Ford has promised that every model in its European line-up will be available as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or electric vehicle (EV) by the middle of 2026, ahead of the line-up becoming fully electric by 2030. The company said that it is going “all in on its electric passenger vehicles,” while its commercial vehicle line-up, which it says is key to ensuring growth and profitability, will be entirely zero-emissions-capable by 2024. Ford expects two-thirds of its commercial vehicle sales in Europe to be accounted for by PHEV and EV variants by 2030. The UK government has pledged to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, although some hybrids will be allowed until 2035. With that deadline on the horizon, Ford has committed $1 billion (£719.4 million) to the renovation of its European headquarters in Cologne, Germany. This investment will result in the existing assembly plant - which currently makes the Fiesta - transformed into the Ford Cologne Electrification Centre, which will produce the company’s “first European-built, volume, all-electric passenger vehicle for European customers” in 2023. That all-new EV will sit atop the Volkswagen Group's MEB electric architecture - as used by the new ID 3 and ID 4 - as part of a strategic platform-sharing agreement between the two firms. Ford has the option of producing a second EV at Cologne using the MEB, and has promised further details within the next few months. “Our announcement today to transform our Cologne facility, the home of our operations in Germany for 90 years, is one of the most significant Ford has made in over a generation,” said Ford of Europe president Stuart Rowley. “It underlines our commitment to Europe and a modern future with electric vehicles at the heart of our strategy for growth. “We will offer an exceptional range of electrified vehicles, supported by customer-centric digital services and experiences, allowing our customers to come with us on the journey to a fully electric future, starting right now with the launch of the all-electric Mustang Mach-E. In combination with our leading commercial vehicle business, this will form the basis of a sustainably profitable Ford business in Europe.” The first EV will initially be built alongside the existing Fiesta in Cologne, Rowley confirmed, with production of the firm's Ecoboost engines continuing at the site's engine plant. He cited Ford's diesel engine production facility in Dagenham, London, as "an important part of our business" acknowledging that diesel is still in strong demand, particularly in the commercial sector. Ford has been beaten to market by rival manufacturers in several key EV sectors, but its plans for the next decade are wide-ranging. The company is investing $22bn (£15.8bn) in electrification globally – a figure it claims is double that of previous plans. The company has also agreed to work together with the Volkswagen Group across various markets and consequently is set to use the firm’s MEB platform to underpin at least one electric car by 2023. Its Ford Otosan joint venture in Turkey is designed to deliver “cost-effective vehicle development and sourcing” and it has launched a number of connected services - such as FordPass Pro and Ford Fleet Management - to complement its commercial vehicle operations. Elsewhere, it has signed a deal with Google to “drive disruptive, data-driven opportunities” – an avenue that most major manufacturers are exploring as cars become ever more connected to the internet.

Ever since she announced her second pregnancy, the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle has received a lot of love and positivity from royal fans from around the world. And now, to celebrate the news, Madame Tussauds Sydney has given her wax statue a fancy pregnancy makeover. The team has updated the wax figure with a baby bump, to commemorate the fact that Meghan and her husband Prince Harry will become parents for a second time. But they did not just stop there. The team there even took the wax statue to the Sydney Zoo for a ‘maternity shoot’! Meghan’s wax figurine was given a leopard print maternity dress, and according to an Instagram post by Madame Tussauds Sydney, she even “received belly kisses from Dot the adorable Kangaroo”. “To celebrate the baby news, today we took Meghan to @wildlifesydneyzoo for a maternity photoshoot…Aussie style… Congratulations again to Harry, Meghan and soon-to-be big brother, Archie,” the caption read. According to a report in People magazine, Sydney has a special connection to Meghan, Harry and their son Archie, who will turn two on May 6, 2021. The Sussexes had announced they were expecting their first child just before starting their October 2018 tour of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga. They even made their first appearance — following the announcement — in Sydney. Harry and Meghan announced their second pregnancy on the occasion of Valentine’s Day 2021, “We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child,” a spokesperson for the couple said. Later, they were also photographed by their long-time friend and photographer Misan Harriman, who shared a sweet black-and-white picture of them in a garden — in which, they appear to be beaming — and wrote: “Meg, I was there at your wedding to witness this love story begin, and my friend, I am honoured to capture it grow. Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on this joyous news!”

