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Day: 2 April 2020

Monaco Telecom acquisition complete

by: Stephanie Horsman
02/04/2020

The Maltese Communication Authority has approved a €250 million corporate contract between Monaco Telecom and Malta’s leading telecommunications company, Vodaphone Malta.
The deal, which was completed on 31st March, makes Monaco Telecom the sole shareholder of Vodaphone Malta. They will benefit from the current 256,000 customers and plan to slowly transition from the Vodaphone brand.
Monaco Telecom said that it will focus on driving network investment and innovation to appeal more to Maltese customers.
“We are very pleased to conclude this acquisition and to have been able to obtain all the necessary authorisations in Malta,” said Martin Péronnet, Managing Director of Monaco Telecom. “We are conscious of the special responsibility of telecommunication services in the global crisis that we are experiencing, and our ambition is to bring all our quality know-how and innovation to the service of individuals and companies in Malta.”
To ensure a smooth transition, Monaco Telecom has announced Tamas Banyai as Vodaphone Malta’s new CEO. Mr Banyai was in charge of the Consumer Business Unit before his new appointment.
Monaco Telecom took over Cypress-based Epic in 2018 and is looking to further expand in the Mediterranean. Since the successful launch of 5G in the Principality, the company has proven they are on the cutting edge of technology. Additionally, their international experience coupled with expertise in the internet, television and mobile sectors makes this new acquisition another feather in their cap.
Monaco Telelcom is jointly owned by the government of Monaco and NJJ Capital, an investment company controlled by French billionaire Xavier Niel. Alongside his interest in NJJ Capital, Niel owns 71 per cent of Iliad, which operates mobile services in both France and Italy.
 
 

Dubai Expo 2020 postponed

by: Cassandra Tanti
02/04/2020

The Principality is supporting a decision to delay the Dubai Expo 2020 for a year. The mega event was set to host more than 190 countries, including Monaco, and 25 million people in just over six months-time.
The Expo 2020 steering committee on Monday recommended to the International Bureau of Exhibitions (BIE), which is the intergovernmental organisation responsible for the Expo, to study postponing the opening of Dubai 2020 for a year.

“The UAE and Expo 2020 Dubai have listened. And in the spirit of solidarity and unity, we supported the proposal to explore a one year postponement at today’s Steering Committee meeting,” Director General for Expo 2020 Dubai Reem al-Hashimy said in a statement.

The mega event was scheduled to be held from 10th October to 1st April 2021.
Analysts say a one-year delay in Expo, as has been the case with most of the global events, will ensure that the hard work and investment from everyone involved will pay off eventually.
“In the Principality, the Monaco Inter Expo teams remain mobilised on the preparation and smooth running of the Pavilion’s agenda,” said Albert Croesi, Commissioner General of the Monaco Pavilion and leader of Monaco Inter Expo. “The Expo world is a big family and under these special circumstances, the collective energy will be even more positive and hopeful, if a postponement of the Expo is decided for 2021.”
Construction works will also continue on the enormous Dubai site – essentially the same size as Monaco itself – ahead of a formal decision to be announced in the coming weeks.

Monaco Pavilion Dubai Expo 2020

“The construction of pavilions on the Expo site continues in compliance with safety rules and distancing measures, and this is also the case on the Monaco Pavilion site,” revealed Albert Croesi.
The Monaco Pavilion will be a “kaleidoscopic experience” inspired by the streets of Monaco, where visitors can experience the sights and smells of the Riviera. The site will house two main exhibition areas. The Garden of Opportunities will allow visitors the chance to be a part of the sunny warmth of the Principality through interactive experiences, and the Kaleidoscope will highlight Monaco’s culture, art, food, innovation and history.
 
Read more: Looking ahead to Expo 2020 Dubai
 
 
Photo: courtesy of Expo 2020 Dubai
 
 

TV Festival cancelled

by: Cassandra Tanti
02/04/2020

The Monte-Carlo Television Festival has become the latest high-profile event in Monaco to be cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The festival was due to take place from 18th to 22nd June, but the global health crisis surrounding Covid-19 has forced its cancellation, following the Monegasque authorities’ recommendations.
“We have been confronted with an unprecedented situation which is unfortunately currently depriving us all of our freedom for an indefinite period of time,” said Monte-Carlo Television Festival CEO Laurent Puons. “It is with great regret that I am obliged to cancel the 2020 edition of our Television Festival in June.”
“We must all take up our responsibilities to protect what is most precious: our health, that of our loved ones and of our festival-goers. The safety of the talent and public attending the event is paramount.”
Mr Puons thanked his team who he says has been “working tirelessly to get the event to its current stage of organisation.”
The Monte-Carlo Television Festival was set to celebrate its 60th anniversary this year – a milestone that will be taken up next year.
However, the world premier of hotly anticipated series Shadowplay, due to open the festival, is unlikely to take place in Monaco.

Taylor Kitsch and Michael C. Hall, photo Shutterstock

Stars Taylor Kitsch (Waco, True Detective) and Michael C. Hall (Dexter, Safe) were expected to join Prince Albert II of Monaco – the festival’s honorary president – on the red carpet of Friday 19th June for a glamorous opening ceremony.
Before widespread outbreak of the virus, a glittering reception to launch the 60th anniversary celebrations was held in Los Angeles, attended by the Prince and a number of high-profile celebrities including …
Jane Seymore, Prince Albert and Joan Collins. Photo: Monte-Carlo Television Festival

Nominees for the 2020 Golden Nymph Awards were due to be announced this May.
 
