UN announces new approach to tackle sexual abuse…Read full details

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UN Secretary-General António Guterres says the UN will not be associated with the vile and vicious crimes of rape, sexual violence, exploitation and abuse in any way.

Guterres stated this in the Secretary-General’s report, ‘Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: A new approach’, outlined a victim-centred strategy that is rooted in transparency, accountability and ensuring justice.

The Secretary-General’s report particularly focused on preventing and responding to such abuses committed by those serving under the UN flag, like the peacekeeping personnel.

“Such acts of cruelty should never take place. Certainly no person serving with the United Nations in any capacity should be associated with such vile and vicious crimes.

“Let us declare in one voice: We will not tolerate anyone committing or condoning sexual exploitation and abuse. We will not let anyone cover up these crimes with the UN flag,” he said.

Guterres said that promoting gender equality throughout the UN system, including its missions and peacekeeping forces, would help advance parity and at the same time decrease incidents of abuse.

“Let us do so in the name of all who look to the UN for life-saving protection and support – and on behalf of the tens of thousands of UN personnel around the world who deliver that assistance with courage and commitment to the highest ideals,” he stressed.

He noted that exploitation is also deeply rooted in gender inequality and discrimination.

The report focused is based on four tracks, including the rights and dignity of victims;and ending impunity for those guilty of crimes and abuses.

Others are drawing on the wisdom and guidance of all those who have been affected, civil society, local communities and others to strengthen and improve UN’s efforts; and to raise awareness and share best practices to end the vicious scourge.

The report also emphasised the need to engage with UN member states and called for a high-level meeting on sexual exploitation and abuses in 2017 on the margins of the general debate of the 72nd session of the General Assembly.

The report further noted that the UN chief would seek member states’ support to establish a system-wide consolidated confidential repository of case information to be placed under the supervision of the Special Coordinator on Improving UN Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

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Bonucci saves Juve blushes in rare league draw…See full details

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Juventus' Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci (L) celebrates with Juventus' forward from Argentina Gonzalo Higuain (C) and Juventus' forward from Argentina Paulo Dybala after scoring during the Italian Serie A football match Udinese vs Juventus at the Dacia Arena Stadium in Udine on March 5, 2017.<br />MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP

Leonardo Bonucci’s second-half leveller saved Juventus’s blushes a day after Roma virtually conceded the title as the champions were held to their first Serie A draw in over a year at Udinese.

Juventus, aiming for a record sixth consecutive scudetto, were given a push in the right direction on Saturday when Roma’s 2-1 home defeat to Napoli gave the Turin giants the chance to pull 10 points clear.

But in a cagey performance at the Dacia Stadium, filled to the brim for the visit of the 32-times Italian champions, Juve failed to capitalise, settling for their first draw of the campaign and their first in Serie A since drawing with Bologna in February 2016.

Massimiliano Allegri’s men remain top of the pile but are now eight points ahead of Roma, with Napoli third at 10 points off the pace.

“Before I say anything I have to compliment Udinese, who played a very solid game. At times they had two, three and even four players coming at our ball carriers,” said Allegri.

“We knew how difficult a game this would be after so many victories. It’s been over a year since we’ve drawn.

“We made a lot of mistakes, especially in the first 20 minutes. On the plus side we gained a point on Roma but the championship is not over. Roma can still collect a lot of points.”

Juventus were denied early penalty claims when Dani Alves, after pouncing on Gonzalo Higuain’s smart delivery down the right, fired in a cross that appeared to come off the arm of Samir.

Referee Antonio Damato was unimpressed, and Juve suffered another blow minutes later when Duvan Zapata powered down the left, holding off Bonucci, to fire under the body of Gianluigi Buffon as the ‘keeper came out to block at his near post.

But the home fans’ hopes of seeing Udinese hold on for a famous win were dashed on the hour.

Juventus won a free kick and when Paulo Dybala fired an inviting delivery towards the back post, Bonucci got between Silvan Widmar and Stipe Perica to head past Orestis Karnezis.

Earlier, surprise packages Atalanta stubbornly held on to fourth spot but missed out on the chance to close the gap on Napoli after seeing goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu perform heroics in a scoreless draw with Fiorentina in Bergamo.

