In the heart of disputed Western Sahara, a former garrison town has become an unlikely tourist magnet after kitesurfers discovered the windswept desert coast was perfect for their sport.In Dakhla, an Atlantic seaport town punctuated with military buildings in Morocco-administered Western Sahara, swarms of kitesurfers now sail in the lagoon daily.“Here there is nothing other than sun, wind and waves. We turned the adversity of the elements to our advantage: that’s the very principle of kitesurfing,” said Rachid Roussafi.After an international career in windsurfing and kitesurfing, Roussafi founded the first tourist camp at the lagoon at the start of the 2000s.“At the time, a single flight a week landed in Dakhla,” the 49-year-old Moroccan said.Today, there are 25 a week, including direct flights to Europe.“Dakhla has become a world destination for kitesurfing,” said Mohamed Cherif, a regional politician.Tourist numbers have jumped from 25,000 in 2010 to 100,000 today, he said, adding they hoped to reach 200,000 annual visitors.The former Spanish garrison is booming today with the visitor influx adding to fishing and trade revenue.Tourists watch kitesurfers at Dakhla beach in Morocco-administered Western Sahara, on October 10, 2019. – In the heart of disputed Western Sahara, a former garrison town has become an unlikely tourist magnet after kitesurfers discovered the windswept desert coast on the Atlantic is perfect for their sport. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)Kitesurfing requires pricey gear — including a board, harness and kite — and the niche tourism spot attracts well-off visitors of all nationalities.Peyo Camillade came from France “to extend the summer season”, with a week’s holiday costing about 1,500 euros ($1,660).Only the names of certain sites, like PK 25 (kilometre point 25), ruined forts in the dunes and the imposing and still in-use military buildings in Dakhla, remind tourists of the region’s history of conflict.In the 1970s, Morocco annexed Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, and fought a war with the Algeria-backed Polisario Front from 1975 to 1991, when a ceasefire deal was agreed.A United Nations mission was deployed to monitor the truce and prepare a referendum on Western Sahara’s independence from Morocco, but it never materialized.Without waiting for the political compromise that the UN has been negotiating for decades, hotels have sprouted from the sand along the coast, and rows of streetlights on vacant lots announce future subdivisions.“The secret to success is to develop kitesurfing with good communication focused on the organisation of non-political events,” said Driss Senoussi, head of the Dakhla Attitude hotel group.Accordingly, the exploits of kitesurfing champions like Brazilian Mikaili Sol and the Cape Verdian Airton Cozzolino were widely shared online during the World Kiteboarding Championships in Dakhla last month.The competition seemed to hold little interest for Dakhla’s inhabitants however.Only a few young people with nothing to do and strolling families found themselves on the beach for the finals.Just as rare are the foreign tourists who venture into the town of 100,000 residents to shop.Like her friends, Alexandra Paterek prefers to stay at her hotel, some 30 kilometres (19 miles) from downtown.“Here is the best place in the world for learning kitesurfing,” said the 31-year-old Polish stewardess.On her understanding of the broader regional context, she said: “It’s an old Spanish colony and they have good seafood, for sure.”Like many tourists, she was under the impression that the area belonged to Morocco, as the destination tends to be marketed in the travel industry as “Dakhla, Morocco”.That angers the Polisario, which wants independence for the disputed region and tried last year in vain to sue businesses it said were “accomplices to the occupying military power.”The independence movement is now focused on challenging commercial deals between Morocco and the European Union that involve Western Sahara, according to the group’s French lawyer Gilles Devers.Moroccan authorities are looking actively for investors for their development projects on the west coast, the most ambitious being the Dakhla Atlantique megaport with a budget of about $1 billion to promote fishing.A picture taken on October 10, 2019, shows kitesurfers at Dakhla beach in Morocco-administered Western Sahara. – In the heart of disputed Western Sahara, a former garrison town has become an unlikely tourist magnet after kitesurfers discovered the windswept desert coast on the Atlantic is perfect for their sport. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)On the lagoon, surrounded by white sand and with its holiday bungalows, “there is a struggle between developing aquaculture and tourism,” said a senior regional representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity.“One has less impact on the environment, but the other generates more revenue and jobs,” said the representative, adding that “pressure from real-estate investors is very high.”With the influx of tourists, the protection of the environment has become a major concern.“Everything is developing so quickly… we need to recycle plastic waste and resolve the issue of wastewater,” said Rachid Roussafi.Daniel Bellocq, a retired French doctor, worries for the future of this lagoon, that was “once so wild” that he has kitesurfed in for 20 years.“There is green algae that wasn’t there before, it’s becoming a septic tank,” he said.Regional councillor Cherif, though, insists the bay is clean, saying: “All the hotels are equipped with wastewater management systems.”For him, the real threat is from plastic waste, whether it is dropped by tourists or brought by sea currents.For more sport your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android. read more

