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Month: January 2023

Weather warnings for Southern France

by: Elsa Carpenter
17/01/2023
SKI MONACO

It’s time to bid adieu to the mild weather of recent weeks and wrap up warm ahead of falling temperatures. 

Drizzle turned briefly to sleet and snow – la neige fondue – across some parts of the French Riviera on Tuesday morning as temperatures dipped close to freezing. The coast quickly warmed, but towards the interior of the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var, and the greater Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, the mercury is likely to remain around 1°C and will do for the rest of the week.  

The cold is sweeping down from the Arctic and looks set the continue into the weekend and next week. Temperatures will hover around the averages for this time of year, but after comparatively warm climes since mid to late-December, this bout of chillier weather will be felt by all.  

The Var has been placed on orange alert for coastal flooding until Wednesday, although tidal surges may also be experienced along the bord de mer from Nice to Menton, according to France 3.  

Up in the mountains, it was a windy weekend, causing Météo France to set the avalanche warning to 3 out of 5 in the western parts of the south of France. Ski resorts and the mountains of the Mercantour, which include the popular ski resorts of Isola 2000 and Auron, have received less powerful conditions and decreased snowfall compared to the rest of the Alpes du Sud, thus lowering the risks of an avalanche. Nevertheless, many of the region’s high altitude resorts are running at almost full capacity, with further snow to come in the next 10 days. 

 

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Photo source: Fun Radio Côte d’Azur/Facebook

SBM’s Biamonti announces early departure

by: Cassandra Tanti
17/01/2023

The Société des Bains de Mer has confirmed that outgoing Deputy Chairman Jean-Luc Biamonti will be stepping aside for his successor Stéphane Valéri earlier than expected.

In his traditional new year address to SBM staff on Monday 16th January, the long-running deputy chairman announced that he will be stepping down at the end of a Board of Directors meeting on 23rd and 24th January 2023. He was due to maintain his role until the board meeting of 31st March.

Biamonti has been director since 1985, chairman of the board of directors since 1995 and deputy chairman since 2013. On Tuesday, he congratulated his team on helping the company achieve excellent results. “With all my heart, I wish the best for this magnificent company and for all of you,” he said.

According to Biamonti, figures so far indicate that SBM is on track this financial year to break the 2007/2008 operating record.

Former National Council President Stéphane Valeri, who was due to step into his position on Monday 3rd April, will be officially appointed at the end of the Board of Directors in January.

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Photo: File photo by Monaco Life

 

SEE ALSO:

Jean-Luc Biamonti: “I will leave SBM in good shape, and with a warm heart”

Covid cases plunge as new sub-variant makes its way to Europe

by: Cassandra Tanti
17/01/2023

The Covid incidence rate has fallen to just 64 in Monaco, the lowest since October 2021. However, a new Omicron subvariant first identified in the US and believed to be more contagious, is expected to arrive in a matter of weeks.

According to the government’s weekly health figures, the Covid situation in Monaco is very encouraging. Just 25 residents tested positive for the virus in the week ending 15th January. The incidence rate has halved in a week, dropping from 115 to 64, matching levels not seen since the first week of October 2021. Meanwhile, 12 people, including eight from Monaco, are being treated for severe Covid in the Princess Grace Hospital Centre.

Although positive, it may not necessarily signal that the end of the epidemic is in sight. A new Omicron subvariant, XBB.1.5, has been detected in the United States and should arrive in Europe within one or two months, according to the European Centre for Disease Control (EDCD). It has become the dominant strain in New York, and is more contagious and resistant to antibodies, say health authorities. However, the variant is not believed to cause more serious forms of the virus, nor is it certain that it would take hold as the dominant variant here. “The rapid growth in the US does not necessarily mean that the variant will become dominant in the EU/EEA, since major differences in variant circulation between North America and Europe have been observed several times during the pandemic,” said the ECDC in a statement on 9th January.

China is also facing an enormous epidemic wave, with its hospitals and funeral homes overwhelmed by the number of Covid-related deaths. Around 60,000 people have died in hospital since the lifting of health restrictions a month ago, according to authorities.

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Photo by Monaco Life

Euroleague boss visits Monaco with Roca Team’s future reportedly secured

by: Luke Entwistle
16/01/2023

Marshall Glickman, the head of the Euroleague, visited Monaco last week amid reports that the Roca Team’s participation in next year’s competition is already secured.

The Euroleague is the world’s second biggest basketball league, and AS Monaco Basketball made their debut in the competition last season. Sasa Obradovic’s men made a meteoric rise through the standings late in the season, guaranteeing their spot in this year’s competition. The Roca Team are currently first this year and are on course to secure a play-off spot.

In the context of this success, and following a renovation of the Salle Gaston Médecin in the summer, in line with Euroleague regulations, Glickman has visited the Principality, stating that he is “optimistic for the future” of basketball in the country.

