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3 June 2026 – PNG FAMILY RETURNING HOME AFTER COMPLEX CARE JOURNEY AT THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL AT WESTMEAD

Six-month-old Sawong Kevin from Papua New Guinea is finally heading home after spending the first months of his life at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

Sawong was born joined to his twin brother Tom, with their bodies connected across the chest and abdomen. Their condition was rare and very serious, and the care they needed was not available in Papua New Guinea.

As their condition became more critical, an urgent effort was made to bring the boys to Sydney, where specialist teams could help.

From the moment they arrived, staff at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead supported the twins and their family through an incredibly difficult time. Teams worked together to carefully plan and carry out the complex surgery needed to separate them.

Sadly, Tom did not survive. His condition was very severe, and despite every effort, the surgery could not save him.

Sawong has now spent six months recovering in hospital. Over that time, he has grown stronger each day and is now smiling, playing and reaching important milestones for his age, giving real hope for his future.

Chief Executive of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, Cathryn Cox, said the journey had been both challenging and deeply moving for everyone involved.

“This has been an extraordinary and emotional journey for Sawong and his family.

“Our teams felt privileged to care and support them through such a difficult time. Our thoughts remain with the family as they continue to grieve the loss of Tom, while also preparing to take Sawong home,” said Ms Cox.

Head of Transplant Surgery, Dr Gordon Thomas, is internationally recognised for his experience in complex paediatric surgery and conjoined twin separation. This is his third separation. He said seeing Sawong recover had meant a great deal to the team.

“One of the highlights of our day is visiting him.

“When we see him smiling and playing, it reminds us why this work matters so much.

“To know he now has the chance to grow up and live a full and happy life is incredibly special for everyone involved,” said Dr Thomas.

Medical Director and Co-Head of the Grace Centre for Newborn Intensive Care, Professor Nadia Badawi AM, said Sawong’s journey reflects what can be achieved when people come together to support a child and family in need.

“To see a child who has been through so much, now getting ready to go home is something that stays with you.

“This is about more than survival, it’s about giving children the best possible start in life, no matter where they come from,” said Professor Badawi.

Sawong’s return to Papua New Guinea today marks a significant and hopeful next step for him and his family after many months of care, courage and resilience.

3 June 2026: MSF condemns the airstrike carried out by the Israeli army on the evening of 1 June in the vicinity of Jabal Amel Hospital, which we support, in Sour (Tyre). According to the Ministry of Public Health, the attack has so far resulted in four deaths and 127 injuries, including 39 hospital staff. Among the injured staff, four are in critical condition and remain under treatment in intensive care. Bodies are still being recovered from the rubble, and the total number of dead and injured could still rise.  

The strike caused severe damage to Jabal Amel Hospital itself, including its inpatient department, radiology department and intensive care unit. One wall of an operating room has been severely damaged, leaving a large hole, and the medical team had to urgently transfer half of the remaining patients in the intensive care unit to another ward to ensure their safety.  

The previous day, nearby Hiram Hospital – another MSF-supported facility – was also struck by an Israeli airstrike and according to the Lebanese Health Ministry 13 healthcare workers were injured. These incidents come amid a sharp escalation of violence in the last days, with Beirut’s southern suburbs once again placed under Israeli displacement orders on Monday, following a blanket displacement order issued on Sunday for the entire South up to the Zahrani River.  

“These repeated attacks reflect a grave failure to protect the medical mission and underscore the urgent need to safeguard civilians, medical staff, health facilities, and continuous access to life-saving care,” said Omar Ebeid, MSF Project Coordinator in Southern Lebanon.

MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation.  MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. Every year more than 120 Australians and New Zealanders go on assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières  working as: doctors, midwives, psychologists, laboratory technicians, human resource/finance coordinators, pharmacists, mental health specialists and logisticians. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

Australian farmers are increasingly turning to new practices and innovation as they respond to rising costs, volatile weather and global uncertainty, according to a national survey by Harvard University and CommBank.

3 June 2026 – Key points:

• Rising input costs and extreme weather are farmers’ main immediate and long-term concerns, contributing to cautious profit expectations over the next five years. 
• Productivity and cost management are the primary drivers of changing farming practices, as farmers seek to strengthen long-term business resilience.
• Around two-thirds of farmers who have adopted, or plan to adopt, new practices expect those changes to deliver a positive return on investment.
• Almost half of farmers who have not adopted new practices cite complexity and insufficient support as major barriers, alongside paperwork, uncertainty around returns, and access to finance. 
• Adoption or intent to adopt new approaches sits between 40 and 50 per cent, with strong uptake already evident in livestock systems and a significant pipeline of future adoption in cropping.

