AS Monaco Basket rounded off a perfect week, securing their fourth victory in seven days with a comfortable victory against Betclic Élite strugglers Paris. The win takes the Roca team joint top of the domestic league, behind Boulogne and Lyon only on points difference.
Paris got off to a strong start in the first quarter, but Mitrovic’s men quickly fought back thanks to two hoops from Alpha Diallo. By the end of the first quarter, AS Monaco had eked out a narrow 23-22 lead. The Roca side built on their lead in an impressive second quarter that ultimately put the game out of reach.
Paris Lee set the tone for the half for Monaco, two three pointers from the American went unreplied and a lead started to grow. That was followed up by Ibrahima Fall Faye who scored an impressive dunk on the counter attack to score the 8th point without reply. A dominant Roca side continued to extend their lead, and by the half-time mark it had been extended to a comfortable 15 points.
Not content with simply consolidating their advantage, AS Monaco continued to attack in the third quarter. Their lead was extended further thanks to the playmaking efforts of Mike James, whose passes and attacking incision created numerous point-scoring opportunities, which were duly converted by a clinical Roca team.
Going into the final quarter, AS Monaco had an unassailable 24-point lead. Despite a closer fourth quarter, ASM continued to impose themselves. Ibrahima Fall Faye cleverly intercepted a loose Paris pass to score an impressive solo dunk on the break. Alpha Diallo and Rudy Demahis piled on the misery for Paris late on to secure a 100-75 victory for Mitrovic’s men. Diallo finished the match as Monaco’s leading point scorer with 15 points.
Mitrovic was unequivocal in his praise for his side post-match, highlighting in particular the squad depth at his disposal. “Only positives, all is good… the players that I called upon all responded… This season will be a long one and I’m going to need everybody. The next match will be against strong opposition against one of the strongest sides in the Euroleague. We need to be ready.”
Mitrovic will be hoping that his side can continue their winning streak away at Olympiacos on Friday.
The planet is facing two of the biggest threats in its history, biodiversity loss and climate change. These are worsening at extraordinary speed and our collective failure to act is having disastrous consequences.
There is a growing recognition and understanding among world leaders and policymakers of how biodiversity loss and climate change crises are connected, but we are yet to see united strategies on a global scale to address them. Habitat destruction diminishes nature’s ability to effectively store carbon and reduces species’ ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions, this then increases their risk of extinction and further exacerbates the breakdown of ecosystems.
But there is hope. We know that when given the chance, nature can recover.
“To drive nature’s recovery we are working tirelessly to ensure biodiversity is embedded in global decisions being taken on climate change at major events this year,” said Matthew Lowton, ZSL Policy Officer. “The pivotal climate conference COP26, held in Glasgow, is seen by many as the last chance we have to keep global warming of 1.5 within reach. ZSL will be attending and calling for global leaders to place nature at the heart of global decision-making, uniting solutions to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change. Governments must tackle these twin crises together.”
Biodiversity is also declining across the world at unprecedented rates. ZSL’s 2020 Living Planet Index – a measure of the world’s biological diversity based on population trends of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish – recorded a decline of 68% in average species population abundance since 1970. This is a frightening number. At ZSL, we are committed to reversing these declines in conjunction with conservation strategies to support ecosystem health.
The drastic fall in biodiversity levels impacts economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide. Investment in the future of our planet is essential to reversing these declines and supporting the health of wildlife and of people. Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata), copyright Erik Brun
“At ZSL, we strive for the recovery of wildlife because this lies at the heart of healthy functional ecosystems that underpins ecological and climate recovery,” adds Andrew Terry, ZSL’s Director of Conservation and Policy. “These nature-based solutions can be immensely powerful – but they are currently underfunded, under-studied and overly simplified. We have to accept that the answers are difficult, challenging and require major long-term commitment. Nature-based solutions must sit alongside technological solutions.”
Corals can be described as the canaries in the coalmines, and the urgent need for united, global decision is clearly illustrated by the world’s reefs. Coral bleaching, caused by rising ocean temperatures, is an all-too-visible marker of stress or death.
Coral polyps – tiny animals – are the architects of some of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. The reefs they build provide vital habitat, feeding, spawning and nursery grounds for more than a million aquatic species, while around 450 million people rely on them for food, coastal protection and their livelihoods.
Here in the UK, we are engaging young people through our two Zoos, London and Whipsnade. The next generation will most keenly feel the impacts of climate change in the future, while also potentially seeing the loss of some of the planet’s most recognised species if we do not act. ZSL is committed to inspiring and educating these conservation leaders of the future to get involved, by connecting them with wildlife in our Zoos, and supporting teachers with resources on climate change.
