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Month: September 2022

Covid latest: circulation falls slightly in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
27/09/2022

The latest health figures show that Monaco has not seen another uptick of Covid-19 in the Principality, although this isn’t the case in neighbouring French regions.

In the week ending Sunday 25th September, 1,024 PCR and antigen tests had been conducted in Monaco on residents and non-residents. Of those, 10.2% returned a positive result, compared to a positive rate of 11% the previous week.

It’s an encouraging sign, showing that the circulation of Covid has not increased. In fact, the incidence rate actually dropped from 174 to 138.

It is a different situation in the neighbouring Alpes-Maritimes region though, where the incidence rate has risen to 293 – up from the previous week’s figure of 251. Throughout France, the incidence rate is as high as 341. Severe hospitalisations remain relatively low however, with 69 people in ICU in the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region, and 733 in all of France.

In Monaco, seven Covid patients are being treated at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre, including three residents. No one is in intensive care.

Meanwhile, 37 residents with mild Covid symptoms are being followed by the Home Monitoring Centre.

 

 

Nearly half a million raised at Safari in the City gala

by: Stephanie Horsman
27/09/2022

The Zoological Society of London raised a whopping £436,000 (€499,000) at their latest black-tie charity event designed to raise funds for the London Zoo.

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is a charity dedicated to the global conservation of animals and their habitats. They held their annual Safari in the City gala on 21st September and raised an astounding half a million euros to help save wildlife from extinction.

The black-tie party was attended by 300 supporters and featured a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II who had been a patron of the association since her coronation in 1953. The night was hosted by wildlife presenter Megan McCubbin and had a live auction led by Richard Madley.

ZSL’s Fundraising Director James Wren, said, “It has been three years since we last held our Safari in the City fundraising gala but the threats facing wildlife remain just as stark.”

ZSL’s Executive Director of Fundraising James Wren compares tuxedos with Humboldt penguin Rainbow ahead of the fundraising gala. Photo courtesy ZSL

The event included an after-hours tour where guests explored the conservation zoo, seeing species on the knife’s edge of being forever lost, including three critically endangered Sumatran tiger cubs born in June. The chance to name the baby cubs raised £51,000 (€58,000) during the auction.

Additionally, guests were joined by scientists, zookeepers, and conservationists who shared stories of their work before being led into a safari-themed marquis where a three-course vegan meal was served.

“Since last night, our generous supporters have continued to pledge, and we expect this total to increase – which is a fantastic indicator of the passion and recognition of the importance of our work,” Wren said.

Safari in the City guests explore ZSL London Zoo after hours. Photo courtesy ZSL

The ZSL cares for 184 threatened species at two zoos, namely London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo, and includes 17 species that are extinct in the wild. Two of these species, the partula snail and the scimitar horned oryx, are being reintroduced into the wild thanks to efforts made by the association and its partners.

To learn more or to donate, visit the charity’s website on www.zsl.org

 

 

Photo above courtesy ZSL

 

 

 

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.