The Monegasque Digital Security Agency has a new way of destroying and disposing of old digital data, eliminating concerns for companies and individuals over sensitive data finding its way to those who could use it for harm.
Cybercrime, industrial espionage, and breaches in confidentiality are no longer just issues of concern for governments and high-tech, high-stakes companies. Today, many people and businesses have information stored on old computers, phones, or other media that they don’t want to be made public if these items were accessed.
Enter the Monegasque Digital Security Agency’s (AMSN) DataDestruction project. The idea behind the initiative is to provide a direct response to the challenges of cybercrime, industrial espionage and confidentiality for operators in both public and private sectors.
The Société Monegasque d’Assainissement (SMA) was hired to operate the service and offers a 100% guarantee of total annihilation of sensitive materials with a dedicated staff and total traceability.
The digital media sources that can be destroyed include USB keys, SSD cards, hard disks, LTO magnetic tapes and optical disks according to the DIN 66399 standard. The resulting particles, completely unusable, then follow the recycling process of electrical waste and electronic equipment.
The barcodes of the hard drives are scanned and photographed at the beginning of the process, and a certificate of destruction to the ordering party once the deed is done.
AMSN is fronting up to half the costs for the initial investment, showing the government’s ongoing commitment to digital security issues, and allowing access to the greatest number of people possible.
In general, the items to be eliminated are to be delivered directly to SMA, though on-site collection can be arranged in certain cases.
Photo by Stephane Danna, Government Communication Department
Monaco Experiences: Alba truffle menu at La Table d’Antonio Salvatore
There are few experiences as luxurious as indulging in an entire menu dedicated to the rare and delectable Alba truffle.
In an intimate dining room below the 75-year-old Rampoldi restaurant in Monte-Carlo, centuries-old tradition collides skillfully with modernity and creativity at La Table d’Antonio Salvatore.
As a special treat for guests this year, the Michelin starred chef is offering, alongside his normal menu, eight dishes that celebrate the precious Alba white truffle.
Lauded by gourmands and highly sought after by restaurants around the world, this white truffle grows spontaneously in the woods around Alba in the northwest Italian region of Piedmont. It is also staggeringly expensive. An 850gram Alba truffle recently fetched €75,000 at auction during the international Alba White Truffle Fair in Piedmont. It was bought by Italian chef Umberto Bombana for his three-Michelin star restaurant in Hong Kong.
Dry weather and changing climate patterns have limited production and sent prices soaring this year, which is why Antonio Salvatore’s Alba truffle menu is even more luxurious.
The golden, spongy tuber boasts pleasantly pungent aromas that give way to deep, earthy flavours from its cream-coloured centre. Knowledge of how to best prepare this highly-prized ingredient is generally passed down through the generations.
Chef Antonio Salvatore
The Alba truffle’s marriage with egg is well-known, and La Table d’Antonio Salvatore’s slow cooked egg is rich, creamy and comforting, elevated with the texture of finely shredded crispy potatoes, seasonal mushrooms and white truffle.
The chef stays true to the traditions of Piedmont with dishes like homemade Tagliolini pasta and delicate ‘Del Plin’ ravioli served with a roasted meat jus and Parmesan foam.
Snails and soft potato mousse serve as a nod to Italy’s French neighbour, as does the meat tartare, but it is prepared using Fassona, the finest Piedmontese beef.
The Turbot with red wine sauce, fennel and white truffle is a delicate choice ahead of another rich, wintery dish of veal with potato gateau and white truffle.
Beyond truffles, Piedmont is also known for its excellent hazelnuts, and these too dominate the menu, appearing as hazelnut oil or roasted hazelnuts to add texture and further enhance earthy flavours.
To finish, Chef Salvatore recreates the Alba truffle with white chocolate and serves it with Amaretto sabayon and white truffles, in a final show of how versatile this precious tuber can be.
The Alba truffle menu by Antonio Salvatore is an extravagant trip to northern Italy, right in the heart of Monte-Carlo, and it is available until 10th January 2022.
A consistent, but often unspectacular, season from Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc earnt him seventh place in this year’s drivers’ standings. Monaco Life looks back at the Monegasque drivers’ season and what it means for next year.
The season ended disappointingly for Leclerc. The Ferrari driver went into the final race weekend looking to consolidate his fifth place in the drivers’ standings, but an error in strategy by the Ferrari team saw Leclerc only pick up one point. His team-mate Carlos Sainz, who finished on the podium, and Lando Norris, therefore both leap-frogged Leclerc.
Although not the most glamorous prize, fifth in the drivers’ standings would have represented a stellar season for Leclerc, an ample reward for his consistency across the season. The Ferrari was nowhere near the pace of the Mercedes nor the Red Bull all season, but Leclerc, more often than not, was best-of-the-rest, scoring 12 top six finishes over the course of the 22-race season.
For large parts of the season, Leclerc slipped under the radar, pumping out impressive finishes without stealing the limelight, often even without having to overtake. His strong race in Mexico was testament to this. Although a lonely race for the Monegasque driver, his superior pace relative to his other mid-field challengers kept him out of the clutches of his rivals on his way to sealing a well-earned fourth place. British GP, photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office
His highlight of the year undoubtedly came at the British Grand Prix with his impressive second place finish, however tinged with disappointment at what could have been.
