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Month: April 2021

Roca team victory over Boulogne-Levallois

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/04/2021

AS Monaco Basketball have beaten Boulogne-Levallois at an away game 85 to 78, continuing their domination in Jeep Elite action and maintaining the top spot in the standings.

The Roca team had another exceptional night when facing off against the Metropolitans 92 on Tuesday, beating the seventh ranked team comfortably.

Boulogne-Levallois took the early lead with two big slam dunks by Vitalis Chikoko, but Monaco caught up quickly after Marcos Knight landed a three-pointer, followed by another by team captain Dee Bost.

The Metropolitans were no push-overs and held their own, with the first quarter being a game of cat and mouse between the two teams, though Monaco held onto the lead throughout.

By halftime, it was a bit of a different story, with the Roca boys having a solid lead of 49 to 38.

The second half opened with the big three-pointer by the Mets’ Archie Goodwin, but it wasn’t enough to stop Monaco’s momentum. They never let up the pressure and by the end, they comfortably won 85 to 78.

The win was sweeter still as the last time the two teams clashed last September, Boulogne-Levallois beat Monaco 72-62.

“The most important thing is always to win, and we wanted to take our revenge for the first leg,” said Coach Zvezdan Mitrovic. “The plan was to attack Mets interiors with Lessort, we did it right. I want to greet the new ones (Frazier and Faye) who helped us a lot. It’s not easy for them because they have missed a lot of training with our EuroCup trips.”

Marcos Knight was high scorer on the night with 18 points under his belt. Rob Gray was close on his heels with 16. Monaco made 27 shots out of 54, going six for eight in three-point range. They had an incredible 31 rebounds, six steals and 21 assists, with Knight taking credit for six of them alone.

In other Roca team news, the scheduled EuroCup match against the Kazan Unics which saw Monaco travel to the Russians on 27th April has now been switched so the opponents will come to Monaco that night and travel to Russia on the 30th.

The change, announced Monday by Euroleague, was “in agreement with the two clubs.”

In the event of no clear winner, a tie-breaker will be played on Sunday 2nd May, rather than Wednesday 5th May. The ruling was made due to the obligation by Monaco to submit to a period of isolation upon returning from a non-EU country.

But first, the Roca team returns for more Jeep Elite action against SIG Strasbourg on Friday at 9pm in Strasbourg.

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

Testimonio II on schedule for completion

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/04/2021

Government officials took time out on Tuesday to visit the site of the Testimonio II state housing project that is currently under construction, marking a major step forward in providing adequate state-sponsored housing for Monegasques and a new home for the International School of Monaco.

As part of the National Housing Plan for Monegasques, the Testimonio II (T2) project is moving forward with both of the towers, called Testimonio II and Testimonio II bis, having received visits from high-ranking officials this week including Minister of Equipment, Environment and Town Planning Marie-Pierre Gramaglia, Minister of Finance and Economy Jean Castellini, and President of the National Council Stéphane Valeri.

The officials had the opportunity to visit several model apartments, which range in size from two to five rooms and are all fully furnished with equipped kitchens to make them move-in ready.

The new apartment blocks will have a total of 348 state-owned units, with T2 housing 181 state-owned flats and T2 bis having 167. There will also be 59 private residences and five villas on the site. Additionally, there will be 1,100 public parking spaces, a creche with the capacity to look after 50 children manged by the Town Hall, and new premises for the International School of Monaco.

An automated pedestrian link between Boulevard d’Italie, Boulevard du Larvotto and Avenue Princesse Grace will also be installed as well as a public space at the foot of the two towers.

The delivery schedule is set to be as early as the last quarter of 2022 for the Testimonio II tower and the first quarter of 2023 for the Testimonio II bis tower.

 

Photo by Michael Alesi / Government Communications Department
 
 

Super League: over before it began?

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/04/2021

In a colossal turn of events, the European Super League has started to unravel just days after it was announced, with all six English Premier League teams withdrawing after pressure from fans and government.
News of a new European Super League (ESL) was publicly revealed on Sunday night but it appears to be over before it started. Unexpected backlash from supporters and the government has spurred the league’s six biggest English clubs to abandon the league.
This has left the new association up the creek without a paddle less than 48 hours after it was launched.
Chelsea was the first to go, followed by Manchester City, then by 11pm Tuesday the final four – Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham – all made their adieus.
The volte face has left the club owners’ reputations in tatters, and some fans are calling for blood. In the case of Manchester United for example, Executive Vice-Chairman Ed Woodward, who was a key architect of the new league, resigned his post after confidence in him became shaky.
Most of the clubs have tried to underplay their decision to backout, but Arsenal owned their mistake, saying fan response was a key contributor and they needed “time for further reflection and deep thought.”
In a statement, they went on to say, “It was never our intention to cause such distress, however when the invitation to join the Super League came, while knowing there were no guarantees, we did not want to be left behind to ensure we protected Arsenal and its future. As a result of listening to you and the wider football community over recent days, we are withdrawing from the proposed Super League. We made a mistake, and we apologise for it.”
Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy also issued an apology, saying, “We regret the anxiety and upset caused by the ESL proposal.”
The English aren’t the only ones having second thoughts. It’s reported that Italian clubs Milan and Internazionale were also considering abandoning the leaky ship. This leaves the Spanish teams, Atletico, Madrid and Barcelona, as well as Juventus flapping in the wind.
Despite the major setback, the Super League is vowing to move forward with their plans, albeit with a pause to “reshape the project.”
“Despite the announced departure of the English clubs, forced to take such decisions due to the pressure on them, we are convinced our proposal is fully aligned with European law and regulations,” reads a statement from the ESL. “Given the current circumstances, we shall reconsider the most appropriate steps to reshape the project, always having in mind our goals of offering fans the best experience possible while enhancing solidarity payments for the entire football community.”
As the clubs, one-by-one, made public their intentions to exit the ESL, UEFA’s President, Aleksander Ceferin breathed a sigh of relief. He released a statement saying, “It is admirable to admit a mistake and these clubs made a big mistake. But they are back in the fold now and I know they have a lot to offer not just to our competitions but to the whole of the European game. The important thing now is that we move on, rebuild the unity that the game enjoyed before this and move forward together.”
The fat lady hasn’t exactly sung, but without a serious change in perspective, it looks as if the ESL is DOA.
 