E-mail: sor@desnews.com Long gone are the days when Utah and BYU would play their annual basketball games on Saturday night with no extra games during the week to spoil the buildup to the big game.Thanks to expanded leagues with unbalanced numbers, the Utes and Cougars have been playing on Thursdays and Mondays, in addition to Saturdays in recent years.But in the 97-year, 240-game history of the series have they ever played on a Wednesday before, as they are tomorrow night?Yes.Just once.It happened back in 1984, on the same date, February 8. BYU won the game 82-79 in Salt Lake in what was the first year for coaches Ladell Andersen of BYU and Lynn Archibald of Utah.Of the 240 pervious games in the series, the majority were played on Saturdays (144), followed by Fridays (70). Thirteen games have been played on Thursdays, 10 on Mondays, with two, in 1995 and 1996, on Tuesday.Of course, no Utah-BYU games have ever been played on a Sunday.BEEN A LONG TIME: The last time BYU defeated Utah in Salt Lake most of the current players on the two teams were in elementary school. Utah’s Shaun Green and BYU’s Jackson Emery were in first grade at the time.It happened clear back in 1994 when freshman Robbie Reid dropped a long 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to give the Cougars a 64-62 victory. Since then the Utes have won seven times in Provo.BYU has had its chances, particularly two years ago when the Cougars took a 17-point second-half lead, only to lose 64-56. That was Utah’s first game after Rick Majerus left the team and assistant Kerry Rupp filled in.Seven of the games were decided by nine points or less. The closest game since ’94 was a 71-66 Ute win in 2002, while the largest margin was the 85-49 win in 1997 over the 1-25 Cougar squad.During the past 12 years, the Utes have won seven times in Provo.NO POWS: For eight of the past 12 years, a Utah player has garnered player of the year honors in the WAC or Mountain West Conference.It obviously isn’t going to happen this year with the Utes struggling in seventh place and no outstanding player.In fact, the way things are going, the Utes might go an entire season without a single player of the week honor. But neither have UNLV, New Mexico or TCU.San Diego State has earned five player of the week honors, followed by three apiece for Air Force and Wyoming and two each for BYU and Colorado State.ON THE MINUS SIDE: Thanks to Colorado State and TCU, the Utes are likely to avoid the dreaded 8 vs. 9 Tuesday night “play-in” game at the MWC Tournament. The Rams and Horned Frogs are tied for last with one league victory and are both minus-3 in the all-important home-loss, road-win standings.The Utes are minus-1 with one road win and two home losses, tied with Wyoming and New Mexico, who are both minus-1, although they are both a game ahead in the regular standings.The other four teams are on the plus side, led by San Diego State at plus-4 (four road wins, no home losses).If Utah wins all of its home games and loses its road games, it will end up at 7-9 in the MWC.UTE NOTES: Wednesday’s game will be televised on KJZZ-TV at 7 p.m . . . Turnovers continue to plague the Ute basketball team. The Utes are last in the MWC in turnover margin at minus-3.35 . . . One of the strengths of this year’s team is rebounding. Utah was leading the MWC a couple of weeks ago and is now third in rebounding margin at plus-4.6, just behind Wyoming and San Diego State at plus-4.8 . . . Chris Jackson continues to lead the MWC in field goal percentage at 75.9 percent . . . After starting against TCU and scoring five points with three assists, Casey Iverson hasn’t played in the last two games . . . The Utes play San Diego State in San Diego Saturday at 1 p.m. MST. read more

