Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports. SEL9
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Tornado Watch Number 99 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 315 PM CDT Wed Apr 2 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Central and Eastern Illinois Western and Central Indiana
* Effective this Wednesday afternoon and evening from 315 PM until 1000 PM CDT.
* Primary threats include… Several tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible Widespread damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts to 80 mph possible Scattered large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible
SUMMARY…Severe storms are expected to develop and increase initially across central/northeast Illinois late this afternoon, and steadily progress east-northeastward into eastern Illinois and much of western/central/northern Indiana by evening.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 90 statute miles north and south of a line from 30 miles west northwest of Decatur IL to 45 miles north northeast of Indianapolis IN. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU9).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 97…WW 98…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 23035.
…Guyer
SEL9
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Tornado Watch Number 99 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 315 PM CDT Wed Apr 2 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Central and Eastern Illinois Western and Central Indiana
* Effective this Wednesday afternoon and evening from 315 PM until 1000 PM CDT.
* Primary threats include… Several tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes possible Widespread damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts to 80 mph possible Scattered large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible
SUMMARY…Severe storms are expected to develop and increase initially across central/northeast Illinois late this afternoon, and steadily progress east-northeastward into eastern Illinois and much of western/central/northern Indiana by evening.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 90 statute miles north and south of a line from 30 miles west northwest of Decatur IL to 45 miles north northeast of Indianapolis IN. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU9).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 97…WW 98…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector 23035.
…Guyer
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas. SAW9 WW 99 TORNADO IL IN 022015Z – 030300Z AXIS..90 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE.. 30WNW DEC/DECATUR IL/ – 45NNE IND/INDIANAPOLIS IN/ ..AVIATION COORDS.. 80NM N/S /29WNW AXC – 36NNE IND/ HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..70 KNOTS. MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23035.
LAT…LON 41308939 41628595 39028595 38688939
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS FOR WOU9.
Watch 99 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
High (80%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
Mod (50%)
Wind
Probability of 10 or more severe wind events
High (90%)
Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots
Mod (50%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
Mod (50%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
Low (20%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (>95%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)
ICYMI: Senator Mullin Joins The Will Cain Podcast to Discuss ‘Liberation Day’
Washington, D.C. –Today, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined Fox News’ Will Cain on The Will Cain Podcast to discuss a wide range of topics including President Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, threats from China, Secretary Hegseth’s standards update for members of the military, and rogue district judges. Highlights below.
Sen. Mullin’s full interview can be found here.
On ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs:
“President Trump did something similar to this his first term in office, and we saw bring home wages raise for the first time in decades, at a higher rate than what we used to past inflation. We saw inflation drop 1.4%. So, we’ve been there, the President’s done that, he’s able to do it. Then we saw everything turn with the four years of Biden administration, we’ve got to reset.”
“We’re not looking at today’s game. President Trump is a business person. He doesn’t look at the next election, he looks 10 years down the road, that’s why he’s extremely successful in business. We’re building a future for the next generation. We’re building an economy that the next generation can actually manufacture stuff.”
“We have lost manufacturing here, which puts us at an extreme disadvantage, God forbid, if we were to go to war. We’re not making metal equipment here anymore. We’re not making machines here anymore for any machine manufacturing out there. We’re not making medical supplies here anymore. Most of our vehicles are assembled here, but the parts are not made here anymore. We couldn’t stand up the industrial war machine like we did in World War II if we went to war, because it would take decades… So that’s the national security risk.”
On reciprocal tariffs:
“Japan, has 0% tariffs on American made vehicles going into Japan, but you cannot go there and buy an American vehicle, because their rules to the access of their economy through their government makes it impossible for a dealership to actually be set up that can sell American made vehicles.”
“So, it’s not just tariffs, it’s access to the economy. If we put American made products against other countries, we will win every single time. The countries that want to do business with us, though, they need us more than we need them because they want access to the world’s strongest and greatest economy, and that’s the United States.”
“We have allowed people to take advantage of us and President Trump is the first president in our lifetime to actually say, “Wait, it’s time to right the wrong.” So will there be some volatility for the first few months, maybe, but long-term gain is going to be great for America.”
On threats from China:
“We have an infrastructure that China can’t compete with. We can move product from point A to point B faster and more efficiently than China can.”
“China decided to start diversifying themselves with the Belt and Road Initiative to try to limit their exposure to the United States economy. We did nothing about it.”