Having led the vast majority of the race after a lap one incident between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, the latter overtook Leclerc with just two laps to go. This was, however, to be his only podium of the season, with his slightly more erratic team-mate Sainz out-performing him in this regard, scoring an impressive four podiums. MONACO GP, photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office
One of those podiums came at Leclerc’s home grand prix in Monaco – undoubtedly the Monegasque driver’s lowest point of the season. His supreme knowledge of his local streets propelled him to pole position, but a crash during his second flying-lap left his car in a state of disrepair.
Despite the best efforts of the Ferrari mechanics, the car could not be readied in time for Sunday’s race, as Leclerc broke down on his way to the grid. Having been set for the all-important pole position, at a track where it is notoriously difficult to overtake, Leclerc instead had to watch on from the pits, as his team-mate took an impressive second place. Carlos Sainz podium win at the Monaco GP, photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office
Although an individual error was pivotal for Leclerc in Monaco, at other times team errors cost him vital points. During the late deluge of rain in Russia, Leclerc was running as high as third at one point, but as others pitted for intermediate tyres, Leclerc, by order of his team, stayed out on the slicks. This was ultimately the wrong call. The monegasque left Sochi pointless, when only a matter of laps earlier, before the confusion and chaos that the rain brought with it, he looked a podium-contender.
Leclerc’s aspirations of a fifth-place championship were put to rest in the final race of the season, once again the result of an ill-conceived tactical call. Having pitted during a virtual safety car, Leclerc found himself languishing in the lower-midfield, and crucially outside of the points. This was ultimately a mistake, and his failure to pick his way through the mid-field in Abu Dhabi meant that he only secured the solitary point. Strong points finishes for his team-mate and Norris ultimately, cruelly, deprived Leclerc of his fifth place standing at the final hurdle. Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari at the Abu Dhabi GP, photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office
Sainz, who was in his maiden season at Ferrari, surpassed expectations. Brought in to be a more traditional number two driver, few could have foreseen him out-performing his Monegasque teammate. Leclerc, however, doesn’t feel threatened by Sainz’s success, instead perceiving their dynamic as mutually beneficial. Following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Leclerc stated, “I think we have learned a lot from each other. Always when you have a new teammate, you need to see their way of working, their talent, their driving and their way of approaching a race weekend.”
Leclerc believes that Sainz’s arrival has also improved him as a driver, revealing publicly, “He has put pressure on me to be quicker… I think one of his (Sainz) strong points is tyre management. This was my weakness in 2019, I improved a lot in 2020, and thanks to Carlos, I have done so once again this year.”
Indeed, Sainz’s surprising amount of pace relative to his teammate, and his ability to conserve his tyres, raises the prospect of a scintillating intra-team, potentially title-challenging battle next year. The 2022 season sees the introduction of a number of rule changes that will herald a new era of F1 cars. Primed to benefit from these changes are Ferrari, who are touted to have a title-challenging car from next season. Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto certainly believes this to be the case, as proven by a post-race radio message to Leclerc, which is sure to whet the appetite of Leclerc fans, Ferrari fans, and F1 fans globally: “We’re going to have fun next year!”
AS Monaco will come up against giant-killers Red Star in the round of 64 of the Coupe de France on Sunday in what manager Nico Kovac has described during a press conference on Friday as a David and Goliath tie.
Despite currently languishing in the lower-mid table in the French National League, Red Star still pose a considerable threat. Their recent exploits in the Coupe de France have rightfully earned them the title of giant-killers. A win against RC Lens, and a narrow penalty shoot-out defeat to Lyon in last season’s competition has only enhanced that reputation, and has prompted Kovac to warn against complacency.
“I always say in this kind of match it is always a bit like David against Goliath…It is always a danger to think you are a better team. Technically I think we are on a higher level, but you have to take into account other elements, for example the opponent’s determination to fight, the state of mind, and we have to put ourselves at that level.”
For that reason, Kovac told Monaco Life that he isn’t planning on overhauling the side that lost to PSG over the weekend. “It is a possibility that I will switch the team a bit, but I take this game very seriously. We respect the opponent. I will put out the best possible team onto the pitch. It is important to stay in this competition.”
One player that will start against the Parisian side is back-up goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki, and the Polish national keeper told Monaco Life that he is keen to impress on his rare opportunity to start: “For me, this game is very important. If there is an opportunity, I have to take it.”
Benoit Badiashile and Cesc Fabregas are still out, and will not necessarily play until after the Christmas break. They are joined by Ruben Aguilar on the sidelines who suffered a broken nose in training that has required surgery.
Those who do start can expect a difficult match against a highly motivated, determined national league side. Victory on Sunday will see Kovac’s advance to the round of 32, which is to be held in early January.
Photo: goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki, by Monaco Life
Twins continue Christmas tradition at Palace with aunt and cousins
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
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)
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