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When new in 2013, this example of the hottest of hot hatches (at least until the Audi RS3 landed in 2015) cost around £42,000, but today, seven years and 95,000 miles later, it could be on our driveway for £15,990. It is being advertised by a private seller and has a trade value of around £11,650, so there’s surely a bit of haggling to be done. Doubtless the seller will point to the car’s full Mercedes-Benz service history. That deserves a big tick, but we’d go through the invoices, checking all majors and minors have been done, the air con has been regassed and the brake fluid and coolant have been changed. The seller is bound to indicate, too, the car’s AMG sports exhaust, two-owner history and, from the pictures, unblemished condition. The mileage is apparently largely motorway as well. All reasons for the seller to dig their heels in, but the fact is that very soon this A45 will crack 100k miles and we all know what, rightly or wrongly, that does for a car’s appeal, even one as exotic as this. What’s more, there are a few gremlins in the A45’s wood shed to be mindful of, such as weak turbos on early cars like this one, as well as occasionally troublesome DCT gearboxes (some were repaired under warranty). The model is heavy on discs and pads, too. A test drive will reveal all, but the fact that the seller has at some stage sauced up the car with smoked lenses, a carbonfibre rear diffuser and a sportier grille suggests the turbo, ’box and brakes have seen some hard work from time to time. We’d want to check the body extras fit snugly, too. On the upside, the interior looks fabulous. Seat Leon 2.0 TSI Cupra R 265, £9989: Time has been kind to the Cupra R, with criticisms of it not being as well resolved as a Golf GTI or as sharp as a Mégane giving way to praise for its performance and decent value. This private-sale 2010 car has 65,000 miles and a full Seat service history. Volkswagen Golf R, £11,995: Four years younger and just £2000 more than the Seat… Perhaps we were a bit too kind on the Cupra, but then this Golf R has done 120,000 miles. On the other hand, Golfs can shrug off the miles with ease and this one has a full VW service history. BMW M135i, £11,995: For the same money as the Golf R, how about this 2013-reg M135i with 81,000 miles from a dealer? It has a full BMW service history and just one previous keeper, plus rear-drive thrills aplenty, a delicious 3.0 straight six and the rare manual gearbox. Renault Mégane RS 265 Cup, £12,495: Decisions, decisions… This 2013-reg Mégane is just so tempting. It’s the rare Cup version with stiffer springs and dampers and a mechanical limited-slip diff. Whisper it but this example has also had a remap with Milltek exhaust, taking it to 285bhp.

Prince Harry, who decamped from England to Southern California last year, rapped the theme song to the 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air during a late-night talk show interview in which he said he didn’t walk away from his royal duties. During an appearance on the CBS television network’s The Late, Late Show with James Corden that aired early Friday, Harry said he decided to step away from his work as a front-line member of the royal family to protect his wife and son and his mental health. “It was stepping back rather than stepping down,” he told Corden. “It was a really difficult environment, which I think a lot of people saw, so I did what any father or husband would do and thought, How do I get my family out of here?’ But we never walked away, and as far as I’m concerned, whatever decisions are made on that side, I will never walk away.” The appearance marked Harry’s first interview since his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, stripped the prince and his wife, the former actress Meghan Markle, of their remaining royal duties earlier this month. Corden’s coup trumped Oprah Winfrey, whose interview with the couple is scheduled to air March 7. During the segment, Corden and the prince tour Southern California on an open-top bus, at one point arriving outside the mansion where the opening sequence of Will Smith’s Fresh Prince was filmed. “If it was good enough for the Fresh Prince, it’s good enough for a real prince,” Corden says, walking up the drive. “Do you remember the song?” “Now this is the story, all about how, my life got flipped, turned upside down, now take a minute,” Harry raps before turning to Corden for help. “And sit right there, I’ll tell you how I became the prince of town called…,” Corden chimes in. “Bel -ir,” Harry finishes off the song. The royal couple actually live north of Bel-Air in Santa Barbara County.

Rabat – Morocco and the European Union’s bilateral relations and communications will undergo a drastic change in 2021, said Claudia Wiedey, Ambassador of the European Union to Morocco. During a February 24 press conference held at Wiedey’s residence in Rabat, the ambassador outlined the new direction for the Morocco-EU partnership as part of the EU’s 2020-2027 “Southern Neighbourhood” action plan. Noting the EU’s mobilization of €466 million (MAD 5 billion) in aid for Morocco’s COVID-19 response, the ambassador acknowledged that “2020 has been a remarkable year, in which we have worked together in an exceptional and efficient manner, and we are happy and proud of the result we have achieved.” Similarly, the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa contributed €10 million (MAD 109 million) to Morocco, as part of a regional accelerated emergency response program to limit the spread of the pandemic in North Africa. The EU ambassador presented the COVID-19 crisis as a historic opportunity to reinforce the partnership between Morocco and Europe, particularly within the framework of the “Southern Neighbourhood” plan. “We are approaching 2021 together with the common ambition of renewal,” Wiedey said. According to the ambassador, the EU action plan, within the context of the “Southern Neighbourhood” plan, set the foundations “for a new agenda for the Mediterranean.” Wiedey explained that the EU consulted Morocco before publishing the action plan, proposing several different orientations. This comes at a time when countries such as Morocco have called for higher levels of transparency and communication. “Morocco has asked the EU to move away from this teacher-pupil logic and to enter into a logic of consultation” that would be mutually beneficial for both parties, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita recently said. Ambassador Wiedy also noted Morocco’s status as a pioneer in renewable energies, calling the North African country a “first-rate” partner of the EU within the framework of a green economy.