“[President Trump] understands what they’re doing, and he’s trying to fix that now, because there may not be another president in our lifetime that has… the guts to do it.”
On Secretary Hegseth’s update to physical standards for members of the military:
“I’m fortunate to have a very good friend of mine. I won’t say her name here, but she actually went through selection, and she was a world class athlete. She is very strong, very outspoken about this, and she says, if we want to serve alongside males, then there’s 100% we should have to meet the same requirements. And any true female that wants to compete on that playing ground will tell you it’s an embarrassment to actually lower the standard for me to be able to qualify for the same position.”
“And so, I think most females that are that competitive, that are wanting to charge ahead, I think Secretary Hegseth is doing exactly what they want to do. Don’t lower the standard. Don’t insult me by lowering the standard of qualification. I want to meet the exact same qualifications as my counterpart, that’s a male, because I want to be held at that same standard.”
On rogue district judges obstructing President Trump’s agenda:
“First of all, I don’t think a district court judge should have the authority to put an injunction nationwide, against the president United States. I don’t think that’s what a district court was designed. They are designed to look after their own district.”
“And if you break the law, and being a gang member is breaking the law by the way, if you break the law, you can be sent back. That’s part of immigration. If you’re here on a student visa, you can be sent back if you’re openly supporting a terrorist organization. The President of the United States has openly said they are designated as a terrorist organization.”
LONDON, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Appian Capital Advisory LLP (“Appian”), the investment advisor to long-term value-focused private capital funds that invest in companies in metals, mining, and adjacent industries, is pleased to announce the completion of the sale of Mineração Vale Verde (“MVV”) to Baiyin Nonferrous Group Co., Ltd (“Baiyin Nonferrous”) for an all-cash offer of US$420 million.
Highlights
Funds advised by Appian have completed an all-cash transaction for the 100% sale of MVV to Baiyin Nonferrous for US$420 million
Appian has executed its investment thesis and realized significant value for its investors by bringing MVV into production and delivering an attractive mid-scale copper-gold open pit mining operation from greenfield
Acquired in 2018 with ten employees, MVV began production in May 2021, just three years after its initial investment
MVV’s stable operations and strong financial performance have been achieved alongside a leading safety track record with zero Lost Time Incidents (“LTI”) in the last three years, with over 1050 people now working on-site
MVV will continue to deliver copper over multiple decades with its efficient operations that position the mine in the middle of the industry cost curve
Appian’s funds remain well positioned with positive exposure to key trends, including the energy transition
The transaction marks Appian’s 13th successful exit and demonstrates the effectiveness of Appian’s operating model in identifying, acquiring, and optimizing undervalued mining projects using technical arbitrage to create significant value for its investors. This approach is underpinned by Appian’s leading cross-disciplinary team, which includes geologists, engineers, metallurgists, and finance professionals focused on creating value across all aspects of Appian’s portfolio.
Michael W. Scherb, Founder and CEO of Appian, commented: “This transaction further validates Appian’s ability to identify great overlooked assets and use our in-house technical expertise to realize their potential and optimize their value for our investors. It underlines the strategic positioning of Appian’s portfolio to support the growing demand for a reliable supply of high-quality critical minerals.”
Transaction details
The completed transaction encompasses 100% of the equity in MVV owned by the Appian funds. The headline purchase price of US$420 million is on a cash-free, debt-free basis.
Appian is committed to ensuring MVV’s continued success under new ownership and, following the completion, is now providing operational support to Baiyin Nonferrous to assist with the transition and full takeover of the asset.
As part of the Transaction, Baiyin Nonferrous demonstrated its commitment to safety and maintaining MVV’s leading ESG practices, which Appian has implemented in alignment with globally recognized best practices.
Standard Chartered and Citigroup acted as the financial advisors, and Norton Rose Fulbright was the legal advisor to Appian on this Transaction.
MVV acquisition and optimization
The Appian funds acquired MVV, owner of the Serrote greenfield open-pit copper-gold asset located in Alagoas, Brazil, from Aura Minerals in 2018 with ten employees. Appian identified Serrote as a rare standalone, construction-ready, copper project with meaningful precious metal by-product credits that could benefit from its technical arbitrage and asset development strategy.
Following the acquisition, Appian completed a revised Definitive Feasibility Study based on the internal view of a re-scoped project developed during due diligence. This included reducing plant throughput and focusing production on a higher-grade section of the resources with a lower strip ratio. These changes led to a lower initial CAPEX budget of US$243 million vs US$420 million in the original mine plan and reduced operating costs over the life of mine.
