Basketball: Monaco one step away from history

12/06/2023

AS Monaco Basket's Matthew Strazel v Boulogne-Levallois

There is more than one way of winning a match. AS Monaco Basketball’s first victory against Boulogne-Levallois was secured at a canter. The Roca Team were made to sweat for Monday’s win (95-88), but the result is all the same – Monaco are just one win away from being crowned French champions.

It was clear from tipoff that Boulogne-Levallois were fighting for their lives. It wasn’t going to be as easy as it was on Saturday when the Roca Team took the ascendancy in the five-game Betclic Elite Final series. Victor Wembanyama (19 points) was shackled by John Brown III in the first match, but he showed signs of liberation in the first quarter, scoring the first four points as the Parisian side began with a 10-point unreplied streak.

*Victor Wembanyama by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life*

The Roca Team’s lethargic start was punished, but Matthew Strazel’s (11 points) on-the-buzzer three pointer limited the damage (15-26). Monaco’s route back into the tie was a long one with TaShawn Thomas (18 points) assuring breathing space for Boulogne-Levallois throughout the second quarter, but carried by Alpha Diallo (nine points) and Jordan Loyd (23 points, six assists), the Roca Team levelled and then took the lead before the return to the dressing rooms.

From 14 down to 12 up

Loyd’s exit from the court was earlier than others after a clash created an open and bloody wound. Luckily for Monaco, he was fit enough to return, and in the absence of Mike James (five points), who registered a largely anonymous performance, Loyd carried the team on his shoulders towards victory.

However, once taking the lead, Monaco still didn’t have things all their own ay. Whilst Wembanyama wasn’t as dominant as he has been for large wathes of the season, he still carried the presence to cause problems, and keep Boulogne-Levallois’ scoreboard ticking.

The final step on the accelerator came midway through the fourth-quarter when the Roca Team faithful, incensed by some questionable refereeing decisions, roared their team on to a crucial seven-point streak, capped by a Strazel three pointer.

History beckons

Monaco managed their gap, and when Elie Okobo (11 points) registered the two-pointer that gave his side a 12-point advantage, it was clear the game was beyond Boulogne-Levallois. The defeat (95-88) leaves Monaco within one victory of a first-ever French title, which can be wrapped up in Roland Garros as soon as Thursday.

Sasa Obradovic bemoaned the slow start, but was happy to be within one victory of the title. “We found the energy for the fourth quarter, but why we didn’t find it in the first half? It’s unacceptable. You give the opponent confidence. They played at a high level because we gave them the chance to do it. You need to respect every opponent from the first minute. In the end we did it, and we are happy with the win. But you can’t give them chances,” said the Serbian coach.

History beckons for this Monaco side, whose unstoppable rise looks like yielding more silverware before the end of the season.

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Photo by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

Real estate taxes: 120,000 undeclared swimming pools discovered in France

by: Cassandra Tanti

12/06/2023

If you have a swimming pool and have never declared it to the tax authorities, keep an eye on your email and mailbox because there’s a good chance the government has found it using its new ‘Innovative Land’ tool.

The Directorate General of Public Finances (DGFiP) has announced that it has been sending emails and letters to more than 120,000 swimming pool owners since the end of May who have been flagged for having a swimming pool, but are yet to declare it, and inviting them to rectify the situation.

It marks the second phase of the ‘Innovative Land’ project, which uses artificial intelligence to automate the use of aerial shots and uncover undeclared swimming pools.

How to report your pool to authorities?

The French government this year introduced a new real estate declaration, which must be completed by all owners of accommodation – apartment, house, or garage, by 30th June 2023, including non-residents.

Those who have received an alert email must reply within 30 days of receipt of the email and declare the swimming pool online via the ‘Real Estate’ section on the impots.gouv.fr site.

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SEE ALSO:

Explained: the new tax form all French home owners must fill out

Photo credit: Hannah Reding, Unsplash

Monaco rewards younger generation for innovative concepts to preserve the ocean

by: Cassandra Tanti

12/06/2023

Prince Albert II of Monaco has awarded the winners of this year’s Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge, which supports young people who’ve developed new innovative concepts for a more sustainable ocean.

The Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge is co-organised by the International University of Monaco (IUM), the Oceanographic Institute, the Monaco Impact association and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. This year, it brought together over 100 students and young entrepreneurs from all around the world for a ceremony on 9th June in the presence of Hervé Berville, France’s State Secretary for the Sea.

The objective is to support the younger generation in developing new concepts and business models that have a positive and measurable environmental impact on the ocean.

The hundred participants, representing around 23 different nationalities including the United States, Mexico, Italy, France and Turkey, came from about 20 international universities and business schools. They had worked from mid-January to the end of April 2023 to create a business plan presenting new entrepreneurial concepts for a more sustainable ocean.

In total, 47 projects were submitted, and after two selection stages, six of them were chosen for the grand finale, divided into the ‘Students’ and ‘Start-ups’ categories.

As a pitch competition, the finalists were invited to present and defend their projects orally on the stage of the Conference Room at the Oceanographic Museum and convince the five members of the jury.

*Featured photo credit: Olivier Remualdo, Oceanographic Institute of Monaco*

And the grand prize winners are…

Following an afternoon of presentations in front of the public, and deliberations by the jury, the three winners were rewarded by Prince Albert, who said during his presentation, “I would like to thank them not only for their efforts, their energy, their talent that they deployed to get this far, but even more their commitment to our global ocean.

“They will always be welcome here in the Principality of Monaco, which, for decades, as evidenced by the Oceanographic Museum, brings together all good intentions, all energies, and all talents that wish to engage in the protection of the oceans.”

Students category winner

Bloom, from Babson College in the United States, took out the top prize for their initiative for cleaning and converting surface algae into biomass pellets. They won a discovery trip to the Arctic for two people, worth €8,000, offered by Nansen Polar Expeditions.

Start-ups category winner

Pronoe, a French-based start-up, won for their innovative solution. Through alkaline flow production and control, Pronoe issues high-quality carbon removal certificates. Its clients purchase these certificates to achieve their Net Zero and SDG commitments. The founders were awarded with a €5,000 cheque by Monaco Impact, and a mentoring program worth €7,000 offered by White Castle Partners.

*Pronoe, winner of the Starts Ups category, photo credit: Olivier Remualdo, Oceanographic Institute of MonacoOlivier Remualdo, Oceanographic Institute of Monaco*

Coup de Coeur Special Award

Flexisea, made up of MINES ParisTech, the International University of Monaco and the Universitatea Politehnica of Bucharest, won the special award for their submarine robotic arm, which offers a precise solution for handling tasks and reducing harm to marine species.

They took home a €3,000 cheque offered by CFM Indosuez Wealth Management.

Each winner also received a trophy created specially for the MOPC 2023 and made with recycled materials by jeweller Alberto Domenico Vitale, CEO of Vitale 1913 Monte-Carlo, which has been committed to ocean preservation and sustainable trade since 2014.

Coup de Coeur Special Award winner Flexisea, made up of MINES ParisTech, the International University of Monaco and the Universitatea Politehnica of Bucharest, photo credit: Olivier Remualdo, Oceanographic Institute of Monaco

Supporting innovation at an early stage

The Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge aims to concretely support the creation and development of start-ups capable of demonstrating a positive impact on ocean preservation in the short or medium term.

One of the objectives of the competition is to accompany the winners in advancing or realising their professional projects by providing them with advice and support, by connecting them with contacts and knowledge within the professional networks of partner companies, particularly those involved in incubation, acceleration, or start-up financing.

Camille Lopez, founder of HY-Plug and winner of the MOPC 2021, says the award helped to legitimise her company, which provides consulting services in sustainable maritime solutions to companies, ports and boat owners.

“By targeting the environmental impact on seas and oceans, this competition gives credibility to the company and provides access to a network,” said Lopez, who went on to participate in a number of sustainability events and win the Young Economic Chamber of Monaco’s business creation competition in December 2022. “Thanks to the work done since February 2021 and all these actions taken, I am creating my second company in Monaco in 2023 for the same activity, but specialised in yachting. It’s a dream come true.”

