Latest news with #DES
Bangkok Post
21 hours ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Artificial intelligence boosts battle against illegal websites
Artificial intelligence has been deployed, enabling the shutdown of 100,000 gambling and porn sites per month, although more needs to be done to curb these illegal sites, according to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES). The DES now blocks up to 100,000 illegal websites per month, a tenfold increase from the previous monthly rate of 10,000, DES Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said. However, challenges remain due to the adaptability of criminal networks and the foreign-based infrastructure of many of these platforms. The update came during a Senate session in parliament yesterday, in response to an inquiry by Senator Dr Premsak Piayura, who raised concerns about ongoing cybercrime -- especially call centre scams, online gambling, and explicit content websites. Dr Premsak questioned why, despite the recent enforcement of the executive decree on the prevention and suppression of technological crime, citizens continue to fall victim to online fraud. "Scammers today are more cunning than ever. Even with repeated warnings, many realise the danger only after they've lost their money," he said. He pointed specifically to mobile operators, who now face increased legal responsibilities under the new law. Dr Premsak also inquired whether the newly established Cyber Crime Suppression Center (CCSC) was effectively functioning and whether inter-agency coordination remained an obstacle, a known weakness in Thai bureaucracy. Mr Prasert assured senators that coordination among agencies has improved, noting that since the decree came into force in May, the government has implemented financial, digital asset, and telecommunications measures, as well as created mechanisms for the reimbursement of victims. He said the CCSC had now been legally formalised and explained its central data platform has strengthened law enforcement's ability to act, significantly reducing the overall damage caused by scams. On the "mule accounts", the minister acknowledged improvements in tracing and shutting them down. However, the more stubborn problem remains the proliferation of gambling and pornographic websites. "In the past, we could only shut down about 10,000 sites a month. But today, with AI developed by the DES Ministry, we're able to block around 100,000 sites monthly," Mr Prasert said. "But the problem hasn't gone away -- these sites continuously change URLs and operate on overseas servers, making it hard to identify the operators and prosecute them." He added that while technical capacity has grown, legal challenges persist, particularly in identifying and taking action against foreign-registered platforms. Dr Premsak, meanwhile, urged the ministry to find ways to pressure foreign platforms, such as Facebook, to take responsibility when their services are used to defraud Thais. "We need to know how to bring these platforms under Thai jurisdiction or involve them in restitution when damage occurs," he emphasised. Mr Prasert reiterated that while technical solutions like AI have increased the government's ability to block harmful content, legal and diplomatic strategies will be needed to tackle foreign-based digital crime infrastructures. He also confirmed that the ministry plans to expand its outreach to vulnerable groups to help them avoid traps and know how to respond if they fall victim.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Hindu
Andhra Pradesh to see fairly widespread rainfall till July 24
A turn of weather is likely in the State as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has given a rain forecast for all the three regions of South Coastal A.P., North Coastal A.P. and Rayalaseema from July 18 to 24. Thereafter, until August 4, light to moderate rains are expected in North Coastal A.P. True to the forecast issued earlier, Vijayawada received a brief spell of heavy rain on Thursday evening, providing relief to people from sweltering heat. The maximum temperatures in the city remained around 40 degree Celsius from July 13, Sunday. Fairly widespread light to moderate rain is very likely in all the stations up to July 22, according to the IMD. Thereafter, while the rain is likely to continue in North Coastal A.P., in other parts, it will be scattered. The State has recorded 38% deficit rainfall between May 26, when the Southwest Monsoon arrived in the State, and July 17. According to realtime rainfall information provided on the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES), four districts, Palnadu, SPSR Nellore, Annamayya and YSR Kadapa, have registered large deficient rainfall till date. Their deficit percentages are between 55 and 75. Out of 26 districts, only six have registered normal rainfall. They are Alluri Sitarama Raju, Eluru, Parvatipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool. The IMD, in its forecast for July, had predicted a normal rainfall in the Rayalaseema region. It said South Coastal A.P. may receive normal to above-normal rainfall while North Coastal A.P. may receive normal to below-normal rainfall. As per information on the DES, on Thursday between 8.30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Utukuru station in Gampalagudem mandal in NTR district received the day's maximum of 70.25 mm rainfall, followed by Bethapudi (51.5 mm) in Phirangipuram mandal of Guntur district and Parchur (50.25 mm) in Bapatla district. At present, lower tropospheric south westerly/ westerly winds prevail over Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, the IMD said. People have been cautioned as thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds may prevail across the State.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Shipley engineering firm creates four jobs after Towns Fund grants
