On a remote island Australian island, the birds are so full of plastic they crunch
On a remote Australian island renowned for its natural beauty, researchers have made a grisly discovery: Seabirds have ingested so much plastic they crunch when touched.
The 'harrowing' finding of plastic in the stomach of birds including chicks less than 3 months old is a stark warning for the health of other species in the marine environment, said ecologist Alex Bond, principal curator at Britain's Natural History Museum.
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8 hours ago
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Doctor mistakenly implants wrong embryo in IVF patient mix-up
One of Australia's top IVF providers mistakenly implanted a patient with her own embryo instead of her partner's. Monash IVF said the incident occurred on June 5 at a clinic in Melbourne but did not provide further details, such as how it learned of the bungle or what the couple planned to do next. The company said it was supporting the couple, who it did not identify. It marks the second fertility clinic mix-up of its kind in the country, heightening concerns about an industry that did not have much active government oversight until recently. The clinic said the patient's embryo was mistakenly implanted under a treatment plan which called for an embryo from the patient's partner to be transferred. The incident builds on a reputational maelstrom for Monash IVF, which was already reeling from an April disclosure that an Australian woman had given birth to a stranger's baby after a fertility doctor accidentally implanted the wrong embryo in Brisbane in 2023. That mix-up sparked concerns about security protocols at IVF clinics and an industry which is only now in the process of being more regulated. Monash claimed the world's first IVF pregnancy five decades ago and is Australia's second-largest IVF provider, carrying out nearly a quarter of the country's 100,000 assisted reproductive cycles a year, according to industry data. "This mix-up, the second reported incident at Monash IVF, risks shaking confidence not just in one provider but across the entire fertility sector," said Hilary Bowman-Smart, a researcher and bioethicist at the University of South Australia. Shares of Monash IVF were down 25 per cent by mid-session on Tuesday, against a rising broader market. The stock is just over half its value before the April announcement. "We had thought the Brisbane clinic embryo transfer error was an isolated incident," Craig Wong-Pan, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said in a client note. "We believe there is now risk of a greater impact of reputational damage and market share losses to MVF's operations." Monash IVF had already hired a lawyer to run an independent investigation after the Brisbane incident, and said on Tuesday it has extended the scope of that investigation. It added that it was installing interim extra verification safeguards to ensure patient confidence. It said it had reported the Melbourne incident to the Victorian Department of Health and industry licensing body, the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee (RTAC), part of industry group the Fertility Society of Australia. Victorian health minister Mary-Anne Thomas said the department was investigating the company and the incident. "Families should have confidence that the treatment they are receiving is done to the highest standard," she said. "It is clear Monash IVF has failed to deliver that, which is completely unacceptable." Fertility Society president Petra Wale said the incident would have had an emotional toll on the family, but stressed mistakes in the sector were rare. The society reiterated a call to implement nationally consistent laws around IVF. Currently, the country's IVF industry is regulated by a combination of industry bodies and state and territory health departments, resulting in a governance and compliance system that some groups say is too complex. Reports of transferring the wrong embryo are rare, according to fertility experts, and Monash's Brisbane mix-up was widely reported as the first known case of its kind.
