A man has lost his life after a tragic paragliding accident over the weekend that reportedly occurred shortly after the victim took off from a popular site near Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
The emergency services are believed to have been called out to a location near the Chemin des Vallières in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin at around midday on Sunday 4th February.
Not much is known as yet about the incident, but France Azur Bleu has reported that a doctor who attended at the site of the accident suggested a “piloting error” made by the victim may have been the cause of the crash.
The deceased was reportedly in his forties and was of Hungarian nationality.
The Chemin des Vallières site is a popular place for take offs within the local paragliding community, but it has also been the location of a number of accidents over the years.
The most recent was in November 2023, when a paraglider’s sails became entangled in nearby railway lines. Thankfully, no one was hurt during that incident, but it did cause considerable disruption to train travel between Ventimiglia and Nice.
Paragliding is a popular sport in the area as it benefits from a unique microclimate that allows thrill-seeking paragliders to practice their sport year-round.
The Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo has put out a call for entries from the realms of fiction, news and documentaries, with a special nod to productions tackling major environmental issues, ahead of the 63rd Golden Nymph Awards in June.
Until 21st March, interested producers, directors and distributors are being invited to submit their latest creations to the Festival in the hopes of being shortlisted for a Golden Nymph. The complete shortlist is expected to be revealed in May.
The Golden Nymph Awards Competition is divided into three categories: fiction, news and documentaries, and Prince Rainier III Special Prize. Six Golden Nymph Awards will be presented in the Fiction Category, including Best Film, Best Series, Best Creation, Best Actress, Best Actor and the Jury Special Prize. Three Golden Nymph Awards will be presented in the News and Documentaries Category including Best News Programme, Best Documentary and the Jury Special Prize.
The Prince Rainier III Special Prize, which is supported by the Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco (FPA2), rewards the “best documentary addressing major environmental issues”. The programmes in with a chance of winning this prestigious accolade will be showcased at the festival via public screenings.
“The Golden Nymph Awards continue to attract entries from exceptional scripted and factual productions each year,” says the festival’s CEO, Laurent Puons. “We are delighted to open the awards to producers and distributors for 2024 and very much look forward to seeing a wide range of submissions from around the world.”
The Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo will run from 14th to 18th June, with the awards ceremony set to take place on the final day at the Grimaldi Forum.
“It is really exciting to have the opportunity to celebrate the highest level of programming content creators, writers, and actors within our prestigious Golden Nymph Awards,” adds Cécile Menoni, the event’s executive director. “We have had the pleasure of inviting many nominees and winners to Monaco to applaud their performances in person and we can’t wait to meet even more extraordinary talent in June.”
From intimate dinners out to relaxing spa retreats and a range of special hotel deals designed to inspire romance, here’s the Monaco Life guide to spending Valentine’s Day in the Principality.
Where better to reminisce a past shared and make plans for the future than over a romantic dinner in one of Monaco’s many special restaurants?
Pavyllon Monte-Carlo and Le Grill are both offer enticing five-course menus for Valentine’s Day that are priced at €290 and €295 per person respectively.
Highlights on Chef Yannick Alléno’s menu at the Hôtel Hermitage include a scallop carpaccio with truffle, Challandais duck with sweet and sour turnip leaves, and a sugar-free meringue with black fruit and lovage while Chef Dominique Lory’s is yet to unveil the secrets of his lovers’ menu.
The Hôtel Métropole’s Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac offers an intimate and glamourous setting for special moments. Photo credit: Hôtel Métropole
Hôtel Métropole’sLes Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac will be serving up an enticing €275-per person menu rich in the decadent flavours of caviar, lobster and veal mignon. This classy and sophisticated establishment, which opened last year, will make the perfect setting for any special moments you might have planned…
Yoshi, also at the Hôtel Métropole, will be adding a touch of romance to its menu from Chef Takeo Yamazaki. All evening covers appear to have been snapped up already, but there are still a number of lunchtime dates available. Click here for more information.
