Monaco’s government is encouraging residents to get vaccinated against seasonal flu as the epidemic reaches the Principality ahead of the year-end holiday period.
The Princely Government stresses that flu vaccination helps reduce the risk of severe forms, complications and transmission, particularly among vulnerable populations including those over 65, people with chronic conditions, those with obesity, and pregnant women.
Barrier measures remain essential
Health authorities remind residents of simple but effective barrier measures to limit virus transmission, including regular hand washing, frequent ventilation of enclosed spaces, wearing masks when symptomatic, using disposable tissues, and avoiding close contact with vulnerable people when ill.
Vaccination access
Vaccines adapted to circulating strains are available at all pharmacies in the Principality. Residents can be vaccinated directly at pharmacies or obtain the vaccine and arrange administration through their general practitioner or a nurse.
Flu vaccination is covered for social security beneficiaries in Monaco.
Monaco Town Hall celebrated a breakthrough year for the Principality’s tennis on Thursday 11th December, honouring five players whose achievements have rewritten the record books. Mayor Georges Marsan presented medals to Valentin Vacherot, Lucas Catarina, Benjamin Balleret, Hugo Nys and Romain Arneodo—a group that includes the lowest-ranked player ever to win a Masters 1000 title and the first Monegasque to claim an ATP singles trophy.
The ceremony, attended by Mélanie-Antoinette de Massy, President of both the Monaco Tennis Federation and the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, recognised performances that have elevated Monaco to 44th place out of 161 countries in Davis Cup rankings—a remarkable achievement for one of the world’s smallest nations.
Vacherot’s Shanghai sensation
Valentin Vacherot’s October victory at the Shanghai Masters stands as one of the most extraordinary stories in ATP Tour history. Ranked world number 204 and not even in the qualifying draw initially, Vacherot fought through nine consecutive wins to claim the title, defeating Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and his cousin Arthur Rinderknech in an emotional all-family final.
The 26-year-old became the lowest-ranked Masters 1000 champion in history (since 1990), rocketing from 204th to 40th in the rankings and earning more prize money in two weeks ($1.1 million) than his entire previous career combined. He went on to win ATP Breakthrough of the Year, voted by members of the No. 1 Club—former and current world number ones.
“I don’t even understand why I’m sitting here right now. It’s crazy,” Vacherot said after his triumph. “When I landed here, I wasn’t even supposed to play the tournament.”
His Shanghai run included victories over top-20 players Alexander Bublik, Holger Rune, and Tomas Machac before stunning four-time champion Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 in the semi-finals—Monaco’s first-ever top-10 win.
Doubles dominance
Hugo Nys continues to build on his historic achievements as Monaco’s leading doubles player. In 2025, partnering with French veteran Édouard Roger-Vasselin, he reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open as the 15th seeds. The pair defeated Tomas Machac and Zhizhen Zhang 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the round of 16 before falling to eventual champions and reigning Wimbledon winners Harri Heliövaara and Henry Patten 6-3, 7-5 in the quarter-finals. Roger-Vasselin, aged 41, brought two Grand Slam titles to the partnership—the 2014 French Open men’s doubles and the 2024 French Open mixed doubles.
Nys carved his own piece of Monaco tennis history in 2023 when he won the Rome Masters 1000 doubles title with partner Jan Zielinski, defeating Botic van de Zandschulp and Robin Haase 7-5, 6-1. The victory made him the first Monegasque player ever to win an ATP Masters 1000 title, reaching a career-high ranking of world number 12 in doubles.
He also became the first Monegasque to reach a Grand Slam final, finishing runner-up at the 2023 Australian Open. His sustained excellence at the highest level has established Monaco as a serious doubles force on the ATP Tour.
Romain Arneodo matched his compatriot’s Masters 1000 success by winning the Monte-Carlo doubles title in 2025, reaching a career-high 38th in doubles rankings. Arneodo previously won the 2019 Los Cabos Open with Nys, establishing a partnership that has brought multiple titles to the Principality.
Family affair
Benjamin Balleret, who reached a career-high 135th in doubles and made the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000 quarter-finals, now serves as Vacherot’s coach. The family connection runs deeper—Balleret is Vacherot’s half-brother, whilst Rinderknech, Vacherot’s Shanghai final opponent, is their cousin. All three attended Texas A&M University together, where they were teammates.