The Mayor of Orlando, Florida, Buddy Dyer, has urged the new US President, Joe Biden, to maintain the agreement according to which the US recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara. In a column published today, February 16, on Orlando Sentinel, the largest local newspaper in the Floridian city, Dyer spoke highly of Morocco and its bilateral ties with the US, stressing the need to preserve and improve these relations. “I want to encourage the new Biden administration to honor the US-Israel-Morocco agreement and build upon it,” he wrote. “There is much that binds the 243-year diplomatic history of Morocco and the United states, and this agreement is the latest and best evidence of an alliance that we ought to reinforce whenever and however we can.” Dyer wrote the column after some Algerian-backed lobbyists in the US attempted to convince the Biden administration to reverse former US President Donald Trump’s decision to support Morocco’s territorial integrity. “Some wish to see that agreement paused or reversed […] But I’d urge caution in reversing this agreement. Peace of any kind in this part of the world is hard-won, and this agreement inches us toward peace,” the US official commented. “At a time when the world is more interdependent than ever […] diplomatic deals should be treated as wins, no matter which president pushed for the deal itself,” he continued. Dyer expressed his hope that the recent agreement between Morocco and the US would significantly boost bilateral cooperation. The mayor began his text by highlighting the importance of the Moroccan community in the US, and in Orlando specifically. “My city has one of the highest concentrations of Moroccan residents in the US, with tens of thousands calling Orlando home, and has long been an American outpost of Moroccan culture and life,” he said. Dyer recalled that, during a visit to Morocco two years ago, he and other American mayors palpably felt the need to improve bilateral cooperation. “The United States ought to do everything it can to strengthen its diplomatic relationship with this North African country and important ally,” he wrote. The elected US official also praised Morocco’s development efforts in various fields, notably the fights against anti-Semitism, gender inequalities, and climate change. “In a region rife with anti-Semitism, Morocco has taken a strong stand against vulgarities like Holocaust denial. In an area of the world lagging in women’s rights, Morocco has demonstrated leadership […] They’ve also gone above and beyond to address climate change,” he concluded.

I’m still not sure how they did it. But by using a bunch of Volkswagen Group mechanicals, a spin-off badge from an existing VW group brand, and designing what, on the face of it, could just be yet another crossover, Cupra created a genuinely different, genuinely interesting car. We’ve already driven the Cupra Formentor in its most powerful form, the 310, which means basically it has a Volkswagen Golf R’s 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine making 306bhp, and four-wheel drive to put it to the road. Now for something less, and more, at the same time. This Formentor e-Hybrid is a plug-in hybrid version mating a 1.4-litre petrol engine to an electric motor, with a battery big enough to give up to 36 miles of zero-emission range. The engine makes 148bhp and the motor 114bhp, but engines make most power when they’re spinning fast and motors make theirs when they’re spinning slowly, so combined, their maximum is 241bhp (labelled 245) rather than more. The maximum total torque output is 295lb ft and it’s delivered to the front wheels alone through a six-speed automatic gearbox, rather than through all-four wheels like the most powerful Formentor. This, as we’ll see, is quite important. There’s a less powerful variant of this E-Hybrid too, which only makes 201bhp. But in either case there is a 12.8kWh of usable li-ion battery, which can be charged in around three and a half hours at 3.6kW and is too small to be charged any faster. Drive modes can preserve a set amount of battery power if you want to save it for use, say, in a city. On the new WLTP official fuel economy drive cycle, the 241bhp Formentor is a 176mpg and 33g/km of CO2 car, figures to be taken lightly. If you charge it every night and run to the station or shops every day you’ll barely use any fuel at all; if you don’t charge it much and use liberal amounts of throttle, you’ll burn quite a lot. And also get through a few front tyres. The reason we like the Formentor we’ve so far tried is that, rather than feeling like yet another SUV/crossover based on the same VW platform with the same driving characteristics – too hard to be comfortable yet too tall to be dynamic – it felt instead like something genuinely different and appealing. You look out over bonnet bulges and it feels like you’re sitting further back, in the middle of a tall grand tourer, rather than the front of a monobox. Cupra calls it an SUV coupe, a not terribly appealing phrase but not unfitting. This is, obviously, the same in this version, but it’s also pleasing to find that the way it drives matches is also quite rewarding. It’s like a tall capable estate, rather than an overtly stiffened, top-heavy 4x4. It’s the sort of thing that would suit the phrase ‘scout’ or ‘cross country’. It’s a crossover in the proper sense. It rides with reasonable pliancy given the decent amount of body control, and the fact that it rides on 19in alloy wheels and 245/40 tyres. Better still, though, is what happens when you see a hard ridge or a pothole and cringe for the inevitable crash and thump … which doesn’t come. When there are so many tall cars trying to show dynamism, it’s great to find one that actually does it. But where the four-wheel drive Formentor 310 is secure and has plenty of traction, the e-Hybrid is pretty wild. When 295lb ft hits the front wheels, on any kind of rough surface or mid-corner, it tugs at the steering with plenty of abandon. Wind the engine/motor combo up too and it delivers a loud growl – augmented I’m sure, but not unappealing. This stuff is clearly deliberate. They’ve let it be a bit loose and over-enthusiastic. Perhaps, given the nature of part-EVs, they’ve tried to engineer a bit of excitement back in. The basics of the handling is so good that it works. The rest of the Formentor experience is good. It’s relatively compact at 4.4m long and 1.8m wide but seats five and has a 345-litre boot. The seats, sculpted and serious-looking, are supportive and comfortable and fit and finish is very good. Ergonomically, like many other VW group cars, the driving position is sound but they’ve started putting more than they should onto a central touchscreen, plus entirely feel-less buttons for the interior temperature, annoyingly. Once, you’d pay most for the most powerful car in the range but in ‘VZ2’ trim, the lowest available level on the Formentor 310, it’s a £39,830 car. The e-Hybrid 245 also starts in ‘VZ2’ trim, but despite being less powerful and only having two driven wheels, it costs £40,260. Once you start getting into finance deals I suspect there’s not much in it and the hybrid has the advantage of a 10% benefit-in-kind rate. So you make your choice: urbanite company car, hybrid; country-living private driver, 310. Either way, the Formentor’s an uncommonly welcome and surprisingly entertaining addition to the world of humdrum SUVs.