A Shipley engineering business has created four new jobs, and purchased fresh equipment, after receiving thousands of pounds worth of funding. Development Engineering Services Ltd (DES), based on the Acorn Park Industrial Estate, created the roles after securing two grants from the Shipley Towns Fund, totalling more than £50,000. The first grant of £11,400 supported the purchase of two CNC machines and an extraction system, leading to the creation of two jobs. A second grant of £39,000 funded an additional CNC machine, enabling the business to create two additional roles. DES also plans to purchase an aluminium briquette machine to facilitate improved storage of aluminium waste. Paul Stenton, managing director of DES, said: "This investment from Shipley Towns Fund has allowed us to invest in new machinery, therefore increasing our efficiencies and growing our team." Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council's portfolio holder for regeneration, transport, and planning, said: "The Council's Invest in Bradford team has been able to provide business advice and support. "This is an excellent example of investment leading to growth and tangible long-term employment opportunities for local people." The Towns Fund Capital Assistance to Business Growth Programme is available until March 2026. For an expression of interest form, or for further information, visit or email info@
STV News
15-07-2025
- Health
- STV News
Drug linked to cancer given to mothers years after supposed ban, ITV News finds
Up to 300,000 women are thought to have been prescribed Stilbestrol over four decades, as ITV News Social Affairs Correspondent Sarah Corker reports ITV News has discovered new evidence that a dangerous drug linked to cancer was given to mothers nearly a decade after it was supposed to have been banned. Now, in a major development, the Health Secretary Wes Streeting confirmed the government is considering enhanced cancer screening for those impacted by the use of Stilbestrol, also known as DES, and has vowed to 'look seriously at these allegations.' What is DES? Stilbestrol, also known as DES, was prescribed on the NHS to prevent miscarriage and to stop breast milk production from 1939 until the late 1970s. Marketed as a 'wonder drug' – a synthetic form of female hormone oestrogen – it has become one of the biggest drug disasters in the NHS's history. ITV News can reveal that doctors, regulators, and successive governments failed to act and protect women from the dangers. Other countries around the world, such as the United States, banned the drug in the 1970s as scientific studies linked the use of DES with breast, cervical, and vaginal cancers. In the UK, health authorities failed to do the same. The UK government claimed that in 1973, a letter was sent to all doctors telling them to stop using DES for pre-menopausal women, but ITV News has found dozens of women who say they were given it after that date, some as late as 1980. Susan Miller, 73, from London, believes she was given the drug in 1975 after the birth of her daughter to stop her breast milk – that is two years after the government said GPs were told to stop prescribing the drug. She recalls questioning the doctor about the drug's side effects whilst on the maternity ward, but told ITV News those concerns were dismissed. 'I was lied to. It's absolutely disgusting. I should have never been given the drug. It's ruined so many people's lives.' It's estimated that up to 300,000 women were prescribed Stilbestrol over four decades. Mrs Miller is among more than 200 people who have contacted ITV News after seeing our ongoing DES investigation. 'It's not just me, it's other women as well. They are walking around with time bombs in their breasts, because they don't even know, so they can't even get checked,' she said. The mother of one believes the effect on her health has been devastating. She's survived blood cancer but now has an aggressive form of breast cancer and is undergoing treatment. Stilbestrol was prescribed on the NHS to prevent miscarriage and to stop breast milk production from 1939 until the late 1970s. / Credit: Research suggests that DES mothers may have a 30% higher risk of breast cancer. If the drug was taken while pregnant, the harm can be passed down through the generations. Daughters exposed in the womb are at increased risk of clear cell cancer of the cervix and vagina and reproductive abnormalities. Despite the known increased risks, successive governments have failed to introduce enhanced screening, which women say would be 'lifesaving.' ITV News has also spoken to former midwives who recall administering DES on maternity wards as late as 1979, and doctors who later treated women with aggressive forms of cancer which have since been linked to DES exposure. 'Massive regulatory failure' In 1971, US scientists proved DES was unsafe for use on pre-menopausal women. The medicines watchdog, the MHRA, repeatedly told ITV News that in May 1973, 'the Committee on Safety of Medicines wrote to all doctors to advise against the use of DES in pregnancy and women who have not yet gone through menopause.' No evidence of that letter can be found. A series of Freedom of Information requests and internal reviews from ITV News to the MHRA were rejected. Our team has searched through hundreds of pages of public health records at the British Library and National Archives, and there is no evidence of that 1973 letter. In fact, there is no evidence to show that DES was withdrawn or restricted, despite mounting evidence of the drug's sinister side effects. Dr Sonia Macleod, from Oxford University and an expert on pharmaceutical safety, said, 'There are clear indications that more could and should have been done by the regulators at the time, and if you look at it in this way, that becomes a regulatory failure.' Dr Macleod believes the government bears ultimate responsibility for the impact on women. 'I think women have been hugely failed in the UK, and particularly because this was a drug that was developed through government funding,' she said. 'There must be accountability and responsibility. Compensation should come from the government. The impacts are horrendous and have been ignored and unseen. It is so wrong,' she said. Dr Sonia Macleod, from Oxford University and an expert on pharmaceutical safety. On the south coast in Bognor Regis, Mary Jarman believes she was given DES in 1977, years after warnings about the drug. Then aged 19, she was prescribed the pills by her GP to stop her breast milk after giving birth prematurely. Ms Jarman later suffered a severe reaction, resulting in emergency breast surgery. 