Appian actively worked across all aspects of the investment to unlock value. This included building the in-country management team and installing Appian’s best practice operating standards and procedures. Appian also secured a US$140 million financing facility for the project from a syndicate of three international banks and signed favorable offtake contracts with global traders and smelters.
The mine was constructed during the COVID-19 pandemic and brought to production in May 2021. The project was delivered ahead of schedule and under budget by US$48 million, within three years of Appian’s initial acquisition. The ramp-up of commercial operations was completed in Q4 2022. MVV has been in stable operation for two years since and today has over 1050 employees.
MVV has a best-in-class safety record and operates with the highest ESG standards. The project has recorded zero LTIs with over 1.9 million hours worked in the last 12 months, and zero LTIs in the past 36 months. Its Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity per tonne of copper produced was 1.53 t CO2e/t in 2023, less than half the industry average reported by the International Energy Agency.
In 2024, MVV achieved strong operational and financial results with 18.3kt of copper and 8.2koz of gold produced, generating an EBITDA of US$83.9 million from US$184.4 million of revenue. The mine’s average C1 cash cost in 2024 was US$1.74/lb Cu.
MVV will continue to deliver copper over multiple decades with its efficient operations that position the mine in the middle of the industry cost curve. The mine is well located with access to three ports and Maceió airport. The site is connected to the national grid via a 230kV powerline with access to low-cost, renewable energy, with Brazil’s energy mix being 86% renewable.
MVV is the largest regional exporter in the Alagoas state, accounting for 28.2% of the state’s total exports by value. 100% of MVV’s employees are Brazilian, and over 80% are from the local municipalities. MVV has strong support from both the local community and regional authorities. Community initiatives are a core part of the mine’s operations and include providing support for school STEM programs, social projects for female entrepreneurs, and environmental educational courses.
For further information:
Click here to view and download a video detailing the history of MVV.
About Appian Capital Advisory LLP Appian Capital Advisory LLP is the investment advisor to long-term value-focused private capital funds that invest in companies in metals, mining, and adjacent industries.
Appian is a leading investment advisor with global experience across South America, North America, Australia and Africa and a successful track record of supporting companies in metals, mining, and adjacent industries to achieve their development targets, with a global operating portfolio overseeing nearly 5,000 employees.
Appian has a global team of 85 experienced professionals with presences in London, New York, Hong Kong, Toronto, Vancouver, Lima, Belo Horizonte, Montreal, Dubai, Johannesburg and Perth.
For more information, please visit www.appiancapitaladvisory.com, or find us on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter/X.
About Baiyin Nonferrous Group Co., Ltd
Baiyin Nonferrous engages in the mining, smelting, processing, and trading of various non-ferrous metals in China. Founded in 1954, Baiyin Nonferrous has operations in China and overseas. In China, they own and operate mines and smelters in Gansu, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia and other provinces. Their overseas operations include Gold One Group in South Africa and Minera Shouxin in Peru. Globally, Baiyin Nonferrous has a production capacity of 400ktpa copper, 400ktpa lead and zinc, 15tpa gold and 500tpa silver.
LONDON, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Marex Group plc, the diversified global financial services platform, today announces the completion of its acquisition of Aarna Capital Limited (“Aarna Capital”) expanding its operations in the Middle East and growing its clearing business, in line with its strategy to broaden its client base, diversify its operations and increase earnings resilience.
Based in Abu Dhabi, Aarna Capital provides clearing, execution and customised risk management solutions in energy, base and ferrous metals, as well as financial markets such as equities, fixed income and FX.
About Marex:
Marex Group plc (NASDAQ: MRX) is a diversified global financial services platform providing essential liquidity, market access and infrastructure services to clients across energy, commodities and financial markets. The Group provides comprehensive breadth and depth of coverage across four core services: Clearing, Agency and Execution, Market Making and Hedging and Investment Solutions. It has a leading franchise in many major metals, energy and agricultural products, with access to 60 exchanges. The Group provides access to the world’s major commodity markets, covering a broad range of clients that include some of the largest commodity producers, consumers and traders, banks, hedge funds and asset managers. Headquartered in London with more than 40 offices worldwide, the Group has over 2,300 employees across Europe, Asia and the Americas. For more information visit www.marex.com.