The Niwakiwill be celebrating Valentine’s Day with an innovative menu featuring options such as lobster tail aburi with a persimmon-shiso salsa, turbot nanban-zuke and duck with miso and combawa for €155 with a cocktail and a coffee included. To find out more, click here.
The signature blend of Thai and Japanese cuisine at MayaBay is being reimagined for Valentine’s Day by Chef Christophe Dupuy, who also promises plenty of surprises and live music to accompany couples’ nights out. Click here to find out more.
The Café de Paris is hosting its own special Valentine’s Day with a three-course menu priced at €120 per person. Photo credit: Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer
Back in the Carré d’Or, the Café de Paris will be laying on a three-course menu for €120 per person and signed by Chef Victor Marion, while the Salon Rose in the Casino de Monte-Carlo is offering a five-course menu curated by Chef Richard Rubbini for just €98 per person, including a glass of champagne. Meanwhile, a cocktail reception awaits at the Salle Belle Epoque in the Hôtel Hermitage, where Chef Laurent Piolti is heading up a five-course €220 per person menu. More information on each of these dates can be found here.
And if it’s cocktails that you love, why not head to Buddha-Bar Monte-Carlo, where the restaurant’s €120 Valentine’s Day menu comes with a serving of the house’s ‘Love At First Sight’ cocktail? Find out more here.
Another place to keep in mind is Blue Bay at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, which will be reopening after renovations on Wednesday 14th February. Chef Marcel Ravin is renowned for his creative, colourful and soulful food, but no official menu for Valentine’s Day has been announced yet.
Romantic hotel stays
If you’re looking to splash out on a romantic hotel stay, the Hôtel de Paris is offering an extraordinary package within its Churchill Salon to accompany room reservations. For €7,000, guests can privatise this unique space and enjoy a Michelin-star level dinner overlooking the Port Hercule and Palais Princier de Monaco. A bottle of vintage champagne and live music will complete the experience. For more information, contact +377 98 06 88 98 or commercialhp@sbm.mc.
The Fairmont Monte-Carlo has a number of rooms available under its own Valentine’s Day stay package, which will welcome guests to their room with complimentary champagne and chocolates. An early check-in and late check-out service will also be on offer. Click here to find out more.
The Hôtel Métropole’s ‘Celebration’ package is special in that it will be valid until the end of the month, making it perfect for those who have other commitments but still want to put some time aside for their partner. Costing €865, it includes a bottle of champagne upon arrival and dinner for two at Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac as well as two buffet breakfasts the next day. Click here for more information.
Relax and unwind together
For couples seeking some peace and quiet, the ‘Romantic Well-Being’ package at the Spa Métropole might be just the ticket. For €420 for two, the spa is offering a range of treatments in the double room at the Givenchy-signed establishment as well as a complimentary glass of champagne. Click here to reserve.
Share a tranquil afternoon as a couple at the Spa Métropole by Givenchy. Photo credit: Hôtel Métropole
NFL superstar Tom Brady’s racing team has taken out the inaugural UIM E1 World Championship in Jeddah after two days of tense competition in front of thousands of fans on the Red Sea.
The world’s first all-electric raceboat championship saw eight teams battle it out under the Jeddah sunshine in high-octane racing, with speeds in excess of 50 knots (92kph / 57 mph), captivating fans as teams competed for the top podium finish.
Hailing from Britain and Finland, Team Brady pilots Sam Coleman and Emma Kimiläinen staged an impressive comeback to beat day one leaders Team Miami, owned by singer-songwriter Marc Anthony. The winning margin was almost 20 seconds with a Team Brady time of 6.58.51.
Cricket superstar Virat Kohli’s Team Blue Rising took third place on the podium.
Season one will continue in some of the most breathtaking coastal cities across the world, including Monaco on 27th July.
UIM E1 Championship in Jeddah, photo source: E1
“The past two days of competition have surpassed all expectations and the passion, commitment and spirit shown by all of the team pilots has been incredible,” said Rodi Basso, Co-Founder and CEO of E1. “E1 has firmly landed on the global sporting map… Huge congratulations to Team Brady for taking home the first ever E1 Championship trophy.”