 

Chance to save coral reefs is diminishing, say experts

by: Cassandra Tanti
20/04/2021

The timeline to protect coral reefs is closing fast, according to a new report written in part by researchers from the Scientific Centre of Monaco, which states that saving coral reefs should be given the same effort and funding as other grand challenges such as landing on the moon.
More than 500 million people depend directly on coral reefs for food production, shoreline protection and livelihoods. These reefs are hot spots, the marine equivalent of tropical forests. However, since the 1980s, they have experienced a significant increase in mass bleaching and mortality events as a result of global warming.
In an article published in the journal Biological Conservation, 21 international experts from seven countries, including two researchers from the Scientific Centre of Monaco, demonstrate that the degradation of coral reefs will continue to escalate, threatening their survival over the course of this century.
“Climate mitigation is the foremost and essential action to prevent coral reef ecosystem collapse,” reads the report. “Without it, reefs will become extremely diminished within the next 20 to 30 years. Even with strong climate mitigation, however, existing conservation measures such as marine protected areas and fisheries management are no longer sufficient to sustain the ecosystem and many additional and innovative actions to increase reef resilience must also be taken.”
Experts assessed the effectiveness and timeliness of 16 proposed measures to save coral reefs. Their analysis shows that the window for action is closing fast and that these measures will need to be part of an organised strategy, requiring strong government support and investments comparable to those applied to other major challenges facing humanity, such as the conquest of the moon.
“It is no longer time for discussion but for action if we want to save the first ecosystem that is in danger of disappearing because of human activities,” say the authors of the report.
They are calling for strong coordination between disciplines and governments, saying that this coordination should ideally take advantage of the many existing organisations and networks such as ICRI, of which the Principality of Monaco is currently vice-president, as well as governmental organisations, NGOs and private institutions that are already partnering to achieve common goals.
 
Photo by Marek Okon on Unsplash
 
 

Formula E will race on full Monaco GP circuit

by: Stephanie Horsman
20/04/2021

The Monaco E-Prix will for the first time ever utilise the full 3.32-kilometre track layout in its 8th May event thanks to the introduction of a new car whose features have increased performance and range.
This year’s Monaco E-Prix will be one for the history books. Not only will the event go forward in unprecedented pandemic conditions requiring serious people and health- safety management, but it will also be racing the full Monaco Grand Prix track for the first time.
The 3.32-kilometre course will be at the disposal to the E-Prix because of a new Gen2 car which allows LED lights on the halo to light up as cars race through the legendary Monaco tunnel for the first time.
The circuit won’t be exactly the same as for the Formula 1 Grand Prix, though. There will be a change to Sainte Devote, a throwback to the original 1929 design, making the first corner a big right-hander. Turn 11 at the tunnel’s exit will also be slightly modified for the E-Prix.
Formula E chief championship officer Alberto Longo has expressed his delight in the decision, saying, “In many ways, this circuit is made for Formula E – it’s a fast and narrow street circuit which will see plenty of opportunities for overtaking and will really test driver’s energy management with sharp inclines and high-speed sections.
“The FIA and the ACM are allowing us to race around corners steeped in motorsport tradition and we are honoured that Formula E will be creating its own history on 8th May.”
“I’m glad to see the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship back in the Principality,” added FIA President Jean Todt. “It is in the series’ DNA to compete on streets circuits and Monaco is one of the most iconic tracks in the world. This discipline has its own identity, that’s why, together with Formula E and the ACM, we’ve designed a bespoke layout which suits its particularities.”
The Monaco E-Prix has been around since 2015 and is raced every two years.
 
 

April is gender equality in professional life month  

by: monacoadmin
20/04/2021

The Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights is launching a new gender equality campaign, this time focusing on the workplace.

The Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights is spending the month of April getting the word out about gender equality in the professional world. Their new campaign features posters displaying both women and men in non-traditional work environments, such as a woman working in construction and a man working in an early childhood development centre, with the slogan “Everyone has their place” emblazoned on it.

The point is to remind the public that no one is limited by their gender from doing a job they love. The committee also hopes to “deconstruct clichés to raise awareness that there are still inequalities in professions”, but that attitudes can and are being changed through education.

To this end, Monaco is teaching kindergarten aged children, both boys and girls, how to code.

The campaign used statistics from IMSEE, the nation’s statistics provider, which showed that 25% of women worked in the male-heavy communications and information sectors, and only 9% were employed in construction jobs.

In traditionally female occupations such as administration, education and health, and social action sectors, 29% of those workers were men.

The Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights fights against discrimination of any kind in the workplace, including sexual discrimination in the form of women receiving less pay for equal work, being overlooked for promotions, as well as sexual harassment whereby a woman feels her dignity or rights have been violated by another in the work environment.

Its main role is to implement, monitor and asses national measures and policies which promote gender equality and prevent violence and discrimination against women.