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Month: August 2021

Two Covid victims in two days

by: Cassandra Tanti
14/08/2021

The government has announced the death of an 89-year-old resident, marking the 35th Covid-related death in the Principality.
After weeks of no fatalities, health authorities reported the deaths of two residents within the space of just two days – a 75-year-old victim on Thursday, and an 89-year-old on Friday.
Meanwhile, 24 patients are currently being treated in the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, 11 of whom are residents. No-one is currently in the intensive care unit.
News of the death came the same day the government released its latest vaccination figures, showing that 72.35% of the eligible population aged over 12 had received at least one shot, while 80.96% of those had also received their second shot.
 
 
 
Photo source: Pixabay
 
 

Princess undergoes surgery as Prince Albert and twins prepare to fly to SA

by: Cassandra Tanti
13/08/2021

The Prince’s Palace has revealed that Princess Charlene underwent a four-hour surgery in South Africa Friday and will be joined in her recovery by husband Prince Albert and children Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.
The princess has shared her painful journey with the South African press, but it is the first time that the Palace has publicly spoken about the Princess’ situation since confirming she was suffering from a serious ENT (ear, nose, throat) infection earlier this year.
In a statement released Friday morning, the Palace said: “Princess Charlene is to undergo today, Friday 13th August, a four-hour operation under general anaesthesia. Prince Albert and their children, Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, will join her during her period of convalescence.”
Princess Charlene arrived in South Africa earlier this year to participate in the conservation work of and promote the International Rhino Foundation. After failing to return to Monaco, she revealed to local media that she had contracted a serious ENT infection that was preventing her from equalizing her ears and therefore flying home. This was confirmed by the Palace, which added that the princess was to undergo a number of procedures in her native country.
In a recent interview, Princess Charlene revealed that she is not likely to return to the Principality until October when she is expected to be fully recovered.
Prince Albert and the twins last visited Princess Charlene in early June, when they all enjoyed a safari together, shared by the princess on her Instagram page.
 
 
Photo of the official Princely Family portrait by Eric Mathon / Prince’s Palace
 
 
 

Dmitry Rybolovlev’s sailboat Skorpios takes home honours

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/08/2021

AS Monaco President and Monaco resident Dmitry Rybolovlev has taken line honours in the Rolex Fastnet Race, making the crossing from Cowes on the Isle of Wight to Cherbourg, France in two days, eight hours, 33 minutes and 55 seconds.
Businessman and philanthropist Dmitry Rybolovlev can now add accomplished sailor to his list of achievements after taking line honours on Tuesday night in his sailboat Skorpios for the Rolex Fastnet Race. It was the first time a boat from Monaco had achieved such a victory in the near-100 year-old race.
The race, which covers 695 nautical miles between Cowes and Cherbourg, is a first for Rybolovlev, who has only been sailing the past few years. This was his first offshore race and he was accompanied by his daughter Anna Rybolovleva. He took on the position as helmsman.

Photos: Rolex Fastnet Race, © Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com

The first 12 hours of the race were described as “brutal”, even causing skipper Fernando Echavarri to declare after the race he was relieved to have come through with the boat intact.
“The boat is very strong, we backed off on speed coming out of the Solent, but so was everyone else,” said the Spanish captain. “We had an idea of what the boat might be able to do, but we didn’t know for sure, so we learned a lot on this race.
“The owner is super happy, he’s a good sailor but new to offshore sailing and he enjoyed the experience a lot. I think there is a very good chance we will be back for the Rolex Fastnet Race.”
The recently launched boat was well positioned after the rough start, and the next segment of the race saw her breaking away from the competition, including former line honours winner Rambler 88 owned by George David.
“We’re very pleased with the boat, the team was great,” Rybolovlev said. “We want to thank the whole team for such great efforts. We were trying to stay conservative, especially in the high wind at the start, but we’re excited to see what the boat can do in future races. Rounding the Fastnet Rock was kind of magical, it felt like a really special moment.”
The 2021 edition saw changes which included 90 additional miles on previous races and a finish in Cherbourg. The win gives Skorpios the monohull benchmark time to beat next year.
In October 2019, Rybolovlev and his team won the World Championship title at the Club Swan 50 class race held on the island of Mallorca. In 2020, they won bronze at the World Championships in Scarino, Italy. This put Skorpios in the unique position of being the first ever team to win back-to-back medals at the Club Swan 50 World Championships.
 
Photos: Rolex Fastnet Race, © Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com
 

Fabregas on Messi: “The boys are super excited”

