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Day: 13 February 2023

The Guardians of the Planet premieres in Monaco

by: Elsa Carpenter
13/02/2023
Les Gardiennes de la Planète

The Grimaldi Forum was honoured with the premiere screening of Les Gardiennes de la Planète last week, a project supported the Prince Albert II Foundation and UNESCO, in an event well-attended by the Princely family.  

Prince Albert II led the blue carpet at the Grimaldi Forum on Thursday 9th February alongside members of the Grimaldi family as well as the film’s director, Jean-Albert Lièvre, narrator Jean Dujardin and CEO of the Prince Albert II Foundation, Olivier Wenden.  

The French-language production, which will hit cinemas on Wednesday 22nd February after a number of special previews, including screenings at schools throughout the Principality, walks a line between documentary and story-telling.  

Told from the point of view of the whale and tracing a dramatic beaching on a remote shore, Les Gardiennes de la Planète – or The Guardians of the Planet in English – confronts the complex challenges of climate change that threaten this great species and provides a strong warning of the consequences the world could face if these giants disappear from the oceans.  

It offers a marvel of underwater cinematography with incredible screens featuring family groups in a range of locations around the world.

See the trailer below for a taster of this magical experience. 


 

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Monaco Red Cross releases €100,000 for earthquake rescue efforts

by: Cassandra Tanti
13/02/2023

The Monaco Red Cross has released €100,000 of its own funds for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in support of the Turkish and Syrian earthquake relief.

“Aware of the very worrying humanitarian situation throughout the region affected by the earthquake, the Monaco Red Cross, in accordance with the wishes of its President, has decided to release €100,000 from its own funds to support the populations and help with the deployment of the teams on the spot,” said the charity in a public statement.

In view of the scale of the disaster in Turkey and Syria and the ever-increasing number of dead and injured, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is launching emergency appeals totaling 200 million Swiss francs in response to the deadly 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday 6th February.

There are now warnings that the death toll could double from the current tally of 33,000.

Following the devastating quake, the Monaco Red Cross launched an appeal for public donations to support the IFRC in its emergency response.

You can make a donation by specifying “Turkey/Syria” in a bank check or in cash to be deposited at the headquarters of the Monaco Red Cross – 27 bd de Suisse, 98000 Monaco (tel. +377 97.97.68.00), via the website www.croix-rouge.mc, or by bank transfer (RIB available online).

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Roca Team retain top spot despite defeat

by: Luke Entwistle
13/02/2023

AS Monaco Basketball suffered a surprise defeat against Bourg-en-Bresse in the Betclic Elite on Sunday (90-88) ahead of a week of cup action.

The Roca Team were pegged back by Bourg-en-Bresse despite a fluid first-quarter performance, during which the side scored 33 points and earned an 11-point lead. By half-time, Sasa Obradovic’s men had reached the 60-point mark and were on course to register a mammoth 120 points.

Elie Okobo steps up

However, their opponents found the defensive solutions in the second half, limiting Monaco to just 28 points in the remaining two quarters, and just 12 in a third quarter that proved costly.

In the absence of Mike James, Elie Okobo was Monaco’s main source of points, registering 16 on the afternoon, as well as leading the playmaking efforts with six assists. However, that wasn’t enough for the Roca Team, who couldn’t overturn the deficit in the final 10 minutes. Obradovic’s men succumbed to just their fourth league defeat of the season, but remain two points ahead of second-placed Boulogne-Levallois.

A warning

“We can’t allow such a performance. We lost our concentration because we wanted to speak with the referees too much. As a result, we were no longer present in attack, and that spread to our defence,” said Obradovic post-match.

Monaco next face Victor Wembanyama’s Boulogne-Levallois in the French Basketball Cup on Wednesday before another cup tie, once again against Bourg-en-Bresse in the Leaders’ Cup on Friday. For Obradovic, Sunday’s defeat serves as another lesson for those ties: “We totally lost control. It is a good warning for the upcoming matches.”

 

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Photo by AS Monaco Basket

 

 

 

Naturalisation in France: New online service launched for those wishing to apply for French nationality

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/02/2023
french nationality

Piles of paper and long queues will soon be a thing of the past for those trying to get French nationality as the French government rolls out a new online service that will save time and money for applicants.  

The days of printing out mountains of paperwork then visiting the government office and waiting in interminable queues or risking sending the file by post are ending.  

Since 6th February, those wishing to apply for French nationality have had the option of doing so online via the NATALI service.  