Volkswagen has opened order books for the Tiguan R, the latest and most powerful variant of its updated Tiguan SUV, with prices starting from £45,915. The range-topping Tiguan R joins the larger Touareg R as part of the performance division’s rapidly expanding line-up. It uses the fourth-generation EA888 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine found in the Golf R, which produces 316bhp and takes it from 0-62mph in a claimed 4.9sec, then on to a top speed of 155mph. As usual, this four-cylinder unit is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, four-wheel drive and VW's Dynamic Chassis Control system. The Tiguan R also benefits from a similar torque-vectoring function in its four-wheel drive system as the Arteon R. This can vary drive between the front and rear axles as well as the left and right rear wheels. UK cars will ride on 21in alloy wheels and sit 10mm lower than any other Tiguan. Prices for the regular version of the Ford Kuga rival start from £24,915. The entry-level car is equipped with a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 128bhp, a six-speed manual gearbox and a raft of standard equipment including 17in alloy wheels, LED headlights and a suite of driver assistance functions. The 1.5-litre engine is capable of between 37.2mpg and 44.8mpg, and emits 143-159g/km of CO2. Prices climb to £26,915 for Life trim, which is expected to be the best-selling variant and is available additionally with a 148bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine and a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox. Life also brings larger 18in wheels, rear privacy glass, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors and road sign recognition. The updated Tiguan has two range-topping trims in its standard form: Elegance at £32,430 and R Line from £32,730, each of which is available with a choice of petrol and diesel engines and equipped with the automatic gearbox as standard. Elegance cars are marked out by 19in alloy wheels, silver roof rails, chrome window trim and interior upgrades including ambient lighting, bespoke trim elements and the most advanced version of Volkswagen's Digital Cockpit infotainment system. Performance-inspired R Line cars take styling cues from the full-fat Tiguan R, arriving later this year, with lowered suspension, 20in Misano alloy wheels, a sports steering wheel and stainless steel pedals. The Tiguan is Europe’s favourite SUV, with more than six million examples having been sold since it came out in 2007. The second-generation model was launched in 2016, and this is the first major upgrade it has received. The Tiguan has received only relatively minor external design changes, including LED lights front and rear as standard, with LED matrix interactive light modules optional. A new front bumper features enlarged air intakes, while a more prominent grille aims to visually widen the Tiguan and links with a new chrome strip above the headlights. The interior changes bring the Tiguan in line with Volkswagen’s newer models, with the latest version of the firm’s infotainment system and larger touchscreens available. Wireless Apple CarPlay is also offered, alongside Volkswagen’s We Connect system, which includes live traffic data and numerous app-based functions. Options include natural speech control, while the 10.0in digital dial display has been updated. There are also details such as two illuminated USB-C ports in the centre console, new multicoloured ambient lighting and, on the Tiguan R, exterior logo projection. The Tiguan can be specified with a touch-sensitive control module for climate functions in place of the physical dials, including illuminated sliders for fan and temperature control. A sports steering wheel can be chosen, as can a different wheel that has touch-sensitive controls and sliders in place of buttons. Meanwhile, the old Dynaudio stereo upgrade has been ditched in favour of a 480W, 10-speaker Harman Kardon system.

American actor and singer Zendaya is being praised by fans for rephrasing an interview question to make it gender-neutral. The 24-year-old, who features on the latest cover of Vanity Fair‘s annual Hollywood Issue, made the change when asked about what qualities she likes “most in a man” as part of its accompanying video series The Proust Questionnaire. During the series of 35 questions, Zendaya was asked by the interviewer: “What is the quality you most like in a man?” prompting her to respond: “I most like in a person, how about that?” The actor then answered the “big” question, telling the publication: “It’s such a big question. What is the quality I most like in someone? I would say ‘’kindness’ is kind of not the best way to describe it, but some people are just good people, and you can just feel it.” “I don’t know how to explain that but there’s this little spark they have or this little special thing that they have, that you feel safe and happy around them. I don’t know what that is, but some people have it, and it’s special,” she added. The following question, “What do you most like in a woman?”, drew a briefer response, with the Euphoria star saying, “Well, I guess that’s the same answer,” she said. Social media was abuzz with praise for the Malcolm and Marie star with her fans responding how it was “another reason to love her”. Another said: “At first I kinda hate the Vanity Fair interviewer for asking ‘what qualities do you like the most in a man’ but when it gives Zendaya a chance to answer ‘well what about in a person?’ I totally am here for it.” In 2017, she released a gender-neutral fashion line, and in her Spider-Man film, she made sure her character dressed in a gender non-binary style.