Changing farming practices and introducing more innovation will help lift productivity and reduce pressure from rising costs, volatile weather conditions and global uncertainty, Australian farmers say.

Research conducted by Harvard University and the Commonwealth Bank reveals that farmers are increasingly turning to new land and business practices as they seek to improve the long-term financial resilience of their farms.

Commercial returns and profitability are seen as stronger drivers for change than regulatory requirements or consumer pressure; however, farmers are still being held back by complexity, lack of time, paperwork and access to finance, all of which are slowing the pace of adopting innovation.

These challenges sit alongside a backdrop of persistent cost pressures, weather volatility and heightened geopolitical risks. Rising input costs were the most cited immediate concern, with 47 per cent of farmers listing it as their biggest worry, followed by extreme weather and natural disasters at 41 per cent.

Profit expectations remain cautious. Around half of farmers expect profitability to remain stable over the next five years, while around one in four expect profits to fall, outnumbering those who expect an increase.

The findings have emerged from the inaugural Farms in Focus survey, developed by Harvard University in collaboration with CommBank and supported by the National Farmers’ Federation and the Australian Farm Institute. The study engaged farmers across all states and territories to understand the challenges facing Australian agriculture and how farmers are responding.

“Australian farmers are facing major challenges associated with input costs, energy prices, access to export markets, and growing risks from climate change and extreme weather,” said Harvard research leader, Professor Michael Hiscox.

“What stands out is how strongly farmers are responding by adopting new approaches and technologies – some of which can also deliver environmental benefits. Rates of adoption are already quite high, and many farmers are planning to do more over the next couple of years. They are making deliberate, commercial decisions to protect productivity and manage risk.”

Adoption already strong, with more to come

In a strong counterpoint to the pressures they are currently facing, farmers are increasingly open to change, especially in the areas of crop and livestock management, land management, energy and water use.

Almost half of graziers surveyed (46 per cent) have fully or partially adopted rotational grazing, with a further 47 per cent planning to adopt it. Further, 43 per cent of the surveyed croppers have made a start on using variable rate spraying, and 31 per cent are incorporating biofertilisers at some level.

Smaller farms are often leading in adoption, with higher implementation of rotational grazing (47 per cent) and renewable energy (48 per cent).

Nonetheless, the findings reflect an increasingly complex environment that farmers are navigating, said CommBank Executive General Manager for Regional and Agribusiness Banking Kylie Allen.

“The margin for contingency has narrowed considerably for many farmers,” Allen said. “We’ve seen ongoing conflict in the Middle East significantly impact diesel and fertiliser costs, compounding pressure on input prices at a time when cash flows are already tight.”

While intent is strong, the research highlights barriers standing between plans and implementation. Nearly half (49 per cent) of farmers cited administrative complexity as a major challenge, pointing to opportunities for simpler processes and paperwork.

Additionally, 43 per cent cited obtaining financing for the transition as a barrier alongside access to expertise.

More than 30 per cent of the farmers said they needed clearer information on which practices to adopt and the returns they could expect.

“Farmers are already thinking carefully about how to improve resilience and productivity, but many are operating with limited cash flow buffers and rising costs,” Allen said.

“Research like this helps the sector better understand where farmers are feeling the strain, how they are responding, and where targeted support – particularly around finance and extension – can make the biggest difference.

“Despite the current challenges, the results clearly show practice change is now a business decision, with many of these innovations having positive environmental co-benefits. Farmers need added support for tailored implementation and clearer line-of-sight on business returns – including more insights, trusted advice, and more flexible funding. Building that confidence is critical to helping accelerate adoption across the sector.”

About the report

More than 500 farmers engaged in the survey, with 348 providing complete responses used in the analysis. The survey was conducted between 16 November 2025 and 16 March 2026, and included farmers engaged in all types of farming, across all Australian states and territories. The research was led by Harvard University, in collaboration with Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the National Farmers’ Federation and the Australian Farm Institute.

