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Month: February 2026

The hottest June ever, a new all-time high and barely any winter — IMSEE’s 2025 weather report is out

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/02/2026

June was the hottest on record. The summer ranked third hottest in history. A new all-time temperature record was set in August. And winter did not bother showing up until mid-November. The data published Wednesday by IMSEE confirms what most residents already suspected — 2025 was no ordinary year.

The Principality’s annual weather report puts an average temperature of 18.1°C on the year — 1.3°C above the long-term climate normal, and enough to make 2025 the second warmest year since meteorological observations began in 1969. Only 2022 was hotter.

A summer to remember — for the wrong reasons

Within an already exceptional summer — the third hottest on record, behind only 2022 and 2003 — June stood entirely apart. With an average temperature of 24.8°C, it was the warmest June ever recorded in Monaco, sitting 3.3°C above normal. Two prolonged heatwaves followed: the first from 28th June to 4th July, and the second — more intense — striking from 9th to 17th August, peaking at 35.7°C on 16th August. That figure broke Monaco’s all-time temperature record, surpassing even the extreme set the previous summer.

Winter that never really came

Temperatures ran above normal for much of the year, with minimum temperature records broken in both January and February. Autumn stayed mild, and the first genuinely winter-like conditions did not arrive until mid-November. December closed the year as it had largely begun — quietly, warmly, with little sign of the season it was supposed to be.

The longer trend is equally telling. Since the early 1970s, each decade in Monaco has recorded a higher average temperature than the one before. The 2021-2025 period continued that pattern, and 2025’s figures suggest nothing is changing.

Less sun, more rain days — but less rain

One of the more counterintuitive findings is the relationship between sunshine and rainfall. Despite the heat, 2025 was a notably less sunny year, recording just 1,953 hours of sunshine against a recent average of around 2,500. The reduction was sharpest in July and August, where direct sunlight fell more than 60% below what is normally recorded in those months.

At the same time, the Principality logged 67 rainy days — four more than normal — yet total rainfall of 644mm represented a deficit of 23% below the reference normal. It rained more often, but with less force. Heavy rainfall was concentrated in January and March before a deficit took hold, with a particularly dry autumn — especially October — pulling down the annual total.

Wind gusts exceeded 60 km/h on 34 days throughout the year, with the strongest gust of 95.8 km/h recorded on 21st March at the Oceanographic Museum weather station.

The full IMSEE Weather Focus report is available at imsee.mc.

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Main photo credit: Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life

 

Key points from President Donald Trump’s record-long State of the Union address

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/02/2026

Donald Trump stood before a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night and delivered the longest State of the Union address in history — clocking in at just over 108 minutes — a sprawling, combative speech that mixed economic self-congratulation with sharp attacks on Democrats, strong foreign policy rhetoric, and a series of symbolic moments that drew both standing ovations and vocal protests from the chamber floor.

“Our nation is back — bigger, better, richer and stronger than ever before,” Trump declared at the outset, framing his presidency as the dawn of what he called “the golden age of America.” The address carried a strong midterm election feel throughout, with the president clearly focused on making the case to voters ahead of November’s congressional contests.

Economy and domestic policy

The economy dominated the first half of the speech. Trump pointed to stock market records — the Dow Jones Industrial Average topped 50,000 for the first time earlier this month — and claimed inflation was falling and incomes rising. He announced a new retirement savings initiative under which the government would match contributions of up to $1,000 for workers, and touted his One Big Beautiful Bill Act as a landmark piece of economic legislation.

He also called for a ban on stock trading by members of Congress and their families — a rare moment that drew applause from both sides of the aisle, prompting Trump to remark, “I’m very impressed.” The bipartisanship did not last long. When heckling continued, Trump turned on his critics directly, declaring, “You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Immigration and crime

Trump reiterated his hardline stance on border security and immigration enforcement, a central pillar of his presidency since returning to office. He promised continued efforts to crack down on fraud, with pointed references to California, and framed immigration enforcement as essential to public safety — despite polling showing that political independents are increasingly uncomfortable with the administration’s aggressive tactics.

Foreign policy and military honours

On the world stage, Trump struck a combative tone toward Iran, warning of nuclear threats and signalling that military options remained on the table. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe had briefed congressional leaders on Iran just hours before the address.

The chamber erupts

The evening was not without drama. Representative Al Green of Texas was escorted out of the chamber near the start of the address after waving a sign, while Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib interrupted Trump’s speech by calling out at him. One of Omar’s guests was later arrested by Capitol Police for allegedly disrupting proceedings.