Together, we have an opportunity now to change the future of our planet. ZSL’s innovative work around the world shows that nature can return and thrive given the right combination of help. Our vision for the future, a world where wildlife thrives, is underpinned by the Sustainable Development Goals and is led by the power and insight of our world leading science, boots on the ground field conservation and practical experience of caring for endangered animals in our Zoos. Vitally, our conservation interventions are low-cost and high impact.
We each have the power to secure change, but we need your help. Each small act can make a difference, from using a re-usable cup, to making a commitment to the health of our planet by donating to our work, to connecting your business with ZSL to drive our vision for the future together. At this critical moment in time for our planet, I invite each of you to make a transformative change for the future of our shared planet.
James Wren is the ZSL Executive Director of Fundraising and Engagement.
In just three short years, Monaco has turned the idea of creating a world-class digital infrastructure in the Principality into a reality. The key players in making this happen have come together to talk about their past successes as well as their future plans.
The Principality has taken several decisive steps under the Extended Monaco banner to make the country future-ready, including the introduction of the 5G network, creating 10G super high-speed fibre connections, creating a digital identity for residents, and being the first in Europe to have its own sovereign state cloud.
The plan, based on the precepts of sovereignty, performance, security and proximity, has aimed to give both the private and public sectors unprecedented access to the latest technology.
It has also put forth a way to promote new tech in the form of the Blue Fund. Launched at the end of 2020 as an economic recovery tool during the darkest days of the pandemic, the fund has backed over 350 digital transformation projects, supported by local service companies in nine out of 10 cases. In human terms, this means that 250 new jobs have or will be created.
A meeting was held on Monday 25th October at the Princess Grace Theatre to outline the whirlwind of activities of the past three years that have marked the initial stages of Monaco’s digital transformation.
Prince Albert II, along with Minister of State Pierre Dartout, President of the National Council Stéphane Valeri, Interministerial Delegate in charge of the Digital Transition Frédéric Genta, and several other top government officials in the nation’s political and economic realm gathered to outline the next steps in the Extended Monaco programme and to applaud the efforts made thus far, despite being in the grip of a global pandemic.
“In less than three years, digital technology has seen spectacular progress for the daily life of Monegasques, residents and commuters,” said Prince Albert. “Our economy has taken the digital turn. The enthusiasm of our companies for our support and recovery measures is proof of the expectations of the Principality’s economic players in this area.”
The country’s lightning-fast transition to a digital framework, says Frédéric Genta, makes Monaco an incredibly attractive option for companies beyond the Principality’s own borders.
“On the strength of its cutting-edge digital infrastructures, the dynamic transformation of its economy, a protective legislative framework vis-à-vis certain intrusive global practices and its ecosystem of investors, the Principality has unique advantages to attract the residents and businesses of tomorrow, not to say today,” he stated proudly.
Photo: Frédéric Genta, Interministerial Delegate for the Digital Transition, by Manuel Vitali/ Government Communication Department
The pandemic, which potentially could have been disastrous, became an opportunity for Monaco to transition more quickly digitally, and the country took full advantage. Services that were once face-to-face went online, notably the dematerialisation of aid requests for companies, the launch of teleconsultations, the creation of the covid19.mc website and the establishment of solid distance learning and work-at-home programmes.
This, in turn, has given rise to positive changes in many sectors. The education system was able to overhaul its teaching practices, soft mobility options to reduce the carbon footprint were realised, 3D modelling assessments for urban works were created to lessen the impact on residents through noise and dust reduction, and an online portal for doctors and patients was developed making appointments easier as well as giving doctors quicker access to patient files.
This seems to be just the start. Pierre Dartout announced that in the “next few days” a new service called the ‘Digital Single Window’ will be launched. This allows all the administration’s tele-services to be accessed in one place, allowing authentication through digital identities.
“This Digital Single Window will gradually evolve in the coming months,” said the minister of state. “It will naturally be enriched by the new tele-services that will emerge, but also by a safe storing of the electronic documents exchanged with the administration. We will also work to create a ‘tell us once’ service for major life events.”
The new portal is the climax of a project that began in 2019 to streamline the services for end users by offering them round-the-clock and seven-days-a-week access to administrative procedures and forms. A total of 70 procedures have gone paperless including residence permit requests, enrolling in college and high school, submitting an application for civil service jobs, helping the Green Fund or the Blue Fund, and even making payments to school canteens.