'It was a drug that nobody should have had, and they realised what it was doing, they should have stopped it. But I think because I had an old family doctor, they just kept handing it out,' she said. Decades later, in her 40s, she developed cervical cancer and had a full hysterectomy. 'If that has caused all the trouble, now I can understand I wasn't just unlucky to have all those women's problems, it was all connected.' Mary Jarman believes she was given DES in 1977, years after warnings about the drug. Poor NHS record keeping and the casual way DES was given out means women may never know for sure what they were exposed to or the long-term impact it has had. There are growing calls for a nationwide investigation. There has still been no attempt to trace and inform those exposed to this dangerous drug, and limited research into the long-term health implications. While thousands of DES victims have sued pharmaceutical companies in the US, France, and the Netherlands, there have been no successful cases in the UK. In response to our investigation, Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, said: 'We express our sympathies with those harmed by the historic use of Diethylstilbestrol (DES). 'We are continuing to invest significant resources to locate historical documentation relating to regulatory decisions on DES made in the 1970s, over 50 years ago. Due to the age and format of the records, this is a complex and time-consuming process. 'We are living now in a different regulatory era….Today, the requirement for patients to be directly provided with information about their medicine is underpinned by legislation.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said the Secretary of State has been clear that he will look seriously at these allegations. Health Secretary, Wes Streeting. For more information or support about the issues raised in this report, visit: Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Mirror
14-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Pregnancy drug given to 300,000 women linked to 30 per cent higher cancer risk
Women in the UK who took the pregnancy drug Diethylstilbestrol - also known as DES or Stilbestrol - could be screened by the NHS after studies uncovered a 30% higher risk of breast cancer Health Secretary Wes Streeting may start an enhanced screening programme after a pregnancy drug given to hundreds of thousands of women was linked to cancer. The minister was responding to an ITV News investigation into links between cancer cases and the drug Stilbestrol, also known as Diethylstilbestrol (DES). They revealed the drug was still being prescribed to mothers nearly a decade after being supposedly banned. It was prescribed to an estimated 300,000 women from 1939 until the late 1970s to prevent miscarriage and stop breast milk production. Research suggests women who took DES may have a 30% higher risk of breast cancer. If the drug was taken while pregnant, the harm can be passed down the generations with daughters exposed in the womb at increased risk of clear cell cancer of the cervix and vagina and reproductive abnormalities. The health secretary told ITV News Social Affairs correspondent Sarah Corker: 'There is more to do to look at this historic injustice.' On calls for enhanced cancer screening for mothers exposed to DES, the Health Secretary responded: 'I am certainly open to looking at that, that is one of many things that the government is looking at, in light of ITV's investigation.' DES has been described as a 'hidden thalidomide' - with the harm passed down 'generations'. An ITV News investigation has led to more than 100 women fearing their health has been damaged because of DES. Some who have come forward are suffering from "barbaric" pain and rare cancers - but it is feared there could be thousands more. Other countries around the world, such as the United States, banned the drug in the 1970s as scientific studies linked the use of DES with breast, cervical and vaginal cancers. But in the UK, health authorities failed to do the same. The UK government claimed a letter was sent to all doctors in 1973 telling them to stop using DES for pre-menopausal women, but ITV News said they had found dozens of women who say they were given it after that date, some as late as 1980. They also searched through hundreds of pages of public health records at the British Library and National Archives and there is no evidence of the 1973 letter. Susan Miller, 72, from London, believes she was given the drug in 1975 after the birth of her daughter to stop her breast milk – two years after the government said it was supposed to have been stopped. She questioned doctors about the drug's side effects whilst on the maternity ward but told ITV News her concerns were dismissed. She said: 'I was lied to. It's absolutely disgusting. I should have never been given the drug. It's ruined so many people's lives. 'It's not just me; it's other women as well. They are walking round with time bombs in their breasts, because they even don't know, so they can't even get checked.' The mother-of-one believes the effect on her health has been devastating. She's survived blood cancer but is now being treated for an aggressive form of breast cancer. In response to the ITV News investigation, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'Our sympathies are with anyone harmed by the historic use of Diethylstilboestrol (DES). 'The Secretary of State has been clear he will look seriously at these allegations, and the government will continue to consider enhanced screening for those impacted by the use of this drug.' Dr Alison Cave, MHRA Chief Safety Officer, told ITV: 'We express our sympathies with those harmed by the historic use of Diethylstilboestrol (DES). 'We are continuing to invest significant resource to locate historical documentation relating to regulatory decisions on DES made in the 1970s, over 50 years ago. Due to the age and format of the records, this is a complex and time-consuming process.'