There’s fresh evidence that a lot of young people could be headed for heart trouble. A large study of preteens in Texas found that about one-third of them had borderline or high cholesterol when tested during routine physical exams.The results seem to support recent guidelines that call for every child to have a cholesterol test between 9 and 11 — the ages of the 13,000 youths in this study. Many doctors and adults have balked at screening all children that young, but researchers say studies like this may convince them it’s worthwhile.“A concerning number of children” are at risk of heart problems later in life, and more needs to be done to prevent this at an earlier age, said Dr. Thomas Seery of Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine.He led the study, which will be presented at an American College of Cardiology conference in Washington this weekend.Estimates are that by the fourth grade, 10 to 13 percent of U.S. children will have high cholesterol. Half of them will go on to have it as adults, raising their risk for heart attacks, strokes and other problems.High cholesterol rarely causes symptoms in kids. Many genes and inherited conditions also cause high cholesterol but not obesity, so it can be missed especially in youths who are slim or athletic.The new study involved children having routine physicals from January 2010 to July 2011 at the largest pediatric primary care network in the nation, more than 45 clinics in the Houston area. One-third were Hispanic, about one-third were white, and 18 percent were black. About one-third were obese.Unhealthy total cholesterol levels were found in 34 percent. LDL or “bad cholesterol” was borderline or too high in 46 percent, and HDL or “good” cholesterol was borderline or too low in 44 percent. Just over half had normal triglycerides, another type of fat in the blood.Boys were more likely than girls to have higher total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides, Seery said. Hispanics were more likely to have higher cholesterol and triglycerides.“I would hope that data like these would get the attention of general pediatricians,” because many cases of disease are being missed now, said Dr. Elaine Urbina, director of preventive cardiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.She was on the expert panel appointed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute that wrote the screening guidelines issued in 2011 and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. They call for screening everyone between age 9 to 11 and again 17 to 21.“Very few people know their entire family history,” and many forms of high cholesterol occur in people who are not obese, so screening is needed to catch more cases, she said.High cholesterol doesn’t necessarily mean the child needs medicines like statin drugs, she said. The guidelines stress diet and lifestyle changes as the first step.Online:Screening guidelines: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cvd_ped/index.htmCholesterol info: https://tinyurl.com/23dtxvoMarilynn Marchione can be followed at https://twitter.com/MMarchioneAPCopyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. read more

MOST READ Hamilton was fastest in 1 minute, 19.149 seconds, with Vettel only 0.051 behind.It was Hamilton’s 64th career pole and his third in five races this year, putting the three-time world champion in position to challenge Vettel for the series lead on Sunday. With two wins in four races, Vettel has a 13-point advantage over Hamilton in the standings.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSEnd of his agony? SC rules in favor of Espinosa, orders promoter heirs to pay boxing legendSPORTSMcGregor blasts Cerrone in 40 seconds in UFC returnSPORTSBreak new ground“I think it is going to be a tough race for us, when you see how close it is between us — it is milliseconds,” Hamilton said. “It is a long run down the first turn, so it is important to get a good start.”Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas, who won the race in Russia, was third, followed by Raikkonen, setting the stage for another duel between the front-running teams. For Ina, portraying a zombie is like an ‘out-of-body experience’ View comments Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the qualifying session for the Spanish Formula One Grand Prix at the Barcelona Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, Spain, Saturday, May 13, 2017. The Spanish Formula One Grand Prix will take place on Sunday. (Photo by MANU FERNANDEZ / AP)MONTMELO, Spain — Lewis Hamilton took pole position ahead of Sebastian Vettel at the Spanish Grand Prix, restoring Mercedes’ dominance in Formula One qualifying on Saturday.Hamilton gave Mercedes its 19th pole in 20 races, two weeks after F1 leader Vettel had broken its run at the Russian GP in a one-two with Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen.ADVERTISEMENT Gerald: Just because I’ve been bashed doesn’t mean I’d stop working Swing Out Sister back to PH this April With the new engine in place, Vettel’s car gave him a scare when he slowed down just two laps into qualifying, and his team ordered him to return to the garage. But the problem solved itself and Vettel continued on the track.“It wasn’t the ideal end, but considering the morning we had, I think it was a really good recovery,” Vettel said about his second-best time. “Yesterday, I wasn’t feeling the rhythm. Today it was better. In terms of performance, it will be really close.”Hamilton won at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in 2014, one of 10 different winners in as many years at the race often used by teams to bring major upgrades to their cars.So far, it looks like tweaks made by the title contenders have canceled one other out.Hamilton and Vettel both pointed to the unpredictable gusts of wind — in otherwise ideal sunny conditions — that have troubled drivers all weekend.Hamilton described how the same turn can be completely different to handle, depending on the wind.“It’s very gusty here. From corner to corner, sometimes you break in the same spot, but you tail off because of a tailwind. It was tricky for us,” Hamilton said.Vettel is also aware of the problem, saying “with the wind, you never know what to expect.” Max Verstappen, the 2016 winner at a record age of 18, and fellow Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo will start the race from fifth and sixth on the grid.McLaren’s Fernando Alonso bounced back from Friday’s breakdown during practice, making the third session of qualifying for the first time this year and finishing a season-best seventh, ahead of Sergio Perez of Force India and Felipe Massa in his Williams.It was a busy morning in the garages of both Mercedes and Ferrari, which had to replace engines.Bottas missed all but eight minutes of the third and final practice session earlier when two separate mechanical problems led to his team needing to replace his engine with the one used through the first four races.Ferrari also had to change the power unit of Vettel’s car following his precautionary stop in pit lane near the end of the third practice because of a “telemetry issue.”ADVERTISEMENT Ai-Ai delas Alas on Jiro Manio: ‘Sana pinahalagahan niya ang naitulong ko’ Trump’s impeachment defense, prosecutors dig in Despite 47-point win, Wright says Gilas ‘very sluggish’ in 2nd half Trending Articles PLAY LIST 00:50Trending Articles00:50Trending Articles00:50Trending Articles01:40Filipinos turn Taal Volcano ash, plastic trash into bricks01:32Taal Volcano watch: Island fissures steaming, lake water receding02:14Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard02:56NCRPO pledges to donate P3.5 million to victims of Taal eruption00:56Heavy rain brings some relief in Australia02:37Calm moments allow Taal folks some respite Presidency bid needs ‘deep reflection’ – Sara Duterte LATEST STORIES China reports 17 new cases in viral pneumonia outbreak End of his agony? SC rules in favor of Espinosa, orders promoter heirs to pay boxing legend Ex-Bulacan town vice mayor, village chief shot dead Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next read more

