15 ° C
Profile

Month: March 2021

Monte-Carlo Masters player’s list revealed

by: Stephanie Horsman
19/03/2021

The players participating in the 114th Rolex Monte-Carlo Master Tennis Tournament has been revealed and the impressive line-up will include nine out of the top 10 players in the world.
The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters tennis tournament, being held behind closed doors this year from 10th to 18th April, this week announced the list of players coming to the Principality.
It includes the biggest names in tennis with top 10 seeded Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medevec, Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Diego Schwartzman and Matteo Berrettini. Only Roger Federer will not join in from the top 10.
The tournament, which traditionally opens the European clay tennis season, will for the second year in a row be without spectators, but the matches will be broadcast on Eurosport, Canal Plus’s C8 for France, Sky Italia, Eurosport Russia, Sky Deutschland, Tennis Channel US and CCTTV in China.
Additionally, the tournament’s website and official app will offer updates in real time.
The health situation almost deprived the tennis world of the Monte-Carlo Masters for a second time in two years, but the organisers saved the day by ensuring all necessary health measures were put in place according to both the French and Monegasque authorities.
“After the cancellation of the Tournament in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are delighted that the 2021 edition can once again play host to the best players on the ATP circuit,” said Tournament Director, Zeljko Franulovic, during the announcement of this year’s players.
“I would like to thank the players in particular, who will once again be back on the clay courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club for their loyalty and support.”
He went on to speak of the loss the tournament suffered, saying, “The Baroness Elizabeth-Ann de Massy, who passed away in 2020, will be very much in our thoughts. Playing an emblematic role in Monegasque tennis, not only was she President of the Monte-Carlo Country Club but also that of the Monaco Tennis Federation as well as the President of the Organising Committee of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.”
 
 

Princess’s emotional goodbye to Zulu King

by: Cassandra Tanti
19/03/2021

Princess Charlene has travelled to her home country of South Africa to bid a final farewell to Zulu monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini during a memorial service broadcast from the royal palace.
The king died last Friday from diabetes-related complications and, according to some local media reports, had also tested positive for Covid.
King Zwelithini, aged 72, was the traditional leader of South Africa’s 12 million Zulu people. His reign lasted 50 years, making him the longest-serving monarch of the Zulu nation.
He is credited with speaking openly to encourage public education to control the HIV/AIDS epidemic that was sweeping through South Africa in the 1980s and 90s.
The king was buried in a traditional midnight private funeral, known as “ukutshalwa kweNkosi”, which was attended by only senior men of the royal family, many wearing leopard skins and colourful Zulu regalia.
Hours later, a memorial service was held at the royal palace, attended by an emotional Princess Charlene who was veiled in a black lace head scarf. Charlene Wittstock was 12 years old when her family relocated to South Africa from Zimbabwe in 1989.
After the rituals were performed on the grounds of the palace, the king’s body was secretly laid to rest, marking the end of an era.
King Goodwill Zwelithini leaves behind six queens and 28 princes and princesses.
 
Photo by Phill Magakoe/Reuters
 
Related stories:

Princess saddened at loss of Zulu King

 

Month-long lockdown ordered for French Riviera

by: Cassandra Tanti
18/03/2021

The French government has announced that the Alpes-Maritimes will go into lockdown for the next four weeks, with only schools and essential shops to remain open.
In his address to the nation on Thursday night, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced that a total of 16 departments will have their restrictions tightened, including Paris and the Alpes-Maritimes.
The lockdown will begin on Friday 19th March and is scheduled to last four weeks, taking in the Easter weekend and the school holidays.
It comes almost one year to the day when France entered its first lockdown, on 17th March 2020.
As with the previous lockdown in October, schools will however remain open as well as essential shops.
Certificates will be mandatory for people leaving their homes and travel will be restricted to within 10kms, increased from the current 5kms. There is no time limit this time around and the curfew will begin at 7pm, not 6pm.
“Making outdoor activities easier should not be the pretext for barbecues with friends, for gatherings in public spaces or in parks,” warned Jean Castex, adding that “strict instructions will be passed on to the prefects to prohibit the frequentation of certain public spaces.”
The definition of “essential” shops has been broadened to include book stores and music shops.
Working from home will be encouraged in all industries that allow it, while one day on a work premises is possible for “those who want it”.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister announced that the country will resume using the AstraZeneca vaccine following the results of an investigation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), which concluded the jab was “safe and effective”.
Prime Minister Jean Castex was due to visit Nice on Friday 19th March, however he cancelled the trip late Thursday.
 
