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Month: April 2021

“Our attitude and courage makes us kings, not our social status”

by: Cassandra Tanti
29/04/2021

Monaco Life speaks with award winning Producer Valentina Castellani-Quinn, who will be presenting her new film ‘Polo’ at this year’s Cannes Film Festival alongside her work with the CC-Forum Monaco.
Valentina Castellani-Quinn announced the production of the film at the recent CC-Forum in Dubai, revealing a new story that revolves around the so called “sport of kings”, but highlights that “our attitude and courage is what makes us kings, not the sport or our social status”.
The film is produced by Quinn Studios Entertainment and Nereides Group, in partnership with the Royal Arab United Emirates.

“With this film, I want to create a bridge between Hollywood and the Middle East, bringing the high quality standard of Hollywood film-making with the professional technology and structures of the Emirates… quite a powerful combination,” Ms Castellani-Quinn told Monaco Life.
‘Polo’ will be presented at the Cannes Film Festival this July
In addition to being Chairman and CEO of Quinn Studios in Hollywood, Valentina has partnered up with Prince Nereides Antonio Giamundo de Bourbon to become Global Media Officer for the Parisian conglomerate Nereides Group and its divisions based in Place Vendôme.
Together, Valentina Quinn and Prince Nereides De Bourbon are developing a series of projects including two powerful documentaries, titled ‘The White Snake’ about Native Americans, and ‘The Albinos in Africa’.
“I like to go into dark places and open them to the world,” said Ms Quinn. “There is such beauty in turning on the light and helping those who need it most. They define you and expand you, and you can define and expand them.”
‘The White Snake’ will be narrated by Native American Chief Arvol Looking Horse who led the fight at Standing Rock, the Indian Reservation that is the site of the controversial Dakota pipeline.
“What happened at Standing Rock is an important tale to tell,” said Ms Quinn. “It was humanity against technology. The protests spoke loudly to the world about the importance of respecting the planet and the environment but, more importantly, to remember who we are as human beings, resonating together as one with the planet, with each other, and our soul. New technologies are out there that have proved successful in other countries that will ignite a new ‘system’ which beats in harmony with the heartbeat of the planet.”
With Quinn Studios Entertainment, Valentina embarked this year on a new initiative, co-producing the sustainability-focussed business initiative the CC-Forum with its creator Max Studennikoff. The forums take place each year in Dubai, Monaco and London.
“I love working on this new initiative, bringing a touch of Hollywood and the entertainment business to the forum,” said Ms Quinn. “I’m working with Max to expand the forum in a more kaleidoscopic way, involving sport and entertainment, health, education and social impact projects. The Monte-Carlo Forum is reflecting this new vision.”
Top photo: Valentina Castellani-Quinn, Cate Blanchett and Prince Nereides De Bourbon 
 
 

EU suing AstraZeneca, buying up Pfizer jabs

by: Stephanie Horsman
29/04/2021

The European Union has made a record-breaking agreement with Pfizer/BioNTech to buy up to 1.8 billion doses of their coronavirus vaccine, whilst gearing up for a court battle with another pharma giant, AstraZeneca, for non-delivery of agreed upon jabs.
The deal, announced by European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday at a Pfizer manufacturing plant in Belgium and not yet officially finalised, would see 1.8 billion doses of the jab delivered to the EU through to 2023.
It comes at an awkward time, just as mounting pressure is being put on developed countries to stop buying more doses than their populations require to ensure the rest of the world get their fair share.
Negotiations between von der Leyen, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and other officials were documented Wednesday in the New York Times, detailing the personal nature of the mediations between the pharma chief and the EU leader. Staying in contact via text and calls, the pair devised a scheme where more doses than the previously agreed upon 300 million could be offered.
“Multiple leaders of the world, they would reach out to me, from presidents or prime ministers and kings, and general secretaries of organisations,” Bourla told the New York Times. He went on to say that these discussions were not at all unusual given the circumstances.
For von der Leyen’s part, she says she pursued this new avenue due to AstraZeneca’s failure to deliver the agreed upon number of vaccinations.
“I knew that the upscaling of the deliveries would have a slow start by nature in the beginning, and therefore, I also knew the first quarter was going be tough,” she told the New York Times. “I did not expect it to be as tough, because we did not include the possibility that AstraZeneca would reduce deliveries by 75%. That was a heavy setback.”
According to the EC president, the agreement includes 900 million doses to start, with an option for another 900 million, though the EC has not officially confirmed this to be the case.
Meanwhile, the EC announced on Monday it was suing AstraZeneca over breach of contract. The months-long feud between the EU and the pharma company came to a head with this reveal.
The EU ordered 300 million doses of the AstraZeneca jab, with full delivery set for the end of June and the option to buy another 100 million doses. The drug-maker said they would only be able to deliver 100 million, a third of the originally agreed upon amount, in that same time frame.
AstraZeneca has repeatedly stated there has been no breach of contract, insisting the contract clearly states they would hit delivery targets based on the company’s “best efforts” to deliver on schedule.
Italian broadcaster RAI published the contract in full and notes there is a clause that seems to justify AstraZeneca’s claim, protecting the company from legal action in the case of delivery delays. Nonetheless, a court may say that their “best efforts” were not made to fulfill the obligation, making this less than a clear-cut case.
The next hearing is set for 26th May and a judge is expected to come back with a ruling three to six weeks after that.
 