That result was welcomed by rivals who are also hunting a place in Europe next season, and Inter Milan capitalised in style with a classy 5-1 win at Cagliari that saw two-goal Ivan Perisic inspire the Nerazzurri.

Inter moved up to fifth, one point ahead of city rivals AC Milan following their 3-1 win over Chievo on Saturday, although the Nerazzurri will be back down to sixth if Lazio draw or beat Bologna in Sunday’s late game.

A week after being stunned 3-1 by Roma at the San Siro, Inter coach Stefano Pioli said: “I’ve been really pleased with how the lads have reacted after the defeat to Roma.

“We looked at the footage to learn from those mistakes. Today we controlled the game, although we have to know when to speed things up and when to slow them down.”

Elsewhere, Italy striker Andrea Belotti hit a hat-trick to take his tally for the season to a league-leading 22 goals in a 3-1 home win over Palermo.

Relegation candidates Palermo saw Andrea Rispoli beat England’s Joe Hart from distance on the half hour.

But Belotti struck three times in the space of eight second-half minutes to hand Torino a 10th win of the campaign.

He now has a three-goal lead in the scoring charts on Roma’s Edin Dzeko and Higuain, both on 19, with Napoli’s Dries Mertens on 18 and Icardi on 17. Belotti said: “It would be amazing to win the top scorer’s award.”

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Zuma not backing Hayatou – minister…See full details

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This file photo taken on March 17, 2016 shows South African Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula gesturing during a press conference addressing FIFA allegations that South Africans were involved in a massive bribery scandal at the South African parliament in Cape Town. South Africa sports minister Fikile Mbalula denied on February 20, 2017 a Confederation of African Football statement that President Jacob Zuma was backing incumbent Issa Hayatou in the CAF leadership race.<br />DAVID HARRISON / AFP

South Africa sports minister Fikile Mbalula Monday denied a Confederation of African Football statement that President Jacob Zuma was backing incumbent Issa Hayatou in the CAF leadership race.

A CAF statement made the claim after its president met Zuma at the weekend ahead of the African Super Cup match in Pretoria between Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The statement read in part: “He (President Zuma) thus assured his host (Mr Hayatou) of South Africa’s flawless support for his candidacy for a new term at the helm of the CAF.”

Mbalula said the state president had not take sides ahead of the mid-March CAF presidential election in which Hayatou is seeking an eighth successive term and being challenged by Ahmad Ahmad of Madagascar.

“President Zuma wished Mr Hayatou well as he would any other candidate,” the sports minister said.

“Abiding by the principles of non-interference in the affairs of football democracy, President Zuma did not pledge his personal support or that of the South African government behind the name of Mr Hayatou.”

Cameroonian Hayatou was elected CAF president in 1988 and his 29 years in charge is a record for a leader of the Cairo-based organisation.

The 70-year-old has been challenged twice for the presidency, with rivals Armando Machado from Angola and Ismael Bhamjee from Botswana suffering humiliating defeats.

The 2017 CAF presidential election is scheduled for March 16 in Addis Ababa and the winner will serve a four-year term.

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Lagos court orders forfeiture of former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke’s N34 billion

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Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court Lagos, has ordered the forfeiture of about N34 billion linked to former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke. Anti-graft agency, EFCC, had asked the court to order the forfeiture after its investigations showed that the money was diverted from NNPC’s accounts.

Delivering judgement in the application filed by EFCC, Justice Hassan said he was satisfied with the evidence provided by the EFCC.

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Monaco go clear as Falcao downs Nice

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Monaco's Colombian forward Radamel Falcao (2nd R) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the French L1 football match between Monaco (ASM) and Nice (OGCN) on February 4, 2017 at Louis II Stadium in Monaco.<br />VALERY HACHE / AFP

Radamel Falcao scored a second-half brace as Monaco defeated Nice 3-0 on Saturday to carve open a three-point lead ahead of their Cote d’Azur rivals at the top of Ligue 1.

Valere Germain headed in the opening goal on 47 minutes at the Stade Louis II before Falcao turned in Monaco’s second with an hour gone. The Colombian stroked home a third for the hosts nine minutes from time as Monaco avenged a 4-0 thrashing from the reverse fixture in September.