Rabat – Nasser Bourita, the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, has said that recent developments in the Morocco-EU partnership should convince Brussels to abandon its superiority complex and open itself to a new kind of relationship with Rabat. Speaking to Agence Europe, Bourita urged the EU to break with the teacher-pupil mentality with which it approaches its relationship with its southern neighbors, including Morocco. Rather than agenda imposition, multilateral dialogue and consultation should be the basis of the partnership between the EU and its partners, Bourita commented. Following the EU’s decision to remove Morocco from its “gray list” of non-cooperative third countries in regards to taxation, Bourita underlined the need for dialogue in the management of sensitive issues. “if the southern neighborhood is important, it should not suffer the consequences of decisions taken by the EU,” he explained. Bourita underscored the need for a kind of considerate dialogue that values what every partner brings to the table. The EU’s southern neighbors “must be involved, not in the decision, but at least in the reflection” about major policy decisions affecting the Meditarrenean basin, said Morocco’s top diplomat. “Morocco has asked the EU to move away from this teacher-pupil logic and to enter into a logic of consultation” that would be mutually beneficial for both parties, he added. Bourita suggested that the EU adopt a similar approach to the increasingly sensitive topic of irregular migration. “Any approach that seeks to find the culprits rather than the solutions is a bad method,” Bourita explained. Migration is a “natural phenomenon between the two shores,” he argued, suggesting that the EU should renounce its usual scapegoating reflex to instead work with its non-European partners to find shared solutions to shared challenges. “Morocco shoulders its responsibilities, but will never be a policeman because it is neither its vocation, nor its conviction,” Bourita explained. Morocco’s coordination with Spain, in particular, is an example of the North African country’s commitment to finding a solution to the migration crisis. Bourita recalled Morocco’s operations to combat trafficking networks even beyond the Mediterranean shore. He lauded European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi’s efforts to consult the concerned countries before officializing the EU’s migration decisions, saying that Morocco used to “discover [these decisions] from the media.”

Renault’s strong-selling Kadjar is due to enter its second generation sometime in the next year, and our first sighting of a prototype suggests the flagship SUV will undergo a substantial styling overhaul. Headline changes for the new model will be the roll-out of quality and technology boosts found on Renault’s latest cars as well as a greater-than-ever choice of powertrains. Accompanying this will be a design shift that looks to be inspired by recent Renault concepts including the Morphoz and Mégane e-Vision; despite the heavy camouflage, we can see slim LED headlights - which could meet in the middle as a production version of the e-Vision's wraparound light bar - a concave grille design and completely reshaped and relocated air intakes. Having been on sale since 2015 and receiving the mildest of facelifts in 2019, the Kadjar remains one of Europe’s best-selling family SUVs. Renault will seek to maintain its appeal by revamping the cabin in line with an ongoing “interior revolution” under design boss Laurens van den Acker. Set to be dominated by a touchscreen (large and portrait-oriented in top-end models) no longer sitting flush with the centre stack, the new Kadjar’s interior will strive for class-leading material quality and clean design – traits that were key in pushing the Clio to near the top of the supermini tree. Expect classy features such as ambient lighting and posher trim options to help create an upmarket air. The Kadjar will again bear the fruits of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. It will make use of the updated version of the modular CMF-C platform which underpins the new Nissan Qashqai and is compatible with all forms of hybrid powertrain. This means there will be mild-hybrid options for the regular engine range alongside plug-in hybrid powertrains, The Qashqai's unique new e-Power hybrid offering is likely to be restricted to Nissan models, however, with the Kadjar instead using a variant of the Captur's more conventional E-Tech system, which mates a 1.6-litre petrol engine to an electric motor and 9.8kWh battery for around 160bhp and a claimed 188mpg. Renault could also use the Clio E-Tech’s parallel hybrid powertrain, plus it has choices in a toolbox of Alliance set-ups. It remains to be seen whether Renault will follow Nissan in ditching diesel for its C-segment SUV. However, given there are three diesel options in the new Captur, this is unlikely. We expect the new Kadjar to be revealed in the latter half of 2021 and sales to begin before the year is out. Having been on sale since 2015 and receiving the mildest of facelifts in 2019, the Kadjar remains one of Europe’s best-selling family SUVs. Renault will seek to maintain its appeal by revamping the cabin in line with an ongoing “interior revolution” under design boss Laurens van den Acker.