Yahoo
a day ago
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Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Launches Life Science, BioTech & Pharmaceutical (LBP) Management Liability Policy in Australia
BOSTON & SYDNEY, June 09, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) today announced the introduction of a Management Liability Insurance Policy tailored expressly for Life Science, BioTech and Pharmaceutical (LBP) companies in Australia. "The new LBP Management Liability Policy reflects our commitment to Australia's thriving life sciences community and our deep understanding of the challenges start-ups face at every stage of their journey," said Jessica Jefferies, Underwriting Manager, National Brokers, Executive & Professional Lines, BHSI Australia. "Life Sciences is one of the most promising industries in Australia and we are thrilled to be able to provide an innovative solution to support the industry". BHSI's new LBP Management Liability Insurance Policy is specifically for the R&D ecosystem – all stakeholders in Australia's diverse and energetic life sciences sector. The new product offers enhanced cover tailored for life sciences companies, with coverage not found in standard Management Liability policies. BHSI's solution will extend cover and ensure Directors, Officers, Scientific and Medical Advisory Boards all get the benefit of cover as they develop cutting-edge solutions globally. With an understanding of the funding requirements, the product provides two key elements of protection, extending cover for private capital raisings, and not excluding cover in the event of the Company's insolvency. With many Australian life sciences companies looking abroad for clinical development, BHSI's offering has the ability to extend protection to U.S. exposures, recognising the frequent pursuit of FDA approvals by Australian firms. The new solution expands BHSI's existing Management Liability policy wording for private companies and not-for-profits. BHSI is a leading market for Directors and Officers Liability insurance for ASX-listed life sciences companies in Australia. This launch extends that expertise and forms part of BHSI's strategy to provide tailored support for biotech and pharmaceutical customers from start-up to scale. To learn more, contact Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company (incorporated in Nebraska, USA) ABN 84 600 643 034, AFS Licence No. 466713 ( provides commercial property, casualty, healthcare professional liability, executive and professional lines, transactional liability, surety, marine, travel, programs, accident & health, medical stop loss, homeowners, and multinational insurance. The actual and final terms of coverage for all product lines may vary. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company holds financial strength ratings of A++ from AM Best and AA+ from Standard & Poor's. Based in Boston, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Columbia, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Irvine, Los Angeles, New York, Plymouth Meeting, San Francisco, San Ramon, Seattle, Stevens Point, Adelaide, Auckland, Barcelona, Brisbane, Brussels, Calgary, Cologne, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London, Lyon, Macau, Madrid, Manchester, Melbourne, Milan, Munich, Paris, Perth, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto, and Zurich. View source version on Contacts MEDIA CONTACTJoAnn Lee / +1 617.936.2937
Business Wire
a day ago
- Business Wire
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Launches Life Science, BioTech & Pharmaceutical (LBP) Management Liability Policy in Australia
BOSTON & SYDNEY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) today announced the introduction of a Management Liability Insurance Policy tailored expressly for Life Science, BioTech and Pharmaceutical (LBP) companies in Australia. 'The new LBP Management Liability Policy reflects our commitment to Australia's thriving life sciences community and our deep understanding of the challenges start-ups face at every stage of their journey,' said Jessica Jefferies, Underwriting Manager, National Brokers, Executive & Professional Lines, BHSI Australia. 'Life Sciences is one of the most promising industries in Australia and we are thrilled to be able to provide an innovative solution to support the industry'. BHSI's new LBP Management Liability Insurance Policy is specifically for the R&D ecosystem – all stakeholders in Australia's diverse and energetic life sciences sector. The new product offers enhanced cover tailored for life sciences companies, with coverage not found in standard Management Liability policies. BHSI's solution will extend cover and ensure Directors, Officers, Scientific and Medical Advisory Boards all get the benefit of cover as they develop cutting-edge solutions globally. With an understanding of the funding requirements, the product provides two key elements of protection, extending cover for private capital raisings, and not excluding cover in the event of the Company's insolvency. With many Australian life sciences companies looking abroad for clinical development, BHSI's offering has the ability to extend protection to U.S. exposures, recognising the frequent pursuit of FDA approvals by Australian firms. The new solution expands BHSI's existing Management Liability policy wording for private companies and not-for-profits. BHSI is a leading market for Directors and Officers Liability insurance for ASX-listed life sciences companies in Australia. This launch extends that expertise and forms part of BHSI's strategy to provide tailored support for biotech and pharmaceutical customers from start-up to scale. To learn more, contact Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company (incorporated in Nebraska, USA) ABN 84 600 643 034, AFS Licence No. 466713 ( provides commercial property, casualty, healthcare professional liability, executive and professional lines, transactional liability, surety, marine, travel, programs, accident & health, medical stop loss, homeowners, and multinational insurance. The actual and final terms of coverage for all product lines may vary. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company holds financial strength ratings of A++ from AM Best and AA+ from Standard & Poor's. Based in Boston, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Columbia, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Irvine, Los Angeles, New York, Plymouth Meeting, San Francisco, San Ramon, Seattle, Stevens Point, Adelaide, Auckland, Barcelona, Brisbane, Brussels, Calgary, Cologne, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London, Lyon, Macau, Madrid, Manchester, Melbourne, Milan, Munich, Paris, Perth, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto, and Zurich.
