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Month: October 2019

Celebrating the end of year in style

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/10/2019

Hot air balloons, “mountain chalets” and dazzling greenhouses will all form part of the end of year celebrations in the Principality, as SBM aims to make this year’s festivities more exceptional than ever.

SBM has a holiday line-up planned that even Father Christmas would have a hard time beating.

Starting 6th December, under the theme Luck Raises Us, it all begins at Casino Square where four hot air balloons with baskets filled with gifts will light up in a forest made entirely of white fir trees. The Casino itself will be part of the décor from 28th to 31st December, with an illuminated map gracing the façade. 

The Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort will set the scene of a mountain chalet, where they will transform the bar into ‘The star of the snow’ and hold daily Christmas games and will serve a holiday inspired tea from 3pm to 5.30pm. Additionally, they will throw a ‘Winter party’ every Thursday in December to keep the atmosphere going.  

Five greenhouse installations will be dotted around the interior courtyard of the Hôtel de Paris where artisans will have their wares for sale and craft workshops will be offered to kids young and old. A special ‘Bubble party’ has been organised for 12th December to add to the fun.

Finally, no Christmas would be complete without Santa, who will visit the Hôtel Hermitage on the 18th, 21st, 23rd and 24th of December from 3pm to 6pm. Pastry chefs will be on hand for workshops with the kids, as well as magicians and makeup artists to round out the party.

For music lovers, 70’s band Chic and Nile Rodgers will be playing a funk and disco dinner on New Year’s Eve at the Salle des Etoiles.

Festivities run from 6th December until 25th January 2020. For more info, visit to www.montecarlosbm.mc

 

October is breast cancer awareness month

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/10/2019

October has come to be known as ‘Pink October’ and many Monegasque organisations, as well as the government, are supporting the cause.

Roughly two million women were diagnosed with breast cancer last year worldwide and of those an estimated 627,000 will die from the disease. That comes out to 15% of all cancer deaths for women.

In Monaco, the Department of Social Affairs and Health supports the campaign in the fight against breast cancer by participating in ‘Pink October’. As part of the movement, Princess Grace Hospital has put up stands devoted to sharing information and heightening awareness and, along with Monaco associations Pink Ribbon Monaco and Listening Cancer Comfort, have mounted a full-on crusade to encourage breast cancer screening. 

To this end, doctors and nurses from Princess Grace Hospital were on hand last Saturday in the Place d’Armes to discuss breast cancer related topics and answer questions.

On Sunday at the Stade Louis II, during the AS Monaco-Rennes football match, stands were set up along the side lines giving information, and €1 entry tickets to those wearing pink.

It is believed that early detection is critical in improving outcomes and survival rates, and screenings, including mammograms, self-examinations and ultrasounds, are the most effective way to do so. Women with higher risk, such as those who have a sibling or parent who had the disease, should be screened yearly, despite their age. Otherwise, yearly screenings should start no later than age 45. 

 

Photo: Directorate of Communication, Stephane Danna

Monaco’s push to become a solar city

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/10/2019

The government has acquired solar power plants in France as part of its quest to become more environmentally friendly using renewable energy sources. It forms part of a comprehensive action plan which the Principality has been working on for a number of years now. Here is the progress so far.

Solar and seawater heat pumps are already in place in public buildings and private homes all around the Principality. Some notable locations where solar is currently being used in public structures are the Lycée Technique de Hôtelier and the Ecole des Revoires, while the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel installed 1,000m2 of photovoltaic panels last April.

To harness all this energy, SMEG has built a solar power station under the moniker SunE, taking advantage of the government’s 15 year subsidy option for photovoltaic energy producers. Additionally, in September a solar power plant was unveiled on the roof of the Grimaldi Forum, also installed by SMEG, which will partially cover the electricity needs for the extension at sea when it is completed.

View of the solar panels on top of the Grimaldi Forum. Photo courtesy: the Grimaldi Forum

Next up are plans to install 500m2 of solar roof panels on the fire station in Fontvieille. This installation will create 88,000KKh each year, reduce CO2 emissions by 7.2 tonnes annually and will generate 27% of all electricity used by the barracks.

For individuals, the government has had a programme in place since 2008 offering benefits to those who choose to put solar panels on their dwellings, and as of 2017, there has been an online site that shows residents the photovoltaic capacity of every roof in Monaco.  

Finally, eight solar power plants in France have been acquired through a joint partnership with SMEG and Monaco Energies Renouvelables that generate 10% of the Principality’s energy usage.

Monaco businesses making strides in energy transition

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/10/2019

The government has laid out three of the latest organisations in Monaco which are pushing ahead with the Principality’s ambitious energy transition plan.