Actor Mandy Moore, who is currently expecting her first child with husband Taylor Goldsmith, has revealed in a new episode of ‘Informed Pregnancy Podcast‘ that she had to cancel her original plan for a natural home birth. Speaking with host Dr Elliot Berlin, Moore said: “We were very intentional and excited about this prospect of being at home for the birth. I was like, ‘Taylor, I want you to do a playlist, but also I want you to have the guitar on too, ready to play’. We were really excited about what the whole experience was going to be.” The actor shared that they even found “fantastic doulas and midwives” to help them with the process, and “felt so immediately sold on this team that we had assembled, and from very early on in pregnancy, had them both on this journey with us.” But because of health reasons, she may now have to give up on home birth. “My platelets have been dropping throughout pregnancy and it’s something I never thought about until I got, I’d say early to midway through my third trimester, they sort of started dropping pretty precipitously and fell below the threshold that would make it possible for me to do a home birth,” Moore explained. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, when platelets drop below the normal range, it is a condition known as ‘gestational thrombocytopenia’. The This Is Us star said that the fact she cannot give birth at home made her envious of other moms who could. “Unfortunately my plans have had to change. I initially was like, ‘I got it, absolutely. I am malleable, I’m going to do whatever it takes for this baby,’ and that is absolutely how I still feel. But the grieving process about my plan not unfolding the way that I had hoped actually, I felt this sort of delayed reaction… It was a couple of weeks afterward that it really sort of sunk in. “Just caring about other people that were planning to do home births and feeling this weird tinge of jealousy. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I’m like, ‘Oh man, I’m happy for them, but I’m also kind of sad that I don’t get to have that experience that I was hoping for.'”

Rabat – Morocco’s government council will discuss on Thursday, February 25 a bill on the “legal use of cannabis,” a statement from the Head of Government office announced on Tuesday. Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani will chair the government council, which will “consider” the bill on legalizing the use of cannabis, the statement reads. The statement does not provide further details on the bill. However, the announcement about the bill comes just a few months after Morocco voted in favor of removing cannabis from the list of the UN’s Schedule IV category of drugs that have limited or no therapeutic use. Morocco was the only member of the UN Commission on Narcotics Drugs (CND) in the Middle East and North Africa region to give a nod to the removal of cannabis from the list of toxic substances. Algeria, Bahrain, and Egypt have all voted against the move. The use of cannabis is illegal in Morocco; it is criminalized by the country’s Penal Code. But the drug is still among the most used substances in Morocco. Authorities frequently crackdown on the trafficking of cannabis resin. One of the recent operations took place on Monday in Rabat, where police seized 9.5 tonnes of cannabis resin. A few years ago, a movement called “Maroc Cannabis 2016” called on the government to legalize cannabis production and Morocco. Data from a 2019 report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) confirmed that Morocco is the world’s largest producer of cannabis. The country produces over three times more than the next highest contender, the European country Moldova. Cannabis production in Morocco continues to grow, with the production of cannabis herbs increasing from 35,653 tons in 2016 to 35,703 tons in 2017, according to the report. It remains to be seen whether the government will approve the bill on the legal use of cannabis in Morocco. In addition to the bill on cannabis, the government council will examine three draft decrees about implementing the decree-law relating to the promulgation of exceptional measures for the benefit of employers affiliated to the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) and their declared employees.

If you're a tyre designer these days, you could be stuck between a rock and a hard place. Why? Because of EVs – more specifically, high-performance EVs. Tyres are a melting pot of compromise, trading off between grip, ride quality, wet handling, dry handling and rolling resistance. Over the past decade, the significance of rolling resistance has been steadily increasing in line with the need to find that last percentage point of efficiency to reduce CO2 emissions. Suspension and tyres are closely matched during the development of a car and certain tyres are recommended for used on a particular model for that reason. An example is the Pirelli P Zero Elect, developed in conjunction with car manufacturers as a dedicated EV tyre. One of the trickiest fitments was the Porsche Taycan, simply because achieving safe handling and roadholding in a high-performance car conflicts with low rolling resistance. An added challenge is designing a tyre that can support the extra weight of EV batteries without its construction being so stiff that it ruins ride quality. Traditional tyre manufacturing methods of dealing with the higher loads of extra vehicle weight also make the tyre heavier, which in turn increases rolling resistance. And generating enough grip to harness the extreme, unrelenting torque developed by a powerful EV has to be balanced against rolling resistance and wear. Road noise starts as vibration in the tyre, which is transmitted to the chassis, and Pirelli’s boffins say that understanding the physics of this particular phenomenon is crucial. The lion’s share of rolling resistance is caused by hysteresis: the tyre squashing as it rolls onto its contact patch and springs back as it rolls off it. Not all of the energy taken to squash the tyre is recovered: some is lost as heat, and that loss has to be made up by the car’s engine or electric motor. Damping materials within a tyre’s construction soak up vibration and reduce road noise but also increase energy loss through hysteresis. To offset that, the P Zero Elect is designed to concentrate deformation in specific areas where there are fewer damping materials to reduce energy loss. The way in which the compound is manufactured also has a profound effect on rolling resistance. New polymers and the way they chemically bond with fillers in the compound (particularly the silica in the P Zero Elect) influence the manufacturing. The precise details of the manufacturing process are a closely guarded secret, but Pirelli isn’t worried about its technology being pinched by competitors. It may be possible to analyse the composition of the tyre, but without knowledge of the process, engineers are confident the characteristics of the finished material can’t be replicated. They compare it to making fine Italian pizza: you can take fl our, water, salt and all the right ingredients, they say, but you still need the knowledge of how to prepare the dough, the process and the temperature of the oven to make a good one. Much the same is true when it comes to cooking up a high-performance EV tyre. Studded tyres aren’t legal on public roads in the UK, but some new stud technology could change that. Falken’s Winterpeak F-Ice 1 tyre is manufactured with small, lightweight studs that are directional. Instead of the end of the stud being cut at 90deg to its length, it slopes downward, away from the direction of travel, so that the stud meets the ground smoothly as the tyre rotates. The design not only reduces weight, noise, vibration and road wear but also bites into ice more effectively.