ANSA McAL under its Stag brand is set to host “Stage 7 – The Ultimate J’Ouvert Experience” on February 22 at the National Park Tarmac; the night before Guyana’s 49th Republic anniversary.For the past three years, the National Park has been packed to capacity for this fun-filled event. It’s all paint, water and powder and can get “dutty” in a fun way. But what is a J’Ouvert party without entertainment.This year, Barbados soca sensation Lil Rick will be the headlining act, accompanied by some of Guyana’s best artistes. These include reigning Carib Soca Monarch, Brandon Harding; former Soca Monarch, Kwasi “Ace” Edmondson; Michelle “Big Red” King; and the versatile Heatwave Band, comprising Carvin Burnette.However, before the live performances, Deejays Father Moey and Rayvon, Shizzle, Energy, Anisah and Ryan will set the tone for a fantastic evening. Tickets for the event will not be on sale but rather persons can participate in the Stag promotion and win tickets.“Stage 7 – The Ultimate J’Ouvert Experience” will be hosted by radio personality Curtis “Casual” Armstrong.Sound, stage and lighting will be provided by Crown Vibes. read more

Let’s get right down to business. For those who may not be familiar with what the title means, here goes – an iron fist in a velvet glove. First off, it describes a style of doing or taking care of business. Whether in politics, foreign affairs, business relations, or on the street, a man who hides an iron fist in a velvet glove is a man with the diplomacy and tact to resolve things rationally, and the guts to unleash his iron fist when circumstance demands it. We are going to examine the two parts of this phrase and liken them to the unfolding situation at City Hall and the decisions taken there which are affecting the masses.Here we are yet again, facing another impending storm. There is talk that City officials are contemplating another move which will affect dozens of citizens and possibly disrupt their ability to earn a living. This is like throwing gas on an already smouldering flame. Already there is tension between City Hall and hundreds of vendors in Georgetown. Only a few nights ago a protest erupted in the Stabroek Market area. A part of it was captured on video and clearly shows one female being shoved and treated in an undignified manner. This is by no means acceptable.As we all know by now, we cannot just go running around shoving everyone who crosses our path because they oppose us. Severity is just one way to get things done. But when it is abused, it loses all impact.These issues are by no means secret and the situation continues to unfold in the public eye. Let us now shift our attention to the decision-makers. Clearly the Town Clerk, Mayor and other city officials will not win any popularity contests any time soon (at least not if the vendors have anything to say about it). What is also clear is that they seem impervious to the calls for dialogue, the criticisms over their actions and most importantly the cries of their fellow Guyanese brothers and sisters. These officials continue to wave their iron fists and expect the masses to accede. They wield the power, after all.Conversely, we have got to admit that harnessing power is a tricky thing, especially in a bureaucratic era of “communication strategies”. Gone are the days of making quick, cutthroat decisions and gone are the days of pounding an iron fist on your desk and insisting that it’s either your way or the highway. You cannot always be a war monger.During these times officials need to don that velvet glove. Sheath the iron fist.Here is where diplomacy, communication and flexibility come into play. Persuasive rhetoric and the willingness to listen are also useful tools the City officials can employ to resolve many of the existing issues. Maybe, just maybe, the persons who are being affected will have some meaningful suggestions on finding a middle ground and ending the impasse, if they are treated with respect and dignity.There has to be a better way. There is no way the City Officials can claim that they have exhausted every diplomatic angle. It is time the powers that be demonstrated that they possess the aptitude to make fair decisions, the alacrity to work with the people (especially those that voted fort them) and the astuteness to find reasonable solutions that will benefit all involved.The people will then come to trust their judgment, and the officials then will be able walk the line between tactful diplomacy and putting their foot down. This doesn’t make them weak; it reflects their strength as leaders.Clearly it will take balance to rule with an iron fist in a velvet glove. However, once the city officials find a way to rule gently but firmly, they will learn that the days of the iron fist are quickly fading. read more