At the request of Marie-Pierre Gramaglia, Advisor-Minister of Equipment, Environment and Urbanism and the Ministry of State, a press conference was held to update the public on who the actors are that are making efforts to comply with the energy transition plan.

Three primary plans have been undertaken and are being carried out in several businesses and public organisations around the Principality.  

The first has to do with transportation and mobility. The Monaco organisation Bike2Work has effectively promoted alternative ways to travel within the Principality. They encourage employees to bike to and from work, and since its inception in 2013, now have 80 adherents, loyally doing their part for the environment.

The next is the government programme recently debuted by the Department of Urban Planning to cut down on waste and encourage recycling. New bins have been placed around the city and the recycling rules streamlined to help residents and make the process simpler. They have also set up a competition dubbed Cliiink, which gives points for glass recycled at the allotted stations, resulting in discounts at local businesses.

Finally, the Monte-Carlo Bay was highlighted for improving energy use due to the recent installations of solar panels, its switch to lower consuming LED lights and its use of the SMART+ energy meter that optimises usage.  They have also signed a contract with Soget Monaco that will see them putting in sustainable heating pumps for creating the most powerful solar plant in the world.

After each presentation, a question and answer session followed, allowing those present to learn more about the specifics and to reiterate the government’s continued support to those making energy-efficient choices.

 

PHOTO: Directorate of Communication, Stephane Danna

 

Girls boxing documentary wins coveted prize at Sportel

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/10/2019

The documentary ‘Boxgirls’ has been awarded the Peace and Sport Documentary Prize at this year’s Sportel Awards. The short film gives a unique insight into the Kariobangi neighbourhood in Nairobi, Kenya were girls and women who face poverty, crime, drugs and rape use boxing to overcome their situation.

Marc Raquil, athletics world champion and Champion for Peace, presented the Peace and Sport Documentary Prize during the Sportel Awards ceremony on Tuesday 22nd October. In this 20-minute documentary by Jaime Murciego Tagarro, female boxers try to overcome their situation through physical and mostly mental skills that boxing gives to them.

Two other films were competing for the Prize. ‘Afghan Cycles’ by Sarah Menzies follows a new generation of young Afghan women cyclists. The film tells the story of women’s rights and the struggles faced by Afghan women on a daily basis, from discrimination and abuse, to the oppressive silencing of their voices in all aspects of contemporary society. ‘Streetkids United 3 – The road to Moscow’ by Jacco Groen and Jamillah van der Hulst is the empowering story of nine Indian girls who are chosen by Karunalaya Social Service Society to represent their country at the Street Child World Cup 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

“Sport is a universal language and films have the capacity to reveal emotions, tensions and values that sport can spread,” said Marc Raquil, athletics world champion and Champion for Peace. “We received very inspiring applications and it was a great pleasure to watch these magnificent documentaries which demonstrate that sport is a sustainable tool to address social issues.”

Last year, the winner was Jamillah Van der Hulsts’s film ‘Fighting for life’. The documentary gives a unique look inside South-African prison Drakenstein Correctional Centre and the impressive work of Dutch boxing coach Sharita van der Hulst in the rehabilitation program for prisoners that are serving heavy sentences. In 2017, ‘Girl unbound: the war to be her’ was awarded. This film explores the world of Maria Toorpakai Wazir, international champion of squash and Champion for Peace. In Waziristan, a mountainous region of Pakistan, Maria defies the Taliban by disguising herself as a boy so she can play sports freely.

Since 2014, in partnership with the Sportel Awards, Peace and Sport has rewarded directors who are tackling themes to demonstrate that sport can actually move barriers and norms in society.

 

Picture: Jaime Murciego Tagarro with Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport. 

Flu prevention campaign underway

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/10/2019

Influenza season is almost upon us and the dangers are real for the community’s most vulnerable.

The Department of Social Affairs and Health wants to remind all citizens that the time for prevention is now. The only effective protection against flu is the vaccination. This serves a twofold purpose in that it keeps the person vaccinated from contracting the flu in the first place, which in turn prevents them from spreading the virus that causes it.

The elderly, people with chronic diseases and pregnant women are those who run the highest risk, though the flu can be dangerous for anyone. This easily transmittable disease can be dispersed simply by shaking hands with someone infected or being in close contact with an infected person who is coughing.

As the virus mutates from year to year, no two strains of flu are the same. A person must be immunised yearly for it to be effective and must also be vaccinated well in advance of the arrival of the virus so the body can form the proper antibodies. The best time to be treated is now, as the virus usually finds its way to the population by the end of October.

The vaccine for the predicted 2019/2020 virus is available now at all local pharmacies and can be administered by your doctor.