As the crypto-currency rally continues, Bitcoin this week breached the $58,000 price mark, its market capitalisation exceeding $1 trillion. Even though India has yet to regulate the crypto-currency segment even after the Supreme Court vacated the central bank’s ban on transactions using virtual currencies, this has not prevented it from gaining acceptance among Indian users. The recent push from billionaire and Tesla founder Elon Musk has only increased interest around crypto-currency. But are crypto-currencies really going more mainstream? What about issues related to regulation and price volatility? Indianexpress.com spoke to Changpeng Zhao (CZ) CEO at Binance, the world’s largest bitcoin exchange in terms of volume, to get answers on some of these questions. Below are edited excerpt from an email interview. How has 2020 and now 2021 impacted the crypto industry given the rise in Bitcoin prices? Changpeng Zhao: Despite the ongoing pandemic, Bitcoin (BTC) is up to 350 per cent in a year (Feb 2020 – Feb 2021) and 70 per cent up YTD. 2020 was all about the decentralised finance (DeFi) boom and 2021 so far has seen institutional investors flooding the rally, which has greatly influenced public interest and trust in Bitcoin. This year is expected to have strong technical impacts. We’ll see more technological advancements such as advanced algorithms, cross-chain/multi-chain projects, gamification in Centralised Finance, synthetic tokens and institutional DeFi. With the rise of cryptocurrencies, the industry is now developing faster. There’s more crypto awareness, technology acknowledgment, and more countries are looking into regulating cryptocurrencies. What does the support from Elon Musk mean for the industry? Will it lead to more mainstream acceptance? Changpeng Zhao: The recent news of Tesla’s 1.5 billion investment in Bitcoin was followed by Bitcoin’s new All Time High (ATH) in USD terms. Tesla used 8 per cent of its cash holdings to buy BTC. Since they already bought BTC in the past, the market reaction is not directly stemming from Tesla’s BTC purchases, but indirectly from increasing BTC’s retail appeal. This did accelerate more mainstream awareness and I hope to see more tech giants purchase Bitcoin in the near future. Does Binance see a growing acceptance for the crypto industry, especially post-pandemic? Changpeng Zhao: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly every industry. With global economic uncertainties, inflation, and traditional assets suffering due to the macroeconomic shock caused by the pandemic, investors have increasingly turned towards bitcoin and crypto. The crypto market has grown significantly, opening doors for mainstream masses to consider crypto for multiple use cases. In 2020, more traditional investors opted for crypto and corporate onboarding numbers have continued to increase. In 2020, the number of institutional clients we onboarded was significantly higher than in 2019, while new institutional client applications also increased significantly quarter-over-quarter, indicating the growing institutional interest in crypto as an alternate asset class. In the past, we’ve also seen a lot of volatility around crypto currencies which has made many wary of investing. Is this volatility issue likely to get fixed in the future or will that continue to weigh down crypto-currencies? Changpeng Zhao: For over a year, Bitcoin has portrayed significant growth and has stabilised its current position in the market. The higher the Bitcoin market cap grows the lower its volatility gets. The current market situation hints at the potential of cryptocurrencies, and its volatility issues that are expected to decrease with more mass adoption. Is there a worry around increased regulation for crypto currency? Changpeng Zhao: The more regulations we have the safer we make the crypto-space for new investors. Regulations guide the interest of investors and allow crypto exchanges to function with compliance. We encourage more regulatory bodies to explore the potentials of digital assets and provide as many insights we can to help them regulate this area in a thoughtful way which does not hinder the potential growth of the sector. We are committed to find ways that can make the industry development sustainable, like engaging with global institutions and intergovernmental organisations like the UN and Interpol over the years. It was to form actionable discussions and working relations to achieve our common mission of protecting the industry. Is Binance aware of upcoming crypto-currency bills in India where the government plans to ban private crypto-currencies. Does the company have any thoughts on that? Changpeng Zhao: I cannot comment on the government policy but based on our experience globally, a better way to address the issues may be to start a constructive dialogue with all of the players in the sector with the aim of creating sustainable regulations that would promote the growth of this sector while at the same time addressing government concerns. Many exchanges around the world self-regulate with AML (Anti-Money Laundering), KYC (Know Your Customer), transactional monitoring and data privacy policies among other things. Apart from that, the more reputable exchanges have a strong history of collaboration with various Law Enforcement Agencies worldwide to help stem out crime and other illicit activities.

