17 ° C
Profile

Tag: monacolife

Football: OGC Nice owner Jim Ratcliffe lodges Manchester United bid

by: Luke Entwistle
22/02/2023

INEOS founder and owner of Ligue 1 side OGC Nice Sir Jim Ratcliffe has officially submitted an offer to buy Premier League giants Manchester United, currently owned by the Glazers.

It had been strongly rumoured that the British billionaire and Monaco resident would lodge a bid for the Manchester club. That bid arrived on Friday ahead of the ‘soft deadline’ for offers and was later accompanied by an official press release.

“We would see our role as the long-term custodians of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community,” began the statement. “We are ambitious and highly competitive and would want to invest in Manchester United to make them the Number One club in the world again.”

Ratcliffe, who is a Manchester United fan, also stated the objective of winning the Champions League with the club. The INEOS owner’s bid is thought to total £4 billion, however, there is competition to buy the iconic Old Trafford club.

The chairman of the Qatar Islamic Bank, Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad bin Jaber Al Thani, is also positioning himself to buy Manchester United and submitted his own debt-free £4.5 billion offer for the club before Friday’s deadline.

Last year, Ratcliffe had his bid for Premier League rivals Chelsea rejected with American businessman Todd Boehly instead taking the reigns at the Stamford Bridge club. The Nice owner will be hoping to avoid being pipped in his bid to purchase a Premier League club again.

READ MORE:

Ineos enter bid to acquire Manchester United

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

 

Photo by Monaco Life

From Hollywood to the French Riviera: Air France to fly direct between LAX and Nice during Cannes Film Festival

by: Elsa Carpenter
22/02/2023
lax to nice

Festival partner Air France has announced it will run three special flights between Los Angeles LAX and Nice during the Cannes Film Festival in May.  

To coincide perfectly with the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, which will take place between 16th and 27th May, Air France has revealed plans for three direct flights: two flying out of Los Angeles prior to and during the festival, and a third returning to the City of Angels after the conclusion of the world-renowned movie event.  

On 15th and 22nd May, Flight AF041 will depart Los Angeles at 1.30pm and touch down in Nice Côte d’Azur Airport at 9.30am the following day.  

For the return connection on 29th May, passengers on Flight AF041 will take off from Nice at 1.55pm and land in Los Angeles at 5.05pm.  

Each flight will be aboard an Airbus A350-900; the “new jewel” in the crown of Air France’s long-haul fleet. The aircraft is equipped with 324 seats, including 34 in Business Class, 24 in Premium Economy and 266 in Economy.  

Air France will also operate four connections similar to the LAX and Nice flights, only this time from New York JFK, during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June. 

  

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

  

Photo source: Loic Venance / Festival de Cannes

Multi starred Chef Yannick Alléno teams up with Moët & Chandon for one night only

by: Cassandra Tanti
22/02/2023
yannick alleno

Multi Michelin starred Chef Yannick Alléno and the prestigious house of Moët & Chandon are combining their expertise for an exceptional dinner at the Pavyllon Monte-Carlo in March.

Following a first pairing at Yannick Alléno’s Pavyllon Paris restaurant on 28th February, the concept will be taken to Monaco on 2nd March at the Pavyllon Monte-Carlo.

Yannick Alléno’s custom menu will be accompanied by the Moët & Chandon ‘Grand Vintage Collection’, for a truly indulgent moment at the Hôtel Hermitage.

Chef Alléno will be front and centre for his guests who can sit at the bar and enjoy a view of the open kitchen, while the Moët & Chandon cellar master will also be sharing his expertise.

The eight-course Grand Vintage Collection menu includes scallops, roasted Saint-Pierre, ravioli and caffeinated puff pastry; each dish carefully paired with a Möet & Chandon selection, including a bottle from 1999.

The food and wine pairing menu is €350 per person.

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

 

Photo of Yannick Alléno at Pavyllon Monte-Carlo by Monaco Life

Nice Airport and North America reconnect with busy summer schedule of long-haul flights

by: Elsa Carpenter
21/02/2023
nice airport

Connections to North America and the Middle East have been increased to record levels with the release of the 2023 summer flight programme from Nice Airport, France’s second busiest air traffic hub.  

Flights from Nice to the US and Canada 

The newly released summer flights schedule from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport brings the tally of connections between the French Riviera and North America up to 10. Delta has picked back up its flight path between Nice and Atlanta, and will continue flying throughout the week to New York JFK from the end of March to the end of October.  

From May to September, United Airlines will be flying daily to Newark Airport, while French boutique airline La Compagnie is offering a less frequent, but perhaps more exclusive, route to the same destination via Paris Orly.  

The Canadian city of Montreal is served by both Air Canada and Air Transat, with regular but alternating flights between May and the end of October.  