On the lighter side, members of the US men’s Olympic ice hockey team received a rousing standing ovation when Trump gave them a shoutout, with chants of “USA” erupting across the chamber. Trump also announced he would award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to gold medal goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

The Democratic response

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger delivered the Democratic rebuttal, accusing Trump of lying and scapegoating and offering “no real solutions” to the country’s challenges. She argued that his tariff policies had made life less affordable for Americans and criticised cuts to food programmes.

The broader political backdrop was difficult for the president. A new NPR/PBS/Marist poll shows that six in ten Americans believe the country is worse off than last year, and a majority say the state of the union is not strong. Whether Tuesday night’s address moves those numbers will become clear in the weeks ahead.

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Photo credit: Brandon Day, Unsplash

 

MSR Jbonet: The firm behind Monaco’s most familiar places

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
25/02/2026

Most people rarely notice the furniture around them – the reception counters at a hospital, the dividers in a school corridor, the seating in a conference hall. And yet these elements quietly shape our daily lives.

In Monaco, one family-run business has been furnishing and fitting out Monaco’s public and private spaces for over 50 years. MSR Jbonet has contributed to projects like the Grimaldi Forum, which it furnished when the building opened and for which it later supplied part of the extension works.

The firm has also installed glazed partitioning systems at the British School of Monaco as the campus expanded, and carried out office fit-outs for the Monaco Red Cross, alongside projects for banks and private clients in the Principality.

Built for performance, not display

More recently, the company has been involved in supplying furniture for the New Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace (NCHPG), continuing a relationship with the hospital that spans more than a decade. The current work includes office furniture, reception areas, staff lockers and counters.

“It has to be robust, very resistant, with a fairly classic design and materials that can stand the test of time,” said administrator Gilles Benhamou, referring to the specific requirements of hospital environments. In such settings, durability and practicality take precedence, with furniture subject to constant use.

Different sectors, different needs

Of course, the demands differ depending on the sector. In schools such as the British School of Monaco, glazed dividers have been used to create flexible spaces while maintaining light and visibility.

Meanwhile, in commercial settings such as banks and offices, aesthetic and functional requirements shift again. Banking projects may call for more decorative materials, while modern office environments have evolved with hybrid working patterns and dense layouts.

Clients increasingly request enclosed booths, informal meeting areas and multipurpose staff kitchens, often with integrated power and connectivity built directly into furnishings.

Each project, Benhamou said, begins with understanding the brief. “The first job is to understand what the client or the architect is looking for. Then we adapt and propose solutions that match the project.”

Now, while all these fit-puts remain largely unnoticed by those who use them, they play a vital role in the daily running of Monaco’s public and professional spaces

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life

It’s confirmed: Pope Leo XIV will make historic first papal visit to Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/02/2026

Monaco is preparing for one of the most significant moments in its modern history. Pope Leo XIV will make an Apostolic Visit to the Principality on Saturday 28th March — the first visit by a sitting pope to Monaco in the modern era.

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene will welcome the Holy Father to the Principality in what the Princely Palace, in a communiqué issued Wednesday, described as an occasion that will “mark a historic moment for Monaco and stand as a strong sign of hope, in a spirit of dialogue, peace, and shared responsibility.”

The last time a pope passed through Monaco was in 1802 — and even then, it was not a visit in any meaningful sense. The cortege carrying the body of Pope Pius VI passed through the Principality on its way back to Rome. More than two centuries later, a reigning pontiff will set foot in Monaco for the first time.

How the visit came about

The Apostolic Visit follows an invitation extended by Prince Albert II to Pope Leo XIV during a private meeting at the Vatican on 17th January. The Archbishop of Monaco, Dominique-Marie David, extended a parallel invitation — reflecting, the Palace noted, “both the institutional and pastoral dimensions of this event”.

This is not simply a diplomatic exchange between two sovereign states, though Monaco and the Holy See share historic and longstanding relations. It is also a pastoral visit to a Catholic nation — and the Palace was explicit about what that means. “As a sovereign State in which the Catholic, Apostolic and Roman religion is enshrined in the Constitution, the Principality of Monaco draws from this spiritual heritage a fundamental element of its identity, unity, and institutional continuity, while embracing a dynamic of openness and adaptation to the contemporary world,” the communiqué read.

The visit, the Palace added, “reflects the enduring bonds linking the Grimaldi dynasty to the Roman Pontiffs, as well as the historic and trusted diplomatic relations between Monaco and the Holy See.”

What it means for Monaco

For a Principality of Monaco’s size, a papal visit is an event of extraordinary weight. The Grimaldi dynasty’s bonds with the Roman pontiffs stretch back centuries, and the Catholic faith has been woven into the fabric of Monegasque public life since the founding of the state. That no sitting pope has made a formal visit in the modern era makes the announcement all the more remarkable.