Rabat – The Turkish ambassador in Rabat, Ahmet Aydin Dogan, discussed cooperation and trade with the Speaker of Morocco’s House of Representatives, Habib El Malki, on February 19. With the “courtesy and friendship meeting” marking the end of Dogan’s diplomatic mission in Morocco, the two officials seized the occasion to speak of consolidating broad-ranging bilateral cooperation between the two countries. Expressing his satisfaction with the state of Morocco-Turkey ties, the Turkish ambassador explained that the ongoing dialogue between the two parties owes much to the recent renewal of their free-trade agreement to the benefit of both countries. Dogan also praised the long-standing relations between the two countries. After indulging in positive remarks about the centuries-long relationship between the two countries, the Turkish diplomat invited El Malki for a working visit to Turkey. He said there was a need to further discuss strengthening diplomatic and trade partnership between the legislative institutions of the two countries. Meanwhile, El Malki stressed the investment potentials and other economic opportunities that have arisen in Morocco’s southern provinces. The Moroccan House Speaker invited Turkish investors to take part in the development and investments race the region has seen in recent months. El Malki cited exploiting southern Morocco’s promising investment potentials as one way of cementing the rapidly expanding trade connections between Morocco and Turkey. Echoing Dogan’s sentiment of a shared history and deep-seating fraternity, he also highlighted the depth and historical significance of the centuries-old relations between Morocco and Turkey. “The two countries are united by a long history and a great civilization, and are linked by strong common roots,” said El Malki. The meeting comes as Ankara and Rabat seem to have completely put behind them a recent heated trade dispute. In November 2019, Morocco threatened to walk out of a 2006 free trade agreement with Turkey, arguing that it was one of the many deals “that do not benefit our economy and our country.” Many pundits and observers understandably saw in the incident an indication of much wider, and increasingly unbridgeable, strategic disagreements between Ankara and Rabat. But the two countries went on to resolve their disagreement on the trade deal, and have since appeared determined to take their relationship to the next level. At the height of the Guerguerat crisis in November 2020, after Morocco intervened to lift a Polisario blockade, Turkey was one of the countries that strongly supported Morocco’s “legitimate” stance on the Western Sahara question. Hami Aksoy, the spokesperson of the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, reiterated Turkey’s support for a just and lasting political solution in the Western Sahara dispute. Aksoy explained that this should be achieved within the framework of UN Security Council resolutions. While Aksoy’s comments constituted diplomatic support for Morocco’s position, Ibrahim Kalin, the spokesperson of the Turkish president, went a step further by more clearly expressing Turkey’s position on Morocco’s Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara. Embracing the Moroccan autonomy proposal, Kalin stated that Morocco’s territorial integrity and its stability constitute a strategic priority for Turkey.

Covid-19 dominated the headlines last year and, unsurprisingly, wreaked havoc with global new car markets in 2020, preliminary figures from analysis firm Jato Dynamics reveal. The top 11 global markets sold 7.71 million fewer cars in 2020 (taking into account the output of 30 factories of typical 250,000 units-per-year size) than in 2019 for an unprecedented 12.6% year-on-year drop. Just one of those countries – South Korea – recorded an increase, while the UK’s 28% decline positioned it as the worst performer globally. Of course, there were bright spots for some amid the carnage: Toyota regained its crown as the biggest global car maker, electric cars continued to sell in ever-bigger numbers and premium cars remained in significant demand in China – a hugely important metric for Europe’s car industry. In fact, the 28% increase in global battery-electric car sales highlights the investment, technology and political push behind them. Another significant trend is the continuing slide in luxury saloon demand, as buyers move to SUVs. Cadillac and Lincoln, for example, pulled three saloons from the market, while the big BMW X7 made an instant impact in its first full year on sale. Elsewhere, Mercedes-Benz sold more cars than BMW, as in 2019, but when all brands are included, the BMW Group was again bigger than Daimler. Meanwhile, Porsche’s evergreen 911 is showing no sign of losing its global crown, while the new mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette was also a rip-roaring success in a buoyant supercar market. Significant sales declines across top 10 markets China was the first country to report Covid-19, so its market was hit earlier than others, but its recovery has also been faster: the market finished 2020 with sales down just 2%. Given its drop a year earlier was 8%, that’s a solid result. “The virus, the lockdown and the initial panic explain most of the drop everywhere in the world,” says Jato Dynamics analyst Felipe Munoz. “However, we must remember that the global market was already posting declines in the months before Covid-19 arrived.” The US (-15%), Japan (-12%) and Germany (-19%) experienced double-digit market drops but still suffered less than France and Brazil. Significantly for the UK, its even steeper decline allowed Brazil to climb into seventh spot – the first time it has done so since 2014. At least there is evidence of sales recovering into 2021. “Fortunately, we have seen some strong signs of recovery in markets like China and South Korea and some tiny signs in the US, Latin America and India,” says Munoz. Electric cars’ meteoric rise shows no sign of stopping Two years ago, the big news was electric cars bursting through the one million annual sales barrier. Last year, the headline figure was 1.8 million, a healthy growth of 28%, putting the next major milestone of two million units well within grasp – probably in the second half of 2021. Europe was the significant driver of growth in 2020 outpacing China, where incentives were pulled in some months, slowing sales. “The market could have been bigger, if it wasn’t because of China,” says Munoz. In Europe, the updated Renault Zoe grabbed the number-one spot from the Tesla Model 3 – a significant achievement for the supermini, with its new longer-range battery. Overall, the Model 3 looks to have nudged over 300,000 units in its three main markets, although Jato cautions that Tesla’s sales figures might take a couple more months to finalise. Hints of recovery in China The last few months of 2020 suggest that 2021 might herald a return to the growth that has eluded the world’s biggest car market for the past two years. Part of China’s growth will come from EV sales, while Tesla, Toyota, the German premium brands and home-grown manufacturers Changan and Hongqi will hope to continue their winning streaks. On the other hand, Volkswagen, Geely, Hyundai and General Motors will be aiming for significantly better performances.