About Aarna Capital Limited:
Aarna Capital is a multi-asset brokerage firm, operating from Abu Dhabi Global Markets (ADGM) and offering customers access to futures, options, FX, Bullion, equities, CFDs and fixed income products. From its headquarters, Aarna Capital combines the talent and experience of its hands-on traders with the innovative electronic platform, global liquidity network, and high-speed market infrastructure. Aarna Capital’s customers have access to liquidity from hundreds of exchanges and venue destinations globally across every developed and most emerging market and a majority of frontier markets. This includes all of the major electronic liquidity providers, multilateral trading facilities, and proprietary liquidity pools.
Enquiries please contact: Nicola Ratchford / Robert Coates
LIVERMORE, Calif., April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORM), a leading provider of test and measurement technologies for the semiconductor industry, is pleased to announce the significant expansion of its Taiwan Service Center. This strategic investment aims to enhance the company’s capabilities and better serve its customers in Taiwan and across Asia. The service center plays a pivotal role in supporting new technologies for chip manufacturers developing advanced packaging technologies driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), mobile, and automotive applications.
The newly expanded facility features double the cleanroom space and additional office areas, enabling FormFactor to streamline repair turnaround times and enhance its capabilities to serve the region’s rapid growth. This investment increases capacity to provide testing and repair services for FormFactor products, which are crucial to meeting the accelerating requirements in this important region.
“The expansion of our Taiwan Service Center demonstrates our ongoing commitment to meeting the semiconductor industry’s evolving demands,” said Mike Slessor, CEO of FormFactor. “With this expansion, we’ll be able to respond more quickly to customers’ needs, delivering more efficient, comprehensive, and reliable support that helps our customers maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly dynamic market.”
In addition to larger office and cleanroom spaces, the center offers expanded probe card services. The facility also includes a technology demo center to support customers in co-packaged optics technologies, showcasing state-of-the-art silicon photonics test technologies and their applications in next-generation semiconductor solutions.
About FormFactor
FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ: FORM), is a leading provider of essential test and measurement technologies along the full IC life cycle – from characterization, modeling, reliability, and design debug, to qualification and production test. Semiconductor companies rely upon FormFactor’s products and services to accelerate profitability by optimizing device performance and advancing yield knowledge. The Company serves customers through its network of facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.formfactor.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the federal securities laws. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs as of the date of this release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expansion of the service center and its impact on the market, the Company’s customers, and the Company’s capabilities and capacity. Forward-looking statements may contain words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “forecast,” and “continue,” the negative or plural of these words and similar expressions and include the assumptions that underlie such statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: success of the expansion; changes in demand for the Company’s testing and repair services in the region; market opportunity; supply chain and labor dynamics; other external economic and political factors; and other factors, including those set forth in the Company’s most current annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other filings by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, there are varying barriers to international trade, including restrictive trade and export regulations such as the US-China restrictions, dynamic tariffs, trade disputes between the U.S. and other countries, and national security developments or tensions, that may substantially restrict or condition our sales to or in certain countries, increase the cost of doing business internationally, and disrupt our supply chain. No assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements within this press release will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what impact they will have on the results of operations or financial condition of the Company. Unless required by law, the Company is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or revise its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
EL MONTE, Calif., April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GigaCloud Technology Inc (Nasdaq: GCT) (“GigaCloud” or the “Company”), a pioneer of global end-to-end B2B ecommerce technology solutions for large parcel merchandise, today announced that on March 28, 2025, its Board of Directors approved an additional $16 million to its Class A ordinary share repurchase program, bringing the total authorization to $62 million from its previously authorized $46 million. The program runs through August 28, 2025.
Under the share repurchase program, the Company may purchase its ordinary shares through various means, including open market transactions, privately negotiated transactions, block trades, any combination thereof or other legally permissible means. The Company may effect repurchase transactions in compliance with Rule 10b5-1 and Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The number of shares repurchased and the timing of repurchases will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, share price and trading volume, and general market conditions, along with the Company’s working capital requirements, general business conditions and other factors. The Company’s board of directors will review the share repurchase program periodically, and may modify, suspend or terminate the share repurchase program at any time. The Company plans to fund repurchases from its existing cash balance.