The government says it aims to make every procedure dematerialised by the end 2022.
Top photo of Prince Albert II of Monaco by Manuel Vitali/ Government Communication Department
The Prince’s Foundation has accepted a €45,000 donation from UPAW, a team of urban street artists who came together to raise money for the protection of Mediterranean monk seals.
This past summer, Urban Painting Around the World (UPAW) celebrated its fifth year of bringing together talented street artists who create works of art which are auctioned off for good causes.
Under the theme ‘The planet and its colours’, the artists gathered from 4th to 8th July at the Esplanade des Pêcheurs where they let their imaginations take over to create exquisite pieces using their chosen tool, the humble spray can.
Thanks to this event, €45,000 was collected from works fashioned by artists Andrea Ravo Mattoni, Nadib Bandi, Michael Beerens, Chicadania, El Pez, Manomatic, Mister Piro, Jacques Schneider, Cacao Rock, Mr OneTeas and Tones, and was presented in a cheque on Wednesday 20th October to Olivier Wenden, Vice-President and CEO of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (FPA2). https://www.instagram.com/p/CRI1ru7oj0A/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
“Today we need to find disruptive solutions to preserve the environment,” Olivier Wenden said at the hand-over event. “Engaging in art and the protection of the planet, as UPAW does, is important for raising awareness among the general public. The Foundation is very honoured to receive this donation for its action in favour of the preservation of the monk seal, a species that seemed to have completely disappeared 20 years ago.”
The FPA2 has supported several projects since 2011 with regard to the conservation of this rare seal, which was feared to be extinct just two decades ago. The creation of the Monk Seal Alliance aimed to multiply existing actions and intensify concrete protection efforts.
Other beneficiaries of UPAW include chimpanzees in Uganda and the fight against plastic pollution in the Mediterranean for BeMed.
The sixth edition of UPAW in 2022 will be housed in a new location, on the Terraces of the Casino de Monte-Carlo. Next year will also see the 2nd edition of the UPAW Junior Challenge, an event co-organised with the Mairie to give young talent a chance to show their stuff.
Charles Leclerc secured an impressive fourth place amidst a carnival atmosphere at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, as Verstappen took the victory to extend his championship lead. The 140,000-strong US crowd was a welcome companion for Leclerc, who led a lonely race deprived of any on-track action.
Starting on pole, Verstappen lost the lead at the first corner despite his efforts to squeeze Hamilton, who got a blistering launch. Verstappen subsequently went wide at turn one, and would have been grateful to his team-mate Perez, who yielded in the battle for second place at turn three. Leclerc meanwhile, got off to an undramatic start as he retained his fourth place.
Further down the field, Leclerc’s team-mate Sainz came under pressure from both McLarens. Ricciardo passed Sainz with a lovely move around the outside of turn 18, but the Ferrari driver succeeded in keeping Norris behind.
Despite having overtaken Verstappen on lap one, Hamilton was unable to eke out a lead, and was quick to point out on team radio that Verstappen was in fact quicker than him.
Leclerc was understandably slower than Hamilton and the two Red Bulls, and had soon lost touch with those in front of him. His strong pace, however, saw him create a good buffer to the McLarens and his team-mate, meaning Leclerc cut a rather isolated figure on the track.
It quickly became clear that following in the dirty air would be difficult, and that the race would be won in the pit-stops rather than by on-track overtakes. In the first phase, Verstappen got the undercut on Hamilton to take a comfortable six second lead.
Verstappen’s first set of hard tyres, however, degraded quickly and he was forced in for another set of hard tyres earlier than anticipated. Meanwhile, following the pit-stops, Leclerc was quietly going about his business, and his pace in an improved Ferrari saw him out of the clutches of chasing rivals.
The tactical battle reached its crescendo in the closing stages as Verstappen’s early pit-stop meant that Hamilton was able to close-in. Hamilton got to within a second of Verstappen on the final lap, but Verstappen held onto the victory to extend his championship lead to 12 points. Perez completed the podium with Leclerc best-of-the-rest in fourth.
Post-race, Leclerc was happy both with his personal performance as well as the performance of his team. “What a race! It was definitely one of the most physical drives of my career… I really pushed the car to its limit on every lap. Our pace was a positive surprise. Although we are mostly focusing on 2022, the few upgrades we have brought this year have allowed us to make some important steps forward.”
The result sees Leclerc leapfrog Sainz into sixth in the driver standings with only five races remaining. After securing two consecutive fourth places, Leclerc will be hoping for a podium next time out in Mexico in two weeks’ time.
Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office
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