France has passed a law protecting “sensory heritage” of its countryside, after there were grouses about the smells and noises typical of the rural areas. Senators in France voted to approve the bill which is designed to defend aspects of country life against complaints by vacationer or new arrivals, dubbed as “neo-rural.” Joël Giraud, the Minister for Rural Affairs, said he celebrated the adoption of the law, which aims to “define and protect the sensory heritage of the French countryside,” according to wionews.com. In 2019, a court in western France rejected a bid by neighbours who had purchased a holiday home to have a rooster named Maurice, silenced. It was a cause of celebration for activists in France, fighting to preserve the countryside in the face of residents claiming that loud animal noises native to the place, were a nuisance. Months later, a court in western France also ruled in favour of a duck and goose farmer who was sued by her neighbour for the animals’ quacking. Giraud was quoted as saying that, understanding the typical “sounds and smells” of rural areas will be useful in “preventing disagreements between neighbors.” Lawmakers said the legislation would stem the threat to France’s agricultural lands, as the number of social conflicts between long-term residents of rural communities and new arrivals is on a hike. Under this new law, singing cicadas, croaking frogs, whirring tractors, church bells, cowbells, noisy tractors among other rural sounds and smells will be considered a part of France’s natural heritage.

Rabat – The Republic of Burundi has officially welcomed Morocco’s decision to open its embassy in the port city of Bujumbura. Burundi’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development Cooperation released a statement on Thursday in which it also reiterated its commitment to its consulate in Laayoune. The Republic of Burundi is actively strengthening ties with regional countries as the government of Evariste Ndayishimiye prioritizes the country’s foreign policy. The choice of Bujumbura for Morocco’s embassy in Burundi is evidence of the country’s development-focused diplomacy. Morocco selected the country’s economic heart for the location of its diplomatic mission instead of the political capital in Gitega. Despite the Burundi government operating from Gitega, Morocco opted for the bustling port city of Bujumbura, the former capital and largest city in the country. Burundi changed its capital from Bujumbura to Gitega in 2019. While Gitega is the official capital, many of Burundi’s branches of government are still in the process of relocating following the 2019 decision, with the official deadline for the move set for completion by 2022. For Morocco, however, Bujumbura is a logical choice. Morocco’s approach to African diplomacy has primarily focused on mutually beneficial trade and development cooperation. Settling in the heart of Burundi’s economic center therefore seems a calculated choice. Burundi opened its general consulate in Laayoune on February 28, 2020. At the time the consulate was only the eighth of its kind in the region. Its presence marks a strong signal of support for Morocco’s territorial integrity. The opening of the consulate saw the attendance of Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita and his counterpart from Burundi, Ezechiel Nibigira. Burundi has long been supportive of Morocco’s efforts to establish lasting peace in the region and has officially declared its support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan.

Volkswagen's R performance division will add a seventh model to its ranks later this year when the Mk8 Golf R becomes available in estate form. Set for a reveal towards the beginning of summer, the Golf R estate will join similarly conceived hot variants of the Arteon, Arteon Shooting Brake, Tiguan, T-Roc, Touareg and Golf hatchback in showrooms. This time two years ago, the R line-up comprised just the Golf hatch and Golf estate. Spotted undergoing winter testing without any camouflage, the new arrival looks to be production ready. As expected, it will be told apart from the standard car primarily by way of its lower suspension, bespoke alloy wheels, bright blue brake calipers and quad-exit performance exhaust. As part of the rapid range expansion, the R division has ushered in a more potent version of its time-honoured EA888 engine (for all models except the hybridised V6 Touareg R) alongside a raft of chassis tweaks, which put greater distance between R models and their standard counterparts. As such, the Golf R estate will pack 316bhp and 310lb ft from the 2.0-litre turbo four, sent to both axles through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and distributed variably to each wheel by a race-inspired torque-vectoring system. It won't be quite as quick off the line as the smaller and lighter hatchback, but a sub-5.0sec 0-62mph time is expected. Subtle chassis tweaks for the hatchback will almost certainly be rolled out to the wagon, with the aim of enhancing the R estate's dynamic performance. Front axle camber, for example, will be increased by 1.3deg, the stabiliser and spring rates by 10% and the front brake discs by 17mm. Elsewhere, the front subframe will be 3kg lighter than that of the previous car, while the braking system will shed 1.2kg of unsprung mass. We have yet to see inside, but bespoke R division flourishes such as blue trim accents, a sports steering wheel, steel pedals and new display modes for the central touchscreen will feature. The estate will also likely be offered with the optional R Performance upgrade, which raises the top speed of the hatchback by 13mph and brings a bigger rear spoiler for improved downforce.

