Latest news with #Roadmap
Daily Mirror
25-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Majority of animal tested drugs fail in human trials as celebs back campaign
Campaigners say not only do medical experiments cause the death and unnecessary suffering of millions of dogs, mice, rabbits, monkeys and other species but they also wasted taxpayers 'cash Celebrities have teamed up with top photographer Rankin to reveal the suffering faced by animals in British laboratories. It come as a study found that 90% of drugs that appear to be effective after testing on animals fail in human trials. Almost half of these are due to unanticipated human toxicity, despite this not being observed in animals. In a shoot for animal champions Animal Free Research stars including comic Diane Morgan and TV host Kirsty Gallacher posed with beagles Luna and Elvis. They are highlighting the plight of more than 2.6 million animals, including dogs, used in British laboratories annually. Campaigners say not only do the medical experiments cause the death and unnecessary suffering of millions of dogs, mice, rabbits, monkeys and other species but they also wasted hundreds of millions of taxpayers 'cash. A recent report called the Roadmap to Reducing Animal Testing in Preclinical Safety Studies produced by the Food and Drug Agency in the US said: 'There is growing scientific recognition that animals do not provide adequate models of human health and disease. 'Some medications which are generally recognised safe in humans, such as aspirin, may have never passed animal testing. Conversely, some compounds which have appeared safe in animal models have been lethal in human trials.' Animal Free Research UK is calling for the UK Government to introduce Herbie's Law, named after a beagle who was bred for the animal research industry but deemed surplus to laboratory requirements. It would prompt the phasing out of animal tests over 10 years, replacing them with humane, effective alternatives. Many scientists are already using animal-free alternatives, including artificial intelligence, lab-grown 3D cell cultures, and organ-on-a-chip technology – cutting-edge systems that replicate the functions of human organs. Carla Owen, CEO of Animal Free Research, said: 'If 92% of drugs which show promise in animal tests currently fail to benefit patients, it doesn't make sense to still use animals. 'As a nation of animal lovers, now is the time to replace ineffective methods and animal suffering, with modern, human-relevant science.' Chris Mague, head of policy of not-for-profit organisation Understanding Animal Research, said: 'The true statistic of animal effectiveness is more or less the opposite of that used by activists. 'Various studies prove that effects seen in animals manifest in humans an average of 86% of the time, but much higher depending on the organ and species we're talking about. 'If we can use non-animal methods, the law requires that we do. Nobody can say with confidence that we'll be able to phase out animal use by this or that date.' Snapper Rankin said: 'It's shocking to me that we're still testing on animals in the name of science.' Pete Wicks, Deborah Meaden and Russell Kane were also pictured.
The Sun
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Timor-Leste's ASEAN membership bid gains strong regional backing
KUALA LUMPUR: ASEAN Foreign Ministers today reaffirmed their strong support for Timor-Leste's full membership in the regional bloc, acknowledging the country's significant progress in implementing the ASEAN Roadmap. Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the development marked one of the key highlights of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM), held on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit here, which also endorsed a proposal to establish a Special Taskforce for Timor-Leste. He emphasised, however, that Timor-Leste must work diligently to fulfil all requirements and ensure compliance with ASEAN's legal instruments, expressing hope that full membership could be formalised during the ASEAN Summit with Dialogue Partners at the end of October this year. 'On this matter (the establishment of a Special Taskforce for Timor-Leste), as mentioned by the ASEAN Secretary-General, there is already a Timor-Leste Unit tasked with facilitating the country's fulfilment of the Roadmap, including its accession to ASEAN's legal instruments,' he said. 'We commend the meaningful progress made by Timor-Leste in implementing the Roadmap, as reflected in the Progress Report,' he added during a press conference today. Earlier, Mohamad chaired the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM), held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). Mohamad reiterated that Timor-Leste must work doubly hard to fulfil all legal requirements, most of which fall under the ASEAN Economic Community. 'There's so many legal instruments they have to fulfill especially on economic sector pillars, about 66 legal instruments to fulfil... (so) why not we rope them in first, then we give them certain number of years for them (to fulfil the requirement),' he said. '...this is a way for us to ensure that it is in line with the theme of ASEAN this year, which is inclusivity and sustainability. We must be inclusive; Timor-Leste should be included in the ASEAN as a full membership,' he added. Mohamad said that today's meetings also called for continued deliberations by the ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) to develop the necessary guidelines to facilitate Timor-Leste's legal accession and full participation within ASEAN institutions. In a related development, he noted that the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Commission had adopted a draft addendum to the SEANWFZ Treaty, providing a legal pathway for Timor-Leste's accession to the treaty. The adoption of the Addendum, he said, marks a significant milestone in integrating Timor-Leste into ASEAN's political and security frameworks, noting that ASEAN member states will now begin domestic legal procedures aimed at finalising Timor-Leste's accession by the 47th ASEAN Summit in October. He added that the outcomes of the ministerial-level meetings will be further deliberated at the ASEAN Leaders' level during the 46th ASEAN Summit, chaired by Malaysia. Timor-Leste, which gained independence in 2002, was granted observer status in ASEAN in 2022 and has since been working towards full membership based on a structured Roadmap endorsed by the regional bloc. The 46th ASEAN Summit and its related meetings, held under Malaysia's 2025 Chairmanship theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability', are expected to address a broad range of pressing regional and international issues, with the ongoing crisis in Myanmar remaining a central concern for ASEAN member states. This year marks Malaysia's fifth time chairing the regional organisation, having previously assumed the ASEAN Chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015. In addition to the ASEAN-level meetings, two key inter-regional summits—the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit—will also take place on May 26 and 27, signalling the growing engagement between Southeast Asia and its strategic partners in the Gulf and China.
