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Day: 14 July 2020

Dee Bost stays with Roca Team

by: Stephanie Horsman
14/07/2020

AS Monaco Basketball has announced that their team captain, Dee Bost, is staying in Monaco for the 2020-21 season.

Dee Bost has decided to extend his time in Monaco for at least another season, to the delight of both the team and fans.

The 30-year-old North Carolina native joined the team in 2016 and immediately stood out as a star player in a team full of exceptional talent. In the ill-fated 2019-20 season, he helped lead his team to the quarter-finals of the EuroCup, as well as seeing them firmly in first place for regular season play before the season was cut short by the pandemic.

“The victory over Unics Kazan for the Top 8 qualification remains my best memory of last season. We really had a good card to play in this competition, unfortunately stopped for the reasons we know,” Bost said in a statement on the team website.

Bost played college basketball for Mississippi State university, where he eventually became team captain of the Bulldogs. He was also named to the All-Southeastern Conference team two years running averaging 15.8 points a game.

His professional career began in 2012 where he found himself in Montenegro for a season. He then made several moves before finding himself on the Rock for the 2016-17 season. He moved on again for a few years and found himself drawn back to Monaco in 2019. 

Dee Bost is still unbeaten at Gaston-Médecin in Jeep Elite since his return under the umbrella of the Roca Team winning 24 matches out of 24.

Bost’s contentment at remaining in Monaco is evident by his words. “I am very happy with this signing. I spoke with the coach I think we still have a big challenge to take up with the Roca Team and I will be proud to be still the leader of this organization which is very close to my heart.

I feel at home in Monaco, both with the staff, the managers and all the fans. This favourable context weighed heavily in my choice to extend my contract. We’re still going to have great times together, I’m sure and we’ll work hard to make it happen. To all of you, see you soon. Daghe!”

 
 

Don’t let ZSL go extinct, says Sir David Attenborough

by: Cassandra Tanti
14/07/2020

In an extraordinary show of support, Sir David Attenborough has for the first time lent his voice to a TV appeal to raise funds for ZSL and its two zoos, London and Whipsnade. Painting a stark picture of the jeopardy faced by the iconic institution, this previously unthinkable possibility is now a frightening reality due to the extended closures of its zoos.
The compelling appeal highlights ZSL’s world class zoos and the global breadth of its science and conservation work and aired on 9th July across Sky channels.
The emotive video was produced by agency Wunderman Thompson who donated all creative services to help ZSL, with the broadcast slots also given for free. Funds are being channelled through JustGiving at zsl.org/justgiving

As well as providing the highest level of animal care, welfare and education at its two zoos, ZSL relies on income from zoo ticket sales to fund global wildlife health research at the revered Institute of Zoology, and to support its active conservation projects in more than 50 countries around the world.
“The closure of London and Whipsnade Zoos put us under immense financial pressure,” said ZSL Director General Dominic Jermey. “Our zoos may have been able to reopen their gates, but with strict social distancing measures and heavily restricted visitor numbers we have no way of recouping what was lost; we’re fighting our biggest challenge in our 200-year history.”
The Society, founded as the world’s first scientific zoo in 1826, is in a perilous position. Closed to the public since the end of March, ZSL’s two zoos were shut for an unprecedented three months. With the Society’s core income stream cut, but no compromises made on animal care, the lockdown put immense pressure on the charity’s reserves.
“Unlike any other UK zoo, our zoos are the lifeline for ground-breaking research at the world-renowned ZSL Institute of Zoology and fund our global conservation projects – work that has never been more vital,” added Mr Jermey. “As well as educating and inspiring millions of people to make a difference for wildlife, we’re at the forefront of research to understand how diseases such as coronaviruses transfer from wildlife to humans, and we’re using our expertise to help find new ways for humans and wildlife to peacefully co-exist. The world cannot afford for our work to be stopped; but we need help to keep going.”
 