Leonardo Jardim’s side moved three points clear of Nice after dealing the visitors just their second loss of the season. Reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain are six adrift ahead of their trip to Dijon later.

Monaco boss Jardim recalled a host of internationals rested for Wednesday’s 5-4 extra-time win over third-tier Chambly in the last 32 of the French Cup, with Falcao, Bernardo Silva and Danijel Subasic all returning to the line-up.

Nice had conceded a league-low 15 goals before arriving in Monaco and goalkeeper Yoan Cardinale was well protected in a quiet first half, turning behind a firm strike from Germain in a rare chance of note.

But Monaco, who are averaging a European-leading three goals a game this term, punished Nice for slack defending with just two minutes gone in the second half.

Germain was left unmarked as Benjamin Mendy whipped in a teasing cross from the left and the Frenchman planted a header beyond a Cardinale for his eighth goal of the campaign.

Monaco doubled their lead in similar circumstances. The ball was again worked out to Mendy on the left flank, this time the full-back crossed low for Falcao to steer into the roof of the net.

Nice’s top scorer Alassane Plea missed a huge opportunity to cut the deficit when he failed to properly connect with Jean-Michael Seri’s delivery into the area.

Falcao killed the contest by slotting into the far corner from Thomas Lemar’s cut-back to move onto 14 goals, behind only Edinson Cavani (21) and Alexandre Lacazette (18) in Ligue 1 this season.

Valentin Eysseric struck the post late on, while goalkeeper Danijel Subasic pulled off a sharp stop to keep out a header from Plea as Nice’s run of nine matches without defeat came to an end.

On Friday, Metz made it an unhappy return to Ligue 1 for Dimitri Payet as Marseille slumped to a 1-0 loss in the northeast.

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Tens of thousands of Yemenis trapped in Red Sea fighting

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Yemenis search under the rubble of damaged houses following reported Saudi-led coalition air strikes on the outskirts of the Yemeni capital Sanaa on February 1, 2017.<br />Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP

Fighting between Yemeni government forces and rebels has trapped tens of thousands of civilians in and around the port town of Mokha, where over 30 fighters were killed Wednesday, residents and the UN said.

“We fear the (Shiite) Huthi (rebel) snipers who have taken up positions on rooftops but also the firing from the other (government) side,” said Majed Mukaibar, a 32-year-old fisherman and father in the Red Sea town of southwest Yemen.

Ibrahim Saleh, a tradesman who works in southern Yemen’s main city of Aden, told AFP that he has been trying since last week to evacuate his family from Mokha but has been thwarted by incessant gunfire.

The UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said in a statement released Tuesday that he was “extremely concerned about the safety and well-being of civilians” in Mokha and nearby Dhubab.

“Information from the field indicates that military operations in the coastal region have forced most residents of Dhubab to flee the area,” he said.

McGoldrick said “an estimated 20,000-30,000 people, almost one third of the population, are trapped in the town (of Mokha) and require immediate protection and relief assistance”.

Constant air strikes, shelling and sniper fire around the town had “killed and injured scores of civilians and have ground most services to a halt”, including water supplies.

The UN official appealed for a halt to fighting “to facilitate the delivery of assistance to Mokha and enable the free movement of civilians”.

Military and medical sources said 25 rebels and six soldiers on the government side, which is being supported by a Saudi-led Arab coalition, were killed in the latest clashes on Wednesday for control of Mokha.

Forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi have been battling on three fronts but so far failed to penetrate the centre of Mokha, according to residents and military sources.

Before government forces launched a major offensive on January 7, Huthi rebels controlled virtually all of Yemen’s 450-kilometre (280-mile) Red Sea coastline.

Soldiers have since thrust north from the Bab al-Mandab strait where the Red Sea joins the Indian Ocean, overrunning Dhubab district and entering the historic port of Mokha in their biggest advance in months.

Conflict in Yemen escalated in March 2015 when the Saudi-led coalition launched air raids against the Huthi rebels, who had taken over the capital and seized swathes of the country’s centre and north.

The war has cost more than 7,400 lives in the past two years, according to the UN’s World Health Organisation.

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