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Day: 16 December 2021

Twins continue Christmas tradition at Palace with aunt and cousins

by: Cassandra Tanti
16/12/2021

Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella were joined by their aunt Princess Stephanie and cousins for the family’s annual Christmas gift giving tradition at the Palace on Wednesday.
The Court of Honour was filled with Christmas cheer, carols, Santa and even circus acts in a festive celebration organised specifically for Monaco’s youngest citizens.

The Court of Honour at the Palace of Monaco came alive with the Christmas spirit on Wednesday. Photo by Eric Mathon – Frédéric Nebinger/Prince’s Palace

The annual event was started by Princess Grace and Prince Rainier to nurture the bond between the Princely family and the local community.
In the absence of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene this year, Princess Stephanie took the lead and joined her children Louis Ducruet and Camille Gottlieb, as well seven-year-old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, in handing out the gifts to each child.
Camille Gottlieb, Princess Gabriella and Princess Stephanie hand out gifts to children at the Palace, photo by Eric Mathon – Frédéric Nebinger/Prince’s Palace

Held under strict health protocols, the Palace was determined to push ahead with the beloved Christmas tradition, which rewards young Monegasques aged between five and 12 with gifts, entertainment, and an opportunity to meet the Princely family.
The night before, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella joined their father Prince Albert for the film premier of ‘Naïs au Pays des Loups’ hosted by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
Rémy Masseglia, the film’s director, and his daughter Naïs with Prince Albert, Prince Jacques, Princess Gabriella, and Oliver Wenden, Vice-President of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, at the Cinéma des Beaux-Arts in Monaco. Photo by Eric Mathon/Palais Princier

The Principality is eagerly awaiting the return of Princess Charlene who, as Prince Albert revealed last month, is seeking treatment for “emotional and physical exhaustion” following a 10-month absence in her native South Africa.
 
 
Photos: Eric Mathon – Frédéric Nebinger/Prince’s Palace
 
 

France bans non-essential UK travel a week before Christmas

by: Cassandra Tanti
16/12/2021

France will ban non-essential travel to and from Britain from the weekend to slow the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant that is causing record numbers of cases on the other side of the Channel, the government said Thursday.
From midnight Saturday there will be a “requirement to have an essential reason to travel to, or come from, the UK, both for the unvaccinated and vaccinated… People cannot travel for touristic or professional reasons,” the government said in a statement.
“Faced with the extremely rapid spread of the Omicron variant in the UK, the government has chosen to reinstate the need for an essential reason for travel from and to the UK,” the statement said.
It added that French citizens and EU nationals could still return to France from the UK.
“We will put in place a system of controls drastically tighter than the one we have already,” government spokesman Gabriel Attal told BFMTV channel.
Attal said the policy was aimed at “tightening the net” to slow down the arrival of Omicron cases in France and give time for the French vaccination booster campaign to make more ground.
“Our strategy is to delay as much as we can the development of Omicron in our country and take advantage to push ahead with the booster drive,” he said.
Quarantine for returning travellers
In addition, returning travellers will need a negative test less than 24 hours old, and a blanket quarantine would be enforced on return to France.
“People (coming back) will have to register on an app and will have to self-isolate in a place of their choosing for seven days, controlled by the security forces, but this can be shortened to 48 hours if a negative test is carried out in France,” he said.
Britain on Wednesday recorded a record 78,610 laboratory-confirmed Covid cases, with scientists predicting even higher rates as Omicron is believed to spread much faster than the currently dominant Delta variant.
The tight travel restrictions are also being imposed during what analysts see as a breakdown of trust between the British and French governments in the wake of Brexit over a host of issues from migrants to fishing.
French President Emmanuel Macron last week accused UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government of failing to keep its word on Brexit, saying “the problem with the British government is that it does not do what it says”.
 
 
(AFP)
 
 
 

New sexual harassment law passes National Council

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/12/2021

The National Council has unanimously passed a landmark law that criminalises sexual assault in the Principality and redefines many of the offences, including rape of a minor and sexual blackmail.

In 2020, 50 cases of violence against women were reported in Monaco, an increase from 33 the previous year. Whether it was Covid and lockdown related is unclear, however it spurred the National Council and the government to take a closer look at crimes against women as a whole, and the result is a new law, #1027, relating to the criminalisation of sexual assault.

The text redefines certain offenses, particularly those of public indecency and indecent assault, which would henceforth be punished as sexual exhibition, sexual aggression or sexual assault, in order to highlight the sexual connotation of these acts. It also redefines the elements of rape and sexual assault, making reference to the notion of lack of consent as a determinate.

