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Day: 18 February 2022

Leclerc’s 2022 title-challenging “beast” revealed

by: Luke Entwistle
18/02/2022
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Ferrari’s challenger for the upcoming season, the F1-75, has been revealed in Maranello, its sleek, futuristic design catching the eye during a presentation with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

A new set of regulations, brought in for the upcoming season, has revolutionised the appearance of the F1 car. The changes are, however, far from purely aesthetic. The aim is to create a car that follows better in the slipstream of other cars, hopefully providing more exciting, wheel-to-wheel racing. Laurent Mekies, Ferrari’s racing director, stated in a press release, “Our race team is gearing up for possibly one of the most surprising seasons of the last decade.”

The F1-75, whose name pays homage to the 75-year history of the Prancing Horse brand, is fitted with a slightly darker red livery. Commenting on the livery, Leclerc said during the presentation that, “It looks a bit more aggressive, and for a car like this, it fits perfectly.”

On its appearance in general, the Monegasque driver added, “I love it. I really, really like it, and I think I’ll love it even more if it’s fast on the track, but I absolutely love the look.”

This season’s car is the product of almost two whole years of work, and although the 2021 season was an improvement on the previous one, it was always clear that the team’s focus was on the development of the 2022 car with the new regulations in mind. It can be no surprise then that many are expecting a title challenge from Ferrari this season.

“This season is going to be very important for the team. The expectations are very, very high. We are making sure that all of the work that we’ve done behind the scenes will achieve good results during the season,” said Leclerc.

The 24-year-old will be hoping that the car, which he described as a “beast” on Twitter, will propel him towards a title-challenge which, given the regulation changes, is poised to be one of the closest and most exciting in recent history.

Click on the video below for more from Charles Leclerc….

 

 

 

 

Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre

 

 

 

What happened at the One Ocean Summit?

by: Stephanie Horsman
18/02/2022
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The One Ocean Summit, held recently in Brest, France, concluded with renewed and new commitments to protect the oceans through several channels. Here are the key outcomes.  

Some 40 heads of state and government officials, as well as numerous political and private sector representatives, attended the One Ocean Summit, organised by French President Emmanuel Macron from 9thto 11th February in the north-western city of Brest. The conference touched on four main themes: the protection of marine ecosystems, the fight against pollution, the fight against climate change, and ocean governance.

One Ocean Summit is the first of several sea-related meetings to be held in 2022, and the opportunity to gather in a more intimate way, with the focus being wholly on the seas.

Prince Albert II delivered a video message at the summit, in which he emphasised the “warnings on these perils, exemplified by this summit, educating all generations, listening to science, effective preservation of endangered species, development of responsible economic activities, in particular sustainable fishing, energy transition towards renewable marine energies, development of marine protected areas.”

The conference was able to put many topics on the table and achieved significant results, such as the commitment to create new Marine Protected Areas covering 30% of marine space by 2030. To assist in this goal, Monaco, France, Italy and Spain requested the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to create a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) in the Mediterranean Sea, where ship speed would be reduced to protect marine biodiversity.

Another breakthrough was in the commitment of 14 countries who vow to step up their fight against illegal fishing, with six of them ratifying the Cape Town Agreement of the IMO on safety standards for fishing vessels. Two new countries will also ratify the FAO Port State Measures Agreement, which allows for better control of fishing activities during landings. Several EU member states have also committed to mobilise their state ships to strengthen surveillance of illegal fishing, in accordance with the 2008 European regulation.

 

President Macron called on the World Trade Organisation, who is about to hold its 12th Interministerial Conference, to ban subsidies that contribute to illegal fishing starting this year. Whilst this does not directly address the problem of overfishing, it does open dialogue on the topic which can be assessed at the upcoming UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon.

No meeting on the state of the seas would be complete without plastic pollution on the agenda. This topic was addressed by several States calling for the adoption of a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, which was first discussed at the COP 26 for Climate in Glasgow and the Barcelona Convention COP 22.

