Monaco-based construction firm Probat has acquired Volpi Bâtiment, a family-run company from Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, in a move designed to strengthen its presence in the high-end building sector along the Côte d’Azur.
The acquisition, which took effect in October, brings together one of the Principality’s largest independent construction firms with a Riviera business that has been active for more than four decades.
Founded in 2002 by its current president, Fabien Deplanche, Probat has grown into a major player in the luxury building sector, employing nearly 200 people and reporting an annual turnover of around €40 million. Its projects range from private villas and apartments to commercial and public buildings.
Volpi Bâtiment, led by Pascal Volpi, employs 25 people and generates about €10 million in annual revenue. Established nearly 45 years ago, the firm is known locally for high-end construction and renovation work, and has remained in family hands for four generations.
Longstanding partnership
The two companies have worked together for more than 20 years. Both leaders described the acquisition as a natural step.
“This marks a key stage in our development,” said Probat president Fabien Deplanche. “It strengthens our position in the high-end construction market while integrating complementary expertise and a shared culture of excellence.”
Pascal Volpi, president of Volpi Bâtiment, added: “This is the fruit of over two decades of collaboration, built on trust. For me, this merger is a natural continuation that allows the Volpi family story to live on.”
France has begun its autumn vaccination drive, offering residents the chance to receive flu and Covid-19 vaccines simultaneously from October 14th until January 31st.
Health authorities encourage eligible people to get both vaccines at once, which can be administered in separate arms during the same appointment. There is no minimum waiting period required if the vaccines are given separately.
Who should get vaccinated?
The campaign mainly targets over 65-year-olds and those at higher risk of severe illness, including people with chronic conditions, pregnant women, and those with severe obesity.
France’s health insurance will cover 100% of the cost for priority groups, which also include care home residents and children over six months with certain medical conditions.
While Covid vaccination is specifically recommended for over 65-year-olds, anyone wishing to receive the vaccine can do so, regardless of age.
Where to get vaccinated
Both vaccines are available from doctors, nurses and pharmacists, with midwives also able to administer the injections in certain cases.
For Covid vaccinations, most people aged five and over need just one dose. However, young children who have never been vaccinated or infected require a more complex three-dose schedule.
Adults must wait six months after their last Covid vaccination or infection before receiving another dose, though this drops to three months for immunocompromised people and those over 80.
Health officials stress that vaccination remains the most effective protection against both illnesses, though barrier measures like hand hygiene continue to be recommended even for the vaccinated.
The authorities advise getting the flu vaccine before the virus begins circulating widely, as it takes two weeks for the body to develop sufficient antibodies
The countdown is on for Sportel Monaco 2025, which returns to the Grimaldi Forum from 20th to 22nd October with a powerful new conference line-up featuring some of the biggest names in global sport, media and technology.
The event, long established as the leading marketplace for the sports business industry, will this year bring together international executives from LaLiga, Liverpool FC, AWS, Bundesliga International, World Rugby, PFL and Kings League for three days of high-level insight and innovation.
Global leaders headline the conference stage
The much-anticipated keynote will be delivered by LaLiga president Javier Tebas, who will share the Spanish league’s latest strategies in sports media and fan engagement. Among the headline Masterclasses, “Investment in Sport: Where is the Next $1bn Coming From?” will feature Danny Townsend of Surj Sports Investment, Djamel Agaoua of Kings League and John Martin of PFL, who will discuss where the next wave of capital is flowing and how private equity and sovereign wealth funds are reshaping the sports landscape.
Another major session, “Hollywood Hits the Paddock: F1 Taking Storytelling to the Next Level”, will explore the crossover between sport and entertainment as a model for fan growth, featuring speakers from AWS, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and 26West Sport.
The next frontier of sport and technology
Innovation and digital transformation will be central to the three-day event. “New Live Sports Tech for Tailored Fan Experiences & Personalisation” will explore the latest advances in streaming and interactive media, while “Building the Brand: Monetising Sports Content Through Broadcast, Data & Beyond” will examine new ways to connect with audiences and expand revenue through analytics and sponsorship.