Dismissing reports there were lapses in the arrest of climate activist Disha Ravi, Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava Tuesday said her arrest was made in accordance with law and that it doesn’t differentiate between a 22-year-old and a 50-year-old. “As far as Disha’s arrest is concerned, it was done as per the procedures. Law doesn’t differentiate between a 22-yr-old & a 50-yr-old. She was produced before a court which sent her to 5-day Police custody. It’s false when people say that there were lapses in the arrest,” he was quoted as saying by ANI. The Delhi Police has also written to video conferencing platform Zoom, seeking details of those who participated in the January 11 meeting organised allegedly by a pro-Khalistani group to prepare a protest “toolkit” backing the farmers’ agitation, officials said. Police alleged that Mumbai lawyer Nikita Jacob and Pune engineer Shantanu were among the around 70 people who had attended the meeting through Zoom app, days before the Republic Day violence in the national capital that left over 500 police personnel injured and one protester dead. “The Delhi Police has written to video conferencing app Zoom seeking details of participants who attended the meeting on January 11,” the official said. Joint Commissioner of Police (cyber) Prem Nath said, “Nikita and Shantanu had on January 11 attended a Zoom meeting organized by PFJ in which modalities were decided to create the ‘toolkit’ titled ‘Global Farmer Strike’ and ‘Global Day of Action, 26 January’.”

Rabat – In a recently published press release, Morocco’s Competition Council described the country’s pharmaceutical market as “fragmented and inconsistent” and based on “inadequate and sometimes outdated legal framework.” The press release reports an analysis of the national pharmaceutical policy in Morocco and reveals that the policy is fragmented and lacks a coherent overall vision. Despite having a developed pharmaceutical industry with a significant production potential and an annual investment of more than MAD 800 million (nearly $ 90million), Morocco’s pharmaceutical sector remains a very important but under-exploited driver of economic development, according to the press release. The document provided data showing that Moroccans’ low medicine consumption reflects a systemic lack of access to medicines across Morocco, especially for low-income families. Moroccans’ low purchasing power affects the budget they reserve for health. The country’s annual budget for health-related issues is estimated at nearly MAD 1500 ($ 168) per person. Despite notable improvements in Morocco’s medical and social coverage, nearly 31% of Moroccans remain without any health insurance. The ineffective governance and pricing prevailing in Morocco’s pharmaceutical market considerably affects citizens’ access to medicines, the report found. To deal with the issue, the Competition Council called for an in-depth reform of the legal framework organizing Morocco’s medicine market. It also urged the Moroccan government to build an effective national medicine ecosystem, supported by a strong pharmaceutical industry and an appropriate national innovation and training system. The 2019 annual report by the same agency indicates that in Morocco, 51 Industrial Pharmaceutical Establishments (EPI) authorized by the government have the right to import, manufacture, and distribute medicines. The sector generates employment for 50,000 people. In 2019, the sector achieved a turnover of MAD 12.8 billion (nearly $ 1.4 billion), contributing 1.5% to the total turnover of national GDP and 5.2% to industrial GDP. Earlier this month, Morocco approved a draft framework law on social protection, with the main goal of generalizing basic compulsory health insurance for the 2021-2022 period. The insurance covers the cost of treatment, medicine, and hospitalization, and the hope is for an additional 22 million Moroccans to benefit from it.

