The Prince’s Palace has announced that Gilles Tonelli will continue in his duties as chief mediator with the EU and has officially appointed him Ambassador-Special Advisor in charge of negotiations with the European Union.
Mr. Tonelli is charged with leading the talks to forge a formal association agreement between the Principality and the EU.
According to a government statement, Mr. Tonelli “will continue this mission which he has been responsible for since the beginning, respecting the roadmap drawn by the Sovereign Prince and this, with the support of His government.”
The Prince reiterated that he intends to maintain the economic and social model currently in place in Monaco and remains hopeful for a positive conclusion.
Mr. Tonelli also holds the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The Ambassadorship will commence on 21st October of this year.
Celebrity cup raises funds for Princess Charlene Foundation
The Powers Properties team has taken out top spot on the podium at this year’s Princess of Monaco Cup. Held at the Monte Carlo Golf Club, the celebrity event raises funds for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
The event was held on 3rd October in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II and Gareth Wittstock, General Secretary of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
The Power Properties team, led by David Tanner (cycling), gained first place on the podium, while the Amalgam and Serenity teams with their leaders Diana Luna (golf) and Juandre Kruger (rugby), respectively reached the second and third position.
In total, there were 18 teams of three players including one celebrity participating in the friendly competition, with its unofficial ‘scramble’ format.
Hosted by Victoria Silvstedt and Eddie Jordan, a draw pairing the athletes to the teams was held on Wednesday 2nd October at the Monaco Yacht Club.
Ambassadors of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation Charles Leclerc (F1) and Bjorn Maaseide (Beach Volley), were joined by a host of athletes in accepting to be the leaders of the team. They were: José Cobos (football), David Coulthard (F1), Jérôme d’Ambrosio (Formula E), Richard Dunne (football), Mika Hakkinen (F1), Rudi Keil (rugby), Juandre Kruger (rugby), Tony Lloyd (golf), Diana Luna (golf), Caroline Mohr (golf), Percy Montgomery (rugby), Gilles Panizzi (rally), Stiliyan Petrov (football), Sophie Sandolo (golf), David Tanner (cycling), and Mark Webber (F1).
Funds raised during the event will go towards renovation works of the Princesse Charlène de Monaco municipal swimming pool in La Turbie and a swimming program at Awutu-Winton High School in Ghana.
The days of confusion over what can and cannot be recycled, which bins to put things in and where to find receptacles, is coming to an end with the government’s new simplified system.
Since March, changes to the waste management systems have been implemented to make the process easier for both residents and those working at the recycling facilities.
The decision to lower the number of bins from three to two should assist in streamlining the process. The blue bin previously used has been eliminated, and now the yellow bin will accept a larger number of items. In addition to plastics, cardboard and metal waste, this bin will be the new home to polystyrene trays, plastic bags, egg cartons, compote sachets, aluminium coffee capsules, yogurt pots, and plastic wrapping film. The green bin will continue to be used solely for glass.
To further help make the transition as smooth as possible, the Principality has delegated the task of informing the public to a group of Waste Sorting Ambassadors who are available to clear up any uncertainty, as well as handing out 12,000 magazines dedicated to explaining the new system.
What’s more, the government is making recycling fun. The new, “smart” glass collection programme, dubbed Cliiink, is an interactive website and mobile app that shows residents where any of 52 smart containers in Monaco are located. People then simply deposit glass waste into one of these receptacles and earn points that go toward discounts, free gifts, or charities.
This is the first reward programme of its kind in either France or Monaco, and it already has over 1,100 adherents.
For more information, go to www.sma.mc or call toll free on 80 00 02 40.
Transporting pets between the UK and France or Monaco has become increasingly difficult over the years, and in some cases, completely impossible. The only alternative is to drive the long journey with Fido in tow, but this isn’t always practical or even possible.
Facing this constant challenge of trying to arrange transport for his own little Jack Russel, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou decided to organise a pet pampering travel service that everyone could benefit from, not just his precious little Jackie.
He partnered up with experienced pet transporter Trudie Porter to create easyPet, a service which has just marked its first anniversary. Monaco Life caught up with Trudie to talk about easyPet’s first year of operation and to check out some of her favourite furry customers.
Jackie
Monaco Life: What exactly is easyPet?
Trudie Porter: EasyPet is a brilliant overland pet transportation service between London and the south of France with collections en route, such as Avignon. The journey takes around 24 hours, crossing from Calais on the Eurotunnel, and the final stop is the easyBus terminal in north London. The vans are fully airconditioned, front and back, and we can accommodate small to large cats and dogs.
What is the gap in the market that this service is filling?
Pets can be left in kennels for days or weeks, which is not a very pleasant experience for them. It is much better for a dog or cat to travel only 24 hours and be reunited with their owner in a short space of time. Meanwhile, flights for pets between the south of France and London, apart from being very expensive, are restricted to the hold to Heathrow, or in the cabin as far as Charles de Gaulle in Paris. And that is only for a pet under 10kg.