Report Review 2025: Two-thirds of companies had not yet adequately prepared for the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), even though the first CRA requirements will take effect in September 2026

Düsseldorf, June 2, 2026 — The Düsseldorf-based cybersecurity company ONEKEY has reported strong demand for its latest “IoT & OT Cybersecurity Report 2025.” The report examines how well manufacturers of digital devices, machines, and systems are prepared for the EU's Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). The CRA is the first EU regulation requiring manufacturers to comply with binding cybersecurity requirements throughout the entire product lifecycle and to systematically manage vulnerabilities.

A key finding of the IoT & OT Cybersecurity Report 2025 is that approximately two-thirds of companies are not yet adequately prepared for the CRA — despite the first provisions of the EU regulation for connected products taking effect later this year. It is estimated that hundreds of millions, potentially even billions, of digital products within the EU will be affected. The report is available to download here.

“The consistently high demand shows just how urgent this issue has become for affected manufacturers,” said Jan Wendenburg, CEO of ONEKEY.

ONEKEY Strengthens Cyber Resilience: IoT & OT Cybersecurity Report 2026 and CRA Fast Start

To continue monitoring the current state of cybersecurity readiness, ONEKEY has launched a new survey focused on the Cyber Resilience Act. Companies in the target group, namely manufacturers of internet-connected digital products, can request the survey link by emailing info@onekey.com with “CRA Survey” in the subject line. Participants will receive early access to the latest findings.

In addition, ONEKEY now offers affected manufacturers a program called CRA Fast Start, designed to help companies review their products for Cyber Resilience Act compliance in a structured and efficient manner without lengthy preparation phases.

The package includes a CRA Readiness Assessment, as well as platform features for SBOM generation, vulnerability management, and firmware monitoring. This package helps companies efficiently implement CRA requirements and establish a sustainable compliance strategy.

First, ONEKEY analyzes a company's current level of maturity regarding CRA requirements and identifies existing compliance gaps. An introductory workshop highlights the impact of the new regulation on the product portfolio. As part of a comprehensive review of existing processes, key areas such as software development and vulnerability management are evaluated. A gap analysis then identifies existing compliance gaps and highlights areas requiring action. Based on these findings, ONEKEY develops a practical roadmap to help companies efficiently and systematically implement CRA requirements.

The ONEKEY Product Cybersecurity & Compliance Platform enables organizations to continuously identify and monitor vulnerabilities and ensures ongoing transparency in the software supply chain through SBOM generation and vulnerability management. New vulnerabilities, affected libraries, and potential risks are identified and documented continuously. These features provide companies with ongoing transparency regarding the security status of their digital products and lay the foundation for long-term, sustainable compliance with CRA requirements.

Initial CRA Obligations Take Effect September 11, 2026

Starting September 11, 2026, the EU Cyber Resilience Act will require manufacturers to report actively exploited vulnerabilities and significant security incidents within strict timeframes while also meeting initial compliance obligations. By 2027, the full requirements will become mandatory, including comprehensive security and documentation obligations throughout the entire product lifecycle. Once the transition periods have expired, networked devices, machines, and systems may only be placed on the market if manufacturers can demonstrate continuous vulnerability management, documented security processes, and ongoing monitoring of their software and firmware components throughout the entire product lifecycle.

Companies that violate the Cyber Resilience Act risk fines of up to 15 million euros or 2.5 percent of their global annual turnover.

ONEKEY is the leading European specialist in Product Cybersecurity & Compliance Management and part of the investment portfolio of PricewaterhouseCoopers Germany (PwC). The unique combination of the automated ONEKEY Product Cybersecurity & Compliance Platform (OCP) with expert knowledge and consulting services provides fast and comprehensive analysis, support, and management to improve product cybersecurity and compliance from product purchasing, design, development, production to end-of-life.

Critical vulnerabilities and compliance violations in device firmware are automatically identified in binary code by AI-based technology in minutes – without source code, device, or network access. Proactively audit software supply chains with integrated Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) generation. “Digital Cyber Twins” enable automated 24/7 post-release cybersecurity monitoring throughout the product lifecycle.

The patent-pending, integrated ONEKEY Compliance Wizard already covers the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and requirements according to IEC 62443-4-2, ETSI EN 303 645, UNECE R 155 and many others.

The Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT) is effectively supported by the integrated automatic prioritisation of vulnerabilities, significantly reducing the time to remediation.

Leading international companies in Asia, Europe and the Americas already benefit from the ONEKEY Product Cybersecurity & Compliance Platform (OCP) and ONEKEY Cybersecurity Experts.