Additionally, to strengthen victim’s cases, the text introduces a supposition of aggression especially in cases where the victim is a minor or if there is a familial relationship.

The bill then enshrines the offense of sexual harassment and introduces, within the Penal Code, the offense of sexual blackmail outside the hypothesis of an employment relationship.

Finally, the bill makes adjustments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, to take into account the repercussions, at the procedural level, of the introduction of amended or newly introduced incriminations into the penal corpus.

This bill was brought forward by Marine Grisoul and was adopted unanimously.

“It is a great source of pride for me to bring back this text of utmost importance for the protection of victims of sexual offenses and in particular when they are minors,” said

Grisoul during Wednesday night’s assembly. “Beyond the strengthening of the repressive arsenal provided for by this law, I am convinced that support for victims and perpetrators is an essential element in the framework of the policy to fight against violence.”

Her focus during her speech was the protection and education of minors, to nip the problem in the bud before adulthood and to ensure that young girls are not subjected to unwanted behaviours of a sexual nature. To that end, she said, “I therefore encourage the Government to develop awareness and prevention campaigns in schools, in particular.

“The members of the Commission indeed considered it necessary to introduce a presumption of absence of consent for minors under the age of 13, without the possibility of providing evidence to the contrary.

“Concretely, a minor under 13 cannot have consented to an act of a sexual nature. This is a major step forward for the protection of young people, who in our increasingly fast-moving society are more exposed and under more pressure.”

Additionally, she encouraged a support mechanism to be put in place for those who commit the crimes “to allow their re-socialisation and to fight against any recidivism.”

National Council President, Stephane Valeri agreed that the new law was important and monumental, saying, “This text provides a better definition of repressed behaviour, further protects child victims and introduces a specific reference to incest. On this last point, the text thus takes into consideration the particular gravity of incestuous behaviour.

“These changes are necessary to adapt the repression of these behaviours to the realities of our society, and thus provide an ever more appropriate criminal response.”

The law will now go to the government for approval.

 

 
Photo of National Council member Marine Grisoul, source: National Council of Monaco
 
 
 

Obradovic leads Roca team to overtime victory on his return

by: Luke Entwistle
16/12/2021

Sasa Obradovic’s first game back as coach ended in victory, as AS Monaco Basketball secured a dramatic overtime win in the Euroleague, beating Lithuanian side Zalgiris 98-107.
Wednesday night’s victory in the Euroleague brought two unwanted runs to an end, as the Roca secured their first win in six attempts in the competition, whilst also registering their first away win in any competition since late October.
The Roca side showed great character to secure the win, having conceded a demoralising, on-the-buzzer equaliser, which gave the Lithuanian side the momentum going into overtime. This mental fortitude greatly impressed the new coach, as Obradovic said after the game: “It is difficult mentally to come back and play well in overtime after having conceded the equaliser in the last second… They showed very good character.”
It was largely thanks to Mike James who was formidable throughout the night, scoring 20 points and getting Monaco off to the perfect start with an early field goal. Rob Gray and Dwayne Bacon then chipped-in with their own field goals to open-up a healthy, early lead, from which the Lithuanian side ultimately couldn’t recover.
Monaco’s 12-3 overtime victory followed the pattern of the second-half, in which both teams had dominant quarters. This was in stark contrast to a first-half that was tightly contested throughout and in which no side managed to open up a sizeable lead.
Coming into the second-half with a minor deficit to overturn, Zalgiris, with an exhibition in outside of the key finishing, not only overturned the deficit but also began to build a lead. Janis Strelnieks was pivotal to the comeback, the Latvian converting an impressive 5/7 3-pointers.
Having the lead going into the second-half, Monaco now had a nine-point deficit to overturn. Playmaker James, who was on fire following his return from injury, immediately set about pulling the Roca team back into the game, nailing a three-pointer early-on. A mixture of indiscipline on Zalgiris’ behalf, and the influential play-making efforts of James who was spraying decisive passes around the court, overturned the deficit and opened up an 81-87 lead with five minutes to go.
As the buzzer approached, Zalgiris came back into the game and, with only a second to spare, benefited from Gray’s missed free-throw to convert a field goal of their own to take it into overtime. But Zalgiris’ late rally was in vain, as Monaco’s new-found resilience was enough to take them over the line.
Giving his first post-match press conference since his return, Obradovic was pleased with the win regardless of how it was obtained, saying, “I am very happy with this victory. The way in which we won is secondary… We dominated in overtime and we deserved to win.”
Obradovic will now be looking forward to his return to the Salle Gaston Médecin on Friday night where he is certain to receive a warm welcome from the home fans as his side come up against a strong Zenit.
 

