‘Hellmett’ Premiers Tomorrow

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Slim Busterr

Come Saturday, January 28, the National Theatre in Accra will explode with non-stop musical performances from talented hipife music stars during the premiere of Slim Busterr’s movie, ‘Hellmett’.

The night, dubbed ‘Music and Movie Night’, will witness performances from Kwabena Kwabena, Wutah, Tinny, King David, 4×4, among others.

The producer of ‘Hellmett’, Slim Busterr, told BEATWAVES that the premiere was expected to attract a large number of movie enthusiasts, music stars and music lovers from all walks of life.

He stated that since the movie was very educative and entertaining, he would be happy if Ghanaians came to enjoy it at the National Theatre at 8:00pm.

Slim Busterr, who played the lead character in the movie, explained that ‘Hellmett’ was about love, relationships, married life and a little bit of sex.

The 1986 national dance champion told BEATWAVES that the premiere would be impressive because it would witness a lot of musical performances and an azonto dance competition.

According to him, the after party would take place at the Aphrodisiac Night Club located at Dzorwulu in Accra.

By George Clifford Owusu

Yemen: Security Council urges timely, inclusive political transition

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Special Adviser for Yemen Jamal Benomar. UN Photo/Evan Schneider

Yemen?s forthcoming presidential election will be an opportunity for the country to embark on a transitional process that strengthens national dialogue and leads to a political system that will be more inclusive and open to greater participation by all citizens, says the Security Council.

In a press statement issued last night after a briefing by Jamal Benomar, the Secretary-General?s Special Adviser for Yemen, the Council welcomed the progress towards the implementation of the political transition, based on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative.

Warring factions in Yemen signed an agreement in November on a transitional settlement under which President Ali Abdullah SaleAs an immediate step, all efforts should now be focused on ensuring the holding of peaceful elections.h agreed to hand over power to Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi. A new Government of National Unity was formed and presidential elections have been scheduled for 21 February.

The Council reiterated that the GCC initiative and its implementation mechanism must be fulfilled in a transparent and timely manner, and in a spirit of inclusion and reconciliation.

In his briefing yesterday, Mr. Benomar told the Council that for the transition to succeed, a concerted effort is required to ensure the participation of youth and other important constituencies, including the southern movements and the so-called Al-Houthi group in the north, in the political process.

?As an immediate step, all efforts should now be focused on ensuring the holding of peaceful elections,? he added.

Voicing concern over deteriorating security and the increasing presence of Al-Qaida in Yemen, the Council reiterated its unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

?The members of the Security Council urged all the parties in Yemen to reject violence, refrain from provocations, and cooperate with the Military Affairs Committee to fully implement the [GCC] implementation mechanism and Security Council resolution,? said the statement that was issued to the press by Ambassador Baso Sangqu of South Africa, which holds the Council?s presidency this month.

?The members of the Security Council reiterated that all those responsible for human rights violations and abuses, including acts of violence, must be held accountable. They reaffirmed their commitment to the territorial integrity, sovereignty and unity of Yemen.?

The Council also stated that it remains gravely concerned over the humanitarian situation in Yemen, including the severe food insecurity, alarming levels of malnutrition, and increasing numbers of internally displaced persons.

It urged donors to support the $447 million humanitarian appeal for Yemen this year, and called on the Government of National Unity to begin to address the humanitarian and economic challenges facing the country. The Council also welcomed the World Bank?s efforts to resume its programmes in Yemen.

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New UN report shows sharp rise in Palestinians uprooted by Israeli demolitions

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A new mud brick house stands next to the rubble of one of thousands of homes destroyed in the January 2009 war between Israel and Hamas. Photo: IRIN/Suhair KaramAlmost 1,100 Palestinians, over half of them children, were displaced due to home demolitions in the West Bank by Israeli forces in 2011 ? over 80 per cent more than in the previous year ? according to a United Nations report released today.

?Demolitions and Forced Displacement in the Occupied West Bank,? prepared by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), adds that an additional 4,200 people were affected by the demolition of structures related to their livelihoods.

The report states that Israeli forces destroyed 622 structures owned by Palestinians including homes, animal shelters, classrooms and mosques ? a 42 per cent increase compared to 2010.