I imagine it is also not a very nice journey in the hold of a plane…
No, they don’t get any of the fuss we would give them; they don’t get their tummy rubbed. And it must be pretty frightening. A flight box is plastic and the animals can only see out one end, while our cages are open and airy. On a plane, no one is with the pet in the hold so they don’t know if they are thirsty, hungry, or even alive. This is a much friendlier service. Our dogs are pampered as much during the journey as they are at home.
How do you keep owners informed throughout the trip?
These animals are not only like children to some of our clients, they are their children, so as soon as the pet leaves the departure point they get a photo of the pet in its cage, and photos at every stop, as well as videos. The owners are updated at the Eurotunnel check in point, as they are all anxious to know that the pet has been accepted to cross. They get another update on which train they will be on, and then an update to say the pet is at the north London easyBus house and ready for collection. Sometimes it’s not just the owner who I update, it’s also their mother and father. I could be sending four or five different updates to the entire family.
Can you tell us about the clients who use your service?
Our clients are people who have a home in England and a second home here, and they work between the two. They are also people with a summer house in Cannes, Nice, Antibes, Saint Tropez and want to bring their pet out for the summer. Some people have said to me that they used to drive their pet down. But obviously it’s a lot easier to jump on a flight and just meet their pets at their destination.
Monaco is the starting point of the service, but it is not restricted to the Principality is it?
No, we have had clients from Zurich meet the van in Lyon; in Avignon we have owners from as far as Montpellier and Nimes travelling to drop off their pets for the service. Also, we stop off in Cannes, for owners from Grasse and Vence, and basically anywhere on the A8 if there is a safe spot to stop.
Tell us about some of the dogs you see coming in and out of Monaco.
These are precious little fluffy things with diamante collars; very treasured by their owners of course, as all pets are. They come with their suitcases – a Louis Vuitton bag – and specially prepared meals, sometimes raw meat with vegetables for the trip. So, yes, we have some pretty fancy regular travellers, but they are also very well behaved.
You have been in operation for a year now, what are your clients saying?
Our clients are extremely happy. A lot of the pets travelled at the beginning of summer and are now returning, and they’re likely to rebook for next year. The owners are quite at ease when they hand their pets over because the guys are great and after they have used us once they know that their pet is in safe hands.
Is it a complicated process to have a pet cross the border?
It can be complicated but I ask for copies of the relevant pages in the animal’s passport, and if something’s not quite right then we explain what it is and send them back to the vet. I explain about the worming treatment with examples of what the vet has to do, and this is checked in time for any mistakes to be amended.
How will pet travel be affected by Brexit?
DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs UK) is keeping us updated on what will be required in the event of a no-deal Brexit. In that instance, the rabies antibodies test will be needed and a three-month wait for any pets to enter the UK. Currently, pets only need a microchip, the rabies vaccine and a 21 day wait. We will know more after 31st October!
Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, eldest daughter of HSH Prince Albert II, has just released her first single to raise money for the people of Fiji.
The single, entitled Fearless, was produced by the singer-socialite’s boyfriend Ian Mellencamp, nephew of rock legend John “Cougar” Mellencamp, and is dedicated to Fijians whose lives have been upended by natural disasters attributed to climate change.
Before trying her hand at singing, the 28-year-old found a degree of success as an actress, performing in her own cabaret-style show called Fall in Love with Jaz in New York City earlier this year. She is currently slated to have a role on the Amazon series The MarvelousMrs Maisel, as well as acting in the play The Jury Monologue.
Her pursuit of charity works has been ongoing, and her particular interest in Fiji has been long-standing. After a half-term holiday in 2006, she created the Jazmin Fund to aid the people of the region. It has since helped to build a rain collection system for a remote village with no water, built classrooms for children on Rabi Island, and supplied medical assistance and treatment for people in Togo Village. Her latest project is to rebuild a community hall in the village of Naidi, which was destroyed in 2016 by the most powerful storm to ever hit the area.
Ms Grimaldi’s grandmother, the late Princess Grace, was a celebrated actress and her aunt, Princess Stephanie, was a 1980’s pop singer, model and designer.
After a long, hot and busy summer, it is time to clean up our coastline, so The Animal Fund (TAF), in partnership with the Ville de Menton and Sciences Po, is organising a beach clean up in Menton this Sunday.
Each summer, millions of people – both locals and tourists – flock to the coast to cool off and have some fun. Thousands more take to the water on their boats. This puts enormous pressure on our beaches and the marine ecosystems.
This Sunday 13th October, TAF will host an ‘After summer beach clean up’ at the Plage Rondelli, Garavan, from 2.30pm to 5.30pm.
People are invited to help clean up the beach but also take part in some fun games. Pastries and refreshments will be offered to all particpants, while garbage bags and gloves will be provided.
“Plastic waste is polluting our seas, killing millions of marine animals and, as it breaks down into microplastic, ends up in our food train,” says TAF. “The more hands this Sunday, the more rubbish we can remove from the beach and the ocean!”