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Featured photo credit: Olivier Remualdo, Oceanographic Institute of Monaco

Horse Riding: Jumping Monte-Carlo returns later this month

by: Luke Entwistle

12/06/2023

Iñigo Lopez de la Osa France and Chatocino competing in the 2022 edition og Jumping International de Monte-Carlo

Jumping International de Monte-Carlo returns later this month, giving some of Monaco’s most talented prospects the chance to compete alongside the pros.

Jumping International de Monte-Carlo, part of the Longines Global Champions Tour, will return to Port Hercule for its 18th edition later this month. The three-day event, taking place from 28th June until 1st July, will, in the words of Jumping’s President Diane Fissore, “provide a highlight every day.”

The “slightly modified” programme will see a competition take place each day. The Pro-Am (professional-amateur) Cup will take place on Thursday, the Global Champions League will take place the following day, and the final day of jumping will see the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of the Prince of Monaco winner crowned. The €1.5m prize is one of the highest in the world.

Monaco’s riders given a chance to shine

Whilst the Longines Global Champions Tour is very much an international event, bringing the biggest names from the world of horse riding to the Principality, there will also be the chance for some of the local riders to shine.

Each day will begin with a national competition, allowing Monaco’s riders to ride on the same track as the international stars.

“It is important, and naturally inspiring, for them to have the possibility of competing on home soil and to be able to ride next to the masters of the discipline,” said Fissore.

To facilitate the growth of the discipline in the Principality, the Monégasque Federation has hired 2016 Rio Olympic gold medallist Philippe Rozier as a trainer. Under his stewardship, young Monegasque talents are beginning to break through.

Tickets still available

Iñigo Lopez de la Osa Franco, a 20-year-old rider, is arguably Monaco’s greatest prospect, and he will compete in Jumping International de Monte-Carlo later this month.

“To be able to ride on our home soil, on the Port Hercule track, is great. We feel at home,” he said.

Tickets still remain for the event and can be bought at the online ticket office. The prices are as follows:

Thursday

Stands: €18 full price, €14 reduced price (students, over 65s, under 12s)

Premium Stands: €20 full price, €17 reduced price

Business Seat Gold: €40 full price, €30 reduced price

Business Seat Silver: €35 full price, €28 reduced price

Friday

Stands: €53 full price, €43 reduced price

Premium Stands: €60 full price, €50 reduced price

Business Seat Gold: €135 full price, €105 reduced price

Business Seat Silver: €115 full price, €92 reduced price

Saturday

Stands: €59 full price, €47 reduced price

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Photo source: LGCT

Photos: Monaco’s Princely family out in force to celebrate historical connections

by: Stephanie Horsman

12/06/2023

A spectacular weekend of celebrations, well-attended by Monaco’s Grimaldi family, united people from former French fiefdoms for two days of entertainment, history and reconnection.

Anyone casually passing by the Prince’s Palace over the weekend could be forgiven for thinking they’d found their way into a time warp.

Knights on horseback, musketeers at sword play, exhibitions with birds of prey and people in traditional costumes dancing to traditional music filled the square for the fourth meeting of the Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco, a celebration of the towns and villages with ancient ties to the Grimaldi family.

TIES THAT BIND

The two-day event brought people from 11 municipalities around France together to honour their common pasts and share their own culture, histories and food.

This year’s special guests were delegations from the towns of: Issenheim, Altkirch-Thann, Ferrette and Feldbach in the Haut-Rhin; Duras from Lot-et-Garonne; Prats-de-Mollo from the Pyrénées-Orientales; and Lucciana from Haute-Corse. Local towns, such as Grasse and Île Saint-Honorat, also were on hand.

MAZARIN FAMILY FIEFDOMS

“This year, there is a predominance of Mazarin family fiefdoms. They entered the Grimaldi family in 1777 with the marriage between Louise d’Aumont-Mazarin and the future Prince Honoré IV,” explained Thomas Fouilleron, Director of the Archives of the Princely Palace. “Grasse and Saint-Honorat de Lérins are tied to Augustin Grimaldi, who became lord of Monaco after the assassination of his brother Lucien, in 1523.”