Sam Coleman and Emma Kimiläinen said that they are “delighted” to take home the top spot from the first ever E1 event.
“We’ve already had a message through from Tom and he’s super happy with the win. Both Sam and I are so incredibly proud to represent Tom and we’re pleased we were able to make history at E1’s inaugural race,” said Emma, a professional racing driver.
The next stop on the E1 Championship calendar is Venice on 11th and 12th May, with the series culminating in a race to Hong Kong on 9th and 10th November.
French athlete and European Cross-Country champion Yann Schrub will headline an elite field for the 5km Hoka during the upcoming Monaco Run.
The 5km Hoka has been the flagship event of the Monaco Run since 2019, and will once again this year feature a high level of athletes.
Frenchman Yann Schrub – 2023 European Cross-Country champion and silver medalist at the 2022 European Championships in Munich over 10,000m – will be the favorite. It will be his second time in the Principality after Herculis EBS 2023, and he will undoubtedly want to leave his mark on the event which smiled on his compatriot Jimmy Gressier last year when he achieved the European 5km record with 13:12.
Schrub, whose 5,000m reference is 13:11.44, will have as his main competition the young Dutchman and European Junior 5,000m champion Niels Laros (13:23.01 over 5,000m), and the Englishman Jonathan Davies (13:16.66 over 5,000m).
Also worth keeping an eye on is French hopeful Nils Serre Gheri, who broke the French Junior 5km record one year ago in Monaco. Meanwhile, Pietro Riva will represent a numerous Italian “delegation” in the Principality and will try to navigate among tough competition.
For the women, Megan Keith will be the figurehead of the race. With her two European Champion titles in the 5,000m and Cross-Country in 2023, the English native arrives in Monaco full of confidence, and a benchmark of 14:56.98 over 5,000m.
Facing her, Africans Selah Busienei (Kenya) and Likina Amebaw (Ethiopia) will also have ambition, notably Busienei who has a time of 14:48.24 over 5,000m.
France’s Mélanie Allier, French champion over 10,000m, and Léonie Periault, bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics triathlon, will also want to shine on the fast Monegasque course.
The Monaco Run kicks off on Sunday 11th February at 9am at the port.
A new study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer has been released just days ahead of World Cancer Day on 4th February and it carries a grim forecast of rising cases and mortalities over the next two decades as well as a warning about the immediate need for more investment in treatment and prevention strategies.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) cancer agency, is predicting a steady rise in the number of new cancer cases and affiliated deaths in the next two decades.
The study offers a global view into the proliferation of cancer as well as how it is treated and how research is funded, and while Europe performs best in many of these areas, there is still considerable cause for concern.
The cancers with the highest incidence rates in Europe as of 2022 are breast, prostate, colorectum and lung. France’s overall cancer rates are amongst Europe’s highest, at 339 cases per 100,000 people, with only Sweden, Denmark and Ireland coming up worse.
Doctor Hans Kluge, the WHO’s regional director for Europe, says, “At a time when health financing is coming under increasing pressure across Europe, we risk undoing decades of progress to improve the health and wellbeing of millions of people. As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, my message to everyone – politicians and citizens alike – is that we need more, not less, health”.
By 2045, there will be an estimated 22.5% more new cancer cases per year in Europe, compared to a terrifying 55% increase globally. In real numbers, this means that worldwide cancer cases will go from 19.9 million in 2022 to 30.9 million by 2045.
Mortalities are also expected to rise on the continent by 32%, compared to more than 111% in Africa, nearly 80% in Asia and close to 60% in North America.
Investment and equal access to care needed
Europeans may be amongst the more privileged in the world in terms of access to health care, but not all countries have the same access to cancer care. Low-income Swedes, for example, are at more risk of dying from cancer than their wealthier counterparts, according to a report from the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) in January.
To level the playing field, the UICC has called for increases in funding for cancer disparities, requesting cancer services be integrated into national health benefits and that better cancer screening programmes are implemented.
A WHO survey of 115 countries revealed that the majority of countries do not finance cancer services as part of health coverage well enough, spurring further calls for targeted investment to lessen the differences between countries.