The talks will continue at the 5th UN Environment Assembly to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, from 28th February to 2nd March where an initiative “will provide a binding international framework to make this commitment a real treaty for the end of single-use plastic,” according to Macron.

The potential of ocean-based solutions to effectively mitigate and adapt to climate change was also highlighted at the meeting. Large Ocean States such as Fiji, Tonga, and Palau spoke of the consequences of the rise in sea levels and extreme events on their way of life and cultures. Conserving and restoring coastal ecosystems were emphasised as necessary for climate mitigation and adaptation.

The economic benefits of a blue carbon market were also spoken of and an international coalition was announced.

Marine renewable energy as a way to transition to low-carbon economies was another hot topic with US President Joe Biden declaring his commitment to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2030, and Irish President Michael Martin stating that he intends to increase the share of renewable energy in the mix up to 80% by 2040.

How to make maritime activities greener was also brought up. Four of the world’s largest shipping companies, CMA-CGM, Hapag-Lloyd AG, AP Moller-Maersk and MSC, were present and talked of their efforts, along with 22 European ship owners, to comply with the latest standards as set out by the Green Marine Europe Label.

Launching deep sea scientific missions was discussed several times, with France leading the charge with the intention to promote major scientific exploration missions as well as creating a foundation for the poles to better understand the changes they face.

Finally, the European Union has also pledged to create a “digital twin of the ocean” to gather knowledge and test scenarios for action, in the service of European blue growth and global governance. This support for science was reinforced by UNESCO’s announcement to map 80% of the ocean floor by 2030.

Judicial ties with UAE closer to reality

by: Stephanie Horsman
18/02/2022
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Monaco has moved another step closer to strengthening judicial relations with the UAE that include mutual legal assistance and extradition.

Monaco’s Justice Secretary recently visited Dubai where he met with top figures in the United Arab Emirates’ judiciary to discuss important topics such as the fight against terrorism, money laundering and corruption.

On an official visit to the Monaco Pavilion in Dubai, Robert Gelli, the Secretary of State for the Judiciary and the Director of Judicial Services, made the most of his time by taking meetings with high-ranking local officials with the intention of strengthening international judicial cooperation between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Principality.

The trip, which ran from 6th to 10th February, was an opportunity for Gelli to attend working meetings with the President of the Courts and Tribunals, the National Prosecutor of Dubai, as well as the Federal Justice Minister of the United Arab Emirates. The Justice Secretary was accompanied by the director of international cooperation.

These formal discussions produced several results. First, the Monaco representatives were able to see first-hand the efficient switch from paper to online document filing and storage within the Dubai Judicial Services. This was particularly helpful as Monaco continues its journey to dematerialisation in the judiciary and elsewhere.

Additionally, the two parties were able to speak of the exercise of public action taken by the Dubai Public Prosecutor’s Office in terms of the fights against money laundering, terrorism and corruption.

Finally, the Monegasque contingent and the Emirates’ Minister of Justice were able to agree on the desire to open discussions with a view to concluding bilateral agreements on mutual legal assistance and extradition in order to strengthen judicial relations between the two nations.

The meetings proved to be “very rich and useful”, said the government in a statement, and have contributed to promoting Monaco’s domestic and international actions.

 

 

Photo source: Pixabay

 

 

 

Tournament celebrates Albert I and Year of Women in Chess

by: Stephanie Horsman
18/02/2022
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The Monaco Chess Federation is organising a chess tournament reminiscent of those that took place during the reign of Prince Albert I from 1901 to1904, but in a modern twist, the chess masters who are playing will be women.

Several commemorative events marking the 100th anniversary of the death of Prince Albert I will be held this year, with one coming up later this month.

The Monaco Chess Federation is hosting the ‘Simultaneous Prince Albert I’, a tournament like those held by the late Prince at the start of the last century. This tournament will see two champions, International Grand Master Pia Cramling and International Master Almira Skripchenko, facing off against 32 opponents from the Monte-Carlo Chess Circle (Cercle d’Échecs de Monte-Carlo) and young champions (Under 8’s to Under 16’s) from the Alpes Maritimes.