The new service allows users or their authorised representatives to fill out the forms needed and send them by electronic means. It also allows applicants to follow the progress of their file as well as to receive alerts when missing or new information is required and to transmit decisions.  

If the decision is unfavourable, users can also make an appeal online. 

For those who don’t have access to computers, there will be terminals set up in local prefectures and agents will be on-site to assist. Additionally, a hotline, the Citizen Contact Centre, has been set up to assist with any necessary questions by phone. A similar online chat service is also available. 

For more information, please click here.

 

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Photo source: Jud Mackrill for Unsplash 

Monaco Ocean Week 2023: A focus on action plans and research findings

by: Stephanie Horsman
13/02/2023
monaco ocean week

Monaco Ocean Week returns in March with a packed schedule of events featuring innovators, economists, scientists and its figurehead of Prince Albert all banding together for one cause: ocean preservation.  

Ocean conservation and awareness have long been embedded in the collective psyche of the Principality, starting in the late 19th century with the Explorer Prince, Prince Albert I. Today, the legacy is being carried out by his namesake, Prince Albert II, who has dedicated much of his life to the cause and has, over the years, been instrumental in influencing change and bringing awareness of the plights of the seas.   

Via the Prince Albert II Foundation, there have been several landmark actions, such as the appeal to stop the consumption of the endangered Mediterranean bluefin tuna in 2008, inciting the 2009 Monaco Declaration on Ocean Acidification and the Monaco Blue Initiative (MBI) marine conservation thinktank in 2010. In 2013, the foundation created an environmental fund to manage Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean, followed by the BeMed project, which was launched in 2015 to combat plastic pollution. 

During the Paris COP21 in 2015, the Prince Albert II Foundation played a key role with the Because the Ocean climate regulation declaration, which highlighted the importance of the ocean in climate regulation and has now been signed by 33 countries. In 2016, the Principality initiated the IPCC Special Report on oceans and the cryosphere, which was officially revealed in Monaco in September 2019.  

With so much focus going into ocean conservation, the logical next step was to create a forum for the leading marine sector stakeholders to gather together and speak about and inform others in the field of their specialities, tying the loose threads into one. This is how Monaco Ocean Week was born.   

From 20th to 26th March, Monaco Ocean Week, now in its sixth edition, will see local and international experts, scientists, business leaders, public authorities, activists and NGOs uniting for a week of discussions, recaps of last year’s successes and debates.  

Event highlights include a presentation of the recent Monaco Explorations Indian Ocean Mission, a review of the ongoing Pelagos Initiative project, a MedFund conference, and the Ocean Innovators Platform.  

A full listing of the scheduled events can be found here.  

 

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Photo credit: G. Luci / Monaco Ocean Week

E-Prix racing: MSG progress unrewarded in India

by: Luke Entwistle
13/02/2023

Maserati Monaco Sports Group Racing made significant advances during the Indian E-Prix in Hyderabad, but their work was undone in the race and the Monegasque brand came away with a solitary point. 

Maserati Monaco Sports Group Racing (MSG) have struggled to recreate last season’s form. The Monégasque team finished the Gen2 era as a serious title challenger, but at the dawn of this new era, they have slipped back into the lower mid-table.

After three disappointing races, the team headed to Hyderabad, India with just two points to their name, and although only a further point was added to their tally on Saturday, there is now reason for optimism.

Both Edoardo Mortara and Maximilian Günther enjoyed strong qualifying sessions, finishing seventh and fifth respectively. It was clear that there was pace in the car, pace that was ultimately under-utilised in the main race.

Both cars endured a difficult start. Mortara made contact with Nick Cassidy early on, forcing the Swiss driver to pit and rejoin in 22nd, whilst a failed attack mode activation for Günther and subsequent pitstop saw the German fall to 16th.

A late safety car gave both cars hope of scoring a point, and Mortara made the most of the chance, finishing 11th before being promoted to tenth following a penalty for Sebastien Buemi. Günther finished 13th.

“This weekend has been positive but challenging, but we’ve shown a clear step forward in speed. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side in the race today. Although we’ve unlocked more pace, we need to keep following our processes so we can continue to find more performance,” said team principal James Rossiter post-race.

The grid next heads to South Africa for the inaugural Cape Town E-Prix later this month, with further MSG progress a must if the Monaco-based team have intentions of fighting right at the front.

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Photo by Maserati MSG Racing