A special Masterclass dedicated to generative AI will look at how artificial intelligence is already transforming the sports industry, from content creation and translation to digital distribution and fan engagement. Experts from Veritone, WSC Sports, SyncWords and Poland’s Ekstraklasa will share real-world examples of how AI is redefining production and storytelling.
Case studies and global collaborations
High-profile case studies will feature throughout the programme, including AWS and Deltatre on the future of sports streaming, LFP Media on Ligue 1+ and its fan engagement model, and World Rugby with WURL on ad-supported sports streaming. Liverpool FC will join Wasabi and Scoreplay to discuss how cloud-based strategies are helping clubs strengthen fan loyalty and global reach.
The popular Pitch Perfect Innovation Contest will once again spotlight emerging start-ups such as Pendular, FalconHQ and Fair Vision, offering each the chance to present their solutions to a panel of industry judges.
Women leading the future of sport
A special Women’s Leadership Lunch, held in partnership with AWS at Twiga, will celebrate female innovators shaping the sports business industry. The event will feature Alexis Ohanian of Seven Seven Six, Lauren Pedersen of SportAI, NBA’s Fiona Wong and marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe, who will discuss the role of women in driving transformation across sport, media and technology.
The pulse of the sports business world
“The Sportel Monaco conference programme continues to evolve, bringing together the most powerful, creative and innovative minds redefining the future of sports business,” said Loris Menoni, Executive Director of Sportel Monaco. “It remains the pulse of the industry — where strategies are formed, partnerships are built and the next chapter of global sports begins.”
Monaco’s Museum of Stamps and Coins is presenting a unique perspective on the Principality’s architectural heritage through a new exhibition running until December 31st.
‘Architecture in Philately: A History in Miniature’ features 120 rare and exceptional philatelic pieces that follow Monaco’s architectural evolution from historic landmarks to contemporary developments.
“I arrived in February as the new head of the museum with the main mission of revitalising this place, which had been somewhat forgotten,” Flavie Bonnin-Novaretti, head of the Museum of Stamps and Coins, told Monaco Life.
The exhibition, which opened on October 4th, was timed to coincide with European Heritage Day on October 5th.
The stamps provide a visual timeline of Monaco’s changing landscape. The oldest piece in the collection dates from 1939 and shows Port Hercule and the Rock extending to Spélugues. This is contrasted with a 2023 block depicting the extensive urban development that has since transformed the area.
“Architecture is a theme that has been enormously covered in philatelic issues,” said Bonnin-Novaretti. “The idea is that we can trace neighbourhoods or the evolution of buildings through time.”
The exhibition tracks the transformation of entire districts, including Larvotto from its 1966 appearance through to Renzo Piano’s recent redesign and the inauguration of the Marettera extension.
One of the stamp collections, photo by Monaco Life.
Tracking evolution
Additionally, one highlight is a series of stamps showing the evolution of the Prince’s Palace, featuring lesser-known architectural details. The collection spans from depictions of the Rock in the 17th century through to the most recent stamp issued, which shows modifications made before 2015. The series includes the Serravalle Bastion, the Clock Tower, the Odeon Tower, and the All Saints Tower.
“It allows people to gain cultural knowledge in a slightly different way, while admiring the beauty of stamps, which are truly works of art.” explained Bonnin-Novaretti.
The exhibition also demonstrates the artistic process behind stamp creation, particularly those produced using the intaglio printing technique, which requires a definer, an engraver, and a specific printing method recognised as an artistic discipline.
Machine used for stamp printing, photo by Monaco Life.
The display includes cultural monuments on one side and religious buildings on the other side, with particular attention give to Fontvieille’s development, from the initial sea expansion and land reclamation through to the construction of the district’s iconic buildings.
The Museum of Stamps and Coins is located at the Terrasses de Fontvieille and is open Monday to Sunday from 9:30am to 5pm.
Captain Paul Watson doesn’t wear a cape, but he’s been called a hero. He’s also been labelled a pirate, a terrorist, a troublemaker. Sitting across from him in Monaco, however, you meet a man who is remarkably calm, reflective, and poetic. The 73-year-old has spent his life in service of the sea — chasing whalers, confronting navies, ramming illegal ships, getting arrested, and, more recently, writing poetry.
