Revo

The forward will miss three matches before the international break while Sergio Aguero recovers from a knee injury Gabriel Jesus has added to Manchester City's injury problems after Brazil announced on Friday that he had been withdrawn from their World Cup qualifiers next month. The 23-year-old will miss City’s next three matches before the international break and Brazil’s games against Bolivia and Peru. With Sergio Aguero still a few weeks away from being fit as he continues his comeback after knee surgery, Pep Guardiola is left with teenager Liam Delap as his only fit striker. "On Wednesday, the English team contacted Brazil's doctor Rodrigo Lasmar, to tell him about an injury detected after the game against Wolverhampton, on Monday, in the Premier League," the Brazil Federation said in a statement. Following Thursday night's Carabao Cup victory over Bournemouth, Guardiola said he had only 13 fit players for Saturday's clash with Leicester City. Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte are back available following spells in isolation after positive Covid-19 tests but Ilkay Gundogan is still in quarantine. Barcelona target Eric Garcia is back after having stitches in a head wound but Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, Nicolas Otamendi and Oleksandr Zinchenko all have muscle injuries. As well as Delap who scored on his debut, Guardiola is set to call up a number of Academy players for the Premier League clash with Brendan Rodgers’ unbeaten side on Sunday. “With the situation we have right now, we need players from the academy,” the City boss said. “We have just 13 players fit. With the problems we have up front, [Liam] will stay with us. We will use him. "We cannot forget, like with Phil [Foden], he is only 17 years old. He has a lot of things to improve. We cannot anticipate the progress of every young player. "We’ve had Phil, Eric, Liam and we have Cole Palmer, who will be an exceptional player. We congratulate the academy. “I am the last step, but before there are a lot of people in the club working for this and it is a big success for them. Jason Wilcox is the academy boss who helps us have these players. “That’s why you have the Academy. When you need players we can use it. It depends on the quality of the player. When they have desire, work ethic and the quality is good, they will have chances.” City are still hoping to bring in a new defender before the transfer window closes on October 5. A move for Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly has stalled and the club has held talks over Benfica’s Ruben Dias and Sevilla’s Jules Kounde as possible alternatives, although sporting director Monchi has already stated that the club has turned

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Morocco stands at 18,592 as of 6 p.m. on Friday, September 25. Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Health has recorded 2,423 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. This brings the country’s total number of confirmed infections to 112,522. The country also reported another 1,746 COVID-19 recoveries in the past 24 hours. Morocco’s total number of recovered COVID-19 carriers is now 91,932. The national recovery rate is 81.7%. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health counted 42 more COVID-19-related fatalities, bringing the death toll to 1,998. The mortality rate remains steady at 1.8%. The number of active COVID-19 cases in Morocco stands at 18,592 as of 6 p.m. on Friday, September 25. Morocco counts 368 patients with severe symptoms. Approximately 42 are under artificial respiration. Health authorities in Morocco excluded 21,577 suspected COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Approximately 2,392,629 suspected COVID-19 carriers have tested negative for the virus since the pandemic broke out in Morocco on March 2. COVID-19’s geographic distribution throughout Morocco Health authorities in the Casablanca-Settat region confirmed 1,096 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, more than three times the number of today’s second-worst affected region. Casablanca-Settat represents the highest overall number of COVID-19 cases in any region in Morocco. Casablanca-Settat also reported 11 fatalities today. The Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region confirmed 324 new cases. The region, which includes Morocco’s capital, also recorded three additional deaths. The region of Marrakech-Safi confirmed 237 new COVID-19 cases and five additional deaths. The Draa-Tafilalet region follows with 171 new cases. The region recorded five deaths. The Souss-Massa region confirmed 129 new cases and three fatalities. The Oriental region registered 119 new cases and four COVID-19-related deaths. The region of Beni Mellal-Khenifra reported 112 new cases and three additional fatalities. The Fez-Meknes region confirmed 93 new infections. Fez-Meknes saw three more COVID-19-related deaths. The region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima registered 88 new cases and five deaths. The regions of Guelmim-Oued Noun (21 new COVID-19 cases), Dakhla-Oued Eddahab (19), and Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra (14) did not report any additional fatalities. As case counts continue to rise, to limit the spread of COVID-19, the government has closed 118 schools across the country. The move follows the detection of 413 COVID-19 cases in schools throughout Morocco, according to the Ministry of Education. Minister of Education Saaid Amzazi announced on Thursday that 807 teachers have also tested positive for the virus along with 129 administrative executives and 79 civil servants.