Lucas Catarina, who reached 341st in singles rankings, announced his retirement as a player in 2025 after years representing Monaco in Davis Cup competition.
Recognition and gratitude
“It is natural and legitimate to present you with this medal today, which symbolises the recognition of an entire city and country,” Mayor Marsan told the players during Thursday’s ceremony. The work of de Massy and the entire Monaco delegation in developing the Principality’s tennis infrastructure was also acknowledged.
Deputy Mayors Camille Svara, Marjorie Crovetto, Jacques Pastor and Karyn Ardisson-Salopek attended alongside Municipal Councillors Georges Gambarini and Nathalie Vaccarezza, and Arnaud Giusti, Head of Sports and Associations. The coaching team of Guillaume Couillard, Julien Wahl, Antoine Felipe and Thomas Drocourt were also present.
The ceremony celebrated not just individual achievements but Monaco’s emergence as a tennis nation capable of competing—and winning—at the sport’s highest level.
Monaco’s hotels and restaurants have unveiled their Christmas menus for 2025, with options ranging from rooftop celebrations to Michelin-starred dinners.
The Fairmont Monte Carlo’s rooftop restaurant Amù presents its Christmas brunch on December 25th from 12:30pm to 4:00pm, transforming the space into an elegant winter garden overlooking the Mediterranean. The brunch features a buffet including seafood, homemade terrines, roasted meats, Bellevue fish, mature cheeses and chocolate yule logs, with champagne served throughout. Entertainment designed for children accompanies the meal. The brunch is priced at €225 per person, with reservations recommended.
The Fairmont is offering the experience as part of its Magical Christmas Escape package for guests seeking an extended festive stay.
Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer offerings
The resort group’s properties present varied Christmas dining options across December 24th and 25th.
At Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Le Grill offers a Christmas Eve dinner at €390 per person and Christmas lunch at €410 per person. La Salle Empire hosts a Christmas buffet lunch at €370 per person, including half a bottle of wine.
Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo features multiple venues. L’Abysse presents a Christmas Eve omakase menu at €450 per person, with wine pairing available for €200. Pavyllon Monte-Carlo offers a six-course Christmas Eve dinner with champagne at €350 per person. The Salle Belle Epoque hosts a Christmas Eve four-course dinner at €250 per adult and €130 per child, with half a bottle of champagne and coffee included. On Christmas Day, the same venue serves brunch with unlimited champagne at €260 per adult and €130 per child.
Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort’s Blue Bay Marcel Ravin serves Christmas Eve dinner at €420 per person with half a bottle of champagne. The Espace Calypso presents Christmas brunch with unlimited champagne at €260 per person.
Café de Paris Monte-Carlo offers Christmas Eve dinner at €180 per adult and €90 per child, with champagne. Christmas lunch features menu options and Christmas specialities.
The Casino de Monte-Carlo’s Salon Rose provides Christmas dining in an intimate setting with sea views on both December 24th and 25th.
GAIA Monte Carlo
GAIA and NYX Monte Carlo
Open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and throughout the festive period through to New Year’s Eve, GAIA and NYX Monte Carlo invites guests to capture the spirit of an elegant and timeless holiday season. From refined dining upstairs at GAIA to exceptional cocktails and the infectious atmosphere downstairs at the NYX lounge bar, every visit promises a memorable and celebratory evening.
After exploring the Christmas markets or soaking up the seaside charm, step into GAIA’s bright and airy interiors adorned with pine foliage, plush red accents, and glowing festive lights that deliver ambient Mediterranean winter charm.
Celebrating the bounty of the land and sea, the Christmas menu features GAIA signatures as well as seasonal specials. Highlights include whole seabream carpaccio paired with infused oils and lemon, and the roasted whole chicken truffle with wine sauce and shaved black truffle. The restaurant’s popular dessert features a tower of frozen yoghurt with honey and caramelised walnuts.
On Christmas Eve, lunch is available from 12pm to 2pm and dinner from 7pm to 11pm. On Christmas Day, dining is available from 12pm to 4:30pm.
Robuchon Monaco’s festive programme
Robuchon Monaco has created a series of holiday celebrations extending from Christmas Day through the following weekend. The restaurant presents a Christmas lunch on December 25th featuring festive classics including semi-cooked foie gras, lobster with caviar, white truffle, roast poultry, beef fillet, turbot and traditional desserts.
