and collectors from East to West. The 70 artworks that will be going under the hammer by Christies in Monaco and Bonhams in LA are carefully selected to adhere to the taste of the attendees in each cities. We are confident that A Tale of Two Cities will be a huge success.”
Auction highlights include works by Afsoon, Fereydoun Ave, Nima Behnoud, Hojat Amani, Bahar Sabzevari, Peybak, Mehdi Farhadian, Shadi Ghadirian, Abbas Kiarostami, Farbod Mehr, Melika Shafahi, Shirin Tabeshfar, Siavash Talaei, and Mohammad Bozorgi, among others.
Magic of Persia has created a platform for artists living inside and outside of Iran to have their voices heard through the powerful and universal language of art. Magic of Persia attests that all artwork has been generously donated 100 per cent to Magic of Persia by artists, galleries and collectors. It adds that the auction of the artworks is the main source of funding for the MOP programmes and beneficiaries.
Joao Moutinho is to move from AS Monaco to Wolverhampton Wanderers in a two-year deal. Wolves reportedly paid five million pounds for the experienced Portuguese midfielder.
The 31-year-old is the third most-capped player in his country’s history with 113 international appearances. He joins a number of Portuguese players already at Wolves, including Diogo Jota, Ruben Neves and recent signee, goalkeeper Rui Patricio.
The midfielder made three appearances during the recent World Cup in Russia. He started his career at Sporting Lisbon before joining Porto in 2010, winning the top division title in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Moutinho arrived at Monaco in 2013 and went on to play over 200 games for the French club, helping them win the Ligue 1 crown in 2017.
French wine industry rebels against health warning labels
Labelling wine bottles with bigger health warnings will turn wine into a “criminal product” and damage “the soul of France”, says a group of French top chateaus in response to the plan by the country’s health ministry.
In an attempt to stop the measure, 64 major French wine producers, including Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Yquem, Cheval Blanc, Petrus, Pol Roger and Roederer Champagne houses, have written an open letter to French daily Le Figaro. The proposals to mark the bottles with two-centimetre-wide red tags were sent to industry officials last month.
“Every day, our cellars, our domains and chateaus, our wine-making landscapes are welcoming thousands of travellers coming to discover this France, bosom of the art de vivre that is the envy of the world and where wine plays a leading role,” the letter reads.
The changes, proposed by France’s health minister Agnes Buzyn, are aimed at warning female consumers against drinking any wine during pregnancy and reminding young customers that wine is illegal to drink if under 18-years-old.
Photo: Flickr Jeff Kubina
The current rules oblige French vintners to put messages advising zero alcohol consumption during pregnancy but there is no legal minimum size or rules on colour, and they do not require a warning against underage drinking, rt.com reported.
The health ministry is planning to push the draft into law “by the end of the year”, according to The Telegraph. The step was reportedly triggered by data from the National Institute for Health and Medical Research, which revealed that 25 percent of pregnant women in France keep on drinking alcohol. At the same time, the government is trying to struggle with the problem of teenage binge drinking.
According to the wine producers, the health ministry just wants to “spread fear.”
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