Speaking to Monaco Info, Glickman said, “Monaco is a marvellous place and an interesting market because it is multicultural and that is very important for us.”

He continued, “Monaco are playing very well. They have won lots of matches, which has allowed them to get to first place and to stay there. With Oleksiy Yefimov, they have an excellent management team. There is a lot of investment and so we are optimistic for the future.”

There could be yet more reason for optimism. While the Monaco teams continues to prove its suitability to this level and are on course to secure a position in next year’s position through the play-offs, L’Équipe reports that its place may already have been booked.

According to the French publication, the Roca Team has already been given assurances behind the scenes that their participation in the 2023/24 edition of the competition is secured, regardless of performance. Assurances about Monaco’s continued presence on the European scene will be welcomed by decision-makers at the club, who have previously expressed plans for an even larger home court, which would not be situated within the Salle Gaston Médecin.

Monaco’s state minister, Pierre Dartout, who welcomed Glickman, alongside AS Monaco Basketball president Alkesej Fedoricsev, said “Basketball is on of the most attractive sports in the Principality and we have a team that plays for the [country’s] colours at the highest level.”

Dartout continued, “The fact that Monaco welcomes the biggest European clubs and also makes away trips is important and contributes to the attractivity of the Principality.”

Alongside the success of the men’s team, the women’s team, the MBA, is also enjoying an impressive rise. Having secured promotion last year, they are currently fifth in their new division after ringing in the New Year with a victory.

 

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Photo source: Monaco Communications Department 

Ladies Poker Power: Fighting AIDS and stereotypes

by: Stephanie Horsman
16/01/2023

An all-female charity poker tournament was held last Saturday at the Casino de Monte Carlo, giving women a chance to show they can play this male-dominated game just as well as the big boys.  

Poker is one of those games where an overwhelming majority of competitors are men. Only 5% of professional players are women, though a growing interest is bringing a more diverse talent pool to tables worldwide.  

On 14th January, 20 Monaco-based women took on the stereotype that poker is a man’s game by staging a charity tournament at the Casino de Monte Carlo, which also raised funds for Fight AIDS Monaco, the association founded and championed by Princess Stephanie.  

Ladies Poker Power showcased players from all levels, where an unexpected bonus was the honing of valuable skills such as art of negotiation, patience and discipline as well as learning from mistakes, risk management, and attention to other players, as known as reading a “poker face”.  

The ladies didn’t walk into the tournament completely unprepared, though. There were two induction sessions put on by the Casino on 10th December and 7th January, giving them the opportunity to learn the ins and outs as well as some of the finer points of the game.  

The night, which raised €10,000, was certainly a night of fun for the participants.  

Martine Elena won the tournament, while Cécile Noguer came second, and Valérie Bothy third.

It ended with an award ceremony and a cocktail where Pascal Camia, the director of Casinos, Hotels and Restaurants of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, Rudy Tarditi, the director of Monaco Casinos, Hulya Biren, a special advisor to Monaco’s Deputy President, and a representative from Fight Aids Monaco offered the winners some additional prizes.  

The first place winner will enjoy lunch at the Louis XV-Alain Ducasse at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo for two people. The second place winner won a lunch at Yannick Alléno’s Pavyllon at the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo for two, and the third place contender received a lunch experience at Le Grill at the Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, also for two.  

  

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Photo source: Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer

Rafael Nadal enters team into E1 championship

by: Luke Entwistle
16/01/2023

Grand Slam record-holder Rafael Nadal has entered his own team into the inaugural E1 championship, the world’s first all-electric race boat series, which is set to take place later this year.

Tennis legend Nadal is venturing into a new sport by entering his very own team into the E1 series. From the Spanish island of Mallorca, Nadal is passionate about the world’s oceans, and his commitment to the E1 championship, which aims to accelerate clean mobility and restore marine ecosystems, attests to that passion. 

Whilst the name of Nadal’s team has yet to be revealed, the Spaniard has already vocalised his excitement about being involved in the championship. 

“I’m really excited to be getting involved with a project like E1 that values sustainability and will make a positive impact on society as a whole, especially in coastal communities,” began Nadal.

He continued, “As a professional athlete, I recognise how making marginal gains has a positive impact on performance. To see this same competitive spirit and approach being applied at E1 to optimise the performance and efficiency of sustainable marine mobility is good news for our oceans.” 

Nadal is not the first sportsperson to involve themselves in the championship. Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez, who last season won the Monaco Grand Prix, has also entered a team, which will be affiliated with his native Mexico. 

Nadal, who already has a record-breaking 22 Grand Slams to his name, is currently competing in the Australian Open. After missing last season’s Monte-Carlo Masters through injury, he will be hoping to compete in the prestigious clay court tournament in 2023.

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SEE ALSO:

Inaugural E1 Championship coming to Monaco

 

Photo by E1