They already knew she looked good in a coat. So the designers at Proenza Schouler decided to dress Ella Emhoff — art student, knitwear designer, fledgling model and stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris — in a couple of coats (plus a pantsuit) for her modeling debut in their new collection, unveiled Thursday for New York Fashion Week. Designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough said the fashion world took quick notice when 21-year-old Emhoff appeared at the inauguration in January, dressed in a quirky Miu Miu coat with bejeweled shoulders along with a starchy white collar. Social media took notice, too. Soon after, the designers were planning their February show — actually a digital short, for pandemic reasons — and the casting director mentioned Emhoff. “And we said, ‘We were just talking about Ella.’ Seemed like everyone was kind of talking about her,” McCollough said in an interview. As it turns out, Emhoff, a senior and art major at Parsons School of Design (where Hernandez and McCollough met and began their partnership), had just signed with IMG Models, joining an even bigger breakout star of the inauguration: poet Amanda Gorman. The outdoor shoot took place recently on a blustery weekend at the Parrish Museum in Water Mill, New York. It was the first time Emhoff had walked a runway. “I have to say I was a little nervous,” Emhoff, daughter of Harris’s husband Doug Emhoff, said later in a streamed talk with the designers, also released Thursday. “I definitely lost a little sleep the night before. I’m walking for the first time, I’m in this professional environment for the first time … the anticipation was really high.” She spoke of her love for knitting and textiles, and her dream of her own knitwear brand. “She kind of reminded us of of our friends and ourselves in a lot of ways back when we were at Parsons,” McCollough said. He and Hernandez launched their own brand from their senior thesis collection. For Emhoff, the designers chose a long gray wool coat with fluffy embellishments on the shoulders, then a midnight navy leather trench-type coat, and finally a black pantsuit. Also walking in the virtual runway show is Meadow Walker, daughter of the late actor Paul Walker. Emhoff also wears some of the label’s typically unique footwear — leather socks topped by a strappy sandal. “We very much believe this moment is about the elimination of anything superfluous, the elimination of excess,” Hernandez said, explaining the ethos of the collection at a time when fashion itself can feel, well, superfluous. “Just reducing things to their most essential basic forms. All the buttons are invisible buttons. The pockets are just internal.” Hernandez said he saw Emhoff representing “this idea of a new beginning, a whole new chapter in American life, in American culture.” “She’s a nice sort of ambassador of the new moment,” he said, before moving artfully away from any political implications. “You know, via the filter of fashion and art and craft and the world that we all inhabit. She’s sort of the ambassador of that.”

Rabat – European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy Oliver Varhelyi extolled on Thursday the EU’s cooperation with Morocco during a phone call with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita. Following the conversation, Varhely took to his social networks to emphasize the importance of cooperation between the EU and Morocco. In a tweet, the EU official said he had an “excellent conversation” with Bourita. He said the phone call served as an opportunity to discuss their “ambitious new agenda for the Mediterranean.” He vowed that the EU will use all means to boost its partnership with Morocco. “The EU will continue to support Morocco in the fight against COVID-19,” he said. The EU and Morocco cooperate in different fields, including trade, security and irregular migration. Statistics show that the EU is Morocco’s largest trading partner., accounting for 59.4% of its trade in 2017. Approximately 64.6% of Morocco’s exports went to the EU, while 56.5% of Morocco’s imports came from the EU during the same period. The North African country is the 22nd largest trading partner for the EU, representing 1.0% of the EU’s total trade with the world. The EU also supports Morocco’s reforms programs, prioritizing support in ensuring equitable access to social services. The EU has also been working with Morocco to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. A spokesperson of the European Commission on Wednesday reaffirmed the body’s readiness to continue to help Morocco mitigate the COVID-19 crisis . Speaking on conditions of anonymity, the spokesperson announced the European Commission’s willingness to support financing a vaccines production unit in Morocco. The potential vaccines production unit seeks to facilitate vaccine distribution in Africa. The EU official said that such a production center is key post COVID-19.. “Discussions are ongoing on this issue between the European Union and the African Union,” he concluded.