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Day: 12 March 2026

Prince Albert II and the Commonwealth are joining forces to save the world’s oceans

by: Cassandra Tanti
12/03/2026

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Commonwealth Secretariat have announced a partnership to accelerate ocean conservation across Commonwealth nations in Asia and the Pacific, with the initiative unveiled on the sidelines of Commonwealth Day in London.

The collaboration will be delivered through the Commonwealth Blue Charter Project Incubator, which provides grants of up to £50,000 to help Commonwealth countries develop early-stage ocean conservation projects. The Foundation will direct its support specifically towards projects in Asia and the Pacific — regions the Commonwealth Secretary-General described as already deeply affected by sea-level rise.

The partnership advances the goals of the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration, unanimously adopted at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in 2024, which called for the restoration, protection and sustainable use of the world’s oceans. One third of the world’s ocean under national jurisdiction lies within Commonwealth waters.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey said the partnership showed what could be achieved through collective action. “The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation will help us strengthen our support to member countries while also deepening our collective investment in ocean conservation,” she said. “The need to restore, preserve and protect marine and coastal environments has never been greater.”

Romain Ciarlet, Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, said the Incubator represented the kind of collaborative approach the ocean crisis demands. “By fostering collaboration and innovation among governments, partners and conservation leaders, this incubator plays a key role in advancing solutions that protect and restore marine ecosystems while ensuring a viable future for all,” he said.

How the Incubator works

Grants are directed across five priority areas: reducing marine pollution, ecosystem restoration, the blue economy, sustainable fisheries, and the ocean-climate nexus. A central aim of the initiative is to leverage investment beyond the grants themselves, while placing indigenous peoples, local communities, youth and gender-marginalised groups at the centre of ocean governance. Projects are designed to build partnerships between local communities, civil society organisations and Commonwealth governments.

The next call for Incubator grants will open in the coming quarter.

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Photo of Prince Albert II with Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Botchwey. Source: Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

VistaJet owner orders 40 Bombardier jets in major fleet expansion

by: Cassandra Tanti
12/03/2026

Vista, the Dubai-headquartered private aviation group that operates VistaJet, has agreed to purchase 40 Bombardier Challenger 3500 aircraft, with options for a further 120, in one of the largest fleet deals the private aviation sector has seen in recent years.

Deliveries begin in 2026 and will be phased over up to 10 years. The agreement consolidates Vista’s super-midsize aircraft operations onto a single platform, standardising the onboard experience for clients regardless of where they fly.

A year of strong growth

The deal follows what the company describes as another year of double-digit growth. Its subscription-based Programme membership grew by 12% in 2025, with flight hours up 16% year-on-year. Growth was recorded across all regions, with the Middle East up 32%, Africa up 30% and Asia up 22% — outpacing the group’s more established markets in the US and Europe, which grew 11% and 15% respectively.

Thomas Flohr, Founder and Chairman of Vista, said the order reflected long-term planning rather than a response to short-term demand. “We are continuing to build the fleet our Members will rely on over the next decade — not reacting to short-term cycles, but investing with clarity, scale and discipline,” he said.

The Challenger 3500 has been a central aircraft in Vista’s fleet strategy, chosen in part for its cabin technology, which includes voice-controlled systems, redesigned interiors and Nuage zero-gravity seating.

Vista operates across 96% of the world’s countries through its VistaJet and XO brands, and employs more than 4,000 people globally.

See also: 

Exclusive interview: Thomas Flohr, the man who made flying private look effortless

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Main photo source: VistaJet

 

Monaco crèche workers to strike on Friday over holiday entitlement dispute

by: Cassandra Tanti
12/03/2026

Childcare workers at Monaco’s municipal crèches are set to strike on Friday 13th March, following a dispute over a request for additional leave, with the Mairie warning that some facilities may be forced to close depending on the number of staff who take part.

The strike was announced by the Syndicat des Agents de l’État et de la Commune (SAEC) in a letter to Mayor Georges Marsan on the evening of Tuesday 10th March. The action stems from a request made by childcare auxiliaries at the end of 2025 for five additional days of annual leave in recognition of the physically and emotionally demanding nature of their work.

The Commune’s response

Mayor Marsan met union representatives and childcare workers on Wednesday, accompanied by deputy mayor Chloé Boscagli, delegate for early childhood and family services, along with senior municipal officials. The Mairie de Monaco later issued a statement, saying that Mayor Marsan expressed frustration that the strike had been called without first requesting a meeting with the relevant department or with himself directly.

The Mayor said working hours and leave entitlements for municipal staff are set by law and determined by the Prince’s Government according to employment category. Childcare auxiliaries currently work 37.5 hours per week and receive 27 days of annual leave — terms he said are in line with the statute governing municipal employees, last amended on 16th November 2022.

Improvements already made

The Mairie used the statement to set out a series of measures it says have been taken in recent years to improve working conditions for childcare staff. These include strengthening staffing levels across crèches, maintaining a pool of nine substitute workers to cover daily absences, recruiting additional staff to care for children with individual care protocols, and introducing an annual training programme.

The municipality also pointed to investment in facilities, including new crèche buildings at Testimonio, Honoria and the Jardin d’éveil, as well as renovation work at older sites including the crèches in Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo and Roseraie. A change to intake policy — limiting new child admissions to three periods a year in September, January and April — was also cited as a measure designed to reduce pressure on staff.

Families to be contacted

Mayor Marsan and members of the municipality council said they were surprised by the decision to strike without prior consultation, and called on workers to honour their professional commitments, noting that the welfare of young children remains a priority for the Commune.

Families with children enrolled at municipal crèches will be contacted directly by crèche management ahead of Friday. The early childhood services department says it is doing everything possible to keep facilities open on the day.

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Photo: Creche Honoria, source Mairie de Monaco

 

St Patrick’s Day comes to Yacht Club de Monaco with a night of Irish food and live music

by: Cassandra Tanti
12/03/2026

The Yacht Club de Monaco will host a St Patrick’s Day celebration on the evening of Thursday 17th March, with live music, an Irish chef at the helm and a dress code that leaves little room for doubt — no green, no luck.

The event, organised by Iconic Events MC under the High Patronage of Prince Albert II, is themed “The Shamrock of Hercules” and runs from 19:30 to 01:00. Irish chef Aidan Noctor will oversee the food, while the evening’s entertainment comes from live performers Jordan O’Keefe and Seo Linn, alongside DJ Ois Bosh.

Tickets are priced at €300 per person. Monaco Life readers can use the code MCLIFE at checkout for a 10% discount. To access your ticket, click here.

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Photo by Monaco Life