Photo: 2004 – David Attenborough opens Komodo Dragon house (C) ZSL
 
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The Evolution of ZSL

Funding needed for animal-borne virus research

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The world is your oyster

Don’t let ZSL go extinct, says Sir David Attenborough

 
 

Monaco takes pole position in the Property Price Grand Prix

by: Staff Writer
14/07/2020

The latest research from high-net-worth mortgage broker Enness Global has found that Monaco takes pole position in the Property Price Grand Prix when compared to the other host nations in the F1 schedule.
Enness Global analysed the current property price per square metre in each grand prix location. The research found that with an average cost of €47,872 per square metre (sqm), property prices in Monaco are 178% higher than second-place Singapore, 908% more than the UK and a huge 4,376% more expensive than last place Mexico.
Singapore is the only other F1 calendar location to see property prices enter into five figures, with a property cost of €17,202 per sqm placing it second on the podium.
Japan takes the last podium place, with a property price per sqm of €7,780, with France also home to a property cost of more than €6,765 per sqm.
China (€6,326), Germany (€5,209), Austria (€5,141) and Australia (€5,111) also place ahead of the UK (€4,747) and Canada takes the final points on offer in 10th place (€3,967).
Along with Mexico (€1,072), Russia is the only other location to see property prices per sqm around €1,000 (€1,095).
“Monaco is arguably the jewel in the crown of the Formula One calendar and the same could be said in terms of its position in the global property market,” said Hugh Wade-Jones, managing director of Enness Global Mortgages. “While the likes of London and New York hold their own, the property market in Monaco is shrouded by a thick fog of exclusivity and this carries huge appeal for homebuyers at the very top levels of the market.
When you couple this with the much higher cost of buying, there’s no denying that Monaco ranks as the most prestigious pocket of the worldwide property market and this looks set to continue with the eagerly anticipated extension of the coastline.”
 
Photo by Monaco Life, all rights reserved
 

SBM launches Swing Monte Carlo

by: Stephanie Horsman
14/07/2020

Double entendres abound with the launch of SBM’s new summer Swing Monte Carlo events.

Swing Monte Carlo refers to both the hedonistic “swinging sixties” of London and a far more demure reference to the beautifully decorated flower-encrusted swing installed on Casino Square. The swing, designed by florist Stanislaus Ducreux, in a myriad of light, bright summer colours is intended as a place for a fun photo op or just to watch the world go by. The swing will be available for the public to enjoy from 15th July to 15th August.

In addition, the SBM team will transform the patio of the Hôtel de Paris into a lush, tropical garden from 15th July to 15th September, giving visitors the chance to soak in the cool surroundings whilst having a drink or doing a bit of shopping.

Garden Evenings are also being scheduled each Thursday from 23rd July to 27th August in the gardens of Casino Square. Buddha Bar will hold pop-ups under the stars with live music shows and chic nibbles for guests to revel in.  

The exceptions will be on 6th and 13th August when Mada One takes over, holding a massive picnic on the lawns. In partnership with Veuve Clicquot, clients choose and reserve special picnic baskets in the open air setting, also set to live music. Children’s baskets are available for the younger guests.

SBM is taking care to ensure all health precautions are put in place so visitors can rest assured they will be in the safest possible environment.

 
 

Textbooks sent to Tunisia in anti-waste initiative

by: Stephanie Horsman
14/07/2020

Much needed textbooks are headed to the North African country of Tunisia through the generosity of several Monegasque institutions.

Lycee Albert I, the Monaco City Council and the Monaco Durable Development Association (MC2D) have joined together to offer used textbooks to local operation Monaco-Tunisia Association as part of the Monaco Commits Against Waste (MEG) programme.  

This will be the second year these entities have teamed up to offer books to the Tunisians, after the July 2019 book drive produced major results. 

Lycee Albert I’s Documentation and Information Department emptied their libraries of books no longer used by the school, amounting to an astounding 35 shipping boxes containing 40 textbooks, each bound for Tunisia. The roughly 1,400 books will find their way to schools in the North African country as well as to the public library in the city of Kairoun. 

The health crisis almost scuppered the efforts, but as dedicated teams from the Lycee, Monaco Logistique – the international transport company charged with getting the books on their way – and the Mairie banded together, they were able to put an action plan in place to ensure the textbooks were promptly on their way.

On Friday 10th July, the head of the Monaco-Tunisia Association, Leïla Chiha, came to the Town Hall to meet Marjorie Crovetto Harroch, Deputy Mayor in charge of the Living Environment and Sustainable Development, and Raoul Viora, President of MC2D.

The MC2D and the Mairie have been holding Monaco Commits Against Waste collections at the Espace Leo Ferre since December 2018 in an effort to combat waste and promote a circular economy. The textbooks are just a part of what the association recycles, holding drives for a variety of things such as used electronics, clothing or household appliances that might otherwise end up in landfills.

 
Photo courtesy Mairie de Monaco