Twins start school life…

Twins start school life…

Good Morning Monaco – Tuesday, September 7, 2021

Twins start school life on the Rock

Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella started school life on Monday, September 6, at the Institution François d’Assise-Nicolas Barré on the Rock of Monaco Ville.

Sovereign family marks Irish roots of Princess Grace

Prince Albert took the twins, Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, along with him on his weekend trip to Ireland.

A Kabul connection

While we watched in...

https://allaboutshipping.co.uk/2021/09/08/twins-start-school-life/

White House Seeks Continuing Resolution With $6.4B For Afghan Refugees

Moon over U.S. Capitol on Nov. 13, 2016. NASA Photo

The Biden administration is calling on Congress to pass a stopgap spending measure for the upcoming fiscal year as lawmakers continue the appropriations process.

“[W]ith the end of the fiscal year rapidly approaching, it’s clear that Congress will need to pass a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to provide more time for the FY 2022 process to unfold,” Shalanda Young, the acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget,...

https://news.usni.org/2021/09/07/white-house-seeks-continuing-resolution-with-6-4b-for-afghan-refugees

Navy Arming Surface Ships with Drone Repellent System

Gunner’s Mate Kyle Mendenhall shows the Drone Restricted Access Using Known Electromagnetic Warfare (DRAKE) system aboard USS Kansas City (LCS-22) on Aug. 16, 2021. USNI News Photo

ABOARD THE LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP USS KANSAS CITY, OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA – With the use of drones becoming more prevalent, the Navy has found a way to ensure all of its surface ships can repel unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Drone Restricted Access Using Known Electromagnetic Warfare system, or DRAKE, built by...

https://news.usni.org/2021/09/07/navy-arming-surface-ships-with-drone-repellent-system

HASC Chairman Sees Future for Aircraft Carriers, Questions Cost

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, Chairman of the House Armed Service Committee, is briefed on the capabilities of the F-35A Lightning II during his visit at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., Oct. 10, 2019. The congressman learned about several aspects of the 56th Fighter Wing F-35 pilot training and how the wing works to enhance lethality and readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jensen Stidham)

Questioning the $12 billion price tag of new aircraft carriers, the chairman of the House Armed Services...

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/31/hasc-chairman-sees-future-for-aircraft-carriers-questions-cost

VP Harris Stresses U.S. Commitment to Indo-Pacific During Regional Tour, Calls Out Chinese Aggression

Vice President Kamala Harris visits the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Tulsa (LCS 16), Aug. 23, 2021. US Navy Photo

KUALA LUMPUR – The United States will stand with its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region against any threats to the rules-based order, Vice President Kamala Harris said during a swing through the region this week.

Harris said the U.S. will support allies facing any threats to their sovereignty and she criticized China’s actions in regard to its claims in...

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/27/vp-harris-stresses-u-s-commitment-to-indo-pacific-during-regional-tour-calls-out-chinese-aggression

French administration brings out big guns…

French administration brings out big guns…

Monaco; the marina and at the centre the Yacht Club de Monaco

Good Morning Monaco – Friday, August 27, 2021

French administration brings out its big guns

Anxious to prove that everything is pretty much under control as schools prepare for the annual big event – rentrée – on Thursday next week, a slew of government ministers took to the airwaves of France…

Macron caught between left and right

On a visit to Dublin on Thursday, President Macron hit back at...

https://allaboutshipping.co.uk/2021/08/27/french-administration-brings-out-big-guns/

Growing unease as French schools prepare to return…

Growing unease as French schools prepare to return…

Good Morning Monaco – Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Growing unease as French schools plan for return

With back to school fast approaching, there is growing concern that the pandemic situation in France will take a serious turn for the worse.

Winegrowers count cost of recent Var fires

Last week’s disastrous forest fires north-west of Saint-Tropez damaged a number of vineyards, most of which produce rosé wine.

Monaco Red Cross comes to aid of Haiti

While...

https://allaboutshipping.co.uk/2021/08/25/growing-unease-as-french-schools-prepare-to-return/

Defense Department conscripts 6 airlines for Afghanistan evacuation

Two white passenger jets with blue accents sit on tarmac under stormy clouds.

The U.S. Department of Defense on Sunday activated its Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF), designed to augment military airlift during national emergencies, and is compelling six airlines to help with the evacuation of U.S. citizens and other at-risk refugees from Afghanistan. 

The order from U.S. Transportation Command pulls a total of 18 widebody aircraft into service, including planes from two companies that predominantly provide commercial all-cargo service. Atlas Air (NASDAQ: AAWW) and Air...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/defense-department-conscripts-6-airlines-for-afghanistan-evacuation

Limited Coordination Between U.S., NATO Allies in Getting Afghanistan Evacuees to Airport

Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) search luggage during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 18, 2021. US Marine Corps Photo

Troops from NATO member states, including the U.S., U.K. and France, are all working in Kabul to remove citizens and Afghans eligible for resettlement out of the country. But there isn’t a coordinated effort between the allies to communicate with the Taliban or ensure people get to the Hamid Karzai...

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/20/limited-coordination-between-u-s-nato-allies-in-getting-afghanistan-evacuees-to-airport

SECDEF Austin: U.S. Lacks ‘Capability’ in Kabul to Create Safe Passage for Americans, Afghans to Leave Afghanistan

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks with reporters on Afghanistan, at the Pentagon on Aug. 18, 2021. DoD Photo

The U.S. doesn’t have enough troops in Kabul to secure safe passage for tens of thousands of Americans and Afghan allies seeking to leave the country, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a press conference on Wednesday.

Now, there are a mix of 4,500 Marines, soldiers and airmen securing the Hamid Karzai International Airport to the north of the city and assisting in processing...

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/18/secdef-austin-u-s-lacks-capability-in-kabul-to-create-safe-passage-for-americans-afghans-to-leave-afghanistan