 
Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball 
 
 
 

Basketball star recipient of Champion of Peace Award  

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/12/2021

Utah Jazz and French International centre Rudy Gobert has walked away with Champion of Peace of the Year Prize for his social commitment and charity work.
The 2021 Peace and Sport Awards were celebrated online this year, but it didn’t make them any less special. People and institutions all over the world were recognised for their outstanding achievements and initiatives supporting the goal of championing peace through sport.
This year’s top prize, the Champion of Peace of the Year award, went to Rudy Gopert, centre for the Utah Jazz basketball team and French International player.
Through his foundation, Rudy’s Kids, Gobert supports charities that directly impact the lives of youth through education, recreation, community health, and community outreach programs. Rudy’s Kids Foundation also supports the Peacemakers Project in Rwanda, implemented by the Association of Kigali Women in Sports (AKWOS), led by Peace and Sport.
“On behalf of Peace and Sport, I would like to warmly congratulate Rudy Gobert on becoming the Champion for Peace 2021,” said Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport. “It is a great honour to welcome him into our Champions for Peace club. This award rewards his commitment to children’s rights across the globe through the work of his foundation, Rudy’s Kids. Rudy Gobert is an exceptional basketball player and a true role model. As such, he can pave the way for a better world.”
Previous Champion for Peace of the Year Award winners include Lionel Messi, Siya Kolisi and Blaise Matuidi.
“As a professional athlete, kids look up to you and get inspired by your actions,” Gopert explained. “Through my foundation, I wanted to take up concrete actions to protect them and to empower them. I wanted to help improve the lives of children and families in need and help them achieve their dreams. It is a great pleasure to be recognised for my social commitment and I warmly thank Peace and Sport and Prince Albert II of Monaco for this Award. I look forward to continuing to inspire and support disadvantaged children.”
Other initiatives that were honoured include the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, which received the NGO of the Year Award for their ‘Uniting through the power of football’ project.
Next up was the Youth and Sports Secretary of State of the Government of Portugal, which took home the Institution of the Year Award for its National Plan for Ethics in Sport (NPES), implemented by the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth (IPDJ) since 2012.
The World Rafting Federation won the most votes for the APRIL6 Initiative of the Year Award for its digital awareness campaign ‘Be white water’.
Finally, the Special Jury Prize went to peace animators of the NGO Cop Colombia Internacional, who were rewarded for the for their essential role in promoting peace through the practice of soccer in Usme, Colombia.
 
 
Photo source: Peace and Sport
 
 
 

Monaco tourism targeting Middle Eastern travellers

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/12/2021

A new campaign from the Department of Tourism and Congress is aimed at bringing in travellers from the Middle East, highlighting the Principality’s five-star accommodations as well as the overall glamorous lifestyle.

Monaco has long been a destination for the rich and famous, but one market that has not been fully captured is those from the Middle East.

The Department of Tourism and Congress (DTC) hopes to change that with a new promotional campaign recently carried out in Dubai and Abu Dhabi aimed at a select group of tourism intermediaries from the Middle Eastern markets.

The Monaco Pavilion at the World Expo in Dubai has opened the door to a certain amount of interest from this market, giving people from this part of the world a glimpse of what life in Monaco is all about.

It was discovered that their impressions of the Principality and what they saw at the Expo were vastly different. This gave rise to the idea of a targeted campaign set up by Sandrine Camia, Deputy Director, and Laurence Aquilina, Development Officer, both of the Tourism Department.

The focus was on the five-star hotels on offer in Monaco, and with the help of representatives from SBM Monte-Carlo and the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, they were able to cast a glowing light on the offerings.

The DTC relied on the Escales group, well known on the Côte d’Azur, to bring together a group of high-level guests from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Participants ate in the VIP area of ​​the Monegasque Pavilion, and went on to extend their visit to Expo 2020 and benefitted from exclusive private visits to other pavilions.

The following day, the guests watched the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Amber Lounge where they were also treated to a personal meet and greet with former F1 pilot David Coulthard.

The outcome had the desired effect, with bookings for future stays already being reserved and ties with the Middle East strengthened. The DTC will continue to focus on this region in 2002 as a “priority market”.

 
 
Photo source: Monaco Government