Kai Havertz's hat-trick in Chelsea's Carabao Cup thrashing of Barnsley will be the "first of many great nights" for him, says Blues boss Frank Lampard. These were the 21-year-old Germany international's first goals for the club after arriving from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month for a fee that could reach £71m. Tammy Abraham put the Blues ahead and had a role in all of Havertz's goals. Ross Barkley and Olivier Giroud were also on target as the hosts eased into the fourth round at Stamford Bridge. "I'm delighted with Kai," said Lampard. "It was everything I wanted the night to be for him. Because Kai has had no pre-season and signing for the club took a few days out for him as well." Havertz's hat-trick was the first of his senior club career and he has now been involved in 26 goals in all competitions in 2020, scoring 18 and making eight assists. Only Robert Lewandowski (35), Lionel Messi (32) and Cristiano Ronaldo (31) have been involved in more goals among players in the top five European leagues. "Tonight was a great exercise for him to see how we want to work off the ball, for him to be a part of that," added Lampard. "He made a great recovery tackle for Ross' goal, and then to also just have some freedom on the ball and roam in more central areas. "I thought it was a great combination with Tammy and I was pleased with the way he grew into the game in terms of confidence. It was a great night for Kai, and the first of many for him." The Blues will visit either Tottenham or Leyton Orient in the next round. Spurs' game against the League Two side was called off on Tuesday after several of the Leyton Orient squad tested positive for coronavirus. Discussions are ongoing over the implications of not holding the third-round match on Tuesday, with a further update to be provided in due course. Havertz shines as Blues show off new boys Havertz was one of only three players to keep their places from the Chelsea side beaten 2-0 by Liverpool at the weekend. Central defender Thiago Silva was one of those brought in by Lampard as the 36-year-old former Paris St-Germain made his first appearance for the club. The Brazilian enjoyed a relatively comfortable hour before making way, but it was Havertz who stole the limelight. Barnsley's Cauley Woodrow had forced Willy Caballero into a fine save with a curling effort from distance early on. But once Abraham pounced on some sloppy defending to slot past former Blues goalkeeper Brad Collins in the 19th minute, the game looked beyond the Championship side. Havertz then latched on to Mason Mount's pass after a clever Abraham dummy and slid left-footed effort into the bottom corner to open his Chelsea account. Barkley made it three after the break before Abraham's neat flick teed Havertz up for a simple finish inside the area. The attacking midfielder walked in a third after beating keeper Collins to another Abraham pass, and was then replaced by another new signing in left-back Ben Chilwell. Debutant Chilwell, who joined from Leicester City last month, swiftly offered a glimpse of why Chelsea were prepared to pay £45m for him as he whipped in a cross for Giroud to add the hosts' sixth. Defender Antonio Rudiger was not included in the squad with Lampard saying not to read "too much into those selections". "That he was not in the squad, that's just a choice at the moment, with the centre-halves I have I can't have them all in the squad," he added.

The central bank forecast a global drop of 16.6% in Morocco’s exports this year. Rabat – Morocco’s Bank Al-Maghrib has predicted an increase of 22.4% in Morocco’s exports in 2021. The central bank said in a press release today the expected increase will follow a global decline of 16.6% in exports this year. An anticipated rise in automobile exports would result in the forecasted exports improvement, the bank explained. Imports of goods, however, are expected to shrink by 17.4% in 2020 before a predicted increase of 17% in 2021. The central bank also forecast a sharp drop in travel revenues from MAD 78.8 billion ($8.5 billion) in 2019 to MAD 23.9 billion ($2.6 billion) in 2020. Bank Al-Maghrib argued that the figures will improve with expected revenues amounting to MAD 49.1 billion ($5.3 billion) in 2021. Regarding remittances of Moroccans residing abroad, the bank expects to record a limited decline of 5% (MAD 61.5 billion, or $6.6 billion). The year 2021 will see an improvement in remittances of 2.4% (MAD 63 billion, or $6.8 billion). The bank forecast an account deficit to worsen and reach 6% of Morocco’s GDP this year, instead of the 10.3% that it forecast in June. The deficit will shrink to 5.2 % of GDP in 2021. In 2020, the bank expects foreign direct investment income to decline to around 1.5% of GDP, compared to 2.9% in 2019. Bank Al-Maghrib expects foreign direct investment to return to its average pre-crisis levels in 2021. The central bank expects that official reserve assets will reach MAD 294.7 billion ($31.9 billion) at the end of 2020 and MAD 289 billion ($31.2 billion) at the end of 2021, to cover the equivalent of six months and 20 days of imports of goods and services. Like all countries, Morocco has acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the country’s economy, including key sectors. In August, a report from the High Commission for Planning (HCP) announced an expectation that the COVID-19 crisis will put 1.06 million people in Morocco at risk of poverty this year. HCP co-authored the report with the UN system in Morocco and the World Bank. According to the report, the percentage of Moroccans “vulnerable to poverty” or “poor” will likely reach 19.87% in 2020.