The celebration continues with Christmas brunches on December 26th, 27th and 28th in a convivial atmosphere. The brunch menu includes oysters, lobster, foie gras, mature cheeses, Christmas yule logs and champagne served freely throughout.
Robuchon Monaco also offers Christmas hampers featuring foie gras, champagne, chocolate truffles, panettone and other delicacies for gifting or personal use, along with an exclusive takeaway collection of complete Christmas meals designed to deliver restaurant-quality dining at home.
Family-focused celebrations
Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo hosts Christmas tea parties in the Salle Belle Epoque from December 20th to 23rd, 3pm to 6pm, with Father Christmas in attendance. The events are priced at €100 per adult and €50 per child.
Meanwhile, Marlow presents its Christmas Tea Party for families and friends seeking festive refreshments in a warm atmosphere.
A Monaco court sentenced a 24-year-old Finnish man to five years in prison on Tuesday 16th December for causing a fatal crash that killed two International University of Monaco students two years ago to the day. Mirco P. was convicted of involuntary manslaughter (homicide involontaire) and involuntary causing of injuries (blessures involontaires).
The sentence came exactly two years after the accident in the Millennium Tunnel at the exit of the Principality, which claimed the lives of Dilara Akhundova, 19, from Azerbaijan, and Ayana, 19, from Kazakhstan, whilst seriously injuring two other passengers.
The incident
On 17th December 2023 at around 4:30am, Mirco P. was driving his Audi RS4 with four classmates as passengers after leaving the Twiga nightclub. The group was headed to an after-party in Cap-d’Ail.
According to France 3, the driver displayed a blood alcohol level of 1.87 grams per litre. Expert analysis determined the vehicle struck the tunnel wall at 107 kilometres per hour, with some estimates placing the speed at 110 km/h as the driver accelerated approaching the Millennium Tunnel.
France 3 reports that Mirco P. had disabled the front seatbelt, where Dilara was seated. She died at the scene. Ayana succumbed to her injuries several days later.
Sentencing and victim impact
According to Monaco Matin, the sentence fell below Attorney General Mathias Marchand’s request for six years — the maximum penalty.
France 3 reports that Vugar Akhundov, Dilara’s father, was relieved at the verdict after two years of seeking justice. “Today, we are here to ensure that Monaco is not only a beautiful place, but also a place where the law is respected,” he told France 3.
Akhundov said that he had seen Mirco P. multiple times in Monaco over the two years. “It was extremely painful to see that he was living as if nothing had happened,” he said.
According to France 3, the defendant never contacted the victims’ families throughout the proceedings. “He didn’t even try to approach us to offer condolences, apologies… Nothing. We received nothing,” Akhundov said. The defence attorney noted during the hearing that his client had sent a letter to the victims’ families during the investigation, Monaco Matin reports.
Court proceedings
Monaco Matin reports that whilst the defendant expressed remorse at the hearing, he made several clumsy statements. “I know that I have the greatest share of responsibility but everyone, that evening, made the decision on their own to get into the vehicle,” he initially said, to the amazement of those present.
When given the final word, the young man changed his statement, according to Monaco Matin. “I am 100% responsible for everything. I want everyone to know how sorry I am,” he concluded.
Family members delivered poignant testimony during the hearing. France 3 reports that Ayana’s grandmother, a native of Kazakhstan, stated: “For me, he’s a killer. In the hands of this person, his steering wheel was a weapon.”
Vugar Akhundov told the media: “Human life had no value for him. I would like to tell him: you continue your life as if nothing happened, but you stopped those of two other people. What do you think about that? Is that acceptable to you? Can you live with that on your conscience for the rest of your days?”
Additional penalties
Mirco P. is also banned from driving in the Principality for five years. The question of compensation for the civil parties has been postponed to 30th January 2026.
Spoiler alert: This article discusses the outcome of the case featured in the documentary.
Netflix releases Murder in Monaco on Wednesday 17th December, exploring one of the Principality’s most perplexing tragedies. The documentary revisits the night of 3rd December 1999, when a simple plan to stage a heroic rescue went catastrophically wrong, killing billionaire banker Edmond Safra and nurse Vivian Torrente in his fortified penthouse.