The BAG Klöch team together with Lennart Stecher and Manuel Hüther from ARJES
(PresseBox) (Krayenberggemeinde, 02.06.2026) Since the beginning of the year, BAG Klöch has been responsible for the sales and service of the entire ARJES GmbH product portfolio in Austria, bringing not only extensive industry experience but also a high level of technical expertise in processing and recycling technology.

Singapore, 2 June 2026 – Researchers from the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NIE NTU, Singapore) and Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) – Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) research enterprise in Singapore – in collaboration with clinicians from the National University Hospital (NUH) and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), have developed a novel fluorescent nanosensor capable of rapidly detecting indole-3-propionic acid (IPA), an emerging biomarker linked to gut health and disease.

IPA is a metabolite produced by gut bacteria during the breakdown of dietary tryptophan, an amino acid essential for protein synthesis. It plays an important role in regulating inflammation and oxidative stress, and has been associated with conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), type 2 diabetes, and liver disease. However, current detection methods rely on traditional mass spectrometry-based analytical techniques, which are costly and time-consuming, making it impractical for routine screening or point-of-care use.

Schematic of the fluorescent nanosensor platform showing rapid detection of indole-3-propionic acid (IPA) and differentiation between healthy and diseased samples. (Photo: NIE/NTU)

First Real-Time Sensor for an Indole-based Metabolite Gut Biomarker
The newly developed platform, the first reported optical nanosensor specifically designed to detect IPA, addresses a long-standing gap in gut metabolite sensing. Using a fluorescence-based approach, the sensor produces a rapid optical readout within minutes, offering a significantly faster and more accessible alternative to conventional analytical techniques. It demonstrates high selectivity, distinguishing IPA from closely related metabolites commonly found in the gut, which enables accurate detection even in complex biological environments such as blood serum.

“This is the first time we are able to directly and rapidly measure IPA levels in biological samples using an optical nanosensor,” said Assistant Professor Mervin Ang, NIE, and co-first author, who was also Associate Scientific Director at SMART DiSTAP when the research was initiated. “This novel approach, which moves away from traditional mass spectrometry, can pave the way towards faster and more accessible ways of monitoring gut health in real-world settings.”

This latest breakthrough is described in the research team’s paper, Fluorescent Nanosensor for Indole-3-Propionic Acid Detection in Gut Health Monitoring, published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials. The new nanosensor builds on SMART’s Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) interdisciplinary research group’s (IRG) research into nano and optical sensor technologies. Originally developed to monitor plant health – including plant growth signals and stress responses –  the technology has now been adapted for human health applications by redesigning the nano- and optical-sensing platform to detect IPA.

“This work builds on technology at SMART DiSTAP on molecular recognition. We have used techniques like this to measure hormones and metabolites in living plants for agriculture, and have now applied it to the human gastrointestinal system. We were able to apply it to this long-standing challenge in gut health,” said Professor Michael Strano, SMART DiSTAP Lead Principal Investigator, Carbon P. Dubbs Professor of Chemical Engineering at MIT, and corresponding author. “By focusing our molecular recognition on this important gut health biomarker, we’ve demonstrated a powerful new tool that could one day enable proactive, personalised healthcare. The tool promises near-instant insights into gut wellness or the status of chronic diseases like IBD.”

A Dual-Mode Platform for Rapid Testing and Future Monitoring
A key innovation of the technology is its dual-mode sensing capability. The nanosensor operates in both:

a visible fluorescence mode, enabling rapid, low-cost, high-throughput screening of biological samples; and
a near-infrared mode, with wavelengths that can penetrate deeper into tissues. The near-infrared capability allows the technology to be adapted for in vivo applications and integration into wearable devices that could be used for home-based testing or continuous monitoring. This could, for example, help patients with chronic conditions like IBD detect flare-ups earlier and manage their health with greater autonomy.

This flexibility allows the platform to be utilised in various environments, from laboratory tests to hospital bedside use, and wearable devices for real-time health monitoring.

Validated in Patient Samples
To evaluate its clinical relevance, the research team partnered with NUH clinicians to test the nanosensor on 125 human plasma samples across multiple patient groups, including healthy individuals and those with gastrointestinal diseases.

The study revealed significant differences in IPA levels between healthy individuals and patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Patients with active gut inflammation showed lower IPA levels — consistent with established clinical findings.