The suspects were arrested on September 10 while in the advanced stages of planning terror attacks on Moroccan cities. Rabat – Morocco’s general prosecutor at the Court of Appeal in Rabat announced that five suspects in the terror cell arrests of September 10 came before the investigating judge today, September 22. The general prosecutor revealed in a press release today that two individuals are suspects on charges including forming a criminal organization to prepare and commit terrorist acts, making explosives, possessing and using weapons, and attempting to manufacture explosives. Morocco also suspects the two individuals of attempting premeditated attacks on the life of others “as part of a collective project aimed at harming public order by means of intimidation, terror and violence.” They also face suspicion of gathering funds with the intention of using them to commit terrorist acts. Further allegations include inciting and persuading others to commit terrorist acts, praising acts of terrorism and a terrorist cell, disobedience, holding unauthorized public meetings, and engaging in activity with an unlicensed association. The judiciary suspects the three others of forming a criminal organization to prepare and commit terrorist acts, within a collective project to harm public order by means of intimidation, terror, and violence. Morocco also suspects the second group of inciting and persuading others to commit terrorist acts, praising acts that constitute terrorism, and praising a terror cell, in addition to holding general meetings without prior permission and engaging in activity with an unlicensed association. The examining magistrate ordered the suspects into custody following their interrogation at the Court of First Instance. Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ) arrested five suspected ISIS-affiliated members of a terror cell on September 10 in Tangier and Tiflet, Skhirat, and Temara near Rabat. During the operation, BCIJ personnel seized several materials, including cylindrical tubes, explosive belts, pressure cookers, and suspicious liquids and powders. Morocco’s security services indicated that the suspects were in the advanced stages of planning terror attacks in multiple Moroccan cities.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 19,013 as of 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 19. Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Health has recorded 2,552 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. This brings the country’s total number of confirmed cases to 99,816. Morocco also reported an additional 2,318 recoveries from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The total number of recovered COVID-19 patients now stands at 79,008, with a national recovery rate of 79.2%. Meanwhile, the health ministry recorded 40 more COVID-19 fatalities, bringing the death toll to 1,795. The mortality rate remains at 1.8%. The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 19,013 as of 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 19. Morocco counts 274 patients with severe symptoms, including 39 under artificial respiration. Moroccan health authorities also excluded 21,322 suspected COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Approximately 2,266,356 suspected COVID-19 cases have tested negative for the virus since the pandemic broke out in Morocco on March 2. COVID-19’s geographic distribution throughout Morocco Health authorities in the Casablanca-Settat region confirmed 1,059 new COVID-19 cases and 13 deaths in the past 24 hours. The region has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Morocco. The Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region confirmed 312 new cases and three deaths. The Souss-Massa region confirmed 270 new cases and three additional fatalities. The Marrakech-Safi region confirmed 240 new cases and two deaths. The region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima registered 162 new cases and five deaths. The Draa-Tafilalet region recorded 160 new cases and three deaths. The region of Fez-Meknes confirmed 101 new infections and four fatalities. The Beni Mellal-Khenifra region reported 96 new cases and five deaths. The Oriental region recorded 62 new cases and two deaths. The region of Guelmim-Oued Noun recorded 50 new cases and zero fatalities. The region of Dakhla-Oued Eddahab recorded 22 new COVID-19 cases and one additional death. The Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region recorded 18 additional COVID-19 cases and no deaths.