Read more:
Prince Albert and stars celebrate TV Fest in LA
 
Top photo: Monte-Carlo Television Festival promo from the Grimaldi Forum
 

Charles Leclerc joins Virtual GP series

by: Cassandra Tanti
02/04/2020

Monaco’s Charles Leclerc will compete in his first F1 Esports race this Sunday, joining an impressive driver line up for the second Virtual Grand Prix.
F1 set up the Virtual GP series after the coronavirus pandemic forced the opening eight rounds of the real-world 2020 campaign to be either cancelled or postponed – including Monaco.
The Virtual GP series is to be held on the weekends when racing should have been taking place, with the Esports series first filling the void of the postponed Bahrain Grand Prix last weekend.
The inaugural race had only two current drivers participating – Lando Norris and Nicholas Latifi – but that number has jumped to five for the upcoming race to include Alex Albon, George Russell and Charles Leclerc.
The F1 quintet will be joined by former driver Johnny Herbert, who finished 13th in the inaugural race in Bahrain, as well as a host of stars including England’s Cricket World Cup Winner Ben Stokes, with more names set to be announced in the coming days.
“A star-studded grid is shaping up with our F1 stars – past, present and future – as well as huge names in sports and entertainment,” Julian Tan, F1’s Head of Digital Business Initiatives and Esports said. “We look forward to providing some light relief through esports as we all navigate through these difficult times together, where our fans can engage with our sport in a different but familiar way.”
This weekend’s Grand Prix will take place on the Albert Park track, home of the Australian Grand Prix, on the weekend originally scheduled for Hanoi’s inaugural street circuit race in Vietnam.
The Vietnam circuit is currently not available on the official F1 2019 video game so the drivers will instead show off their skills on the Melbourne track. Drivers will join the race remotely, with a host broadcast live from the Gfinity Esports Arena from 9pm local time on Sunday 5th April.


Charles Leclerc’s participation has come as a surprise to many, considering the Monegasque hasn’t shown any inclination towards sim racing or the Esports event in general. Perhaps it’s the 22-year-old’s way of igniting a new fan base among today’s tech-savvy youth.
That means we will see Leclerc, who enjoyed a superb debut season in red, in a Ferrari, Albon making his Esports debut in a Red Bull, Norris looking to make his mark again in a McLaren, and Russell and Latifi racing for Williams.
The broadcast will be available on F1.com, and the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels. It is expected to run for 1 hour 30 minutes, with a qualifying period where grid positions will be determined based on the drivers’ fastest lap time, followed by a 28-lap race. The Virtual Grand Prix will also be broadcast live with international broadcast partners Sky Sports F1.
 
 

Peace and Sport campaign goes digital

by: Stephanie Horsman
02/04/2020

Peace and Sport will be hosting the 2020 #Whitecard Digital Campaign to celebrate this year’s International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.

The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace is on 6th April and will be celebrated by sending a message of solidarity in these troubled times by being part of the “Connected through the #WhiteCard” Campaign.

 The campaign is meant to highlight the “positive impact that sport is playing in the current context,” and will feature athletes, sports institutions, stakeholders, Champions of Peace and individuals who are committed to the cause.  

People are asked to share their stories on Monday 6th April by posting on their social media pages how sport has changed or contributed to their lives whilst holding up a #White Card picture and tagging @peaceandsport.

The white card is a tongue in cheek reference to the red and yellow cards used in the sporting world, though instead of being used as a form of punishment, the white card signifies positivity and real change.

Peace and Sport was founded by Joël Bouzou, Pentathlon World Champion and Olympic Medallist, in 2007 and comes and under the high patronage of HSH Prince Albert II. It is a global organisation that uses sport and the values associated with it as a way to incite peace amongst disadvantaged people and communities.

Practising sport as a pedagogical tool, the association uses this method as a means of helping people in desperate situations bond together. Child soldiers, refugees and war orphans are just some of the few who are reintegrated into society through the use of the programmes set forth by Peace and Sport.

For more information about the event, contact april6@peace-sport.org 

 
 

Majority compliance of lockdown rules

by: Stephanie Horsman
02/04/2020

Since confinement began on 18th March, the Monaco police force has made 11,000 traffic checks on drivers entering the Principality.

Minister of the Interior Patrice Cellario held a press briefing Wednesday to update the public on the safety situation in Monaco as it stands.

According to the minister, on Wednesday morning, for example, 211 vehicles were stopped and checked by police officers. Most drivers were in compliance and had proper papers with them, but the two that were not were turned back.

The only reasons travelling is acceptable during lockdown, besides work, are to food shop, for family assistance, medical or child care, and for taking a pet out or exercising, though the person must be on their own and near their homes.

A ministerial decision handed down on 27th March has made travelling or being out without reason a finable offense. People can be fined anywhere from €70 to €200 depending on the infraction. So far, only one ticket has been issued. This was to a person loitering in a public space without a sufficiently valid reason, though it is up to the discretion of the public safety officer whether to fine what Mr Cellario called “marginal” behaviours.

For the moment, people are respecting the lockdown procedures and calls to police are few. They are being particularly vigilant in two specific areas, nonetheless. The first is in the realm of domestic violence and the second pertains to noise.

All police officers of the Principality are now being equipped with kits that include gloves, alcohol gel and masks to provide further protections to those protecting us.

So far, only three of those in service have tested positive. They all belong to the Prince’s Riflemen. No cases have been reported by either the fire brigade or the police.  

 
Photo: Pixabay