Photo by Arno Smit on Unsplash
 
 
 

Another two weeks of restrictions for Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
18/03/2021

All current restrictions in Monaco designed to control the spread of Covid-19, including the night curfew and restaurant limitations, will be extended until 2nd April.
The restrictions came into force on 11th January, were extended on 17th February, and were due to expire on 19th March.
This time, the government has set a two-week time frame, saying in a statement on Thursday that HSH Prince Albert II has decided to extend all current health measures until 2nd April.
Therefore, the curfew between 7pm and 6am will remain in place, as well as the rules relating to restaurants: lunch time service only between 12pm and 3pm, and places reserved solely for residents, employees and students of the Principality.
Mandatory teleworking in the private and public sectors also remains in force, with the aim of “reducing the influx of people from outside the Principality while maintaining economic activity,” said the government.
With more than 5,000 Covid tests per week in Monaco, figures show that the virus is still in active circulation following a slight rebound after the February holidays. As of last week, the incidence rate in Monaco was 221 per 100,000 inhabitants.
“Admittedly, the incidence rate has been halved compared to the beginning of February, but it remains high, placing the Principality at the level recorded at the end of December 2020,” said the government.
The number of hospitalisations has also fallen, however the number of patients treated at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre remains high, with 48 patients including 14 in intensive care on Wednesday.
“The health situation therefore requires us not to lower our guard. Once again, the health authorities insist on maintaining vigilance in the private sphere where more than half of the contaminations occur during convivial meetings,” cautions the government.
Hand washing, social distancing, room ventilation, and individual use of cutlery and glasses is recommended within the home.
The government says the health measures may be extended again, depending on the evolution of the health situation.
 
Photo by Hani Agha
 
 

EMA concludes AstraZeneca is safe

by: Cassandra Tanti
18/03/2021

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has joined the World Health Organisation in clearing the AstraZeneca shot as a safe and effective vaccine, but the EMA said it could not definitively rule out a connection between a risk of clotting and the vaccine.
“The committee has come to a clear scientific conclusion: this is a safe and effective vaccine,” European Medicines Agency chief Emer Cooke told a press conference.
“The committee also concluded that the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of thromboembolic events or blood clots.”
The statement comes after a probe by both the EMA and the WHO following suspension of the vaccine in 13 member states, including Italy and France, over concerns the jab involves a higher risk of blood clots.
Ms Cooke added that they could not definitively rule out a link to blood clot incidents and the vaccine and they would continue to study possible links.
The EMA added that no particular batch of the vaccine had been found to have an issue.
Both Europe’s medicine’s agency and the World Health Organisataion have now said that the incidence rate of blood clotting would be the same in the general population even with no vaccination programme.
“These are rare cases – around 20 million people in the UK and EEA had received the vaccine as of March 16 and EMA had reviewed only 7 cases of blood clots in multiple blood vessels (disseminated intravascular coagulation, DIC) and 18 cases of CVST. A causal link with the vaccine is not proven, but is possible and deserves further analysis,” said the EMA in a statement on its website.
France’s health authorities suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine pending the EMA’s decision. It is now expected to resume its usage across the country.
Monaco is due to receive 7,200 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine by the end of the month.
 
Related stories:

WHO experts maintain AstraZeneca jab is safe

 
Photo by CDC on Unsplash
 
 

YCM celebrates NZ’s America’s Cup win

by: Cassandra Tanti
18/03/2021

Monaco Yacht Club Committee Member Matteo de Nora and winner of Monaco’s sailing personality of the year Grant Dalton have led the New Zealand Team to victory in this year’s America’s Cup challenge.
26 years after their first Cup win, New Zealand took out their fourth victory in the 36th America’s Cup on Wednesday on their home turf.
Team principal Matteo de Nora, Kiwi captain Grant Dalton, and the crew were commended by the Yacht Club of Monaco for their win over Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.
“Congratulations to Matteo de Nora, member of our committee, Grant Dalton and Team New Zealand who won the famous America’s Cup silver ewer for the fourth time (1995, 2000, 2017, 2021),” the YCM said on its website and social media.
Not to leave out their worthy counterparts, the Yacht Club also made mention of the Italian team, saying, “Thank you also to Patrizio Bertelli’s Luna Rossa and our friends at Circolo Della Vela Sicilia, winners of the #PradaCup for a thrilling spectacle that had us on the edge of our seats.”
Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa were neck and neck much of the last race, making for a nail-biting experience. By the final gate, though, it was clear that New Zealand would take the cup as they had a full 49 second lead over their Italian opponents.
The entire country rallied behind the “Five Million Team” (named for a country with a population of five million), the most successful Cup team in nearly three decades. It was a race and a win that saw them take out the oldest sporting trophy in international sport.
International businessman and philanthropist Matteo de Nora is on the Management Committee of the Monaco Yacht Club, serving as a Sailing Division Officer.
Team Captain Grant Dalton received Monaco’s sailing personality of the year in 2001, and has raced in six Volvo and Whitbread races, winning the Maxi class in 1993-1994. He took over the New Zealand America’s Cup team in 2003.
 
By Cassandra Tanti and Stephanie Horsman
 
Photo source: America’s Cup Facebook page