The health ministry also confirmed 1,962 additional recoveries. Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Health has recorded 2,488 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. This brings the country’s total number of confirmed cases to 94,504. Morocco also reported an additional 1,962 recoveries from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The total number of recovered COVID-19 patients now stands at 74,930, with a national recovery rate of 79.3%. Meanwhile, the health ministry recorded 28 more COVID-19 fatalities, bringing the death toll to 1,714. The mortality rate remains at 1.8%. The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 17,860 as of 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 17. Morocco counts 260 patients with severe symptoms, including 44 under artificial respiration. Moroccan health authorities also excluded 20,215 suspected COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Approximately 2,224,010 suspected COVID-19 cases have tested negative for the virus since the pandemic broke out in Morocco on March 2. COVID-19’s geographic distribution throughout Morocco Health authorities in the Casablanca-Settat region confirmed 932 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths in the past 24 hours. The region has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Morocco. The region of Marrakech-Safi recorded the highest number of COVID-19-related deaths in Morocco in the last 24 hours, with eight additional fatalities. The region also recorded 311 new COVID-19 cases. The Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region confirmed 289 new cases and one death. The Draa-Tafilalet region recorded 204 new cases and four deaths. The Souss-Massa region confirmed 354 new cases and zero additional fatalities. The region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima registered 117 new cases and one death. The Beni Mellal-Khenifra region reported 116 new cases and three deaths. The Oriental region recorded 57 new cases and one death. The region of Fez-Meknes confirmed 72 new infections and two fatalities. The region of Dakhla-Oued Eddahab recorded 14 new COVID-19 cases and one additional death. The region of Guelmim-Oued Noun recorded 14 new cases and zero fatalities. The Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region recorded eight additional COVID-19 cases and no deaths. In the first half of September alone, Morocco recorded its second-highest monthly COVID-19 case count. The trend suggests September will see record-breaking figures on Morocco’s epidemiological situation.

Nearly half of the fatalities confirmed in Morocco on Monday occurred in the Casablanca-Settat region. Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Health has recorded 1,517 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. This brings the country’s total number of confirmed cases to 88,203. Morocco also reported an additional 1,442 recoveries from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The total number of recovered COVID-19 patients now stands at 68,970, with a national recovery rate of 78,2%. Meanwhile, the health ministry recorded 36 more COVID-19 fatalities, bringing the death toll to 1,614. The mortality rate remains at 1.8%. The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 17,619 as of 6 p.m. on Monday, September 14. Morocco counts 275 patients with severe symptoms, including 59 under artificial respiration. Moroccan health authorities also excluded 20,177 suspected COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Approximately 2,163,560 suspect COVID-19 cases have tested negative for the virus since the pandemic broke out in Morocco on March 2. COVID-19’s geographical distribution throughout Morocco Health authorities in the Casablanca-Settat region confirmed 518 new cases in the past 24 hours. The region has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Morocco and accounted for 17 of today’s 36 fatalities. The Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region confirmed 292 new cases and one additional death. The region of Marrakech-Safi recorded 160 new cases as well as two fatalities. The Beni Mellal-Khenifra region reported 132 new cases and four additional deaths. The Souss-Massa region confirmed 132 new cases and two additional deaths. The region of Fez-Meknes confirmed 67 new infections and one fatality. The Draa-Tafilalet region recorded 61 additional cases, as well as three fatalities. The Oriental region recorded 58 additional cases and three deaths. The region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima registered 58 new cases and one death. The region of Dakhla-Oued Eddahab recorded 28 new COVID-19 cases and no deaths. The region of Guelmim-Oued Noun only recorded 11 new cases, and no deaths. The Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region recorded one fatality but no new COVID-19 cases. COVID-19’s impact on the start of the school year The recent surge in COVID-19 cases has coincided with the start of the new school year. Many students were prepared to return to in-person classes, but the spread of the pandemic has prompted the closure of schools in several cities, including Casablanca, Sidi Yahia El Gharb, and Kenitra. Following suit, the French mission highschool Descartes in the Moroccan capital Rabat decided to close its doors for the next 14 days to contain the spread of COVID-19 among its staff. The move came after several employees tested positive for COVID-19. The school announced in a statement on its website that it will hold a meeting today to determine the next steps for distance education. “All teams remain mobilized for the education and safety of your children,” the school’s statement concluded.

The Boston Celtics reached the Eastern Conference finals with a 92-87 win against defending champions the Toronto Raptors in the series' deciding game. Raptors' Fred VanVleet missed a three-point attempt that would have tied the game at 90-90 with 12 seconds left then Kemba Walker made his free throws at the other end to seal the win. Celtics' Jayson Tatum starred with 29 points and 12 rebounds in game seven. The Celtics will face Miami Heat in the conference finals. Game one of that series - Celtics' third conference finals appearance in the last four seasons - will take place on Tuesday. Heat reached the Eastern Conference final for the first time since 2014 with a 4-1 series win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Raptors had come back from 2-0 down to tie the series against Celtics at 3-3, but VanVleet's 20 points were not enough to help them to victory. Jaylen Brown added 21 points and eight rebounds for Celtics, while Marcus Smart had 16 points, six assists and a crucial block in the final minute. "I tip my hat to Toronto. They're the defending champs and they have a lot of heart," Tatum said. "They made us earn that. I think we responded after almost being up 3-0, then tied 2-2. It was big and I think it's going to help us moving forward."