About GigaCloud Technology Inc GigaCloud Technology Inc is a pioneer of global end-to-end B2B ecommerce technology solutions for large parcel merchandise. The Company’s B2B ecommerce platform, the “GigaCloud Marketplace,” integrates everything from discovery, payments and logistics tools into one easy-to-use platform. The Company’s global marketplace seamlessly connects manufacturers, primarily in Asia, with resellers, primarily in the U.S., Asia and Europe, to execute cross-border transactions with confidence, speed and efficiency. GigaCloud offers a comprehensive solution that transports products from the manufacturer’s warehouse to the end customer’s doorstep, all at one fixed price. The Company first launched its marketplace in January 2019 by focusing on the global furniture market and has since expanded into additional categories, including home appliances and fitness equipment. For more information, please visit the Company’s website: www.gigacloudtech.com.
Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements reflect our current view about future events. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can identify these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “will,” “could,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “propose,” “potential,” “continue” or similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC.
HONG KONG, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Prestige Wealth Inc. (NASDAQ: PWM) (“PWM”, or the “Company”), a wealth management and asset management services provider based in Hong Kong, today announced that, on April 1, 2025, the Company received a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) notifying the Company that based on the closing bid price of the Class A ordinary shares of the Company for the last 30 consecutive business days, the Company no longer meets the continued listing requirement of Nasdaq under Nasdaq Listing Rules 5550(a)(2), to maintain a minimum bid price of $1 per share.
The notification has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares on Nasdaq. Nasdaq has provided the Company with an 180 calendar days compliance period, or until September 29, 2025, in which to regain compliance with Nasdaq continued listing requirement. In the event that the Company does not regain compliance in the compliance period, the Company may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar days, should the Company meet the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for The Nasdaq Capital Market, with the exception of the bid price requirement, and is able to provide written notice of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period, by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. However, if it appears that the Company will not be able to cure the deficiency, or if the Company is otherwise not eligible, Nasdaq will provide notice that the Company’s securities will be subject to delisting.
The Company is currently evaluating options to regain compliance and intends to timely regain compliance with Nasdaq’s continued listing requirement. Although the Company will use all reasonable efforts to achieve compliance with Rule 5550(a)(2), there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to regain compliance with that rule or will otherwise be in compliance with other Nasdaq continued listing requirement.
About Prestige Wealth Inc.
Prestige Wealth Inc. is a wealth management and asset management services provider based in Hong Kong, assisting its clients in identifying and purchasing well-matched wealth management products and global asset management products. With a focus on quality service, the Company has retained a loyal customer base consisting of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients in Asia. Through the Company’s wealth management service, it introduces clients to customized wealth management products and provides them with tailored value-added services. The Company provides asset management services via investment funds that it manages and also provides discretionary account management services and asset management-related advisory services to clients. For more information, please visit the Company’s website: http://ir.prestigewm.hk
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that the Company believes may affect its financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Investors can find many (but not all) of these statements by the use of words such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or other similar expressions in this prospectus. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or changes in its expectations, except as may be required by law. Although the Company believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure you that such expectations will turn out to be correct, and the Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results and encourages investors to review other factors that may affect its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the SEC.
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
During his working visit to Kyrgyzstan, the Deputy Prime Minister was received by the President of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The Russian delegation led by Alexey Overchuk visited the Kyrgyz Republic (Bishkek). During the visit, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation was received by the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov. The main topic of the conversation was the prospects for developing trade and economic cooperation, with special attention paid to issues of strengthening transport connectivity, ensuring energy security, and cooperation in the humanitarian area.
During the meeting, it was emphasized that the Russian Federation and the Kyrgyz Republic are strategic partners and allies, relations between the two countries are traditionally friendly, based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests. Regular contacts at the highest level create a solid foundation for the development of bilateral cooperation between the countries. Close interaction is also maintained at the government level.
Alexey Overchuk noted that an important component of cooperation between Russia and Kyrgyzstan is the countries’ membership in the Eurasian Economic Union, and added that Kyrgyzstan’s active participation in the activities of the EAEU has given impetus to the growth of its economy and contributed to the development of the union’s potential, which has every opportunity to strengthen its position in the global economic architecture.
The Deputy Prime Minister congratulated the President of the Kyrgyz Republic on the successful resolution of the border issue between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, noting that a peaceful settlement between the two allies is a significant factor for stability in all of Central Asia for Russia.
Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Note: The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports. SEL8
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Tornado Watch Number 98 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 250 PM CDT Wed Apr 2 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Eastern and South-Central Arkansas Southern Illinois Southwest Indiana Western Kentucky Southeast Missouri Northern Mississippi Western Tennessee
* Effective this Wednesday afternoon from 250 PM until Midnight CDT.
…THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION…
* Primary threats include… Several tornadoes and a few intense tornadoes likely Widespread damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 80 mph likely Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible
SUMMARY…Storms are expected to develop this afternoon initially across the ArkLaMiss and Mid-South, with the overall environment becoming increasingly favorable for tornadoes through late afternoon into early/mid-evening. Some of these tornadoes may be strong or intense (EF3+), with widespread damaging winds also likely across the region by evening. This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation with intense storms expected over a relatively broad regional area, with multiple rounds of severe storms possible in some areas.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 90 statute miles east and west of a line from 55 miles southeast of Pine Bluff AR to 30 miles northwest of Evansville IN. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 97…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean storm motion vector 24035.
…Guyer
SEL8
URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED Tornado Watch Number 98 NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 250 PM CDT Wed Apr 2 2025
The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a
* Tornado Watch for portions of Eastern and South-Central Arkansas Southern Illinois Southwest Indiana Western Kentucky Southeast Missouri Northern Mississippi Western Tennessee
* Effective this Wednesday afternoon from 250 PM until Midnight CDT.
…THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION…
* Primary threats include… Several tornadoes and a few intense tornadoes likely Widespread damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 80 mph likely Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2 inches in diameter possible
SUMMARY…Storms are expected to develop this afternoon initially across the ArkLaMiss and Mid-South, with the overall environment becoming increasingly favorable for tornadoes through late afternoon into early/mid-evening. Some of these tornadoes may be strong or intense (EF3+), with widespread damaging winds also likely across the region by evening. This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation with intense storms expected over a relatively broad regional area, with multiple rounds of severe storms possible in some areas.
The tornado watch area is approximately along and 90 statute miles east and west of a line from 55 miles southeast of Pine Bluff AR to 30 miles northwest of Evansville IN. For a complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible warnings.
&&
OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 97…
AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean storm motion vector 24035.
…Guyer
Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas. SAW8 WW 98 TORNADO AR IL IN KY MO MS TN 021950Z – 030500Z AXIS..90 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE.. 55SE PBF/PINE BLUFF AR/ – 30NW EVV/EVANSVILLE IN/ ..AVIATION COORDS.. 80NM E/W /50W SQS – 26NNW PXV/ HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..70 KNOTS. MAX TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.
LAT…LON 33599282 38328958 38328626 33598969
THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS FOR WOU8.
Watch 98 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.
Note: Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes
Probability of 2 or more tornadoes
High (90%)
Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes
High (90%)
Wind
Probability of 10 or more severe wind events
High (80%)
Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots
High (70%)
Hail
Probability of 10 or more severe hail events
Mod (50%)
Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches
Mod (50%)
Combined Severe Hail/Wind
Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events
High (>95%)
For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.
Certainly that has been the tone of some of the reporting following the emergence of photosand videos depicting massive new Chinese barges designed for land-to-sea military operations. The fact that China launched a two-day military drill in the Taiwan Strait on April 1, 2025, has only intensified such fears.
To me, the curious thing regarding these musings about a potential war involving China, which has one of the world’s most advanced militaries, is that it is supported by reference to technology first used some 80 years ago – specifically, the Mulberry Harbours, floating piers that allowed Allies to deploy land vehicles onto the beaches at Normandy on June 6, 1944.
As an expert on the history and geopolitics of the Mulberry Harbours, I believe using the World War II example obscures far more than it clarifies with regard to the geopolitical situation today. Indeed, while the new Chinese ships may be operationally similar to their historical forebears, the strategic situation in China and Taiwan is far different.
Disquiet on the Pacific front?
The possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, an island the Chinese Communist Party sees as part of its territory, is perhaps the most pressing security issue for countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Aside from the geopolitics, any China decision to invade Taiwan would mean attempting an extremely challenging military operation that is, historically speaking, a risky proposition. Seaborne invasions have often led to high casualties or even outright failure.
The Gallipoli landings on the coast of Turkey during World War I, for example, led to the withdrawal of mainly Australian and New Zealand forces after high casualties and barely any territorial gains. In World War II, island-hopping by U.S. forces to push back Japan’s advance achieved strategic goals – but at a high human cost.
The difficulty posed by sea-to-land invasion is not just the battles on Day 1, it is the logistical challenge of continuing to funnel troops and materiel to sustain a push out from the beachhead. That’s where the barges come into play.