On Wednesday morning, a 35-year-old Bourda Market vendor, Ras Paris, made his appearance before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts in relation to a recent case of trafficking in cannabis, which allegedly occurred on October 3, 2017 at North Ruimveldt, Georgetown.The unrepresented accused who is also a resident of the North Ruimveldt community, pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged he trafficked 448 grams of cannabis.Remanded: Ras ParisThe State’s Prosecutor, even though posing a strong objection to bail on the basis of the prevalence, seriousness and penalty attached, made no mention of the pending or previous matters the accused has/had before the courts of Georgetown.In April of this year, Paris was released on $200,000 bail for a charge of trafficking in two pounds of cannabis. However, it is unclear whether the trail is ongoing or he was acquitted of the charge.According to Payne, the accused was busted red-handed by the Police with a black bag in his hand containing the suspected narcotic on the day in question.Nonetheless, Paris continues to maintain his innocence, claiming the narcotics were discovered in the upper flat of a building occupied by two other persons – present at the time of search – who were for reasons unknown “put away” by the Police, purporting to be mere scapegoats in the matter.Owing to the incomplete status of the file, the matter was adjourned to be heard on October 25. Meanwhile, bail was refused and the accused was remanded to prison until the next hearing. read more

CALGARY, A.B. – A $3.5-billion project to turn Alberta propane into plastic pellets for the manufacture of consumer products is to receive $49 million from the federal government.Ottawa says the money provided to Calgary-based Inter Pipeline Ltd. through the $1.6-billion Strategic Innovation Fund will help secure jobs and support the environmentally cleaner production of plastic products.The facility is already under construction in Strathcona County, just northeast of Edmonton, with completion scheduled for late 2021.- Advertisement -The company is to increase jobs for post-secondary students and women in trades while continuing to fund research and spending $10 million to find ways to reduce plastic waste.The Inter Pipeline project was given $200 million in provincial royalty credits in 2016, while Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Ltd. was handed $300 million in credits for a similar proposal.Last month, Pembina announced it had decided with its partner, Kuwait’s Petrochemical Industries Co., to go ahead with a $4.5-billion polypropylene project also to be located northeast of Edmonton.Advertisement read more

Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp 1 Harry Redknapp has revealed Queens Park Rangers can only afford to bring in a striker on loan during the January transfer window.The Hoops are on the hunt for another forward to help ease the burden on current top scorer Charlie Austin.Redknapp’s side have been linked with a loan move for West Ham attacker Mauro Zarate, who has struggled to nail down a first-team spot at Upton Park.And Redknapp admits that if QPR do bring in reinforcements during the January transfer window then they will be loan signings.“We need to bring in players who can add to what we’ve got – we need more goals in the squad, but it’s loans only,” said Redknapp.“Everyone is looking for strikers so it will be tough in this window.” read more

GIVE THIS MAN AN OSCAR!AIK striker Mohamed Bangura couldn’t help but burst into laughter as Norrkoping defender Andreas Johansson flopped theatrically to the floor after receiving an “elbow” to the “face”.Check it out in the brilliant clip above!