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Day: 4 December 2020

Fighting against fraud

by: Stephanie Horsman
04/12/2020

French and Monegasque financial intelligence agencies have met in Paris to discuss the latest international large-scale scams cropping up as a result of the Covid epidemic.
Since the pandemic began, there have been a new breed of fraudsters who are taking advantage of public health concerns, offering low-cost anti-Covid medicines, hygiene products and test kits. The scammers ask for upfront payment and then either send nothing or fake products that have the potential to be harmful.
This issue formed part of discussions between the Monegasque and French Financial Intelligence Units (FIU) in Paris on 30th November. The working methods and analysis of investigators was also on the table.
Michel Hunault, Director of SICCFIN, and Jean-Marc Gualandi, head of Legal and International Affairs, insisted on Monaco’s desire to give SICCFIN – Monaco’s FIU – the necessary means to increase human resources for “an activity that is in constant progression, as evidenced by the last activity report.”
Anti-money-laundering and terrorist financing systems were also discussed giving both sides a better understanding of national vulnerabilities and the need to strengthen existing prevention methods.
Monaco will chair the group of French speaking Financial Intelligence Units in November 2021 at a congress that was previously set for 2020 but was forced to cancel due to the health crisis.
 

Photo from left to right: Jean-Marc Gualandi, Michel Hunault (SICCFIN), Yvonne Le Brignonen (Director of TRACFIN), Tony SARTINI (TRACFIN). © DR

 
 

Beautiful, ethical, organic, local

by: Cassandra Tanti
04/12/2020

SBM’s signature festive cake this year is the Honey Flower, a stunning celebration of local ingredients prepared by the Principality’s finest pastry chefs.
Each year, Monte-Carlo Catering, led by the Société des Bains de Mer, creates a unique Monegasque cake to be enjoyed throughout the holidays.
This season, the chefs have conceived a masterpiece called the Honey Flower.
“The pastry chefs of SBM work together for one month, sharing all of our ideas, to create this cake,” Pastry Department Manager Ken Thomas told Monaco Life. “We do 10 tests before we come up with the final product.”
That precision and dedication is clear to all who lay eyes on the Honey Flower. It is simply stunning. And beneath that glossy yellow exterior lies a scrumptious array of treats.
“The cake is gluten free and layered with crunchy muesli covered in white chocolate, soft biscuit made from local olive oil, rice milk made with raw milk from Roc Agel (Prince Albert’s farm), different textures of lemon jelly, citrus caviar, honey mouse from the local bee hive, a honey-lemon-ginger glaze, white chocolate decoration, and citrus meringue with lemons sourced from the gardens of the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort.”
A QR code on the front of every cake links to a video, giving people the opportunity to see for themselves how the organic honey is collected from SBM beehives located in the Roua Valley, in the foothills of the Mercantour National Park.
Other festive delights created by Head Chef Philippe Joannes and handmade by his team include Les petits fours, gingerbread, yule logs, chocolate mobile phones, traditional Kouglof, and another beautiful creation – L’étincelle.

L’étincelle (spark)

In addition to SBM hotels and restaurants, the Honey Flower cake and other sugary treats are available in the winter ‘Christmas garden’ in the courtyard of the Hôtel de Paris.
 
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Christmas fun at the Hôtel de Paris

 
 

New waste reduction website

by: Stephanie Horsman
04/12/2020

Monaco residents can visit the city council’s new website to learn everything about disposing of household items for reuse and other waste reduction initiatives.

In keeping with the environmental standards and practices already in place in the Principality, the Monaco City Council and Monaco Durable Development (MC2D) have launched their new website, ‘Monaco Commits Against Waste’, as an upgrade and expansion on the old site ‘Monaco takes Action Against Food Waste’, which was started back in 2015.

As the old site focused solely on food waste, the MC2D and Marjorie Crovetto, Councillor in charge of the Living Environment, decided it was time to broaden the scope to include “actions of all forms of waste and to raise public awareness of the various related issues.”

The new website, found at www.contrelegaspillage.mc, has five major sections. There is the original food waste section along with MEG collections, which promotes a circular economy through drives for toys, books, electronics and the like; an articles section that highlights actions being taken as well as environmental and sustainable development events; a links section to relevant websites; and finally a contact page to ask questions or get information.

Some of the highlights currently online are how to make cocktails from products that are at the end of their shelf life but still consumable and awareness programmes in school canteens on waste reduction.

 
Photo: Screenshot of the new website