“From a clinical perspective, having a rapid and minimally complex way to assess metabolite levels like IPA could be very valuable,” said Adjunct Associate Professor Jonathan Lee, Senior Consultant, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, NUH and NUS Medicine, and co-first author. “It has the potential to complement existing diagnostic tools and provide additional insights into patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.”

Assistant Professor Mervin Ang conducting sensor measurements using the fluorescence spectrometer. (Photo: NIE/NTU)

Faster, More Accessible Gut Health Testing
Beyond the laboratory, this research could pave the way for faster and more accessible gut health testing. Instead of relying on complex and time-intensive laboratory methods, the new nanosensor could enable rapid screening in clinics, or even portable or home-based testing, helping to detect gut diseases earlier and monitor treatment progress more easily.

Unlike conventional microbiome tests that focus on identifying which bacteria are present, this nanosensor measures what those microbes are actively producing, offering a more direct and functional snapshot of gut health. Directly measuring metabolite output, rather than bacterial composition alone, could provide more meaningful insights into overall health and support more personalised approaches to healthcare.
Beyond clinical diagnostics, the technology can be used to track the immediate efficacy of dietary interventions. Users can see rapidly if specific foods or probiotics are successfully fueling their gut bacteria to produce anti-inflammatory molecules like IPA. The sensor also demonstrated reliable performance in complex biological fluids such as serum and plasma, an important step toward real-world clinical deployment and further translational applications.

For pharmaceutical and therapeutic research, the nanosensor could be used to conduct rapid functional tests to determine the efficacy of new therapeutics or probiotics. By providing an instant readout of IPA levels, the platform could enable them to demonstrate in real-time that their therapeutics are biologically active and effective, significantly accelerating drug screening and dosage optimisation processes.

Towards Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Beyond
“The transition from laboratory discovery to a point-of-care clinical tool is already underway,” said Assistant Professor Ang. With further development, the platform has the potential to be translated into clinical applications, and in the long term, adapted into portable platforms for routine health monitoring.”

Looking ahead, the research team has been awarded an Innovation to Startup (I2Start) Innovation Grant to incubate a Singapore proto-startup to advance validation and development. The focus would be to translate the sensor into a point-of-care clinical diagnostic tool, and aim to expand the platform to detect multiple gut metabolites simultaneously and AI-driven signal deconvolution, enabling more accurate, comprehensive and personalised gut health monitoring. Future developments may also explore integration into wearable devices, microneedle systems, or microfluidic platforms for continuous, real-time sensing.

The research was supported by the Intra-CREATE Seed Collaboration Grant, and research conducted at SMART was supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) programme.

2 June 2026 – Food waste is a nagging problem that weighs heavily on global food growing, production, distribution and sales industries – but an emerging generation of AI sensors is providing a raft of fresh solutions.

The embrace of AI in food industries has been swift, which is why Flinders University researchers have worked with an international research team to build the first comprehensive overview of AI technologies involved in the food industry.

“Many examples of AI-integrated sensors are being used in the food industry for product safety, quality maintenance and optimised production efficiency,” explains Flinders University ARC Future Fellow Associate Professor Vi-Khanh Truong.

“The review highlights the strong potential of AI-integrated sensing systems to reduce energy consumption, fuel usage and food waste across the supply chain.”

As an example, AI-assisted precision drying systems can identify optimal processing conditions in real time, significantly reducing excess energy consumption during food dehydration processes. Similarly, smart spoilage prediction systems can prevent premature disposal of food products, reducing both economic losses and greenhouse gas emissions associated with food waste.

“The global food supply chain faces an escalating need for monitoring systems that are not only accurate but also rapid, non-destructive and scalable. This is because traditional laboratory methods for assessing food quality and safety, such as gas chromatography, microbial plating and sensory panels, are often destructive, time-consuming, create bottlenecks that hinder real-time quality control, and require specialised personnel.”

The researchers identified a broad range of intelligent sensing systems being integrated into the food industry, including AI-enabled optical sensors, hyperspectral imaging systems, electronic noses (e-noses), electronic tongues (e-tongues), Raman spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, microwave sensing platforms, IoT-integrated low-power sensors, graphene chemo-sensors, plasmonic sensors, and ML-assisted multisensory arrays.