At the same time, the Prince Albert I prize will be awarded to Pia Cramling, who won eight European Women’s Club Cups with the Monte-Carlo Chess Circle. As part of the gala, a youth tournament and VIP tournament are being organised at the Hôtel Hermitage.

This female-heavy line-up is timely as 2022 has been recognised by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) as the Year of Women in Chess. Female players the world over are celebrating this as a way to “take a leap forward in our mission of forming gender equity policies, practices and programs,” says the English Chess Federation.

FIDE has explained that the year is intended to “outline future women empowerment paths within FIDE for increased lasting support and, as a result, boost female participation in all areas of chess life. A detailed action plan has been developed, that touches on different topics related to marketing, networking, and enhanced communication.”

Monaco has a long history of supporting women in chess notably through the Monte-Carlo Chess Circle. The Circle holds the record for European Club Cup titles for women, taking home the win an amazing eight times, in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, and 2020.

Internationally, chess is becoming more appealing to women. The huge success of the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit about a woman chess master who crushes her male competitors, helped take the blinders off many who saw it as exclusively a men’s game.

That being said, barriers still exist in the chess world. Judit Polgar, who was at one time ranked 8th in the world and has beated the likes of Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen, thinks the disparity can be eased by several factors including starting early, better teaching and encouraging girls to think big.

“All champions and big players start to play chess and get familiar with the game at a pretty early age,” said the Hungarian grandmaster in an interview last year with UK newspaper The Guardian. “It is not down to biology. It’s just as possible for a woman to become the best as any guy. But there are so many difficulties and social boundaries for women generally in society. That is what blocks it.”

Still, encouraging signs are cropping up. Seeing women playing in tournaments or acting as commentators is becoming far more common. The environment has also become more welcoming in general, with women’s prize kitties being increased and more women-only matches being played. Finally, men’s attitudes toward women in the game are also changing, paving the way for more women to enter the competitions and adding a camaraderie not seen in times gone by.

 

 

Photo source: Pixabay

 

 

 

 

ASM match preview

by: Luke Entwistle
18/02/2022
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Monaco manager Philippe Clement spoke to the media on Friday before Sunday’s match against Bordeaux, emphasising the need for improvements following their dominant, yet unrewarding draw against Lorient.

Although happy with the side’s defensive showing against Lorient in which, as Clement said, “We only conceded one real chance in the whole match,” the Belgian manager is unerring in his demand for more from his players. “I always see things to improve, even in winning periods. We lost two points and we need to improve in certain areas.”

Although Clement referred to the season as a “marathon” rather than a sprint during last week’s conference, the draw against Lorient last week puts pressure on Monaco to secure the victory in Bordeaux in order to keep pace with their rivals. Currently sat in sixth place in the Ligue 1 table, they are five points away from Nice who occupy the much-coveted third place.

Thankfully, the side will soon be bolstered by the return of some key players for a difficult run of fixtures. Monaco Life observed Friday morning’s training session at La Turbie, and can confirm the much-anticipated returns of Myron Boadu and Benoit Badiashile to group training. Neither will be ready for Sunday, however, Clement telling the assembled media, “I want to integrate the injured players as quickly as possible for tactical and mental reasons. Myron and Benoit aren’t available for the weekend. They aren’t ready for that.”

Having returned against Lorient, Golovin could play a more prominent role against Bordeaux. The Belgian manager told Monaco Life, “Golovin isn’t ready for 90 minutes, but he is better prepared than last week.”

David Guion’s arrival at Bordeaux on Thursday means that Clement is no longer the most recently appointed manager in the league. The Belgian is aware of the impact that the recent appointment will have on the game. “Bordeaux have named a new coach, who has a reputation for organising teams well.” Prior, Bordeaux had conceded an incredible 17 goals in four games, an unwanted record that sees them rooted to the bottom of the table.

Regardless, Clement’s objective remains unchanged. “We will play to score goals as always. We are concentrating on ourselves.” The game kicks-off at 17:05 at the Matmut Atlantique on Sunday.