Morocco’s security chief says authorities were tracking the movement of the terror cell and waiting for the right time to prevent “bloodbath.” Rabat – Morocco has just avoided a tragedy, says the Head of the country’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation, Abdelhak El Khiame, in the wake of the last-minute dismantling of a terror cell on Thursday. El Khiame said that the plotted operation would have caused a blood bath had the now dismantled cell successfully carried it out. The terrorist cell’s members had reached an advanced phase of extremism, he explained. In a statement to the press, the BCIJ leader said his staff had to use warning shots due to the danger of the terrorists. “We knew that stopping these individuals would not be easy.” On Thursday, BCIJ personnel were deployed in several cities, including Tangier, Skhirat, Temara near Rabat and Tiflet to raid the terrorist suspects. During the operation, two of the suspects showed “violent resistance,” while one injured a BCIJ team member with a sharp tool, the BCIJ revealed on Thursday. Another suspect also tried to blow himself with a gas cylinder during the arrest. El Khiame said that the leader of the cell has a long criminal history. He also said that the suspects used knives,which made their arrest challenging. The top security official said that Moroccan security authorities were aware of the movements of the cell, and had long been tracking its members’ actions and moves. He said that the BCIJ personnel had enough experience to track down the defendants. Commenting on the competence of Morocco’s security services, El Khiame emphasized that authorities have a “high capacity” to report in a timely manner on the stages of progress in the planning of terror operations. Security services tracked the suspects via the internet using their ISIS member-monitoring tools. The BCIJ’s decision to act on Thursday to dismantle the cell was because the security services realized that the cell had reached an advanced state and was planning to implement its plans to turn Morocco into a “bloodbath.” The members of the cell were playing to pledge loyalty to the so-called Islamic State, El Khiam said. He warned that ISIS’s terrorist ideology did not end with the fall of the organization or its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria and Iraq. “The terrorist ideology still poses a security challenge for all countries, especially for Morocco, which is present in the Sahel and Sahara region.”

Morocco slipped one place from the 2019 report. Rabat – The Global Innovation Index ranked Morocco 75th in its newest report with a total of 28.97 points out of 100. Morocco slipped one place from the 2019 ranking, where it placed 74th. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in partnership with Cornell University and the European Institute of Business Administration released the report. The report takes into account 80 different indicators, including human capital and research, infrastructure, creativity index, and technology. In Africa, the ranking acknowledged a lack of science and technology activities, with limited science-industry linkages and low absorptive capacity firms. It points out that while some African economies rank in the top 75 in the list, citing for example Morocco, South Africa, and Tunisia, other economies on the same continent rank “much lower.” The report sees, however, improvement in research bases in Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. Mauritius (52nd) and South Africa (60th) lead in innovation indicators in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by Tunisia (65th) and Morocco (75th) in the top 80. “All economies in the lowest ranks of the continent are Sub-Saharan African economies, with Ethiopia (127th), the Niger (128th) and Guinea (130th) trailing.” The ranking shows Morocco fourth in Africa, and fifth in the Arab world, behind the UAE (34th), Tunisia (65th), Saudi Arabia (66th), Qatar (70th), and Kuwait (78th). The Global Innovation Index shows that Morocco is among countries seeking to boost economic development, diversification, and living standards. The WIPO ranking also highlights how the North African country started supporting the rise of venture capital industries to finance startups and create state investment vehicles. “Developing countries are also following suit: in the past two years alone, Jordan, Morocco, and Senegal have all launched state-owned funds to boost start-up financing. In these and other lower-income countries, investing in start-ups has also become a cornerstone of public innovation policies.” Following providing details about Morocco’s innovation profile, the report detailed the score Morocco received in each indicator. In the institutions criteria for innovation, Morocco received 60.8 points, with a ranking of 77. Morocco earned fewer points (25.9) in human capital and research, and ranked 81st. Infrastructure in the country received 39.2 points, with a ranking of 71, while knowledge and technology outputs received 21.9 points (60th). Creative outputs received 19.0 points in Morocco (75th), and business sophistication 18.4 points (107th). The innovation index gave Morocco a score of 43.2 in market sophistication with a ranking of 88.