“The continuing growth of our network coming from or heading to North America is excellent news for local residents and for our region; these routes offer so many opportunities for leisure or business trips and interactions between our two countries,” says Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur. “This renewed and even increased confidence of the airlines perfectly illustrates our strategy focused on achieving the most direct connectivity possible for local residents and flight routes which support the quality tourism wanted by our region.” 

Middle East connections 

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is a new addition to Nice’s long-haul network. Saudia, the flagship carrier for the nation, will be flying to and from the Côte d’Azur three times a week during the peak summer months of June, July and August. 

Other connections include: Bahrain with Gulf Air; Dubai with Emirates; Tel Aviv with Arkia, easyJet and El Al; Kuwait with Kuwait Airlines; Beirut with Middle East Airlines; and Istanbul with Turkish Airlines.  

Europe & North Africa 

More locally, seven new routes have been announced for the summer season: Bari with easyJet; Birmingham with Jet2; Brussels South Charleroi with Volotea; Constantine with Air Algérie; Valetta with Air Malta; Paris-Beauvais with easyJet; and Tampere with Air Baltic. 

Overall, these new additions increase Nice Côte d’Azur Airport’s network to 111 destinations – 91 of which are outside of France – in 42 countries via 55 airlines. For the full schedule, please click here. 

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

  

Photo source: Michael Discenza for Unsplash

French government offers €5,000 incentive to anyone installing a new heat pump

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/02/2023
heat pump

The French government has announced it will award a €5,000 rebate to anyone, at any income level, who is replacing an old heating system with a new energy-efficient heat pump. 

In an effort to encourage the public to make the switch to cleaner running geothermal energy sources, the French government is offering, from 1st March, a €5,000 grant to households if they replace their old heating systems with new heat pumps.  

The decision was announced after the Ministry of Energy Transition’s plan to speed up the switch to renewable energies was reviewed and presented afresh on 2nd February.  

The transition to renewable energy sources is a central strategy in the government’s efforts to reduce overall CO2 emissions and reach carbon neutrality in France by 2050. Heat represents half of the country’s energy consumption and is produced mainly through the use of fossil fuels, such as gas and oil, in addition to imported resources.   

Geothermal offers a limitless supply of natural heat and saves, on average, €300 in heating costs per household per year, but is only used in 1% of households. This is due in part to the high cost of installation, which currently hovers at between €18,000 and €20,000. Prior to now, the government’s aid package to make the switch was €4,000 for lower income families and €2,500 for those in the medium to high income brackets.  

Those who wish to install a new system must first select an energy provider that has signed onto the heating boost charter, and any work must be carried out by a professional “Recognised Guarantor of the Environment” or RGE.  

Once works are completed, invoices and other supporting documents are sent to the chosen energy supplier, who will then organise a bank transfer or cheque, offer vouchers or deduct the amount directly from the bill. Other aid schemes are also available, and the government says that by taking advantage of them, the cost of installation can be reduced by up to 90%. 

The government hopes that by boosting the incentive and making it a universal monetary offer, more households will change to geothermal.  

  

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

  

Photo source: Eric McLean for Unsplash

Fondation de Monaco student digs in Paris to get modern makeover

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/02/2023
fondation de monaco

The Fondation de Monaco’s student accommodation at the Cité Internationale Universite Paris has embarked on a €3.8 million renovation to hit energy reduction objectives and increase comfort for the many international students who benefit from the building.  

The Fondation de Monaco was inaugurated back in 1937 at the behest of Prince Pierre, but well-supported by his father-in-law, the then sovereign Prince Louis II, as a 50-room accommodation unit that would host students studying at the Cité Internationale Universite Paris. The project was supplemented by private funding.  

Since then, the Art Deco building on the Boulevard Jourdan has housed students from all over the world, and has been a place of beauty and safety. Now it will also become one of energy efficiency, with the latest round in a series of renovations works that have been undertaken in the 21st century now underway. 

Earlier this month, a delegation from Monaco travelled to Paris for the unveiling of a new model studio flat, equipped with an ensuite and kitchenette, that is being used as the template for the Foundation’s goal of reducing the building’s energy consumption by 40% by 2023, compared to 2010 consumption rates.  

The project was spurred on by the Cité Internationale Universite Paris’s EU and French state-backed recovery plan, with the Principality chipping in to finance the upgrades such as roof repairs and façade rejuvenation. The funds from Monaco will also allow an increase of units with kitchenettes, in line with student requests.

The works will take place in five phases and are expected to be completed in 2024. All 77 flats, the common room, the library and the two shared kitchens will be revamped, with the latter facilities being enlarged and improved with interior insulation, better acoustics and more comfort.  

The operations are being carried out with the close cooperation of the Heritage Department of the CIUP and the Public Buildings Maintenance Service of the Principality of Monaco. 

Further information can be found here. 

 

Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

 

Photo source: Fondation de Monaco / Facebook