13 ° C
Profile

Day: 26 September 2022

The far-right’s Giorgia Meloni claims victory in Italian election

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/09/2022

Near final results show that far-right leader Giorgia Meloni has won Italy’s snap general election, becoming the country’s first female prime minister and instating the most right-wing government since World War II.

Meloni leads the Brothers of Italy, a party rooted in a post-war movement that rose out of dictator Benito Mussolini’s fascists. As exit polls early Monday suggested a landslide victory, Meloni tweeted, “We will not betray your trust. We are ready to lift up Italy again. Thank you!”

Meloni’s right-wing alliance – which also includes Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and former PM Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right Forza Italia – will take control of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, with around 44% of the vote.

Santiago Abascal, the leader of Spanish far-right party Vox, was quick to congratulate Meloni on Twitter, saying, “[Giorgia Meloni] has shown the road for a Europe that is proud, free and of sovereign natures, that are able to cooperate for the security and prosperity of all. Go on, [Brothers of Italy].”

In summer, Meloni had spoken at a Vox rally in Marbella, raucously telling the crowd: “Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology… no to Islamist violence, yes to secure borders, no to mass migration… no to big international finance… no to the bureaucrats of Brussels!”

Others to have joined the chorus of praise include Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who tweeted “Congratulations [Giorgia Meloni]!” and the Hungarian prime minister’s long-serving political director, Balazs Orban, who said, “We need more than ever friends who share a common vision and approach to Europe’s challenges.”

Extraordinarily, only 64% of the electorate is reported to have voted Italy’s election.

 

 

Photo above source: Giorgia Meloni Twitter page

 

 

 

 

Klaxit car pooling app broadens appeal to Italians

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/09/2022

Monaco has marked the 21st edition of European Mobility Week by sharing the successes of Klaxit, a car pooling app that is helping to transport thousands of cross border workers and reduce road traffic and CO2 emissions in the process.

On 20th September, the Interministerial Delegation in charge of the Digital Transition (DITN) welcomed various institutions and partners to mark two years since the launch of Klaxit in the Principality.

The digital technology has always had strong backing from the Monaco Government, as part of the Extended Monaco program, which has co-financed the initiative.

The collaborative public/private approach is part of the State’s plan to reduce car traffic by 20% by 2030, and to regain the same traffic density seen in the 1990s.

A report presented during the event testified to the growing success of the application, with 35 partner companies to date employing around 15,000 people, and accounting for 54% of those employees’ journeys.

During its first year, the Klaxit recorded an average of 937 journeys per month. By the second year, it had reached 2,000 journeys per week.

Meanwhile, an awareness campaign  in recent months has seen more Italian cross-border workers using the application to travel to the Principality. Their journeys represent 24% of all trips made across the Italian border.

“The Klaxit carpooling project has had exponential success due to the many advantages it presents: fewer vehicles on the road, less pollution and greenhouse gases, but above all a tailor-made response for the employees of the Principality, to whom it brings flexibility, financial gain, but also social ties,” said Céline Caron-Dagioni, Minister for Equipment, the Environment and Urban Planning.

European Mobility Week is organised each year from 16th to 22nd September and is designed to raise awareness among European citizens of new travel behaviors.

 

Photo credit: Manuel Vitali, Government Communication Department

 

 

 

Otter congress marks return of species to Sospel

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/09/2022

The Prince Albert Foundation has played its part in an international congress dedicated to otters, held recently in Sospel, which focused on cohabitation and conservation of this adorable species.

The holding of the 15th International Otter Congress in Sospel, just above Monaco, is symbolic because, 50 years after their “disappearance”, a population of otters has just been discovered in the valleys of the Bévéra and Roya rivers.

On Monday 19th September, the Human – Wildlife Initiative participated in the launch of the five-day congress, organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

There are 13 otter species that have suffered a worrying decline over the last century at the global level due to the fur trade and the multiple pressures that persist in the world’s aquatic environments.

Since 1976, the International Otter Congresses have brought together experts from all continents to discuss developments in research on otter ecology and biology, the conservation status of their habitats, threats, communication strategies and the involvement of local communities.