“By enabling real-time monitoring and predictive analysis, these intelligent systems can optimise food processing conditions, reduce unnecessary transportation and storage losses, minimise refrigeration energy demand, and improve logistics efficiency,” says Associate Professor Truong.

The review covered major AI frameworks. Notable examples highlighted in the review include Raman spectroscopy combined with SVM achieving up to 99.6% accuracy for detecting milk adulteration, FT-IR spectroscopy integrated with AI models achieving 100% classification accuracy for edible oil authentication, and hyperspectral imaging with CNN models enabling early disease detection in peppers before visible symptoms appear.

“Collectively, these technologies support a more sustainable and resource-efficient food industry by reducing waste generation, lowering fuel and electricity consumption, and improving overall supply-chain sustainability.”

The review also discussed AI-assisted electronic nose systems capable of identifying coffee bean geographical origin with 97.5% accuracy, and machine-learning assisted spoilage prediction systems for meat, fish, fruits and dairy products.

Oversubscribed Fund More than Doubles Capital Raised for Predecessor Vehicle

NEW YORK – Blackstone (NYSE: BX) today announced the final close of Blackstone Capital Partners Asia III (“BCP Asia III”) at $13.1 billion, exceeding its $10 billion target and marking the firm's largest private equity fundraise in the region. The oversubscribed fund reached its hard cap and builds on the strong performance of the strategy's first two vintages, with this close representing more than double the amount of capital raised for its predecessor vehicle.

Joe Baratta, Global Head of Blackstone Private Equity Strategies,said: “We are grateful for the continued trust of our investors in Blackstone and our leading Asia Private Equity franchise. This successful fundraise reflects the strength of our platform and our ability to perform through cycles. Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region in the world, presenting compelling opportunities to invest at scale behind our high-conviction themes and deliver for our investors.”

Amit Dixit, Head of Asia for Blackstone Private Equity, said: “For two decades, we have focused on building businesses into market leaders and driving performance for our investors. We believe our differentiation lies in our scale, supported by homegrown teams across the region's major markets; strong performance; and our control-oriented strategy that enables us to have a hands-on, proactive approach to supporting business transformations. We thank our investors for their support and partnership.”

Blackstone has been one of the most active global investors in the region over the last 24 months, reinforcing its leadership in India and Japan. The firm invested over $7 billion of capital across 12 transactions, which include:

Neysa, a fast-growing Indian AI cloud platform
TechnoPro, Japan's leading specialized engineering services provider
JUNO, South Korea's top hair salon franchise

In addition, the firm has had 15 exits with realizations over the same period, including:

• Listing of International Gemological Institute, the largest lab grown diamonds certification player
• Listing of Aadhar Housing Finance, India's largest affordable housing finance business
• Exit from Alinamin Pharmaceutical after helping build the business into one of Japan's leading consumer healthcare businesses.

About Blackstone
Blackstone is the world's largest alternative asset manager. Blackstone seeks to deliver compelling returns for institutional and individual investors by strengthening the companies in which the firm invests. Blackstone's over $1.3 trillion in assets under management include global investment strategies focused on real estate, private equity, credit, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, secondaries and hedge funds. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com.

A new analysis of global wildfire activity in 2025 reveals the world experienced some of the most destructive and deadly fire events in recent history, despite the second lowest area burned since 2002.

It highlights a continued trend toward fires becoming increasingly extreme, costly, and disastrous – both economically and in lives lost.

Led by the University of East Anglia (UEA), an international team of scientists has summarised the wildfire events of 2025 for the Year in Review article, published today as part of the Climate Chronicles series in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment.

They found 335 million hectares burned globally in 2025 – 16 per cent below the long-term average – while total fire-related carbon emissions fell to 11 billion tonnes of CO₂, the third lowest year since 2002.

However, a series of “catastrophic” wildfires across Canada, the United States, Europe and South Korea resulted in over 300,000 evacuations and over 90 fatalities, underscoring the rising societal toll of extreme wildfire events.

Financially, 2025 became the costliest year on record for insured wildfire losses globally, with the fires accounting for 38 per cent of all insured natural hazard losses.

The LA fires alone were the fifth most costly natural disaster in history in terms of insured losses, at 40 billion USD, and 140 billion USD in total losses.

Dr Matthew Jones, of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at UEA, said: “2025 shows that a ‘quiet’ fire year globally can still be devastating. We are seeing a growing disconnect between total area burned and real-world impacts, with risk increasingly determined by fire location, intensity and exposure.