Volkswagen’s hot diesel Golf has generally outsold its hot petrol sibling two to one, not that this fact will surprise you one iota. The GTD has been omnipresent on the road since its introduction in 2009, mainly because it has always been cheaper to buy and run than the GTI but hardly any slower on the road. In fact, it's arguable that any other car capitalised so effectively on our addiction to easy-access torque during the turbodiesel era. Throw in some understated but recognisable GTI styling cues and you have a runaway success. In 2021, it’s unlikely the latest Golf GTD will outshine its GTI sibling quite so brazenly as it has in the past, if at all. However, this has little to do with the intrinsic ability of the Mk8 product and everything to do with the PR crisis engulfing diesel, because on paper the GTD is better than ever (if also at little more expensive). Power has risen 16bhp to 197bhp, torque is up 15lb ft to 295lb ft, and while the new WLTP economy regime means direct comparisons with the old NEDC-assessed GTD are impossible, the new 2.0-litre Evo engine’s two SCR filters with dual AdBlue injection should make the car cleaner in terms of NOx emissions. (The official WLTP figure is 54.3mpg – some way in excess of the GTI’s 38.0mpg combined.) Elsewhere, the you'll find the same MacPherson struts at the front and multi-link rear suspension arrangements used by the GTI, controlled by passive dampers as standard but with the option of Volkswagen's adaptive DCC dampers, which cost £945. Inside, the technological array is identical to every other Golf's and its compromises already well known. We shan't dwell on them here (except the say that the way the lane-keeping aid needs to switched off each and every time you start the car is borderline debilitating; and that the changing the volume on our car's Bluetooth player caused songs to be paused; and there are still some serious latency issues to the system as a whole). Notable elements are the same broad semi-buckets found in the GTI, albeit in monochrome hues, and the same perforated steering wheel. Overall, the driving position is solid, if uninspiring, and the transmission tunnel adorned solely with the shift-by-wire gear-selector snub, because your one gearbox option is the seven-speed DSG. In truth, automatic suits the GTD. Although reasonably free-revving, the bottom-heavy delivery of this 2.0-litre unit makes it less exciting to engage with than any comparable petrol, the job often being best left to the slick-shifting DSG. It really is a meaty engine, too, both in thrust and sound. In fact, you might actually want to switch the sound-actuator setting right down to Eco, because even in the default Comfort setting, the effect is almost tugboat burly, and faintly ridiculous, not to mention tiring. Sport mode ups the ante higher still and is best avoided unless you're pushing on, at which point its loud, throaty growl can actually be quite satisfying. It's all very odd. Full-bore acceleration is strong, if on the meek side of exciting, but it's the sharp pick-up and effortless middle-gears shove that makes the GTD so satisfyingly brisk. However, I’d still prefer it were the shift points more ambitious in Sport mode, so you can avoid using the apologetic plastic paddles too often. As for the chassis, our test car’s 18in wheels and optional DCC dampers work very nicely across a spread of British roads. Set to precisely three notches above the regular Comfort setting, the suspension absorbs B-roads with fluency and control, although you can nudge the setting down for motorway driving, or up somewhat if you really want to grab the car by the scruff and treat it like a GTI Clubsport. Overall, there isn't much that will unsettle the GTD, and the polished suspension set-up feeds into the car's sense of neutrality, even though it will do lift-off oversteer. The recent inclusion of the ‘Vorderachsquersperre’ (VAQ) limited-slip-differential-alike in the front axle is key to this. It gives the GTD precision and traction, and cross-country pace you'd need something considerably more powerful and very expertly driven to surpass. Consider the GTD's £32,840 asking price and compare it with the GTI's base £33,510. The obvious conclusion is that, for the sake of less than £700, the more powerful and arguably better future-proofed petrol model is the only sensible choice. However, while Volkswagen has certainly raised the GTD's price to cover the cost of the new exhaust-gas treatment for the TDI engine, the car does come as standard the DSG gearbox that mostly suits it so well, which is an option on the GTI that punts its price to more than £35,000. Along with the GTD's 65mpg capability on motorway runs, it means the more understated model still makes a decent financial case for itself when compared with its sibling. And even if you don't think that would-be GTI owners might consider the GTD, the Volkswagen does enough to beat its true rivals. It comes down the VAQ LSD-alike in the front axle, the equivalent of which you'll not find in the diesel Ford Focus ST, Skoda Octavia vRS TDI or BMW 120d M Sport. What is basically a full GTI chassis stands the GTD in excellent stead as a better than average driver, especially when fitted with the DDC dampers. There's genuine precision and breadth, here – more than the car probably needs, frankly. It all means that while diesel is broadly facing an end-of-days scenario, nobody seems to have told the GTD, which is more appealing than ever and now feels the understated star of the Mk8 Golf range.

