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Month: April 2026

Monaco falls to Panathinaikos after difficult night in Athens

by: Kayla Sauceda
23/04/2026

AS Monaco Basket fell 87–79 to Panathinaikos in Athens in their EuroLeague play-in opener, delivering a performance marked by turnovers, poor shooting and a lack of rhythm throughout.

AS Monaco Basket fell 87–79 to Panathinaikos in Athens on Tuesday 21st April, missing their first opportunity to secure a EuroLeague playoff spot.

Entering the play-in matchup with a limited roster, Monaco had little margin for error against a strong Panathinaikos side on home court. From the opening quarter, the Roca Team struggled to establish any rhythm, with early issues carrying throughout the game.

Turnovers, a lack of rebounds, and disjointed ball movement quickly became defining factors. Monaco recorded 13 turnovers compared to Panathinaikos’ seven, while also struggling to control the boards. Shooting efficiency further highlighted the team’s difficulties, finishing 7-for-25 from three-point range and lacking consistency on the offensive end.

The cohesion that had started to come together toward the end of the regular season appeared absent, as Monaco failed to build momentum at any stage of the game. Despite keeping the final score relatively close, the performance itself told a different story, with the team outplayed across key areas.

Mike James led Monaco with 25 points, along with five rebounds and seven assists, but his efforts were not enough to shift the momentum.

After reaching the EuroLeague final last season, Monaco entered this year’s play-in round with ambitions of going one step further. While this loss closes their first path to qualification, the Roca Team still has one final opportunity.

They will face FC Barcelona at home on Friday 24th April in a decisive, do-or-die matchup for the final playoff spot. Monaco can take confidence from their recent win against Barcelona earlier this month but will need a significantly improved performance to keep their EuroLeague campaign alive.

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Photo credit: AS Monaco Basket

World 10,000m champion Jimmy Gressier headlines 5,000m at Herculis EBS Meeting in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/04/2026

Jimmy Gressier, world champion over 10,000 metres and Olympic bronze medallist in the 5,000m at Tokyo, has been confirmed for the 5,000m at the 2026 Herculis EBS Meeting — the tenth stop of the Diamond League — at Stade Louis II on 10th July.

The French runner enters the season as one of its standout performers. He holds the French record over 5,000 metres with 12:51.59, set in Paris in 2025, and arrived in Monaco on the back of a European 5km road record of 12:51 set in Lille in early April. A Diamond League winner, he has identified Monaco as a key fixture in his summer programme.

Gressier has a strong history with the Herculis meeting. The Boulogne-sur-Mer native set a French 5,000m record at the 2023 edition and has twice broken the European 5km record on the Monaco Run course — in 2020 and again in 2023.

The 2026 Herculis EBS Meeting takes place on 10 July at Stade Louis II.

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Photo by Monaco Life

Electro Spring Party brings Feder, Nathalie Duchene and DJ Baloo to the Grimaldi Forum on 2 May

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/04/2026

An evening of electronic music comes to the Grimaldi Forum’s Indigo venue on Saturday 2nd May, with a lineup headlined by Nice-born producer Feder, Belgian DJ Nathalie Duchene and Monaco’s own DJ Baloo.

Doors open at 9:30pm, with the programme running from 10pm to 3am. Tickets are priced at €35 for standing, €55 for seated and €25 for students and under-25s.

The lineup

Feder — born Hadrien Federiconi — made his mark in 2015 when his debut single Goodbye reached number one on iTunes in 22 countries and topped the Shazam France charts for seven consecutive weeks. A Nice-based producer, he has since established himself as one of the more intellectually rigorous figures in French electronic music, known for layering sophisticated, hypnotic sounds beneath accessible melodies. His track Lordly served as the official anthem of the World Handball Championship, and Breathe, accompanied by a video directed by British photographer Rankin, further cemented his reputation for carefully crafted production.

Belgian producer and DJ Nathalie Duchene draws on a range of influences — from the French Touch house of Stardust to Kraftwerk’s techno and the electro of Soulwax — to create a sound that moves between the brightness of disco and the deeper textures of techno.

Closing the night is DJ Baloo, a Monegasque multi-instrumentalist who began his musical education at six with the trombone before moving through electric bass, guitar and percussion. His DJ sets reflect an eclectic range of influences from hip-hop and jazz to drum and bass and classical music, with turntablism treated as a serious instrument rather than a backdrop.

The event takes place at Indigo, Grimaldi Forum Monaco, on 2nd May from 10pm to 3am. On-site parking is available at night rates. Entry is restricted to those aged 18 and over, or minors accompanied by an adult.

See also: 

‘Mona in Monaco’: new electronic music festival for Monaco

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Photo credit: Sebastien Darrasse

Monaco accredits second ambassador to Kazakhstan

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/04/2026

Mireille Martini has presented her credentials to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana, marking a new chapter in relations between the two countries.