Israeli forces destroyed 622 structures owned by Palestinians including homes, animal shelters, classrooms and mosques ? a 42 per cent increase compared to 2010. In addition, over 60 per cent of the Palestinian-owned structures demolished in 2011 were located in areas allocated to Israeli settlements.

The report adds that that 90 per cent of the demolitions and 92 per cent of the displacement occurred in already vulnerable farming and herding communities in the territory known as ?Area C? ? which represents over 60 per cent of the West Bank where Israel retains control over security, planning and building.

Meanwhile, the report states that there was a ?significant? decrease compared to previous years, with 42 structures demolished. However, at least 93,100 residents who live in structures built without a permit, remain at risk of displacement.

?The forced displacement of Palestinian families and the destruction of civilian homes and other property by Israeli forces in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have a serious humanitarian impact,? the report points out, adding that the impact on families? psychosocial well-being can be ?devastating.?

It adds that Israel, as the occupying power in the West Bank, has the obligation to protect Palestinian civilians and to administer the territory for their benefit.

During a visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory last May, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and head of OCHA, Valerie Amos, urged Israel to end its evictions policy and to look carefully at the key humanitarian concerns of demolitions and displacement in the West Bank.

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Ban appoints new force commander for UN operation in Lebanon

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UNIFIL armoured vehicles pass through a Lebanese Armed Forces checkpoint near Ghanduriya. Photo: UNIFIL

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Major General Paolo Serra of Italy as the new head of the United Nations mission responsible for helping foster stability in southern Lebanon.

As Force Commander of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Major General Serra will be at the helm of what is considered to be one of the most dangerous peacekeeping operations in the world.

He succeeds Major General Alberto Asarta Cuevas of Spain, whose tour of duty is slated to end on 28 January, after three years of service. The Secretary-General expressed his gratitude to Major General Asarta Cuevas for his ?excellentUNIFIL currently has around 12,100 military personnel from 35 countries and about 1,000 national and international civilian staff members. service and leadership.?

During his visit to the mission?s headquarters in Naqoura over a week ago, Mr. Ban emphasized the unique risk faced by UNIFIL, saying that while peacekeeping was always dangerous, it was ?especially deadly in Lebanon.?

The mission has lost 293 personnel since it began in 1978. And just last month, five French peacekeepers were wounded in a roadside bomb near the port city of Tyre ? the third such attack in 2011.

Major General Serra brings with him wide-ranging experience in commanding troops in multinational peace operations, including in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Mozambique.

UNIFIL currently has around 12,100 military personnel from 35 countries and about 1,000 national and international civilian staff members.

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UNICEF warns on high rates of malnutrition among children in Yemen

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IDP children carrying food for their families in Mazraq One Camp, Yemen. Photo: IRIN/Adel YahyaThe United Nations Children?s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that half a million children in Yemen could die or suffer physical and mental damage as a result of malnutrition, unless sufficient resources are made available to alleviate the effects of conflict, chronic poverty and drought.

?Malnutrition is preventable? therefore, inaction is unconscionable,? Maria Calivis, UNICEF?s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement yesterday after a two-day visit to Yemen.

?Conflict, poverty and drought, compounded by the unrest of the previous year, the high food and fuel prices, and the breakdoMalnutrition is preventable? therefore, inaction is unconscionable.wn of social services, are putting children?s health at great risks and threatening their very survival,? she said.

With 58 per cent of children stunted, Yemen has the second highest rate of chronic malnutrition among children in the world after Afghanistan. Acute malnutrition affects as many as 30 per cent of children in some parts of the country, close to the levels observed in south Somalia, and twice as high as the internationally recognized emergency threshold.

Malnutrition, along with poor health services, is also to blame for most of the recent deaths of 74 children from measles, among 2,500 affected by an outbreak of the disease, according to Government figures. While most children recover from measles within two to three weeks, children with malnutrition can suffer serious complications which can lead to death.

UNICEF has appealed for nearly $50 million to fund programmes for children?s urgent humanitarian needs in Yemen this year.

The country also has one of the highest rates of death among children under the age of five in the Middle East and North African region, at 77 per 1,000 live births, which means that some 69,000 children die every year before their fifth birthday.