Soon after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced they were expecting their second child after Archie, Queen Elizabeth II congratulated the royal parents, being the first in the family to do so. The 94-year-old monarch shared her joy with Prince Philip, Prince Charles and the “entire family”. “Her Majesty, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and the entire family are delighted and wish them well,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson told Daily Mail. (Meg, I was there at your wedding to witness this love story begin, and my friend, I am honoured to capture it grow. Congratulations to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on this joyous news!) The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared the happy news with the royal family in advance of making it public, according to reports. Earlier, the royal couple made the announcement with a black and white picture, in which Meghan is seen lying in her husband’s lap while cradling her bump, in the backdrop of what looked like a garden. The photograph was clicked by Misan Harrimaan, the couple’s longtime friend. Prince Harry and Meghan’s second child will be the Queen’s 10 or 11th grandchild, depending on whether the baby arrives before that of Zara Tindall’s baby, due in 2021. The announcement came on the 37th anniversary of when Princess Diana reportedly shared that she was pregnant with her second son Harry, on Valentine’s Day, in 1984.

Rabat – Morocco’s government and parliament are launching a campaign to counter Algeria’s hostility toward King Mohammed VI and Moroccan interests. Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani published a tweet, condemning a broadcast from Algeria’s Echourouk television channel. He said some opposing media in Algeria is waging a war of insults against Morocco’s constitutional institutions, King Mohammed VI, and Moroccans. He said Morocco and Moroccans strongly condemned the anti-Moroccan campaign from Algeria. Other senior officials echoed similar sentiments, including the speaker of the House of Representatives Habib El Malki. The speaker attributed Algerian officials’ and media’s constant anti-Morocco discourse and actions to the success Morocco has made on the diplomatic front in recent years. He said Morocco’s “enemies are in fugue.” He called on Algeria to be rational and abandon its unnecessary crusade on Morocco and its institutions “This is a waste of time and against the Maghreb union project,” he said. Despite Morocco’s efforts to call for a union and genuine reconciliation in the region, Algeria continues to oppose and challenge Moroccan sovereignty, questioning the motives of the neighbouring country, he noted. The politician referred to King Mohammed VI’s numerous calls and initiatives in inviting Algeria to engage in a “frank” and “open” political dialogue to break the stalemate between Rabat and Algiers. He mentioned the hostility that South Africa and Algeria continue to express against Morocco’s territorial integrity, hindring the Maghreb project. El Malki said the Moroccan parliament is preparing an agenda in response to Algeria’s hostility towards Morocco. Political parties also joined the campaign, condemning Algeria’s actions against Morocco. Secretary-general of the Progress and Socialism Party Mohamed Nabil Benabdellah published a Facebook post denouncing the Algerian regime’s anti Morocco campaign. He said that some media in Algeria is annoyed by Morocco’s diplomatic gains that caused their country successive setbacks. The National Rally of Independents (RNI) also issued a press release against the anti-Moroccan campaign, condemning Algeria’s provocations. Moroccans from divergent backgrounds and political affiliations took to social networks to join the national movement against Algeria’s maneuvers. Social networks users in Morocco and overseas are sharing hashtags to condemn the Algerian campaign. The hashtags in Arabic include “King Mohammed VI is a red line” and “ King Mohammed VI is a source of pride.” The hashtags have been viral since Saturday. “Long live the King,” Twitter users wrote, while others shared photos of the King to express solidarity and support.