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/08/2021

Living legend Lionel Messi’s recent move to Paris Saint-Germain has caused quite a stir in Ligue 1, leaving many AS Monaco players star-struck and former teammate Cesc Fabregas happy to have a chance to play his old friend.
AS Monaco midfielder Cesc Fabregas has known Lionel Messi for more than 20 years. The two were teammates in Barcelona and have both come up the ranks to become respected players in their own rights.
Now for the first time in several years, they will play together again, only this time they will be on opposing teams. Messi’s move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was a big surprise and the reaction has been overwhelming.
“For France and Ligue 1, this is another dimension,” Fabregas told The Guardian. “Sometimes I tell Leo he doesn’t know how big he is. He goes to places and thinks the reaction is normal because he has been raised being the best and has been always surrounded by fans. But when you see it from the outside it is something I’ve not seen around anyone else. Sometimes there are more followers of Leo as a person than for a single club. A lot of people now will be following Ligue 1, especially with Leo there. The three of them, with Neymar and [Kylian] Mbappé there, will be fantastic to watch.”
Monaco and PSG were neck and neck at the end of last season, with Monaco only one place and four points behind their Parian counterparts. The addition of Messi may have been a dampener on the team, but in fact, it has been a great motivator.
“All the boys are super-excited,” Fabregas said. “For some, they were only dreaming of this and now they have a lot of enthusiasm knowing they will be playing against Lionel Messi. Most of them are French kids – maybe Monaco fans or PSG fans from Paris when they were little – and they cannot believe that Leo is playing for PSG. Everyone wants his shirt. They all want me to ask him already to keep a shirt for them when we play each other in mid-December. I’ve told them he probably has two and we are 25 [players] so I don’t know how to do that.
“But it’s nice to see the excitement and the will – they want to compete against the very best and show their talents. This Monaco team is full of young talent right now and it will be a big test for them. They know that and I think this excitement will be a good thing for them to be motivated throughout the season. When the right time comes to play against the best player in the world, they can show what they can do.”
Despite all the fuss over the arrival of Messi, 34-year-old Fabregas doesn’t think he or his team will spend this season trailing in PSG’s wake. Monaco has been courting and developing talent for several seasons, and their third-place finish in Ligue 1 last season, as well as their place in the Champions League, proves they are strong contenders.
“When PSG don’t win the league everyone sees it as a disaster because they spend a lot of money,” Fabregas says. “Everyone takes it that this is a one-team league but in the last five years they’ve won three because Lille and Monaco have also won the title and put the brakes on their winning streak. It is a competitive league. It is not as easy as people think. It’s very aggressive, very intensive, very fast with strong players who defend very well.
“They’ve been trying to catch it for a very long time and it seems like this is the last push – like, there is nothing better than Lionel Messi, there is no better defender than Ramos, [Georginio] Wijnaldum is one of the best midfielders at the moment, [Achraf] Hakimi is one of the best right-backs in Europe. It feels like they are doing the little extra final push to see where it takes them. We will see.”
 
 
 
Photo of Cesc Fàbregas by AS Monaco Football Club
 
 

CoinAgenda announces 2021 event in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
13/08/2021

CoinAgenda, a global conference series that focuses on international blockchain investing trends and features world-class speakers, has announced that Monaco is one of four worldwide destinations on its agenda this year.
“This year, we’ve seen the cryptocurrency market hit $2.5 trillion, leading payment providers recognise and settle in crypto, large institutional investors launch services and increase their digital asset portfolios, the first Bitcoin ETF in North America, DeFi increase trading volume and new users to all-time-highs, bank-breaking star-studded NFTs, and a renewed focus on crypto regulation from global policymakers,” said Michael Terpin, CoinAgenda conference organiser. “CoinAgenda has been there for it all, gathering the bright minds behind these milestones. We are looking forward to hosting our in-person events again safely and to continue driving blockchain forward.”
The conference connects professional investors, traders, family offices, corporate and enterprise innovation executives, and digital currency funds with top entrepreneurs in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors.
It will take place in Monaco just after the Yacht Show, from 27th to 29th September. Other conferences will later take place in Dubai, Las Vegas, and Puerto Rico.
Speakers include CEO of Pantera Capital Dan Morehead, General Partner at Coral DeFi David Namdar, Founder of Blockchain.Cubed Irina Litchfield, and CEO of Titan Industries Ryan Condron.
Now in its eighth year, the CoinAgenda event will begin with an opening party on the first day, followed by main sessions on the second and third day. Topics on the second day will focus on new blockchain categories, DeFi, NFTs, security token offerings, legal, regulatory and jurisdictional issues involved with starting and investing in blockchain companies, and BitAngels pitches of up to 30 vetted blockchain startups – a mix of angel and VC investments as well as tokens trading on exchanges – pitching in a Demo Day environment.
The third day will discuss investing, trading and digital currency funds, as well as spotlight panels and keynotes on exchanges, IEOs and family offices. CoinAgenda Europe will also feature a summit on Public Companies and Blockchain.
A venue is yet to be confirmed for the event.
 
 
Photo by Pierre Borthiry on Unsplash
 
 
 
 

Italian government “comforted” by vaccination results

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/08/2021

According to the latest government figures, more than 65% of the Italian population over 12-years-old are double vaccinated, and 70% have had at least one jab, creating “a comforting picture” for the future.
The Italian government on Thursday revealed that it had administered 73 million shots, which means that 70% of the population has had at least their first jab, whilst 65%, or 35.2 million, are fully vaccinated.
The Italian authorities are calling this “a great result”, citing that over 91% of the over-80s are double jabbed and calling the vaccination campaign in general a huge success.
Those in other at-risk age groups fare almost as well. The 70 to 79 crowd have an uptake of 86%. Those aged 60 to 69 sit at over 80%, and the 50 to 59 year-olds are at 71%.
The news is “a very encouraging result,” wrote health Minister Roberto Speranza on his Facebook page. “We must continue on this path, because vaccines are the best tool to begin a new season. Thanks to all the team working every day towards this goal in every corner of the country.”
The word comes after the announcement that children between 12 and 18 will be able to come forward to get their shots without the need to book a slot from 16th August. The experts are pleased with the acceleration of the vaccination programme, as worries over the Delta variant persist and Italy finds itself in a fourth wave of the pandemic.
Another motivator to get jabbed is the expansion of the country’s “green pass” requirements. The pass, much like in Monaco and France, will be required to access many leisure centres and cultural sites. The need for a pass has had the same effect as it has elsewhere, spurring protests as well as increased vaccination bookings.
 
 
Photo of Rome by Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash