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Month: June 2026

Monaco bomb attack “not act of terrorism” says prosecutor general, as suspect remains on the run

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/06/2026

Monaco’s Prosecutor General, Stéphane Thibault, told reporters on Tuesday morning that Monday night’s parcel bomb explosion in Monaco is “not an attack classifiable as terrorism”, based on the information available so far, as the man responsible remains at large and the identities of the victims have still not been officially confirmed.

Stéphane Thibault said the explosion occurred just before 9pm outside No. 4 rue Révérend Père Frolla, leaving three immediate victims. Monaco’s police and firefighters arrived almost immediately, evacuating all three to hospital in Nice, with two in what he described as an “absolute emergency” condition.

According to Thibault, a man acting alone left a package at the address before walking away. The package, whose exact contents are still being identified, exploded moments later, just as the three occupants came to the front door on the ground floor. “The package exploded at the moment those three people arrived,” he said. Two further people were injured by flying glass in the aftermath.

Attempted murder investigation, not terrorism

Thibault confirmed the case has been opened as a ‘flagrante delicto investigation’ on charges of attempted murder and placing explosive substances or devices on the public highway. “It is therefore not a terrorism classification. I insist on this point,” he said. “At this stage we do not have the elements necessary to retain that qualification.” He added that he remains in contact with the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office, which has offered assistance, and that the assessment will continue jointly should further support be required.

The investigation has been entrusted to the Criminal Investigation Division of Monaco’s Public Security Department, working alongside forensic police and in cooperation with French judicial and police authorities. The Nice Public Prosecutor’s office opened parallel proceedings to allow investigative steps required on French soil to be carried out in full coordination with Monégasque authorities, who Thibault said continue to provide support, particularly in forensic science and explosives expertise.

Victims not yet named, condition updated

Thibault gave no names but confirmed that the man’s life is no longer considered to be in danger, while the woman remains in a critical condition. The child, he said, underwent surgery overnight. He declined to comment further on the victims, saying they have not yet been formally interviewed by investigators.

The injured have been widely reported to include Vadim Ermolaev, a Ukrainian businessman, and members of his family, though Monégasque authorities have not confirmed this themselves.

Addressing speculation circulating online, Thibault said the man targeted has been a resident of Monaco since at least 2021 and, to the authorities’ knowledge, “is not wanted by any foreign authority”.

Suspect still being hunted

Asked directly whether the suspect had been arrested, Thibault was unequivocal. “Absolutely not,” he said. “We have not arrested him, but together with our French counterparts we are pursuing him in order to identify and arrest him. I hope that will happen quickly.”

Asked about a possible motive, he said this remains part of the ongoing investigation, and that it is not yet known whether the suspect intended to leave France. Police are continuing to trace his movements using CCTV footage from both Monaco and the neighbouring French commune of Beausoleil.

Thibault said investigators worked at the scene until 6am on Tuesday before resuming at 8am, and confirmed the case will most likely move forward as a formal judicial investigation, which he expects to open by Wednesday. He closed by expressing hope for the recovery of the victim still in critical condition and wished the others a speedy recovery.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Photo taken from video by @rawad_chaaban instagram

 

YCM welcomes new members as Prince Albert II unveils plans for transatlantic campaign

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/06/2026

The Yacht Club de Monaco welcomed around 30 new members at its traditional induction cocktail reception on Thursday evening, bringing the Club’s global community to 2,500 members across 82 nationalities. Club President Prince Albert II used the occasion to outline a packed calendar of projects for the coming months, from a transatlantic campaign by two of the Club’s historic yachts to the international expansion of its environmental rating system for vessels.

“The Yacht Club of Monaco is deeply rooted in our country. But its vocation is resolutely international,” the Sovereign Prince told members. That ambition will be on full display this summer, when the Club’s flagship yachts Tuiga (1909) and Viola (1908) sail to New York to take part in Sail 4th 250, a major maritime parade marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence and bringing together 50 tall ships from around 20 nations. From New York, the two yachts will continue their American campaign along the East Coast, calling at yacht clubs in Newport and Nantucket, in what the Club is positioning as a landmark showcase of Monaco’s maritime heritage abroad.

Closer to home, the Club’s international reach will also be on show at the 13th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, running from 8 to 11 July. The event will bring together 52 teams from 21 nations, with students, researchers, engineers and shipyards testing and comparing new propulsion systems for the maritime sector. Since launching in 2014, the Challenge has drawn more than 6,500 students from around 50 universities, establishing itself as a hub for innovation in sustainable boating.

Passing on knowledge to prepare for the future

Training the next generation featured prominently in the Prince’s address. “No ambition has meaning unless it is passed on,” he said, pointing to the Club’s La Belle Classe Academy as a central pillar of that effort. Established in 2015, the Academy has grown into an internationally recognised training centre, with its Yachting Masterclass diploma now accredited by the International Association of Maritime Institutions, and several of its technical courses certified by the Royal Yachting Association.

That commitment extends to younger participants through the Club’s Summer Yachting Camp, open to 16 to 22-year-olds with no prior experience required. Over one or two weeks, participants learn to handle motorboats and jet skis, alongside first aid, weather forecasting, knot-tying and maritime safety, working towards recognised qualifications such as RYA Powerboat Level 2. Careers in yachting will be promoted further at the YCM Yachting Student Fair, scheduled for 13 March 2027.

Supporting the yachting industry’s transformation through innovation

On the environmental front, the Prince announced a significant expansion of the SEA Index, the environmental rating system launched by the Yacht Club in 2020 in partnership with Credit Suisse, a UBS Group brand, to measure the environmental performance of yachts. This year, the Port of Marseille Fos has joined the SEA Index network, while Pampelonne has implemented the first operational system offering environmental incentives for anchoring.

The Prince confirmed the Index’s methodology will now be extended to cover vessels from 10 metres in length, as well as catamarans, considerably widening its scope. “This advance is decisive,” he said. “It widens our scope and, while preserving an independent methodological rigour, it now opens to the great majority of the world’s fleet.”

A community looking to the future

The Prince also marked the 10th anniversary of Team Malizia, the offshore sailing team founded by Yacht Club Vice-President Pierre Casiraghi, which he credited with proving that sporting performance, technological innovation and environmental awareness can be pursued together.

Closing his address with a line from William Butler Yeats, “in dreams begins responsibility,” the Prince called on members to continue building on the Club’s achievements collectively. “Individually, we inspire,” he said. “Collectively, we build a future: one that serves young people, the sea, and the global standing of the Principality.”

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Photo source: YCM

 

Sohn Monaco unites leaders for paediatric cancer research

by: Virginia D’Umas
30/06/2026

The 6th Sohn Monaco Investment Conference took place on Wednesday 24th June at the Yacht Club de Monaco. Held under the High Patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco, the event brought together leading financial experts to support paediatric cancer research.

Chaired by Justin Hilbert and Florence Tournier, the conference served as a meeting point for global fund managers and industry leaders. For the organisers, the event is deeply personal. “It highlights the financial opportunities that Monaco supplies, not only locally, but also globally,” Justin Hilbert told Monaco Life. “Supporting local institutions and the vital work they do for children facing paediatric cancer is something that matters deeply to us.”

Meanwhile, Florence Tournier noted the unique intersection the conference provides: “By combining the tools of finance with medical research, we can achieve a meaningful, long-term social impact.”

Scientific progress at the forefront

The conference highlighted the importance of turning fundamental research into clinical solutions. Jean-François Peyron, Research Director at Inserm C3M, provided a clear look at the global landscape, noting that while mortality rates for many cancers are decreasing, paediatric leukaemia remains a significant challenge.

“The goal is to understand, to treat the cancer,” Dr. Peyron explained during the conference. His team at Inserm C3M is currently investigating the resistance mechanisms that lead to relapse in childhood acute leukaemia.

Dr. Peyron highlighted the promise of Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs), a field he described as one of the ‘most dynamic segments in oncology’. His research involves a construction method, creating tools that direct highly toxic treatments specifically to cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.

“We are doing research at the edge,” Dr. Peyron said regarding the standing of his institution in the global research community. While the journey from laboratory concept to patient treatment is complex, the support from foundations remains a cornerstone of their progress.

Strategic pitches: Where finance meets tomorrow’s technology

The conference showcased high-conviction ideas, from industry veterans, highlighting the importance of bridging the gap between innovative research and clinical application.

Kaspar Hållsten, CIO and Portfolio Manager at Rhenman & Partners, pitched two healthcare opportunities. He highlighted Anteris Technologies, a company aiming to disrupt how severe aortic stenosis is treated through advanced valve technology that enables better durability and haemodynamic performance. He also presented Nurix Therapeutics, an oncology company focused on a new approach called ‘BTK degraders’, which remove cancer-causing proteins rather than just blocking them. Hållsten emphasised that both companies are early-stage but represent the potential for the “next generation of healthcare”.

Alison Porter, Portfolio Manager at Janus Henderson Investors, pitched Cognex, a leader in machine vision. Porter explained that Cognex sits at the intersection of several global trends, including the move toward industrial automation and the high compute requirements of artificial intelligence. She noted that as manufacturers face labour shortages, they are increasingly relying on machine vision for real-time defect detection and alignment. Because Cognex focuses solely on machine vision and has consistently invested 15% of its sales into R&D, Porter believes the company has a “right to win” and is currently underappreciated by the market, with potential for significant growth as it expands its customer base in logistics, consumer electronics, and semiconductors.

As the financial world continues to navigate changing markets, the 6th Sohn Monaco Investment Conference serves as a reminder of what is possible when capital is directed toward the greater good.

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Photos source: SOHN Monaco

 

 

Monaco tightens drone rules with new flight restrictions for major events

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/06/2026

Monaco has strengthened its rules governing drone operations, introducing updated flight restrictions that will apply during many of the Principality’s largest public events throughout 2026.

Published in the latest Journal de Monaco, Ministerial Order No. 2026-323 sets out periods during which the use of remotely piloted aircraft will be prohibited across Monaco’s airspace unless operators receive prior authorisation from the Minister of State.

The temporary no-fly restrictions coincide with a number of major events on Monaco’s calendar, including the Jumping International de Monte-Carlo, the Monaco Red Cross Gala, the City Hall’s summer fireworks displays at Port Hercule, the Grand Départ of the 2026 Vuelta, the Monaco Yacht Show, National Day celebrations, the Cross du Larvotto, U Giru de Natale and New Year’s Eve festivities.

The order reinforces Monaco’s existing regulatory framework for drones rather than introducing a blanket ban. Operators wishing to fly during the restricted periods must first obtain authorisation from the Minister of State. Without approval, drone flights will not be permitted during the specified dates and times.

The new regulations entered into force following their publication in the Journal de Monaco on 26th June.

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Photo credit: Gustaf Von Zeipel, Unsplash

 

Monaco moves toward same-sex civil unions, government confirms

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/06/2026

Monaco’s government is working on legislation to introduce civil unions for same-sex couples, Minister of State Christophe Mirmand told the National Council on Monday, alongside new rules on establishing parentage for children of same-sex parents. The announcement, made during a debate on pension reform, marks the government’s clearest signal yet that it intends to bring forward proposals before the end of 2026.

Mirmand told the chamber the government has been working for several months on reforms built around two main areas: stronger legal recognition for same-sex couples, and clearer rules on parentage for children born to same-sex parents. “This evolution of our legal framework would allow same-sex couples to benefit from recognition and adequate protection of their relationship, going beyond the foundation of rights and guarantees currently recognised through the civil solidarity contract created by Law No. 1.481 of 17 December 2019,” he said.

He confirmed the government’s preferred approach would be to create, through legislation, a “civil union” exclusively for same-sex couples, modelled on legislation in other Council of Europe member states, particularly Italy. The model rests on two principles: a union reserved for same-sex couples offering rights equivalent to marriage, which would continue to be defined as a union between a man and a woman, and a mechanism allowing same-sex marriages performed abroad to be reclassified as civil unions under Monégasque law.

“This approach would see two distinct regimes coexist,” Mirmand explained. “On one side, a civil union specific to same-sex couples; on the other, marriage between people of different sexes. Both would offer similar rights while imposing similar duties, such as the moral and material direction of the family and shared life.” He distinguished both from the existing civil solidarity contract, which he said remains limited to organising a couple’s shared finances. “This approach appears to us, at present, as the most relevant path to explore,” he said.

New rules on parentage for same-sex families

Mirmand said the government was also examining how parentage could be legally established in Monaco for children of same-sex couples, a question he linked directly to the principle of the child’s best interests. He noted that under the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, parentage established abroad for children of same-sex couples must be automatically recognised under domestic law, even where it might otherwise be considered contrary to domestic public order.

He said the government’s work is moving towards extending existing provisions of the Civil Code on voluntary recognition of parentage, regardless of the couple’s legal status or the parents’ sex. Under the approach being studied, parentage would be established for the mother who gave birth through the existing legal presumption, while the other parent, for instance the intended mother in cases of medically assisted reproduction, could establish parentage through voluntary recognition, an administrative procedure that already exists in Monégasque law for unmarried fathers. Where parentage could not be established abroad or through voluntary recognition, the government would look to extend access to simple adoption, a process requiring judicial intervention, regardless of whether the couple is married, in a civil solidarity contract, or in the proposed civil union.