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It was over a year ago that I first suggested to the editor the idea behind this test. It was to pitch the most analogue version of Porsche’s most traditional offering against its most modern. This was more than just petrol versus electric, it was analogue versus digital, a rear-drive car with an internal combustion engine and a manual gearbox lobbed at an all-electric four-wheel-drive technology showcase without so much as a flappy paddle to cover its modesty. But then various things happened, a global pandemic among them. Porsche also found itself flat out just satisfying demand for two-pedal 911s and then, when the manual did come on stream, they all went to the US, which is by far the biggest market for such cars. And finally, when three-pedal 992s made their way over here, Porsche thought it best to get its cars to its most loyal and patient customers first and onto its press fleet second. Which is probably fair enough. You may also look at their relative specifications and wonder why we bothered. After all, one has four doors and the other just two. The Taycan is getting on for half a metre longer (almost all in the wheelbase), more than 10cm wider, nearly 8cm higher and, get this, 740kg heavier. There are entire cars that weigh less than that. Should we not be putting it up against something else instead, like a Panamera? Well, maybe, and perhaps one day we will. But today this isn’t so much a comparison of cars as concepts. It is, I think, now broadly accepted that, rightly or wrongly and for good or ill, electric cars like the Taycan will replace pure ICE cars like the 911 and, in the context of the history of the automobile, not long from now. So how much further does the finest of the new breed still have to be before it’s just a better option for most people most of the time than the best that the traditional approach has been able to yield? In short, can revolution eclipse evolution? There’s another reason they’re here: road testers tend to think in quite binary ways before putting one car up against another; customers don’t. I recently had a conversation with someone who couldn’t decide whether to get a new Range Rover or a second-hand McLaren. And I’d bet plenty that there are long-term 911 lovers out there who, for reasons of tax efficiency, a growing family or concern for the environment or their personal image, are right now wondering whether now is not the right time to trade in their rear-engine flat-six coupé for something a bit more spacious, refined, environmentally aware, cool and, well, electric. Bear in mind how close they are in price and performance – especially once you’ve added the essential Performance Battery Plus to the cost of the Taycan 4S – and suddenly what we’re doing here may not seem so strange after all. I drove the 911 first because I wanted that grounding, an absolute datum point on where the world’s greatest sports car is in 2021 before tackling the Taycan. And it’s in a very good place. Now that it can be had with manual gears, pretty much the only diversion from the purist’s perfect car wishlist are the two turbochargers attached to its 444bhp, 3.0-litre engine. But so little is the lag, so smooth the power progression, so sharp the throttle response and so great the sound that I’d challenge anyone to tell me those two puffers don’t actually add to the driving experience. Even though some say it has become too large, that’s not how the 911 feels within. That intimate driving environment has been preserved, my only significant complaint being that the now (almost) entirely digital dashboard doesn’t suit the character of the car. I’ve driven enough of them sufficiently far on ample occasions to know that if I were to come around to that way of thinking, I’d have done so by now. It looks as out of place here as would a suite of mechanical clocks in the Taycan. But the rest remains breathtaking, and this is a very standard 911. Save a 10mm suspension drop (£665), there’s nothing on this car to aid it dynamically – no ceramic brakes, active roll bars or four-wheel steering – nor does it need any of it. Drive it hard on a decent road and you will find a car that’s so intuitive to operate, so well bolted to the road surface, that it’s all a hack can do not to resort to hoary old clichés about man and machine in perfect harmony. So I’ll put it this way: where so many set out to impress their drivers, the 911 seeks only to involve them, which is a far more precious and special commodity. It’s why, as we progress in what some may regard as the wrong direction, we drivers grow closer to it instead of becoming more estranged. And it does it at all speeds: the 992’s greatest trick is to engage the driver from the outset, something the standard 991 never quite managed to do. And manual gears serve only to provide further immersion into its world. Would I swap them for a PDK? I would not. But when it comes to trickery, the 911 is a kid bought a Harry Potter wand for Christmas, while the Taycan appears to be the love child of David Blaine and Harry Houdini. Whatever the 911 does with whatever it has with which to do it, the Taycan is more remarkable by far.

“The strength and beauty of the journey of conscious cognition is that it never ends nor concludes. The process continues, empowering one in bits and pieces, soothing and healing and at the same time igniting new fires.” Last week, I shared with you my experience, both personally and professionally, in dealing with crisis, stress or even just daily life by combining spirituality and cognitive theory. I call the process “conscious cognition” because it best explains the practice and the purpose. As promised, in this part, I will share with you some steps to achieve and use conscious cognition. The first and the most important step is to create recognition of stress through Focus. Often we float away too lightly in our heads to steer ourselves into a meaningful direction–like a paper boat in the current and then blame the strong winds. Digging our feet in, developing strength in focus, stillness and silence can give us a much-needed moment to redirect and restore. The challenge here is that we need to focus our attention on nothingness. Focusing on rhythmic breathing, or a visual stimulus at a distance, some auditory input or sounds, on the sensation of our thumb on our ring finger or the motions of our belly rising with every inhalation and falling while exhaling works. Use whichever sensory modality resonates or is comfortable. Bringing our attention into a state of sustained concentration is not easy when the mind is rattled. This will help slow down the incessant mental chatter flashing and bouncing through our bodies, impacting almost every organ in its way. Another advantage of the process is awareness of our words, tonality, speed, beliefs and rigidities in our thoughts. This is the best way to get an insight into our own personalities, our irrational thoughts and honestly just what we bring to every situation in our life, in the form of perceptions. With continued effort, we can achieve what I call a “thought vacuum”–an empty space, a vacancy, a mere pause, characterised with a hunger to be filled with the closest available thoughts. This means that without sustained effort and focus, the powerful thought void will get filled in with the usual chatter, leading to the same consequences. To be able to keep this vacuum devoid of mental activity for a period of time, such that we are able to experience awareness and presence, is consciousness. Becoming conscious of our cognition, aware of our inner voice, when we are able to identify and challenge irrationalities and cognitive errors leading us to replace negative and unconstructive patterns of thought with accepting, rational, constructive, solution-based thinking, leads to better health, happiness and growth. Further, it is important to find a nurturing place inside yourself–your mind, heart or belly–to augment your strengths. The belief is that conscious cognition not just helps us with “being present” in spirit and mind, change or reject what doesn’t work but also adds vigour to our strengths, enhancing the substance of our being, making us focus on vitality and what is, not on the lack of, or what could be.

Rabat – The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Club of Women Administrators in Morocco (CFA Maroc) signed a partnership agreement to promote Moroccan women’s access to executive positions of business leadership this Friday in Casablanca. The agreement aims to develop CFA members’ capacities in different areas related to corporate governance. It also seeks to increase their participation on boards of directors (BOD) and in corporate management positions. “More than ever, women directors are called upon to contribute to the construction of competitive and efficient companies able to meet the current challenges of today,” said Amina Figuigui, president of CFA, in a press release sent to Morocco World News. She added that it is necessary to improve women’s managerial skills to optimize the added value they can bring to the economy. The partnership is “timely, as Morocco is embarking on an inclusive and green recovery plan, and in which women will have a key role to play,” said Sergio Pimenta, vice president of IFC for Africa and the Middle East. The project is part of IFC’s Governance for Sustainability program in Morocco. It falls within IFC’s MENA Private Sector Development program, implemented in partnership with the Dutch government. Despite the large number of well-educated women in Morocco, women head only 5% of companies and only 21.35% participate in the labor force. Operating in Morocco since 1963, IFC has been at the forefront of innovative private sector development projects. In fiscal year 2020, IFC committed more than $250 million in investments in the country. Created in 2012, CFA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting good governance and gender diversity on the boards of public and private companies in Morocco. It brings together business leaders and senior executives who run more than 300 public and private enterprises. Its function mainly focuses on the promotion and development of women’s access to directorships, the support of women directors, the promotion of good corporate governance, and advocacy with public authorities to advance female representation.

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Nothing compares to enjoying a weekend in the company of your loved ones. But throw in a dessert and the time spent together suddenly becomes much sweeter and more fun! So, if you have everything else planned for the upcoming Valentine’s Day weekend, and have been looking for that perfect dessert recipe to impress your partner with, then you are at the right place! Today, we have a decadent dessert recipe for you, courtesy YouTuber and baker Shivesh Bhatia. Ingredients: ½ cup – Red velvet cake crumbs 400gms – White compound chocolate 3 tbsp – Cream cheese frosting *Roughly chop white compound chocolate and melt it over a double boiler. To do this, take a glass bowl and place it over a pan filled with water. Put the compound chocolate into the glass bowl and keep mixing using a spatula until it melts. *In a separate bowl, add the cake crumbs, frosting and combine until nicely mixed. Set it aside. *Now take a cakesicle mould and pour the melted white compound chocolate mix into all the cavities. Swirl the mould around so that it is properly covered. Finally, turn it upside down to get rid of any excess chocolate. *In each mould, insert an ice cream stick to make an indent. Then pop the mould into the refrigerator until it is set. *Repeat the coating process and once it is set, bring out the mould and fill it with the cake crumbs and frosting filling. *Then, one last time, pour the remaining compound. Don’t forget to get rid of the excess. Set it in the fridge for a few hours and then demould them. Decorate with edible hearts and flowers! Enjoy!

Rabat – After working extensively across North Africa for over five years, sustainable development consulting agency IBIS Consulting recently established its first permanent regional headquarters in Casablanca, Morocco. IBIS consultants work with businesses to improve their environmental and social impact, specializing in the areas of Sustainability Reporting, Resource Efficiency, and Social Performance. Since its conception in 2015, the firm has grown to employ over 35 full-time consultants in five countries. Meryem Lakhssassi will head IBIS’ new Casablanca office. Lakhsassi previously worked as an associate director at Themis Energy, a Morocco-based investment firm focusing on renewable energy. Lakhssassi also spent six years at MASEN (Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy), where she managed approximately €3.6 billion (MAD 39 billion) worth of investments. She is a citizen of both Morocco and France. IBIS’ new Casablanca office joins pre-existing headquarters in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi, Singapore, and Paris. Women in Leadership Lakhssassi comes to IBIS Casablanca at a time when many in Morocco are calling for greater representation of women in prominent leadership positions. In 2019, the United Nations’ Gender Equality Index ranked Morocco 121 of 189 countries based on factors including educational access for women, maternal mortality rates, and labor force participation. The study quantifies that only 21.5% of Moroccan women over the age of 15 are active in the workforce — compared to 70.1% of men — and women hold only 18.4% of seats in the Moroccan Parliament. Many women’s rights activists in Morocco point to Article 19 of the Moroccan Constitution in demanding greater access for women to educational, political, and professional resources. The article, adopted in the 2011 referendum on constitutional reforms, establishes that “the man and the woman enjoy, in equality, the rights and freedoms of civil, political, economic, social, cultural and environmental character.” Despite the government’s commitment to equality, the Wilson Center — a US-based think tank focused on international development — explains that there are many obstacles to realizing true equality between the sexes in Morocco. Women continue to face the pressure of conservative mindsets that view them as inferior to men, as well as traditional views that emphasize women’s reproductive or caretaker roles at the expense of participation in the workforce, the report shows. It adds that some hurdles are even more institutionalized: Women in Morocco face far lower rates of financial independence and literacy and are far more likely to fall into poverty than male counterparts. However, greater representation of women in leadership roles may be the key to confronting these long-seated societal challenges. The World Economic Forum notes that, in addition to being good for business, when women are placed in high-visibility leadership roles in the professional world, they inspire the next generation of girls to pursue careers in business, politics, tech, etc. Morocco’s Sustainability Needs IBIS also comes to Casablanca, Morocco at a time when sustainability and environment remain hot-button issues in political and daily life. The Ministry of Energy, Mining, and Sustainable Development has a goal to produce 52% of Moroccan energy through sustainable sources by 2030, up from only 35% in 2018. To meet this goal, the ministry announced in 2018 plans to invest over $40 billion (MAD 357 billion) in the energy sector over the next decade, $30 billion (MAD 268 billion) of which will go to renewable energy sources. Helping businesses transition to renewable energy sources is one of IBIS’ key sustainability goals. The firm aids companies in identifying sources of energy waste, improving resource efficiency, and disclosing accurate carbon emission figures. The need for new energy sources in Morocco is dire, as the country remains heavily reliant on imports for over 90% of consumed energy. Most of that energy still comes in environmentally destructive forms, such as gas, oil, and coal. However, as the country sets its sights on solar, wind, and hydropower, many see sustainable energy as Morocco’s key to achieving energy independence.