What makes the case particularly strange is that Safra died not from the fire itself, but from a series of fatal misunderstandings. The 67-year-old financier had sold his banking empire to HSBC for $10.3 billion just months earlier and lived in one of Monaco’s most secure buildings. Yet he would die trapped in his own safe room, refusing to open the door to the firefighters who had come to rescue him.
A rescue gone wrong
Ted Maher, a former Green Beret turned nurse, had only recently joined Safra’s care team when he devised what he later described as a plan to secure his job. Fearing dismissal due to tensions with other staff, Maher stabbed himself and set fire to a wastepaper basket, intending to trigger a smoke alarm and then “rescue” his employer.
The fire spread faster than anticipated. When Maher told his colleague Vivian Torrente about supposed intruders, she and Safra locked themselves in a reinforced bathroom. Maher’s lie about armed intruders created a cascade of delays—police searched for non-existent attackers whilst firefighters were held back, fearing a hostage situation.
Safra and Torrente, convinced that intruders were still in the apartment, refused to leave their sanctuary even as firefighters pleaded through the door. By the time emergency services reached them—several hours after the first alarm—both had died from smoke inhalation in what was supposed to be their refuge.
Security paradox
Monaco, known for extensive surveillance and low crime, should have been impervious to such an incident. Safra employed guards reportedly trained by Mossad, yet none of his security team was on duty that night. The very security measures meant to protect him—the reinforced bathroom, the elaborate protocols—became the instruments of his death.
Maher confessed three days later. Monaco’s Criminal Court convicted him of arson causing death in November 2002, sentencing him to 10 years. He served eight before his release in October 2007.
Conspiracies and credibility
Despite the conviction, alternative theories persist. Safra had alerted FBI and Swiss authorities in 1998 about suspicious Russian money movements and co-founded Hermitage Capital Management, later central to the Sergei Magnitsky affair.
Maher maintains his innocence, claiming he was coerced into confessing. His credibility suffered significantly when he was convicted in 2025 of plotting to murder his wife through a paid hitman—another scheme that unravelled.
The Netflix documentary, directed by Hodges Usry, features interviews with journalists, legal experts and Lady Colin Campbell, who wrote a controversial novel allegedly based on Safra’s widow. Murder in Monaco begins streaming on 17th December, examining a case where nearly everything that could go wrong, did.
Prince Albert II completed a visit to the Ardennes department on Saturday, accompanied by Princess Caroline of Hanover, honouring invitations from the communes of Arnicourt and Château-Porcien that had been postponed eight months earlier. The Prince had been forced to curtail his April visit to the region to attend the papal funeral but remained determined to return at the earliest opportunity.
The visit reflects the Principality’s deep historical connections to the region. The duchy of Rethel, which covered a significant portion of the current Ardennes department, passed through several major European dynasties including Burgundy, Albret, Foix, Clèves and Gonzaga of Mantua before being renamed the duchy of Mazarin in 1663 for the cardinal’s nephew.
Grimaldi family connection
The territory was transmitted to the Grimaldi family through the 1777 marriage of Louise d’Aumont-Mazarin to the future Prince Honoré IV. The title Prince of Château-Porcien remains among the historical titles held by Monaco’s princes.
The Prince and Princess were received in Arnicourt by Christian Chassaing, prefect of the department, Noël Bourgeois, president of the Departmental Council, and Thomas Samyn, the commune’s mayor. They unveiled a sign at the town entrance marking its membership in the network of Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco, followed by a ceremony at the town hall.
Princess Caroline joined her brother Prince Albert II for the official visit. Photo credit: Frederic Nebinger, Prince’s Palace
Church restoration and community engagement
The morning continued with a visit to the Church of Saint-Thibault in Château-Porcien, where Mayor Didier Simon presented a restored antique painting funded through the Prince’s patronage. An official address and meeting with local residents followed in the Wilbault hall.
The visit forms part of Prince Albert’s regular programme of visits to locations historically linked to his family and the Principality. These trips maintain connections between Monaco and regions that formed part of the Grimaldi family’s broader territorial holdings across centuries.
The Grimaldi family’s territorial reach extended well beyond the Mediterranean coast during various periods, with holdings and titles across France and Italy reflecting the dynasty’s complex historical position within European nobility and politics.