?Now more than ever is the time for a renewed commitment to a better, peaceful future for Yemen?s children. As the country prepares for the next phase, it is essential that children are given top priority in the political agenda. Their needs need to be met and their rights upheld,? said Ms. Calivis.

Warring factions in Yemen signed an agreement in November on a transitional settlement under which President Ali Abdullah Saleh agreed to hand over power to Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour al-Hadi. A new Government of National Unity was formed and presidential elections have been scheduled for 21 February.

The Secretary-General?s Special Adviser for Yemen, Jamal Benomar, told reporters at UN Headquarters that for the country?s transition to succeed, a concerted effort is required to ensure the participation of youth and other important constituencies, including the southern movements and the so-called Al-Houthi group in the north, in the political process.

?As an immediate step, all efforts should now be focused on ensuring the holding of peaceful elections,? Mr. Benomar said after briefing the Security Council on the situation in Yemen, stressing the need to ensure that the polls are held on time and in an atmosphere of calm.

?Expectations of Yemenis remain high for stability and recovery. I told the Security Council that Yemen will need the sustained and committed support of donors to see it through the transition and help them with economic recovery,? he added.

He also stressed that the humanitarian situation in the country remains dire with an estimated 6.8 million people facing food shortages.

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Ban to visit Middle East to encourage Israelis and Palestinians to re-engage

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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon holds press conference. UN Photo/Mark GartenSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that he will travel to the Middle East next week to encourage the Israelis and the Palestinians to re-engage to move the peace process forward.

?My visit comes at an important moment,? Mr. Ban told a news conference at UN Headquarters, as he announced his travels to Jordan, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators began preparatory talks at the beginning of January in Amman under the facilitation of King Abdullah of Jordan and the country?s Foreign Minister, Nasser Judeh.

?I will be there to encourage both sides to re-engage I will be there to encourage both sides to re-engage in earnest and create a positive atmosphere for moving forward.in earnest and create a positive atmosphere for moving forward,? Mr. Ban stated.

Direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians stalled in September 2010 after Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.

That decision prompted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw from direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which had only resumed a few weeks earlier after a two-year hiatus.

The Secretary-General also noted that today marks the one-year anniversary of the uprising in Egypt that led to the removal of the regime of Hosni Mubarak.

?On this important day, I want to congratulate the people of Egypt on their peaceful transition to democracy and their determination to push for continuing change,? he said.

Referring to yesterday?s announcement of a partial lifting of the state of emergency in the country, Mr. Ban encouraged the transitional authorities to pursue the peaceful and early handover of power to civilian government, to uphold human rights, to release political detainees and accelerate the pace of reform.

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UN official urges Israelis and Palestinians to intensify efforts to resolve conflict

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Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco. UN Photo/Evan SchneiderA senior United Nations political official today urged Israel and the Palestinians to redouble efforts to resolve all their permanent status issues, end the conflict and establish an independent and democratic Palestinian state that will exist peacefully alongside Israel.

?Leadership is needed to ensure that the process moves forward with the support of the regional and international partners,? said Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, as he briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East.

He told the Council?s open debate, which heard from over 40 speakers, that Israeli and Palestinian negotiators had started meeting on 3 January under the facilitation of King Abdullah of Jordan and the country?s Foreign Affairs Minister, in the presence of envoys of the so-called Quartet ? the diplomatic grouping bringing together the UN with the European Union, Russia and the United States. It was the first time both parties had held direct talks in 15 months.

?The parties began discussing important issues related to territory and security,? said Mr. Fernandez-Taranco. ?They are also discussing ways to build confidence and create a positive environment for these talks to succeed,? he added.

?Neither the international community nor the parties can afford to let this opportunity pass by. The Secretary-General continues to call on the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to show vision, courage and determination to reach a historical peace agreement that would meet the legitimate aspirations of the people on both sides,? said Mr. Fernandez-Taranco.

Actions on the ground, however, continue to contribute to tensions, he told the Council. Settlement activity, including in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, continued during the reporting period. Violence between Israeli settlers and Palestinians also remain troubling.

On the continuing bloody unrest in Syria, Mr. Fernandez-Taranco told the Council that the bloodshed and human rights violations must stop for a credible, inclusive and Syrian-led political process to start in that country.

?We hope that the international community will act in a concerted and coherent manner in support of ongoing efforts for a peaceful resolution of the crisis,? he said.