“I’ve been doing this since I was 10,” he tells me ahead of a talk at the Monaco Press Club. “That summer, I spent every day swimming with a family of beavers in New Brunswick. But the next year, they were gone. Trapped. Killed. That made me angry, so I started walking traplines, freeing animals and destroying traps. I guess I’ve been doing the same thing ever since.”
Watson’s unwavering sense of justice has been his compass ever since. As a co-founder of Greenpeace and the founder of Sea Shepherd, his legacy is filled with controversy, conviction, and results. Now, through the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, he’s continuing the fight — more focused than ever.
Aggressive Non-Violence
Watson’s split from Greenpeace in the 1970s came down to philosophy. Greenpeace, guided in part by Quaker principles, encouraged “bearing witness” but not taking action. That didn’t sit well with Watson.
“One day, during the seal campaign, a sealer was about to kill a pup. I grabbed his club, threw it in the ocean, and rescued the seal. Greenpeace said they couldn’t support what I had done. I said, ‘Well, I’d do it again.’” And so I left.
That break led to the formation of Sea Shepherd and a new strategy: “aggressive non-violence”.
“We intervene directly, but we’ve never injured anyone, never lost a lawsuit, and never been convicted of a crime. It gets confusing, though, because many of these criminal operations are supported by governments, which means there are confrontations with navies and policing agencies. But we’ve always been consistent: what we oppose is illegal. I’ve been arrested and jailed many times, but there’s nobody else who does quite what we do.”
Over the course of eight years, Captain Paul Watson and his Sea Shepherds saved over 6,500 whales and eventually drove the whalers out of the southern ocean.
“There are international regulations, but no enforcement. That’s the biggest issue. We need a global marine enforcement agency, a kind of ocean police.”
“If the oceans die, we die”
Watson’s mantra is simple, terrifying, and true: “If the oceans die, we die.” The oceans, he explains, are our life support system, and it’s failing.
“Since 1950, phytoplankton — which provides 70% of our oxygen — has declined by 40%. If we lose that, we don’t survive. The ocean is the life support system of the planet. It needs to be protected and we all have an obligation to do everything we can to protect life and diversity in the sea.”
While trying to prevent a whale hunt, Captain Paul Watson’s future was sealed. Photo credit: Todd Cravens, Unsplash
A Whale’s Eye and a Turning Point
One of the most powerful stories Watson shares is the moment that changed him forever.
“It was my first direct confrontation with whalers. We positioned ourselves between them and the whales — that standoff lasted about 20 minutes. Then they fired a harpoon over our heads. The harpoon struck one of the whales in the back, and she screamed — I never knew whales could scream like that. She rolled over in a fountain of blood, and for a moment, I thought she was going to launch herself onto our boat.
“In her final throws, I caught her eye… and what I saw there changed my life. That whale had the power to kill us — but she didn’t. She chose not to. I believe she understood what we were trying to do.”
That’s when aggressive intervention became a moral imperative.
Since then, Watson and his crew have shut down 90% of the world’s whaling operations. “Australia went from being a whaling nation to the whales’ greatest defender. That’s real change.”
A Prince, A Protest, and A Walkout in Monaco
Watson’s connection with Monaco dates back to 1997, when the International Whaling Commission held a meeting here.
“Prince Rainier invited us, and our ship docked right outside the meeting. I wasn’t allowed inside — I was banned. But then Prince Albert came aboard and gave me a personal invitation to the reception for the delegates.”
The result? The entire Japanese and Norwegian delegations walked out in protest.
Photo credit: Jonathan Xu, Unsplash
The poet behind the pirate
Watson has been arrested multiple times — in Newfoundland, the Netherlands, and most recently in Greenland in 2024, on a 14-year-old Interpol Red Notice initiated by Japan. The charge? “Conspiracy to trespass and obstruct business,” he says, “over actions where no one was hurt and nothing was stolen.” The Red Notice system, typically reserved for war criminals and drug lords, had been weaponised against an ocean activist. “They were furious about our Southern Ocean campaigns,” he adds.