Manasa Varanasi from Telangana has been crowned Miss India 2020. The 23-year-old was crowned by Miss India 2019 Suman Ratan Singh Rao from Rajasthan. The Miss India winner is a financial information exchange analyst. Books, music, dance, and yoga are some of her interests, among various other forms of art. Varanasi was a shy child and so she preferred expressing herself through Bharatnatyam and music. Curiosity is what drives the pageant winner, and so she looks for newer ways to educate herself, according to Miss India. She completed her school education from Global Indian and then graduated in computer science from Vasavi College of Engineering. Varanasi is also trained in Indian sign language. “I learned to sign because…learning makes me happy. When I started learning the language, it was mostly my curiosity driving me. But over time, as I started listening with my eyes, I started understanding the beauty of deaf culture. I hope we all work together in making society more inclusive for the deaf community,” she had shared on social media. Besides being crowned Miss India, she was also declared Miss Ramp Walk. Ahead of the grand finale, Varanasi shared what she had learned from her time at the pageant. “There are ups and downs in this industry but the most important thing is to keep self-belief,” she had said. Varanasi will now gear up to represent India at the 70th Miss World pageant in December 2021.

Agadir – France’s former Secretary of State for Cooperation and Francophonie, Alain Joyandet, has said “the future of the Sahara is Moroccan.” In an article for Monde Afrique, the French politician wrote that supporting separatism in Western Sahara only seeks to create further destabilization and socio-political crises in an already fragile region. “Sometimes history offers opportunities that should not be missed,” he began, referring to recent developments in Western Sahara. According to Joyandet, the time has come to once and for all settle the Sahara conflict by embracing Morocco’s Autonomy Plan. Assessing the geopolitical conflict, the politician laid bare the maneuvers and calculations of Morocco’s neighbors. Despite repeated diplomatic setbacks and an interminable series of domestic issues, Algeria is still funding Polisario; Spain has nothing left to claim in the conflict; and Mauritania has “wisely” withdrawn to its borders. With the key players in the conflict being Morocco, Algeria, Polisario, Joyandet maintains that Morocco is “undoubtedly the only one able to ensure [peace in] the Sahara.” Morocco, he argued, has shown that it has the potential — and the political will — to provide real prospects for economic development and social prosperity in its southern provinces. For Joyandet, the Polisario Front’s proclamation in 1976 does not hold “a solid foundation.” Instead, the group’s founding myths and actions highlight the historic futility of misguided attempts at self-determination referendums. The French politicia’s arguments echo some of the points that many observers have raised in recent weeks to deconstruct the pro-Polisario camp’s myths and contradictions.While a self-determination referendum might have been the basis for conflict resolution in the early years of the Sahara dispute, the last 20 years marked a change in how the UN has approached the issue, as Samir Bennis has pointed out. Taking heed of the historically slow progress towards resolution, Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara is a welcome opportunity to move forward, Joyanded stressed. He argued that development “did not trigger any audible international disputes,” as neither the African Union nor the European Union made any major objections. “All of this shows that the time may be right to follow in the United States’ footsteps,” continued the politician. He believes that, even if not “essential,” the Abrahamic Accords are a “positive contribution” towards resolving a number of issues in the MENA region. “France should not remain indifferent to this development in North Africa… The European Union cannot remain indifferent,” insisted Joyandet. Within the context of European security, the politician closed his article by posing the question, “Is it not in the Sahel strip that most of the terrorist dangers are concentrated today?”