About those WWII barges …
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was skeptical of opening a front against Nazi Germany by a landing on the French coast – a position that frustrated the United States. The main concern of Churchill and his generals was the logistical puzzle. They reasoned that Germany would either retain control of French ports or sabotage them, and that tanks, guns, food, soldiers and other necessities were not going to be brought up from reserve via ports.
The Mulberry Harbours fixed that problem by creating a set of floating piers that would rise up and down with the tide by being fixed to sophisticated anchors. Ships could moor to these piers and unload needed material. The piers were protected by an inner ring of concrete caissons, dragged across the channel and sunk into position, and an outer breakwater of scuttled ships. The Mulberry Harbours were a combination of cutting-edge pier technology and improvisation.
Construction of a Mulberry Harbour, and the unloading of supplies for the Allies at Colleville, France, in 1944. Three Lions/Getty Images
The images of Chinese invasion barges today show that the technology has advanced, but the principle of an operational need for logistical support of a beachhead breakout is the same.
Yet the geography of any invasion is very different. In World War II, the Mulberry Harbours were part of an invasion from an island to conquer a continent. But a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be the inverse – from a continent to an island.
Great power politics, Chinese characteristics
The use of Mulberry Harbours, as innovative as it was, was only a moment in a longer geopolitical process.
The D-Day invasion was the culmination of the transfer of U.S. military might across the Atlantic through Operation Bolero. Simply, the United Kingdom became a giant warehouse – mainly for U.S. soldiers and equipment.
The Mulberry Harbours made the crossing of the English Channel possible for these men and weapons. It was the last step in the projection of U.S. power across the Atlantic Ocean and on to the European continent. I describe this as a process of a seapower moving from its near or coastal waters to far waters in another part of the globe.
The calculation for China is very different. Certainly, barges would help an invasion across the Taiwan Strait. But China sees Taiwan as part of its near waters, and it wants to secure those waters from global competition.
Beijing views the U.S. as having established a military presence just off its coastline from World War II to the present day, making the western Pacific another set of U.S. far waters across the globe accompanying its European presence. From its perspective, China is surrounded by a U.S. military based in Okinawa, Guam and the Philippines. This chain of bases could restrict China’s ambition through blockade, and controlling Taiwan would help China create a gap in this chain.
Chinese invasion barges could be deployed quite early in China’s process of moving from near to far waters. The Mulberry Harbours, conversely, were deployed once the U.S. had already secured its Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific near waters.
Part of a process
Technical matters and historical comparisons with the Mulberry Harbours are an interesting way to look at the new Chinese invasion barges and consider the operational scale of geopolitics. But as with the World War II case, China-Taiwan tensions are simply a modern example of a local theater – this time, the Taiwanese Strait – being part of a greater global process of power projection. The comparisons to Mulberry Harbours, therefore, are not with the technology itself but its role in a mechanism of historical geopolitical change.
The reemergence of the technology of invasion barges may be a sign that a new conflict is on the horizon. If that were the case, the irony is that China would be using Mulberry Harbour-type technology to secure its position in the western Pacific at the same time the Trump administration is questioning the strategic value of the U.S. presence in Europe – a presence established through World War II and, at least in part, the use of the Mulberry Harbours.
Colin Flint does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
If you go walking in the wild, you might expect that what you’re seeing is natural. All around you are trees, shrubs and grasses growing in their natural habitat.
But there’s something here that doesn’t add up. Across the world, there are large areas of habitat which would suit native plant species just fine. But very often, they’re simply absent.
Our new research gauges the scale of this problem, known as “dark diversity”. Our international team of 200 scientists examined plant species in thousands of sites worldwide.
What we found was startling. In regions heavily affected by our activities, only about 20% of native plant species able to live there were actually present. But even in areas with very little human interference, ecosystems only contained about 33% of viable plant species.
Why so few species in wilder areas? Our impact. Pollution can spread far from the original source, while conversion of habitat to farms, logging and human-caused fires have ripple effects too.
Conspicuous by their absence
Our activities have become a planet-shaping force, from changing the climate through our emissions to farming 44% of all habitable land. As our footprint has expanded, other species have been pushed to extinction. The rates of species loss are unprecedented in recorded history.
When we think about biodiversity loss, we might think of a once-common animal species losing numbers and range as farms, cities and feral predators expand. But we are also losing species from within protected areas and national parks.
To date, the accelerating loss of species has been largely observed at large scale, such as states or even whole countries. Almost 600 plant species have gone extinct since 1750 – and this is likely a major underestimate. Extinction hotspots include Hawaii (79 species) and South Africa’s unique fynbos scrublands (37 species).