“The wildfires of 2025 demonstrate that without decisive action, societies will continue to face escalating human, economic and environmental risks in an era of more extreme fires.”

The analysis also involved scientists the University of California, Merced, the Met Office Hadley Centre, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (Portugal), the Canadian Forest Service, Imperial College London and Kasetsart University (Thailand).

The authors say their findings reinforce the urgent need for rapid reductions in fossil fuel emissions to limit further climate warming, and far stronger adaptation, including proactive vegetation management. Also, resilient infrastructure and evacuation planning suited to a world of increasingly fire-prone landscapes and fast-moving fires.

A new era of wildfire risk

They also suggest the 2025 wildfire season reflects a global shift: as savannah fires decline, extreme and destructive wildfires are increasingly emerging in temperate and high-latitude regions, where fuel-rich forests can burn with unprecedented intensity and climate-driven drought and heatwaves amplify fire weather.

Population growth at the wildland-urban boundary also increases exposure, while firefighting resources are strained as multiple regions face simultaneous emergencies.

Another extreme fire season in North America

The team found that while global emissions declined, Canada’s boreal forests continued to break records, entering a third consecutive year of extreme fire activity.

Between 2023 and 2025, Canadian wildfires released more CO₂ than during the entire preceding 15-year period, driven by persistent burning in carbon-rich forest ecosystems – in 2025, unusually high emissions were centred on the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.

These ecosystems, historically adapted to infrequent fires, are now experiencing unprecedented fire recurrence, raising concerns about long-term carbon loss, ecosystem degradation, and weakened forest recovery.

In January 2025, the Palisades and Eaton fires became the most destructive wildfire event in US history. Fuelled by large stocks of critically dry vegetation and extreme winds, the fires killed 31 people, destroyed nearly 12,000 homes and forced over 150,000 evacuations. They also produced hazardous air pollution affecting 10 million residents.

“Deadly human-caused wildfires in California, Europe, and South Korea in the same year as the extensive consumption of carbon stocks in Canada from lightning-caused fires highlights how rapidly climate change is producing conditions for extreme wildfires to thrive across a range of biomes and seasons,” said Prof Crystal Kolden, of University of California, Merced.

“The co-occurrence of multiple devastating fires is particularly problematic, hampering resource sharing between countries and putting more civilians at risk. Unfortunately, future fire projections show these types of outbreaks will only increase.”

Widespread evacuations in Europe and South Korea

Severe drought and repeated heat extremes drove major wildfire outbreaks across the Mediterranean, leading to 28 confirmed deaths, over 120,000 evacuations, and simultaneous emergency resource requests from six European nations.

Spain experienced its largest burned area since 2002, with more than 350,000 hectares affected by August and eight fatalities. In Portugal, thousands of firefighters battled large fast-moving fires, including the largest wildfire in national history.

Across Greece, Türkiye, and Cyprus, prolonged heatwaves enabled destructive fires that displaced tens of thousands, while France endured its largest fire since 1949.

The UK recorded its highest burned area on record, including its first documented ‘megafire’ in Scotland exceeding 10,000 hectares.

Dr Theodore Keeping, of World Weather Attribution at Imperial College London, said: “Studies clearly show that the hot-dry-windy weather conditions which drove devastating wildfires across Southern Europe have been made much more likely due to human-caused climate change.

“Whilst identifying trends in wildfires on the continent are complicated by shifts in land-use, it's clear that fast spreading, intense wildfire events are becoming more likely as weather extremes increase.”

South Korea experienced its deadliest and largest wildfire outbreak, with 32 deaths, over 37,000 displaced residents and more than 100,000 hectares burned. Extreme winds and unusually high temperatures enabled the fires to spread rapidly through mountainous wildland–urban boundary areas, resulting in significant loss of life and infrastructure.

‘Wildfires in 2025’, Matthew W Jones, John T Abatzoglou, Chantelle Burton, Paulo M Fernandes, Piyush Jain, Theodore Keeping, Veerachai Tanpipat and Crystal A Kolden, is published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment on TBC.

The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a UK Top 25 university for research quality (Times Higher Education Rankings 2026) and UK 26th in the Complete University Guide. It also ranks in the World Top 60 (QS World Rankings for Sustainability 2025) and the World Top 20 for reduced inequalities and World Top 200 (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025). Known for its world-leading research and good student experience, its 360-acre campus has won nine Green Flag awards in a row for its high environmental standards. The University is a leading member of Norwich Research Park, one of Europe’s biggest concentrations of researchers in the fields of environment, health and plant science. www.uea.ac.uk.