Monaco’s Ambassador Mireille Martini formally took up her post in Kazakhstan on 16 April 2026, presenting her letters of credence to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the Ak Orda presidential palace in Astana.

Martini becomes the second ambassador Monaco has accredited to the Central Asian republic since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2019.

According to a government statement, the ceremony provided an opportunity for President Tokayev to express his commitment to strengthening constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two nations.

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Photo source; Government communication’s department 

Yacht Club de Monaco’s SEA Index partners with Port de Marseille Fos on superyacht emissions

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/04/2026

The Superyacht Eco Association SEA Index, founded by the Yacht Club de Monaco and Credit Suisse – now UBS Group – in 2020, has formalised a partnership with the Port de Marseille Fos aimed at reducing the environmental impact of superyachts calling at France’s leading Mediterranean port.

The signing took place at the Yacht Club de Monaco in the presence of Minister of State Christophe Mirmand, SEA Index President and YCM Secretary General Bernard d’Alessandri, and Christophe Castaner, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Port de Marseille Fos, alongside institutional and port representatives.

Marseille joins a network of 23 ports already partnered with the SEA Index across the Mediterranean, the Seychelles and the Caribbean. The partnership gives the port access to the SEA Index’s environmental assessment tools, with the aim of attracting lower-impact superyachts, providing yacht owners with clearer data on their vessels’ carbon footprint and positioning Marseille ahead of tightening European environmental regulations.

A new air quality certification

The partnership coincides with a significant expansion of the SEA Index framework. Working with AtmoSud, the association has developed a new air quality certification that assesses nitrogen oxide (NOx) and fine particulate matter emissions based on the installed power of main engines and generators. This complements the existing CO2 assessment tool, certified by Lloyd’s Register, creating what the association describes as a comprehensive dual approach to environmental evaluation.

“By adopting a multi-criteria measurement tool covering both CO2 and air quality, the Port de Marseille Fos positions itself as a true pioneer,” said d’Alessandri. “Only through this shared effort will we transform the yachting industry into a more responsible, measurable and transparent model.”

Castaner said the partnership equipped the port with concrete tools to encourage the arrival of lower-impact vessels. “We are affirming our role as a leading Mediterranean port in the ecological transition,” he said.

A shared roadmap will set measurable targets and operational steps to reduce emissions associated with superyacht activity in the Marseille area.

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Photo source: YCM

Monaco signs cooperation accord with Senegal after ministerial visit

by: Cassandra Tanti
23/04/2026

A Monegasque delegation has concluded a five-day working visit to Senegal, formalising more than two decades of bilateral ties with the signing of a framework cooperation agreement.

The delegation, led by Isabelle Berro-Amadei, Minister of External Relations and Cooperation, was in Senegal from 13 to 17 April. The signing of the accord with Amadou Chérif Diouf, Secretary of State for Senegalese Abroad, marked the diplomatic centrepiece of a visit that also encompassed field visits to Monaco-supported programmes across health, food security, education and entrepreneurship.

Formalising 20-year partnership
Senegal has been a partner of Monaco’s international cooperation since 2004, and the new framework agreement gives formal legal weight to that relationship at a moment when global development aid is under pressure. Berro-Amadei described the visit as her first ministerial trip to the country, and said she had stressed the importance of state-to-state dialogue and international cooperation “in the highly damaging context of multiple crises that affect us all”.

The delegation also met Ibrahima Sy, Senegal’s Minister of Health and Public Hygiene, reflecting Monaco’s longstanding focus on health programming in the country.

From the delta to Dakar
Field visits took the delegation to several regions. In the Saloum Delta — a UNESCO World Heritage site — Berro-Amadei met with women engaged in shellfish and oyster farming supported by Monaco. In Dakar, she held discussions with young entrepreneurs as well as representatives of the WHO, FAO and the World Food Programme, which is Monaco’s principal UN partner in the country.

A visit to the mother-and-child centre in Thiadiaye, southeast of Dakar, was among the most notable stops. The facility, developed within the town’s health centre, provides clinical, psychological, nutritional and social care alongside parenting support. The project is carried by the Fondation Mérieux, whose president, Alain Mérieux, accompanied the delegation.

Civil society funding
The visit also saw the signing of an agreement for INISA, a local initiatives fund targeting civil society organisations in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Senegal. Now in its second edition following a pilot in 2024–2025, the mechanism is designed to support projects put forward by associations and community groups across the Sahel region.

Monaco has maintained a Honorary Consul in Dakar since 2007 and a resident cooperation coordinator in the country. The Principality currently supports twelve partner countries through its international cooperation programme.

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Photo source: Government Communications Department