Lucciana, which was twinned with Monaco in 2009, is linked through Dévote, the patron saint of the Principality, while Prats-de-Mollo is the burial place of Marie-Charles-Auguste Grimaldi, the younger brother of the Prince Honoré III.

PRINCELY FAMILY JOIN IN WTIH CELEBRATIONS

Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene and their children, along with Princesses Caroline and Stephanie, were front and centre for the festivities, taking part in many of the events and visiting the stands set up to sell local wares.

The Prince commemorated the occasion by handing out a special memento, a trophy, to the mayors of each of the towns who attended.

“I am proud that we are a part of this community,” Marc Jung, the mayor of Issenheim, told the press present. “Our links date back several centuries and continue to be woven like a big family.”

AMAZING DISPLAY OF CONNECTIONS

One major highlight of the event came at 10pm on Saturday night, when the facades of the Palace were lit up for an incredible light and sound show, which told the story of the links to the assembled towns.

Prince Albert also took time to speak on the sudden recent passing of Albert Croesi, who had been the Deputy Vice-President of the Grimaldi Historical Sites Federation.

“He was, as everyone knows, one of my personal friends,” Prince Albert said. “That too of our whole family. Albert had certainly become a friend to many of you, his enthusiasm, his passion, the momentum he gave to everything that he undertook were infectious. We owe the success of this event to his founding soul.”

Click on the images below to see more:

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Photo credits: Eric Mathon / Palais Princier de Monaco / Monaco Communications Department

Government action: Monaco news round-up

by: Stephanie Horsman

12/06/2023

Last week in Monaco, the fire brigade received a special visitor, scholarship applications opened online and a warning was put out about the return of disease-carrying tiger mosquitoes.

SPECIAL VISITOR TO FIRE BRIGADE

Colonel Philippe Bertran de Balanda, the Chief of Corps of the Civil Security Instruction and Intervention Unit No. 7 (UIISC 7), which based in Brignoles, made an official visit to the Principality and the Monaco Fire Brigade in the Condamine neighbourhood on 2nd June.

Monaco’s Lieutenant-Colonel Maxime Yvrard was on hand to welcome Bertran de Balanda for a day of meetings, equipment and vehicle inspections and operational events, as well as the viewing of the changing of the guard ceremony at the Prince’s Palace.

The Monaco Fire Brigade and UIISC 7 have a partnership based on professional training exchanges. The French unit also participates as additional help during the Monaco Grand Prix.

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ONLINE

The Department of National Education, Youth and Sports has announced that applications for scholarship and social advancement grants for the 2023-2024 academic year are now available online via the monguichet.mc portal.

Launched last year, the uptake by applicants has been huge, with 95% opting for this version over paper.

Eligibility information and applications for scholarships can be found here while grant information can be found here.

Applications must be submitted before 2pm on the last Friday of September for scholarships and before a training start date for the grants.

RETURN OF TIGER MOSQUITOES

The Department of Health Action has issued a warning regarding the return of tiger mosquitoes, which can carry viral diseases such as chikungunya, dengue fever and zika, to the Principality.

To lessen risks to the public, Monaco will spray a chemical repellent in public spaces and construction sites. The government is also encouraging to the public to take precautions, such as using repellents on skin, installing mosquito nets over beds and near windows, and using suitable anti-mosquito coils or diffusers at home. The government has also asked the public to alert health authorities if any signs of disease crop up.

Chikungunya and dengue fever present with the sudden onset of fever above 38.5°C and at least one of the following symptoms: headache, joint pain, muscle pain, low back pain or pain behind the eyes. For zika, look out for a rash, with or without fever, and at least two of the following symptoms: red eyes, joint pain and muscle pain.

The tiny insect is less than a centimetre in length and can be recognised by the black and white stripes on its body and legs.

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Day: 12 June 2023