NOTES:

/ A copy of the paper is available via the following Dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/xa2i4o4h0n0fmanx8iv8j/ADANqpwZb0Py0jZqdwzYjJQ?rlkey=f3imuj9989eexi06ls1eqrk2e&st=ipa9nu3s&dl=0

/ The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a UK Top 25 university for research quality (Times Higher Education Rankings 2026) and UK 26th in the Complete University Guide. It also ranks in the World Top 60 (QS World Rankings for Sustainability 2025) and the World Top 20 for reduced inequalities and World Top 200 (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025). Known for its world-leading research and good student experience, its 360-acre campus has won nine Green Flag awards in a row for its high environmental standards. The University is a leading member of Norwich Research Park, one of Europe’s biggest concentrations of researchers in the fields of environment, health and plant science. www.uea.ac.uk.  

The National Winner and Runner-up of the 2026 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award will be announced at a Gala Dinner at the Great Hall, Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday, 8 September 2026.

Celebrating the ingenuity and leadership of women shaping rural and regional Australia, the black-tie celebration will bring together alumni, government officials, industry leaders and supporters from across the country for a night of inspiration, genuine connection and regional storytelling.
 
The event is now open to the public to purchase tickets here: https://agrifutures.com.au/events/rural-womens-award-gala-dinner-and-national-announcement-26-2/
 
Delivered with the support of platinum sponsor, Westpac the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award showcases the critical role women play in rural, regional and remote businesses, industries and communities.
 
The annual Gala Dinner is a celebration of forward-thinking, courageous leaders from industries spanning some of Australia's most remote regions. This year’s national finalist are Angie Nisbet (QLD), Kristie Ivone (NSW/ACT), Becky Dickinson (VIC), Amy Vickers (TAS), Narelle Zanker (SA), Angela Teale (WA) and Kelly Shotton (NT).
 
2025 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award national winner Carol Mudford will MC the evening. A NSW shearer, registered nurse and mental health advocate, Carol founded sHedway, a national not-for-profit tackling suicide prevention in the shearing industry.

AgriFutures Managing Director, Brianna Casey AM said the Award continues to grow in influence and impact with every passing year.

“These are women who don't just contribute to their communities, they transform them. The Gala Dinner is our chance to honour the newest cohort of changemakers and celebrate the leadership that continues to shape the future of rural and regional Australia,” she said.

Background Information
 
Now celebrating its 26th year, the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award has become a nationally recognised platform of influence across parliament, industry, media and its extensive alumni network.
 
Each state and territory winner receives a $15,000 grant for their project, business or program, access to professional development opportunities and alumni networks.
 
The National Winner and Runner-up will receive an additional grant of $20,000 and $15,000, respectively, thanks to the Award’s platinum sponsor, Westpac.
 
AgriFutures Australia is committed to the future growth and advancement of the Award as a means of identifying, celebrating and empowering women. The Rural Women’s Award is one of many AgriFutures Australia initiatives ensuring our rural industries prosper now, and into the future.
 
For more information about the Award, head to www.agrifutures.com.au/rwa

Ticket Information
Tickets can be purchased here: https://agrifutures.com.au/events/rural-womens-award-gala-dinner-and-national-announcement-26-2/
 
Ticket TypePrice
General Public – Early Bird$220
General Public$260
Table Ticket (9 pax) – Early Bird$1,760
Table Ticket (9 pax)$2,080
Rural Women’s Award Alumni$180

 
About AgriFutures Australia
AgriFutures Australia is the trading name for the Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation (RIRDC), a statutory authority of the Federal Government established by the Primary Industries Research and Development Act 1989.
 
AgriFutures invests in research, innovation and leadership to grow the long-term prosperity of Australian agriculture. We support 13 levied industries driving growth through targeted research, development and extension that strengthens industry productivity, sustainability and competitiveness.
 
AgriFutures also delivers national programs that address industry-wide challenges and opportunities, connects global agrifood innovation networks, and builds leadership across the agricultural sector.
 
Research investments made or managed by AgriFutures Australia, and publications and communication materials pertaining to those investments, are funded by industry levy payers and/or the Federal Government.