Complex questions still ahead

Mirmand acknowledged the reforms would inevitably raise further questions, including around Monaco’s legal stance on surrogacy and medically assisted reproduction, which he described as complex and sensitive issues tied to fundamental principles around the protection of the human body. “All these subjects, at the crossroads of issues of liberty and equality, respect for private and family life, will lead us to question ourselves on an ethical level, but also on the meaning of our shared values,” he told the National Council.

He said the government did not wish to detail the proposals further on Monday evening, but committed to prioritising the drafting of legislation by the end of 2026, with the aim of bringing the texts before the National Council as soon as possible.

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Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti 

 

Minister of State: “An individual is still being sought” after Monaco bomb attack

by: Cassandra Tanti
30/06/2026

Monaco’s Minister of State, Christophe Mirmand, held a press conference late on Monday evening alongside Interior Minister Lionel Beffre and National Council President Thomas Brezzo, following the explosion that struck a residential building near Place des Moulins, leaving three people injured and a suspect still at large.

Briefing journalists, Mirmand confirmed that a “violent detonation linked to a parcel bomb” had been heard shortly before 9pm not far from Place des Moulins. He said the area had been rapidly cordoned off by security forces, with three people injured, two adults and a child, transported to hospital facilities in Nice, while two further people were treated for shock and two others with minor injuries presented themselves at the Princess Grace Hospital Centre.

Mirmand told reporters that a suspect had been identified via the Principality’s video surveillance system fleeing towards the French commune of Beausoleil, and that access to Monaco had been immediately secured. He confirmed the General Prosecutor had been notified and a judicial investigation opened, with forensic police carrying out evidence collection late into the night. Officials at the briefing said 50 firefighters had been mobilised, 40 Monégasque and 10 French, alongside 12 vehicles and 84 police officers, and that the building’s six unoccupied apartments had been secured as a precaution.

Victims “presumed to have been targeted”

Addressing reporters directly, Mirmand said investigators believed the victims may have been deliberately targeted. “We can presume that the victims were targeted. The investigation will confirm this,” he said. He told the press conference that the three victims had been in the building’s entrance hall at the moment the device exploded, and that they are believed to belong to the same family. Mirmand said the victims appear to have lived in the building and were returning home at the time of the attack, and confirmed the building had since been secured, with bomb disposal teams given priority access. No occupants, he added, were present inside at the time.

Mirmand did not disclose the victims’ identities during the briefing, though he said intelligence services were working to establish their background and to determine whether others might be facing similar threats.

The victims have been widely reported to be Ukrainian businessman Vadim Ermolaev, who has been under sanction from Kyiv since December 2023, reportedly in connection with alcohol business activities in Russian-occupied Crimea, along with his wife and teenage son. This identification was not confirmed at Monday’s press conference.

Mirmand told reporters he was advising residents of the Principality to remain at home overnight, with Sûreté Publique officers continuing to secure the surrounding streets. “We hope the investigation will establish a legal qualification of the facts as quickly as possible. I leave it to the General Prosecutor to qualify them,” he said. “This event must be treated with the seriousness it deserves, and with the resources available to us in the Principality, to reassure the Monégasque people.”

Suspect still being sought

Asked about the ongoing manhunt, Mirmand told the press conference that an individual was still being sought as of Monday evening. He said witnesses had come forward with information that, combined with video surveillance footage, had helped identify a man who may match the suspect’s description. He confirmed the Nice public prosecutor’s office had also opened its own investigation, working in parallel with Monégasque authorities. “We hope to identify the perpetrator and apprehend him quickly,” he said.

Mirmand told reporters that further forensic evidence collection would take place, and that the surrounding neighbourhood would remain cordoned off for as long as necessary in order to determine the nature of the explosive device and assess structural damage to the building.

Mirmand confirmed that Monaco’s General Prosecutor, Stéphane Thibault, would provide the first detailed findings of the investigation on Tuesday and formally qualify the nature of the offence.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

See also: 

Monaco bombing: Prince Albert II releases statement as victims named among Ukraine’s wealthiest

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Photo from left to right: National Council President Thomas Brezzo, Interior Minister Lionel Beffre and Minister of State Christophe Mirmand