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo became the first European to score 100 international goals in men's football and then passed that mark with both goals in the Nations League win over Sweden. The captain curled a stunning free-kick into the top corner - the 57th of his career - to reach the landmark. The Juventus forward, 35, then fired in a fine second from outside the box. Ronaldo, who played 81 minutes, is within eight goals of the world record. Iran's Ali Daei - the only man to score more international goals than Ronaldo - hit 109 during his playing career from 1993 to 2006. The next top scoring current players are India's Sunil Chhetri (72) and Argentina's Lionel Messi (70). The result means defending Nations League champions Portugal have won their opening two games of this year's event. Their task was made easier when Sweden had Gustav Svensson sent off for two bookings - but there was a downside to their win as Manchester City's Bernardo Silva was replaced after suffering a suspected muscle strain. Portugal could have won by more with Bruno Fernandes hitting the bar and Ronaldo, on his 165th cap, forcing a good save from Robin Olsen as he searched for a hat-trick. Almost half of Ronaldo's international goals have come since his 30th birthday - 49 goals in 47

In the last 24 hours, Morocco excluded 21,158 suspected COVID-19 cases. Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Health has recorded 1,941 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Morocco to 75,721. Morocco also reported an additional 1,143 recoveries from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The total number of recovered carriers now stands at 57,239. The country has a recovery rate of 75.6%. Meanwhile, the health ministry recorded 33 more COVID-19 fatalities, bringing the death toll to 1,427. The mortality rate stands at 1.9%. The recent deaths include eight in Casablanca-Settat, seven in Marrakech-Safi, five in Fez-Meknes, four in Draa-Tafilalet, three in each Rabat-Sale-Kenitra and Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, two in Beni Mellal-Khenifra, and one in the Oriental region. The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 17,055 as of 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8. The ministry counts 240 patients with severe symptoms, including 51 under artificial respiration. Moroccan health authorities also excluded 21,158 suspected COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. Approximately 2,039,669 suspected COVID-19 carriers have tested negative for the virus since the pandemic reached Morocco on March 2. COVID-19’s geographical dispatch across Morocco Health authorities in the Casablanca-Settat region confirmed 737 new cases. The region has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Morocco. The Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region confirmed 306 new cases. The Draa-Tafilalet region recorded 203. The Beni Mellal-Khenifra region confirmed 160 new cases. The Marrakech-Safi region recorded 121 new cases. The Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region registered 118 new cases. The Souss-Massa region recorded 95 new cases. The Oriental region recorded 75 additional cases. The region of Dakhla-Oued Eddahab recorded 69 new COVID-19 cases. The Fez-Meknes region confirmed 46 new infections. The region of Guelmim-Oued Noun recorded 11 new cases. Meanwhile, the region of Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra did not record any new COVID-19 cases.

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Production of Kodiaq vRS hot SUV to gradually cease, but Skoda confirms it will return with new engine as part of mid-life facelift Production of the Skoda Kodiaq vRS will gradually cease in the coming weeks as the model becomes the latest victim of tightening emissions regulations. Confirmed by the Czech brand in a statement, the sporting large SUV will no longer be offered with the 237bhp twin-turbo diesel engine currently used in the vRS. The statement also confirms there will be “certain adjustments in the engine product line of Skoda next year”. However, the news doesn’t mean the only high-riding vRS model in the Czech brand’s line-up is gone for good. The statement adds that an upgraded version of the Kodiaq vRS will be reintroduced when the car is given its mid-life revamp. It remains unclear if Skoda will take the opportunity to offer a petrol engine in the range flagship instead as the market gradually shifts away from diesel power. The large, seven-seat SUV sector still favours the fuel, but trends show a continuing decline. Despite the increasing focus on electrification throughout the Volkswagen Group and Skoda’s new Octavia featuring a plug-in vRS model, sales and marketing boss Alain Favey has told Autocar “there is no Kodiaq PHEV in the foreseeable future”. “It’s much too early for us to see any patterns with regards to consumer progression from ICE [internal combustion engines] to PHEV [plug-in hybrids] to BEV [battery-electric vehicles],” Favey continued. “The Citigo-e iV is already over, and we have only had the Superb plug-in hybrid since last year, so we don’t have any of those customers who would be buying a next car. But perhaps people might jump directly from Kodiaq to Enyaq without going through the transition of a plug-in hybrid.” The Enyaq, Skoda's recently revealed electric SUV, is the first MEB-based model to be built outside of Germany. It promises the interior space of the Kodiaq but with a smaller external footprint. Further details of Skoda’s revised 2021 Kodiaq are expected to emerge either later this year or early next year.