 
Photo by Spencer Davis on Unsplash
 
 

French President to outline exit strategy in Friday address

by: Cassandra Tanti
28/04/2021

French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver a speech to the nation on Friday to outline the government’s strategy to gradually ease pandemic restrictions.
Prime Minister Jean Castex told a news conference on Wednesday that France’s Covid-19 situation was slowly improving after a punishing third wave of the pandemic.
He said the government’s strategy to lift restrictions would be “progressive and phased”.
“The epidemic situation continues to improve at a regular pace. Virus circulation remains high but is on a real downward trend even though its impact on hospitalisation is limited notably on the number of people in intensive care units,” said Castex after a meeting of the French cabinet.
France’s main Covid-19 indicators all showed some signs of improvement on Tuesday, with the seven-day number of daily new infections falling to 27,856, standing below 28,000 for the first time in more than a month.
Possible timetable
Some dates have already been confirmed for the lifting of the ‘partial lockdown’ measures that have been in place across the country since 3rd April, while others are yet to be announced.
On 3rd May, the 10km limit on travel will be scrapped and there will be no more need for attestations, confirmed the prime minister last week. Travel throughout France for any reason will be allowed, opening the doors for foreign tourists and lifting travel restrictions between France and Monaco.
By mid-May, restaurant, café and bar terraces are likely to reopen, however this may happen on a regional basis, starting with areas that have lower Covid circulation rates.
“I don’t think we will be able to open restaurants in, say, late May or in June, in departments where the virus is circulating quickly,” Macron told journalists on Monday. “But in others, where the circulation has fallen a lot, I think we’ll have to open them.”
For the week of 14th to 20th April, the incidence rate was 186 in the Alpes-Maritimes, compared to around 650 at the end of February.
As of 20th April, 413,210 vaccinations (1st and 2nd doses) had been carried out in the Alpes-Maritimes.
The government is also under pressure from business owners to reopen “non-essential” shops in early May
 
READ ALSO: Is this the timeline for France’s reopening?
 
Photo by Ian Langsdon, AFP
 
 

Inside the €103 million Lady Moura

by: Cassandra Tanti
28/04/2021

One of Monaco’s most well-known superyachts, Lady Moura, has returned to its home port to continue the hunt for a new owner, a first in her 30-year history. So, let’s take a look onboard.
When Lady Moura was delivered by Blohm+Voss in 1990, she was the most innovative and most expensive yacht the world had ever seen. A head-turning leviathan, her annual arrival in Monaco heralded the start of the season.
Although only a handful of guests were ever welcomed passed her golden nameplate, she became the most photographed yacht of her time.
The 105m vessel has since become the category-defining model for a generation of yachts, a pioneer of the beach club, hydraulic fold-out balconies, and the tender garage.
 

 
Her interior volume is 4,908m2 arranged across palatial saloons, an owner’s study, cinema, bakery, guest elevator, spa and gym, two medical centres, and countless other features.
The remarkable vessel has been listed with Camper and Nicholsons at the recently-disclosed nine-figure asking price of €103 million.
 

 
Her exterior space extends across seven decks, including a recreational deck with a swimming pool covered by a retractable roof, six gangways and a helipad. She can accommodate up to 26 guests in 13 luxurious staterooms and 65 crew.
Originally designed to be 124m LOA, Lady Moura could be lengthened or reconfigured with ease. “Instead of waiting five years for their perfect yacht to be designed and built, a new owner could refit one of the most iconic yachts of all time, to their own exacting standard, by summer 2022,” says Andrew LeBuhn, Senior Broker at Camper and Nicholsons.
 

 
Remarkably, Lady Moura also has low engine hours and has had no charter use. Despite her capabilities, the farthest Lady Moura has cruised is the Caribbean. Her true purpose was as a luxurious family vessel – with the prowess to double as an ambassadorial residence across the Mediterranean. The Turkish coast was a favoured destination for her owner and her interior layout, which has welcomed both royalty and political aristocracy, has remained a secret on security grounds.
Until now. After 30 years of continuous ownership, Lady Moura’s owner, Saudi Arabian businessman Nasser Al-Rashid, is bringing her to market, revealing publicly the asking price for the first time.
 