The UN also continues to monitor the influx of Syrian refugees into Lebanon, he said, adding that both the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Lebanese Government had registered 5,660 Syrian refugees. The significant increase in number is largely due to intensified refugee registration, he added.

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Ban condemns killing of Syrian Arab Red Crescent chief

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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. UN Photo/Paulo FilgueirasSecretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned today the killing of the head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Abd-al-Razzaq Jbeiro.

According to media reports, Mr. Jbeiro, the Secretary-General of the humanitarian organization, was shot dead in an attack that targeted a vehicle he was driving in that was clearly marked with the Red Crescent emblem.

Mr. Ban extended his condolences to Mr. Jbeiro?s family and colleagues and called on the Syrian Government to investigate the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban also reminded everyone of their obligation to ?rMr. Ban also reminded everyone of their obligation to ?respect and protect humanitarian workers as they perform their duties and impartially serve all those who are in need.?espect and protect humanitarian workers as they perform their duties and impartially serve all those who are in need.?

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, also said she was deeply shocked by Mr. Jbeiro?s killing and sent her sincere condolences to his family and colleagues, on behalf of the humanitarian community.

The murder ?serves to remind us of the dangers faced by humanitarian workers in Syria and in other crisis situations,? said Ms. Amos, who is also the UN Humanitarian Coordinator.

?All humanitarians work on the basis of strict impartiality and neutrality. We want to save lives and protect the vulnerable. These principles must be respected,? she stressed.

Last week, Mr. Ban renewed his call on the Syrian authorities to end the ongoing bloodshed in the country, which has, since March, been in a maelstrom of an uprising which has led to the deaths of more than 5,000 people.

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Senior UN official encourages strong humanitarian partnership with Oman

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Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos. UN Photo/Mark GartenA senior United Nations official today hailed Oman?s growing role in responding to disasters and in search and rescue operations, while calling for strengthening of the world body?s partnership with the country on humanitarian issues.

?The relationship between Oman and OCHA has developed substantially in recent years, and OCHA attaches great importance to the increasing role of the Sultanate in regional and international humanitarian affairs,? said Valerie Amos, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Ms. Amos, who is also Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, met with a number of senior officOman has a wealth of experience to share with the entire international humanitarian community, and OCHA stands ready to support and facilitate any such exchange of information and knowledge.ials during her one-day visit, which followed a visit yesterday to neighbouring Qatar.

?Oman has built a strong national capacity to respond to natural disasters and shown its commitment to disaster preparedness through a comprehensive reorganization of its disaster management and emergency response systems,? she stated.

?Oman has a wealth of experience to share with the entire international humanitarian community, and OCHA stands ready to support and facilitate any such exchange of information and knowledge.?

Examples of collaboration include a workshop in the capital, Muscat, in January 2010 that established the Regional Humanitarian Information Network for the Middle East, and Oman?s hosting of a course in 2009 on training disaster responders from the region in humanitarian coordination and assessment.

The country is also an active participant in the global International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) network of countries and organizations dedicated to urban search and rescue and operational field coordination.

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Experts from UN nuclear watchdog agency to visit Iran next week

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Experts from the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will visit Iran next week in an effort to resolve outstanding issues related to the country?s nuclear programme, it was announced today.

Last November the head of the IAEA said there is ?credible? information that Iran is developing a nuclear weapon and had called on the country to agree to a visit by a high-level team to clarify the nature of its nuclear programme.

In a statement issued today in Vienna, where the Agency is based, Director General Yukiya Amano announced the upcoming visit, which will take place from 29 toThe overall objective of the IAEA is to resolve all outstanding substantive issues. 31 January.

?The overall objective of the IAEA is to resolve all outstanding substantive issues,? said the statement.

The team will be led by the Deputy Director General for Safeguards, Herman Nackaerts, and will include the Assistant Director General for Policy, Rafael Grossi.

?The Agency team is going to Iran in a constructive spirit, and we trust that Iran will work with us in that same spirit,? said Mr. Amano.

Iran has repeatedly stated that its nuclear programme is for the peaceful purpose of providing energy, but many countries contend it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.

The Security Council has imposed four rounds of sanctions against Iran, citing the proliferation risks of its nuclear programme and its continued failure to cooperate with the IAEA.

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