Latest news with #Al-Hassan
Iraqi News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
UN Special Representative for Iraq visits Karbala
Baghdad ( – The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Mohamed Al-Hassan, visited the province of Karbala in central Iraq on Saturday and met with its governor, Nsayif Jassim Al-Khatabi. The governorate's growth and the possible role of the United Nations through its specialized agencies were among the topics of discussion at the meeting with the governor of Karbala, according to a statement released by UNAMI. Al-Hassan praised the governorate's accomplishments and their value on a national scale. Al-Hassan stated during a press conference that the UN is interested in promoting growth and service enhancement across Iraq, notably in the province of Karbala. The UN official underlined the need for ongoing collaboration between the UN and the Iraqi government. At the request of the Iraqi government, UNAMI was created in 2003 as a special political mission by UN Security Council Resolution 1500. The mission is tasked with coordinating the UN agencies' development and humanitarian initiatives in collaboration with civil society and government partners. Despite not providing humanitarian or development programs directly, UNAMI connects Iraqi partners with the technical expertise of the UN's network in Iraq and increases awareness of humanitarian and development challenges in the country. The mission in Iraq currently employs about 648 people, including 397 Iraqi staff members and 251 international staff members.
Arab Times
26-06-2025
- Arab Times
Databases vital in combating cybercrime: Kuwait official
TUNIS, June 26: Kuwait's Director General of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Brigadier Abdullah Al-Hassan, underscored the critical role of data systems — particularly criminal records and biometric fingerprint databases — in combating cybercrime across Arab nations. Speaking to KUNA on Wednesday while chairing the 20th Arab Conference of Heads of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Evidence Agencies, held at the General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers in Tunis, Al-Hassan emphasized the importance of building and improving regional tools to address evolving digital threats. He noted that the conference is following up on earlier proposals aimed at strengthening Arab cooperation in the fight against cybercrime. Describing such crimes as the 'mother of all crimes,' Al-Hassan explained that cybercrime encompasses a broad range of illegal activities, including drug trafficking, human trafficking, domestic violence, and other offenses that originate through social media and the digital sphere. In his remarks, Al-Hassan warned of the increasing risks posed by cybercrime and called for the development of a unified procedural guide and an integrated biometric fingerprint database to enhance the collective capabilities of Arab states in detecting and responding to criminal activity. He reaffirmed the commitment of Arab criminal investigation and forensic agencies to tracking cybercrime by forming specialized, technologically advanced teams equipped to handle the challenges of the digital era. These efforts, he stressed, are essential to achieving cybersecurity and effective crime prevention across the region. The conference, chaired by Kuwait in its current leadership of the General Secretariat, officially opened earlier Wednesday at the Council's headquarters in the Tunisian capital.
ITV News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
'For me that's a red line': Labour MP with disabled son says he can't vote for benefits changes
North Somerset's Labour MP has said he is prepared to vote against the government on controversial changes to benefits, which he believes would have a detrimental impact on his disabled son's future. Sadik Al-Hassan told ITV West Country: "I don't think I could ever vote for something that would make his life in the future worse, or other people like him, and for me that's a red line." The Labour MP is one of more than 120 who have signed an amendment that would block cuts to disability and sickness-related benefits payments, in a government bid to save £5bn a year on the welfare bill by 2030. It's a rebellion significant enough in size to wipe out Labour's majority in the House of Commons, but Sir Keir Starmer has doubled down on the plans and insisted he intends to "press ahead" with next week's vote. "Nobody in North Somerset put me here just to rubber stamp and approve legislation," Al-Hassan said. "They want me to read it, understand it, and vote on what I think is right. They want me to make a call on what I think would be best for North Somerset. "It is tough sometimes to stand up and say, 'actually, I disagree.'" The Labour MP was joined by the Forest of Dean's Matt Bishop and Stroud's Dr Simon Opher in publicly expressing discomfort with the changes, while ITV West Country understands a number of other MPs in the West Country remain hesitant to back them. Among the most unpopular is a change to the way personal independence payments (PIP) are granted, meaning people with less severe conditions are at risk of losing out on the benefit that helps with the extra living costs of being disabled. In a bid to ease growing discontent, the government said PIP recipients who will lose the benefit would get a 13-week extension to help ease the transition. "From the government's own impact assessment, it's going to bring about 250,000 disabled people into poverty and about 50,000 children," Al-Hassan added. "For me, it's a personal choice because when I look at these proposals I see them through the lens of a father. But I think there are better ways to raise revenue and better ways to intervene with regards to welfare." He added: "We do need to rebuild it [the system], but we need to put the people in it, and helping them, at the heart of that. The bill misses the mark on that." A number of the proposed changes have been welcomed by Labour MPs, like extra investment to help get people back into work and an increase in the basic rate of Universal Credit for people actively seeking employment. But MPs, like Al-Hassan, Bishop and Opher, say there has been a lack of consultation over the plans and an inadequate impact assessment on the consequences on the jobs market and on people's health. The government is planning to put the welfare reforms in place by November 2026.
Shafaq News
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraqi Speaker to UN: Stop Israeli violations
Shafaq News/ On Tuesday, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani urged the UN to take a more active role in addressing what he described as ongoing 'violations by the Zionist entity [Israel]' across Iran, Gaza, Syria, and Yemen. The call came during a meeting in Baghdad with UN representative in Iraq, Mohamed al-Hassan, according to a statement from the Iraqi Parliament. Al-Mashhadani emphasized the need for the international body to help protect peace and security in the region and to prevent further conflict escalation. The two officials also discussed Iraq's upcoming elections, with al-Hassan confirming that the UN has appointed qualified international observers to monitor the vote and contribute to its success. The meeting touched on human rights issues, the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs), and the finalization of Iraq's Independent Human Rights Commission. Al-Hassan noted that Iraq is currently a candidate for membership in the UN Human Rights Council. He praised Iraq's democratic progress, describing the country as being 'in its best condition' and commending the role of the Parliament and its speaker in legislative reforms and shaping Iraq's future. Al-Hassan also highlighted Iraq's emerging regional influence, calling it a leader with 'historical depth' in the Middle East. Baghdad, 17 June 2025 – The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Dr. Mohamed Al Hassan, met today with the Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Dr. Mahmoud — UNAMI (@UNIraq) June 17, 2025
Iraqi News
30-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
UN: Iraq will become a global banking powerhouse
Baghdad – INA The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative, Mohammed Al-Hassan, confirmed that Iraq will become a banking powerhouse internally and externally. In a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA) on Friday, Al-Hassan said, "The words spoken during the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism conference indicated that Iraq is facing a regional and international challenge to regain its standing." He added, "The Iraqi economic system cannot be complete without an effective financial sector internally and externally," noting that "Iraq is committed to taking positive steps to restore confidence in the financial and banking sector in Iraq." Al-Hassan emphasized that "the United Nations supports Iraq's approach, which will, in the coming days, become an interactive banking powerhouse internally and externally." He emphasized that "the fight against terrorism is not a scourge that has afflicted Iraq alone, but the entire world, and the sacrifices that Iraq has made in lives and money are not insignificant or small." He noted that "these sacrifices must be completed, extended, and continued to restore Iraq's position in the financial and banking sector."
