Day: 2 July 2019

Chelsea Football Club and French National team forward Olivier Giroud took time out of his busy schedule this week to fulfil his role as Heart Ambassador for the Monaco Humanitarian Collective (MCH).

The MCH is comprised of 17 Monegasque NGOs, four operational bodies, and four health centres in the region and is coordinated entirely by the Principality’s Department of International Cooperation. Since its inception in 2008, more than 400 children have been successfully operated on, giving them second chances at life.

After a presentation given by MCH to impart the collective’s most recent news, Giroud met with representatives from the Monagasque Red Cross and Rencontres Africaines, as well as caregivers from the Cardio-Thoracic Centre of Monaco (CCM), the Princess Grace Hospital (CHPG) and several local dignitaries.

He even took time to visit Jinno, an eight year old from Madagascar, who is returning home this week after an operation to repair a heart malformation.

Giroud will also be on hand Friday in Juan-les-Pins to receive a €10,000 check on behalf of the collective given by former footballer and World Volleyball Championship organiser Eric Roy.

Summertime on the Riviera brings with it many things: beach days, BBQs, lazy afternoons by the pool… But it also brings the return of mosquitoes, namely the dreaded tiger mosquito, a breed that can pass along a slew of nasty viral diseases such as Dengue Fever, Chikungunya, and Zika.

First spotted in the region back in 2004, the tiger mosquito differs from its more “dusk and dawn” brethren in that they are active during the day. This means special precautions need to be taken to prevent bites. It is easily spotted due to the black and white stripes on its body, all-black wings and legs, and small size.  

To stop these pests before they have a chance to spread, it is advised to use anti-mosquito sprays or precautions (coils, oils, etc) in buildings and public spaces and do not leave stagnant water sources like vases, cups or planters in the outdoor spaces of your home, as this is a breeding ground for them.  

To protect you and your loved ones, make sure to have a good mosquito repellent spray on hand and use it regularly on exposed body parts. If the infestation of mosquitoes is already prevalent near your home, use mosquito netting when sleeping at night to prevent unnecessary bites.  

None of the diseases spread by the tiger mosquito can be passed from person to person directly. It is only when an infected person is bitten by a mosquito, then the mosquito stings another person can the diseases be transmitted.

Some symptoms of Chikungunya and Dengue are headaches, sudden fever, myalgia, retro-orbital pain, lumbago, or arthralgia. With Zika, look for a unexplained rash and at least two of the following symptoms: Arthralgia, myalgia or conjunctive hyperemia. Blood tests will confirm and suspicions.

If you suspect someone, or you yourself have been infected, get immediate medical attention and make sure you are using all preventative measures to not be bitten, so as not to pass the diseases along.

A fleet of electric taxis are now available throughout the Principality, providing a much needed boost to services in the busy summer months.

The 100% electric vehicles will allow travel throughout Monaco at the basic fixed price of 15€ and, like normal taxis, customers will be able to hail the vehicle in the street. People will also be able to download the ‘Taxis Monaco’ app for fast booking and free travel estimates.

“Monegasques and residents are regularly echoing, together with elected officials, their difficulty in finding a taxi at certain times (especially in the summer) for travel,” said the National Council. “In recent months, a series of meetings have been held at the National Council with ‘artisans’ taxis in connection with the Monaco Government, to offer an ever more efficient service to residents and visitors to the Principality.”

Seven electric taxis will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They are white in colour with an ‘electricity taxi’ logo on the side in the traditional Monegasque colour of red.

Licensed taxi operators were given the option to purchase an electric vehicle to add to their fleet and were rewarded with the usual government subsidies. Drivers will have a seasonal license that will be granted by the State.

Five charging stations will be reserved for the vehicles, while 18 terminals located throughout the Principality will also be available to drivers.

The seasonal electric taxis will not only help meet demand, they will also adhere to Monaco’s current Energy Transition, and are expected to facilitate shopping within the Principality.

The fleet will run until 31^st October, when an assessment of the service is expected to be delivered.

Statistics show that about one-third of all the food grown globally every year is either wasted or lost due to spoilage. When it is considered that almost 800 million people do not regularly get enough to eat, this seems almost criminal.

The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is taking steps to rectify this situation in one region of North Africa. A new three-year project, launched at the 41^st Session of the FAO Conference in Rome at the end of June, will attempt to cut losses in fig, apple and date farming in Morocco’s oasis systems by 15%, as well as providing sustainable management techniques for the area’s natural resources.

In addition to looking at Morocco’s situation, the conference covered the state of food production and agricultural issues from several member countries worldwide, and approved a new policy, prepared by out-going Director General José Graziano, that will control the food chain in order to lessen industrialised farming practices and promote sustainable agriculture and development.

Monaco has been a member of this organisation since 2001, and this year has been elected to the FAO Council, a posting that runs for a four year term. Along with other commitments to the FAO, the Principality is involved with the newly launched Decade on Family Farming. The Decade “aims to inspire the international community to generate a refreshed political commitment supporting family farmers and crafting pro-family farming policies.”