He spent five months in detention, during which France, Brazil, and French Polynesia came to his defence. Even President Emmanuel Macron reached out personally. “He said I would always be safe in France, as long as I’m a resident.” Interpol eventually ruled the charges politically motivated, and Watson’s freedom was restored.
“Every situation can be used as an opportunity,” he reflects. “My arrest in Greenland brought global attention back to Japanese whaling and the killing of dolphins in the Faroe Islands.” During his time in custody, he received more than 7,000 letters and tried to answer as many as he could. He smiles, quoting Gandhi: “Going to jail is a good time to catch up on your reading and writing.” He used that time to write — not only books, but poetry. “Writing keeps me centred,” he says. “Poetry — that’s what keeps me safe.”
And as for the pirate label? “A U.S. federal judge officially called me one. I’ll take it. Pirates, after all, challenge empires.”
When Fame Becomes a Liability
In 2022, Watson was ousted from Sea Shepherd — the organisation he founded — due to growing corporate discomfort with his confrontational methods.
“Because of the success of the TV shows Whale Wars, we attracted major funding, including from insurance companies and lotteries. And suddenly, I became a liability. Too controversial. Too confrontational.”
A court later ruled his dismissal illegal, and Sea Shepherd France, Brazil, and the UK remained loyal to the philosophy of aggressive non-violence. So, Watson set up the Captain Paul Watson Foundation to continue the original mission.
Krill trawlers are now the target of Captain Paul Watson and his Foundation. Photo source: Sea Shepherd
The Foundation’s New Frontlines
With two ships now under his command, Paul Watson’s foundation continues its direct-action campaigns in hotspots around the globe — from protecting sea turtle hatchlings in Central America to confronting dolphin and whale hunts in Japan and the Faroe Islands.
But his most urgent fight now lies in the Southern Ocean.
“We saved the whales in the Southern Ocean, but now they’re being threatened by these krill harvesters,” he says. “They’re pulling out 650,000 tonnes a year — the base of the food chain for whales, penguins, seals — and turning it into a cheap protein paste for salmon farms and chicken feed. It’s just another case of exploitation of all living things in the ocean for the purpose of making money.”
Watson plans to bring the issue to COP30 in Brazil, backed by President Lula, as his Foundation pushes to make krill trawling a defining battleground in ocean conservation.
Captain Paul Watson during the Monaco Press Club event on Wednesday 9th October. Photo source: Monaco Press Club
Legacy and imagination
When asked what he hopes his legacy will be, he hesitates. “I’ve never really thought about it. It’s not for me to define.”
But he smiles as he recalls some of the people who’ve crewed for him — over 5,000 volunteers in total. “One of my crew, Alex Pacheco, was 18 when he joined us. After our campaign against the pirate whaler Sierra, he told me he wanted to do something about the way chimpanzees were treated in labs. I told him, ‘Then do it.’ He went home, infiltrated a lab, exposed the cruelty, shut it down, and founded PETA. That’s the point — to inspire people to act.”
He pauses before adding quietly:
“The strength of an ecosystem is in diversity. The strength of a movement is, too. Real change comes from individuals who are inspired by passion, courage, and imagination. That’s what changes things, not governments.
“So if you see something that you really love – an ecosystem or a species – in danger, then do something about it. You really can make a difference.”
Stade Louis II is set to receive a fresh red and white colour scheme as part of its current refurbishment works, the government confirmed.
During a National Council meeting on Tuesday evening, Minister of State Christophe Mirmand disclosed that Prince Albert II has chosen a mosaic featuring red and white seats distributed across all areas of the ground. The red seating will also include a gradient effect.
A notable addition will see supporter sections and general admission areas fitted with retractable seats. This will allow spectators to either stand during football matches, similar to traditional supporter sections in other European stadiums, or sit for other sporting events such as the Herculis athletics meeting.
With the initial stage of renovation work now underway, the new seating will be fitted progressively as each phase of the project advances. The entire renovation is scheduled for completion by May 2027.