Barnama
25-05-2025
- Business
- Barnama
Timor-Leste's ASEAN Membership Bid Gains Strong Regional Backing -- Mohamad Hasan
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan attends a press conference held in conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today. -- fotoBERNAMA (2025) COPYRIGHT RESERVED KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Bernama) -- ASEAN Foreign Ministers today reaffirmed their strong support for Timor-Leste's full membership in the regional bloc, acknowledging the country's significant progress in implementing the ASEAN Roadmap. Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the development marked one of the key highlights of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM), held on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit here, which also endorsed a proposal to establish a Special Taskforce for Timor-Leste. He emphasised, however, that Timor-Leste must work diligently to fulfil all requirements and ensure compliance with ASEAN's legal instruments, expressing hope that full membership could be formalised during the ASEAN Summit with Dialogue Partners at the end of October this year. 'On this matter (the establishment of a Special Taskforce for Timor-Leste), as mentioned by the ASEAN Secretary-General, there is already a Timor-Leste Unit tasked with facilitating the country's fulfilment of the Roadmap, including its accession to ASEAN's legal instruments,' he said. 'We commend the meaningful progress made by Timor-Leste in implementing the Roadmap, as reflected in the Progress Report,' he added during a press conference today. Earlier, Mohamad chaired the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM), held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). Mohamad reiterated that Timor-Leste must work doubly hard to fulfil all legal requirements, most of which fall under the ASEAN Economic Community. 'There's so many legal instruments they have to fulfill especially on economic sector pillars, about 66 legal instruments to fulfil… (so) why not we rope them in first, then we give them certain number of years for them (to fulfil the requirement),' he said. '…this is a way for us to ensure that it is in line with the theme of ASEAN this year, which is inclusivity and sustainability. We must be inclusive; Timor-Leste should be included in the ASEAN as a full membership,' he added.
The Star
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
AG-Public Prosecutor separation of powers still in study phase
Modernising the law: Azalina (second from left) taking part in the launch of the AI Legal Justice Roadmap 2025-2026 and the Institutional Reform Map microsite at Universiti Malaya. — Bernama KUALA LUMPUR: A decision on separating the roles of the Attorney General (AG) and the Public Prosecutor could potentially be finalised before the 16th General Election, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) said her ministry is still in the empirical study phase of the proposed separation of powers. 'I hope we can reach a decision before the next general election. This reflects the Madani government's approach to distinguishing the AG's role as the government's legal adviser from that of the Public Prosecutor,' she said during the launch of the AI Legal Justice Roadmap 2025-2026 and the Institutional Reform Map microsite (PetaRI) at Universiti Malaya yesterday. Azalina noted that various technical aspects must be examined, including the AG's advisory role to the government. She also pointed out that the matter must be viewed holistically, as Sabah and Sarawak have their own prosecutorial authorities. 'Once the study is complete, the findings must go through several committees before being presented to the policy division and then to the Cabinet. I hope the government can make a decision once we are ready to present the findings,' she said. The proposal to separate the powers of the AG and the Public Prosecutor has long been advocated by MPs and civil society organisations, with the aim of strengthening judicial independence and eliminating potential conflicts of interest in the legal system. Azalina previously said that an interim report on the separation of roles is expected to be presented to the Cabinet later this year. In March, she said a delegation conducted an empirical study in the United Kingdom, following visits to Canada and Australia last year to examine in greater detail the models implemented in those countries. Meanwhile, the event saw the launch of the Roadmap and PetaRI, initiatives aimed at modernising the legal and judicial system in line with the latest technological advancements. The Roadmap, led by the Legal Affairs Division and involving six other agencies, is a preliminary action plan to integrate AI into the legal ecosystem. The PetaRI microsite, accessible at showcases reform progress and invites the public's feedback.
New Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
New roadmap charts AI future for justice system
KUALA LUMPUR: In a bid to improve institutional and legal reforms in Malaysia, the adaptation of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has also been carried out through the launch of the AI Legal Justice Roadmap 2025-2026 and the Institutional Reform Map Microsite (PetaRI) today. The Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) of the Prime Minister's Department (JPM) said the launch of the Roadmap and PetaRI at Auditorium Tun Mohamed Suffian, Law Faculty, Universiti Malaya, is the Madani government's commitment to implementing the digital era revolution that is also in line with the latest technological sophistication. "This Roadmap is an initial blueprint to drive the adaptation of AI technology into the country's legal and judicial ecosystem, involving seven government departments and agencies, namely BHEUU, PMD as the leader, in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Registrar of the Federal Court of Malaysia (PKPMP). "Also involved are the Legal Aid Department, the Malaysia Department of Insolvency (MdI), the National Law Academy (APN), the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC)," the BHEUU said in a statement today. It said the roadmap also encompasses initiatives that will be carried out by the legal and judicial sectors based on key elements such as awareness, training and talent development, strategic collaboration, technological data infrastructure, change management, research and development as well as implementation and monitoring. Meanwhile, in explaining that PetaRI is one of the components of the Roadmap initiative, the BHEUU said it was created as an innovative digital platform which highlights the latest status of legal and institutional reform initiatives that were and are being carried out by the BHEUU JPM. "This microsite is to inform the public about the various comprehensive efforts and initiatives that have been taken through a digital platform. "By accessing reform information openly, the public will be able to understand, monitor and contribute suggestions and improvements towards the development of more effective institutions," it said. The site can be accessed via – Bernama