More pictures of Lady Moura…


 
 
Photos by Camper & Nicholsons 
 

9,300 workers now using Klaxit in Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/04/2021

The Mairie has announced that municipal workers will now be using the French carpooling app Klaxit, a further boost to the government’s attempts to reduce traffic in the Principality.
First introduced in September 2020, Operation Klaxit Monaco provides government funding of 100% for carpooling trips under 30 kilometres for three months.
The Klaxit app has been a great success in France, boasting two million trips each day.
In the Principality, the project is being jointly carried out by the Mission for Energy Transition, the Department of Foresight, Urban Planning and Mobility, and the Department of Digital Services. It is part of the policies put forth by the government aiming to reduce vehicle traffic in Monaco by 20% by 2030, bringing density down to 1990 levels.
Klaxit complements the government’s push to develop public transport, use shared mobility, and apply other “soft” modes such as walking or biking.
As an incentive for the drivers, they get paid for their efforts.
“The driver gets 10 cents per kilometre and per passenger,” explained Georges Gambarini, head of the Smart City program within the Digital Services Department.
“Regarding payment, Klaxit guarantees the driver at least €1.50 per trip,” added Julien Honnart, CEO and Founder of Klaxit. “The generation of payment is done with geolocation. The app knows that the driver and passengers have left and arrived at the same place at the same time.”
Therefore, on a journey of 20km, for example, the driver is paid €2, financed 100% by the state.
By signing up with Klaxit, the Mairie has joined a group of 25 establishments, equalling over 9,300 employees in the Principality.
 
Photo: The signing took place on Tuesday 27th April in the Town Hall in the presence of Mayor Georges Marsan, Deputy Mayor in charge of the Living Environment, Environment and Sustainable Development Marjorie Crovetto, Project Manager at the Energy Transition Mission Catherine Dumortier, Head of the Smart City program within the Digital Services Department Georges Gambarini, and Sébastien Perret, Section Head at the Planning and Mobility Department, by the Mairie de Monaco
 
 
 

Roca team’s razor thin win

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/04/2021

AS Monaco Basketball has taken the first of two games in the Euro Cup 7 finals with a slim 89 to 87 win over the Kazan Unics at home at Gaston Médecin.

The Roca team now have a one game lead over the Unics of Kazan after their hard-fought and hard-won victory on Tuesday night at home.

“We expected this kind of match, very physical,” said Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic. “Their coach had announced it, it happened. We lead 1-0. We are happy but nothing is done. In Kazan it will be a very good game to play.”

The game was a battle from the start. Monaco dominated the first three minutes of play, but by the sixth, the score had nearly evened up. It remained this way all the way through the first half of play and when the buzzer went off signalling halftime, it was the Russians who were in the lead by two with a score of 42 to 44.

The third quarter was a near-disaster for Monaco as they found themselves with a 10 point deficit in the 24thminute of play. This forced them to tighten up their defence, which proved effective, and less than five minutes later, the Roca boys had not only caught up, but took the lead.

The last quarter was a nail-biter as the two powerhouses played cat and mouse with each other, taking one point leads over the other throughout. With only 27 seconds on the clock, Monaco lead 88 to 87, but the Unics were far from giving up.

Jordan Theodore had possession of the ball, but a skilful move by Abdoulaye Ndoye thwarted the shot giving Rob Gray possession. His little one-pointer made it through the hoop, ending the game with an 89 to 87 score.

“In Kazan it will be a very good game to play,” said Coach Mitrovic about their upcoming game on the Russian’s home turf. “There will be tension and a room with an audience. It will be good. Both teams have spent a lot of energy on this game. Until the end, we stayed very focused on the defensive side. Yes, the players have gone to the end of themselves. But at this level, if you want to win trophies, you have to know how to go after yourself.”

Monaco made 29 shots out 58, with eight out of 20 in three-point range. They had 30 rebounds, with Marcos Knight having six one his own, 13 assists, six of which were attributed to Captain Dee Bost, six steals and eight stray balls and four blocks.

Rob Gray was high scorer on the night with 23 points to his name, Mathias Lessort scored 17 points, Bost had 16 and Knight came up with 14.

The Roca team go on the road now to Russia where they will face off against the Unics once more on 30thApril. If they win, they will be the Euro Cup 7 champs. If they lose, they go to a sudden death match to decide the victor.

 
Monaco Life with AS Monaco Basketball press release, photo by AS Monaco Basketball