The Human – Wildlife Initiative was created in 2020 through a joint effort between the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Conseil National de Protection de la Nature (National Council for Nature Conservation), the Alpes-Maritimes Chamber of Agriculture, the Alpes-Maritimes Hunting Federation and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur League for the Protection of Birds. Its aim is to develop innovative and concrete solutions to improve the relationship between wildlife and human activities including agriculture, tourism, hunting, nature sports and forest management.

Photo above credit: Mana 5280 on Unsplash

 

 

 

 

General Elektriks to perform Monaco show

by: Stephanie Horsman
26/09/2022

Popular French band General Elektriks will take to the stage at the Espace Léo Ferré in Monaco this November.

After a tour that included 200 performances in France, it is Monaco’s turn to welcome Hervé Selters, aka General Elektriks, on Sunday 6th November for a concert of funk, pop and electro.

For this, one of the last dates on the tour, Selters will be joined by a number of artists who collaborated on his 6th album, including American rapper Lateef the Truthspeaker, Franco-Greek actress Ariane Labed, Brazilian singer Céu, rapper Quelle Chris and guitarist Jeff Parker.

Tickets start from €22. For more information, see our calendar by clicking here.

 

Technical failure derails Rosberg X Racing title charge

by: Luke Entwistle
26/09/2022

Rosberg X Racing (RXR) had the chance to wrap up the Extreme E title on Sunday, but a technical failure prevented the team from making the grid in Chile. 

RXR could have wrapped up consecutive titles in the Antofagasta Minerals Copper X Prix on Sunday, and the early signs looked positive. The team registered wins in qualifying and in the semi-finals. Should they have re-created their form in Sunday’s race, a second title beckoned.

However, Nico Rosberg’s team were unable to start the car for the main race, giving their competitors a chance for the title. The largest benefactors of RXR’s misfortune was Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Racing, who claimed their first win of the season in the Chilean desert.

World-renowned rally driver Sébastien Loeb gave X44 the early lead, whilst Tanner Foust in the NEOM McLaren muscled his way up to second. The two cars were almost inseparable for the entire race, with Foust overtaking Loeb just before the change of drivers.

Following the switch-over, Cristina Gutiérrez re-took the lead for X44, making smart use of the Hyperdrive. It was apparent that no one could challenge McLaren and X44 as they constructed a significant gap to the cars behind.

Emma Gilmour in the McLaren then came back at Gutiérrez and made the pass down the inside of the X44. Aware that they had a penalty, the McLaren then pushed to build a gap to second, but it wasn’t enough.

Further penalties dropped McLaren to last, as X44 took the victory to close the gap on RXR to 17 points with just one final race remaining. They finished ahead of ACCIONA | SAINZ XE, who are a further six points back in the championship.

The second season of Extreme E, an environmentally-conscious rally series, concludes in Punta del Este in Uruguay at the end of November, with the title race still very much alive.

 

Photo by Extreme E

 

 

 

UPAINT street art available online

by: Cassandra Tanti
26/09/2022

UPAINT, the one-of-a-kind street art festival hosted in the Principality of Monaco – has launched an open sale of the art that was crafted live in June, with all proceeds going to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

UPAINT, formerly known as UPAW, is a unique art event to Monaco in which street artists showcase their talents for the general public over a number of days, creating a fun opportunity for them to witness the artists in action. At the end of the live performances, the art pieces are sold during a live auction curated by Artcurial. The net proceeds go to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation to support projects that preserve our planet for a better future.

This year, UPAINT has renewed its partnership with invaluable.com to offer the option of acquiring the artworks from this year’s live show, which took place from 17th to 20th June. The sale will be open until 15th October 2022 and is a timed auction.

The public will be able to bid on 18 pieces created by the artists Futura, Bordalo II, Pez, Buff Monster, Dan Kitchener, The London Police, Bond Truluv, Spok Brillor, Alice Pasquini (Alicè), Dario Vella, Aura Aerosole and Oldhaus.

Proceeds from this sale will go to the Foundation’s Human – Wildlife Initiative, which aims to protect wildlife in rural and mountain areas neighbouring the South of France.

For information, contact info@upawart.com.

 

Artwork above: ‘Wild Side’ by Alice Pasquini