The visit also carries meaning well beyond Monaco’s borders. Pope Leo XIV arrives in a spirit the Palace has explicitly framed around dialogue and peace — values that resonate at a moment when the world is in particular need of both.

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Main photo of Prince Albert and Pope Leo at the Vatican in January 2026, credit: Vatican Media

Drop everything – the world’s funniest wildlife photos are here and open for a public vote

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/02/2026

There is a frog in a headlock. A family of lions in hysterics. And somewhere in the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards’ 2025 finalist collection, there is almost certainly an animal doing something so perfectly, absurdly human that you will stop scrolling and laugh out loud before you have even registered what you are looking at.

That is entirely the point.

Founded in 2015 by wildlife photographer Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE from a small office on the slopes of Mount Meru in Tanzania, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has grown into one of the most watched photography competitions in the world — and one of the most quietly effective conservation platforms around. The public vote for this year’s finalists closes on 1st March, and it is well worth five minutes of your time.

‘Fonzies Advertising’ by Liliana Luca, Comedy Wildlife

Why funny works

The premise is deceptively simple. A funny animal photograph has no barriers — no difficult imagery to process, no statistics to absorb, no guilt to navigate. What it does have is an immediate, instinctive pull. You look longer. You look again. You wonder what the animal was thinking. And in that moment of connection, something shifts.

“Issues of wildlife conservation and sustainability are gaining momentum globally, yet the messages and images tend to be negative, depressing and enervating,” says Joynson-Hicks. The Comedy Wildlife Awards exist as a direct response to that — using humour and anthropomorphism, one of the most powerful triggers for human empathy, to bring people closer to the animals and habitats that need their attention.

‘Just can’t wait to be king’ by Bret Saalwaechter, Comedy Wildlife

The results speak for themselves. Each year the competition receives thousands of entries from photographers around the world, generates global media coverage, and reaches an audience that might never engage with a conventional conservation campaign. Co-founder Tom Sullam and Michelle Wood, who joined the team in 2017, have helped build it into a genuine fixture on the international photography calendar.

This year’s finalists

The 2025 finalists are everything you would expect — animal expressions that range from indignant to bewildered, situations that could only have been captured by a photographer in exactly the right place at exactly the right moment, and a handful of images that are simply impossible to look at without smiling. These are photographs you return to, share, and remember.

The public vote is open now at comedywildlifephoto.com and closes on 1st March. Entry to the competition itself is free, with photographers able to submit up to ten images across portfolio and category entries each year.

Monaco knows the power of this idea

The concept of using photography to connect people with the natural world is one that resonates here in Monaco. The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation runs its own Environmental Photography Awards each year, with the winning and shortlisted images displayed along the Larvotto promenade — turning one of the Principality’s most walked stretches of coastline into an open-air gallery dedicated to the beauty and fragility of the planet.

Both competitions understand the same truth: that a powerful image does what statistics cannot. It makes you feel something. And feeling something, as any conservationist will tell you, is where change begins.

Vote for your favourite Comedy Wildlife finalist at comedywildlifephoto.com before 1st March.

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Main photo: ‘Now which direction is my nest’ by Alison Tuck, Comedy Wildlife

 

Opéra de Monte-Carlo celebrates double win at the 2026 Oper! Awards

by: Cassandra Tanti
25/02/2026

The Opéra de Monte-Carlo has taken two of the top prizes at the 2026 Oper! Awards, with Cecilia Bartoli named Best Production and Gianluca Capuano recognised as Best Conductor.

Cecilia Bartoli, who serves as both Director of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo and Artistic Director of the Salzburg Whitsun Festival, was honoured for Hotel Metamorphosis — an inventive pastiche weaving Vivaldi arias together with Ovid’s Metamorphoses, presented in Salzburg last year. The award reflects the critical attention the production attracted across the opera world since its premiere.

Gianluca Capuano, principal conductor of Les Musiciens du Prince – Monaco, claimed the Best Conductor prize in recognition of his work on the same Vivaldi pastiche as well as his direction of Das Rheingold, which was presented at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo in January 2025.

Gianluca Capuano, principal conductor of Les Musiciens du Prince – Monaco, claimed the Best Conductor prize. Photo credit: Sylvain Guillot, Opera de Monte Carlo

The double recognition is a significant moment for Monaco’s opera house and the artistic community it has built around it, and confirms the international standing of both its leadership and its resident ensemble.

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Photo of Cecilia Bartoli, credit: Sylvain Guillot, Opera de Monte Carlo