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Day: 17 April 2023

Basketball: Roca Team end Euroleague regular season with defeat

by: Luke Entwistle
17/04/2023
roca team euroleague

AS Monaco Basketball ended the Euroleague regular season with a defeat against Anadolu Efes (87-72) before bouncing back in the Betclic Elite against Fos-sur-Mer (98-83) on Sunday.

Nothing was riding on Friday’s Euroleague game for either side. Monaco were already guaranteed fourth place; synonymous with home-court advantage for the post-season playoffs.

Pre-match, players evoked a need to “keep the rhythm” against Anadolu Efes, but they failed to do that after a second-half capitulation. Mike James (seven points, four assists) was largely contained as the Roca Team struggled for attacking fluidity.

Emerging French stars Yoan Makoundou (16 points) and Matthew Strazel (14 points) were Monaco’s main sources of points on a night of no consequence. Sasa Obradovic’s side will, however, have to refind their rhythm by the time the playoffs come around later this month.

“Naturally, we’re starting to think about Maccabi Haifa,” admitted Captain Yakuba Ouattara post-match.

Top spot guaranteed in the Betclic Elite

Monaco’s final four Betlclic Elite games will also be about rhythm rather than results. A comfortable victory against Fos-sur-Mer means that the Roca Team are guaranteed top spot.

Whilst Monaco didn’t pierce the 100-point mark, the team refound their attacking flow, with big performances from Alpha Diallo (30 points) and James (19 points), ensuring a comfortable afternoon for Obradovic’s men.

“I tried to bring some turnover to a side that played physically. We’re happy to be mathematically assured of the first place, and to therefore have home-court advantage,” said Obradovic.

Monaco have been imperious, on a European and domestic level in the regular season, but they now need to replicate that form in the post-season. With the Coupe de France final coming up next Saturday, we’re now into ‘money time’.

 

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Photo by AS Monaco Basket

Grace de Monaco appoints CEO for fast growing luxury-for-good brand

by: Cassandra Tanti
17/04/2023

Grace de Monaco, a subsidiary of the Princess Grace Foundation USA, has brought on Claudia Poccia as CEO to drive growth of the international luxury-for-good brand.

Grace de Monaco is a first-of-its-kind, purpose-driven brand offering products in fragrance, home, beauty and accessories. The brand is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Princess Grace Foundation USA, and all revenue directly supports the Princess Grace Awards program elevating emerging artists in theatre, dance, and film.

It is part of the strategy that was created under the Foundation’s CEO Brisa Carleton, when she took on the role in 2019.

“I was specifically brought on to usher in a new era for the Foundation, to revise the business model,” Brisa Carleton tells Monaco Life. “So, we landed on Grace de Monaco and did our soft launch here in Monaco in 2021, testing the market to see if it would be a viable business model. It has been incredibly warmly embraced, and now we have the opportunity to take it to the next level, so we are delighted to have found someone of Claudia’s calibre.”

Claudia Poccia brings an extensive background of industry experience having previously held C-level positions at notable companies including Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Laura Mercier (Gurwitch Products), Avon Beauty, and bareMinerals for Shiseido.

Beauty Inc. named her one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in Beauty.

“I believe that any great brand has a DNA and a brand steward must understand that you are in the service to that vision, the DNA and the grounding principles of that brand. I believe it is a privilege to be a steward of Grace de Monaco,” Claudia Poccia explains to Monaco Life.

After launching in Monaco and then in the United States, Grace de Monaco sailed into the UK market in February with prestigious shopping destination Harrods in London. The brand’s fragrances and silks can now be found in both the coveted sixth floor Salon de Parfums and the iconic Beauty Halls.

“The partnership with Harrods is quite magical, they really understood and embraced the purpose – the luxury-for-good model,” says Poccia. “We hope that it becomes the benchmark for us as we progress our roadmap geographically.”

Despite the anticipated growth of the brand, the Grace de Monaco, its core will stay the same, explains Brisa Carleton – what Princess Grace herself would have likely created.

“The idea was to create something that evoked Princess Grace and the Riviera. She was very much ahead of her time, timeless in her style, she pushed the brands that she worked with to innovate, and it is something that she was known for, and so one of our key tenants as we develop our products is to think about if she were creating this now, what would she be creating? The products are very much inspired by her taste as opposed to trying to recreate anything that she would have had.”

Stay tuned to Monaco Life to learn of the exciting new developments of the Grace de Monaco brand throughout the year.

 

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Photos source: Princess Grace Foundation USA

 

 

French tax declarations: important dates and information

by: Cassandra Tanti
17/04/2023

Annual income tax returns are now due in France, and online declarations are mandatory for anyone with an internet connection in their home. Here is some other useful information.

From 2023, the French Government is aiming to streamline the annual tax declaration process by encouraging everyone to complete the process online. Those without an internet connection to their home can file a paper tax return, but the deadline is shorter.

The deadlines for filing declarations depends on department of residence:

25th May: departments 1 to 19 and non-residents; 1st June: departments 20 to 54; and 8th June: departments no. 55 to 974/976.

For users who cannot declare online, the deadline for filing paper declarations is 22nd May 2023, regardless of place of residence, including for French residents abroad.

Anyone who resides in France and has a professional activity in the country must file a tax return with French authorities, as well as those aged over 18 and those who live abroad but have an income from French sources.

After completing the 2022 income declaration online, people will know immediately the tax rate that will apply to their income from August 2023.

From the end of July, people will receive their 2023 tax notice based on their 2022 income statement.

Further information can be found at Service-Public.fr.

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Photo compiled by Monaco Life