But tracking the fate of our species has been difficult to do at a local scale, such as within a national park or nature reserve.
Similarly, when scientists do traditional biodiversity surveys, we count the species previously recorded in an area and look for changes. But we haven’t tended to consider the species that could grow there – but don’t.
Many plants have been declining so rapidly they are now threatened with extinction.
What did we do?
To get a better gauge of biodiversity losses at smaller scale, we worked alongside scientists from the international research network DarkDivNet to examine almost 5,500 sites across 119 regions worldwide. This huge body of fieldwork took years and required navigating global challenges such as COVID-19 and political and economic instability.
At each 100 square metre site, our team sampled all plant species present against the species found in the surrounding region. We defined regions as areas of approximately 300 square kilometres with similar environmental conditions.
Just because a species can grow somewhere doesn’t mean it would. To make sure we were recording which species were genuinely missing, we looked at how often each absent species was found growing alongside the species growing at our chosen sites at other sampled sites in the region. This helped us detect species well-suited to a habitat but missing from it.
We then cross-matched data on these missing species against how big the local human impact was by using the Human Footprint Index, which measures population density, land use and infrastructure.
Of the eight components of this index, six had a clear influence on how many plant species were missing: human population density, electric infrastructure, railways, roads, built environments and croplands. Another component, navigable waterways, did not have a clear influence.
Interestingly, the final component – pastures kept by graziers – was not linked to fewer plant species. This could be because semi-natural grasslands are used as pasture in areas such as Central Asia, Africa’s Sahel region and Argentina. Here, long-term moderate human influence can actually maintain highly diverse and well-functioning ecosystems through practices such as grazing livestock, cultural burning and hay making.
Semi-natural pastures preserve many different plant species. Pictured: the Hulunbuir grasslands in Inner Mongolia, China. Dashu Xinganling/Shutterstock
Overall, though, the link between greater human presence and fewer plant species was very clear. Seemingly pristine ecosystems hundreds of kilometres from direct disturbance had been affected.
These effects can come from many causes. For instance, poaching and logging often take place far from human settlements. Poaching an animal species might mean a plant species loses a key pollinator or way to disperse its seeds in the animal’s dung. Over time, disruptions to the web of relationships in the natural world can erode ecosystems and result in fewer plant species. Poachers and illegal loggers also cut “ghost roads” into pristine areas.
Other causes include fires started by humans, which can threaten national parks and other safe havens. Pollution can travel and settle hundreds of kilometres from its source, affecting ecosystems.
Our far-reaching influence can also hinder the return of plant species, even in protected areas. As humans expand their activities, they often carve up natural areas into fragments cut off from each other. This can isolate plant populations. Similarly, the loss of seed-spreading animals can stop plants from recolonising former habitat.
What does this mean?
Biodiversity loss is not just about species going extinct. It’s about ecosystems quietly losing their richness, resilience and functions.
Protecting land is not enough. The damage we can do can reach deep into conservation areas.
Was there good news? Yes. In regions where at least a third of the landscape had minimal human disturbance, there was less of this hidden biodiversity loss.
As we work to conserve nature, our work points to a need not just to preserve what’s left but to bring back what’s missing. Now we know what species are missing in an area but still present regionally, we can begin that work.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The five-week election campaign is now in full swing throughout the nation.
Amid the flurry of photo opportunities and press conferences, candidates campaign in specific areas for a reason: to shore up or win back key seats.
But which seats are key? Here, six experts explain the seats to watch in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
New South Wales
David Clune, honorary associate, government and international relations, University of Sydney
How the 2025 federal election will play out in NSW is difficult to predict for two reasons.
The first is the recent redistribution which, as ABC analyst Antony Green’s pendulum shows, has redefined many electoral boundaries.
The second is the number of crossbench MPs. There are three Teals in formerly safe Liberal seats: Mackellar (Sophie Scamps), Warringah (Zali Steggall) and Wentworth (Allegra Spender). Teal Kylie Tink’s seat of North Sydney has been abolished.
All were lifted into parliament by the rising tide of resentment against former Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Now that tide has gone out, the survival of these MPs depends on how they have performed as local members. The overall impression is that they have done well in connecting with their constituents and will be hard to shift.
There is a chance the formerly safe upper north shore seat of Bradfield could augment their numbers. Teal Nicolette Boele gave Liberal Paul Fletcher a very uncomfortable election night in 2022 when she slashed his majority. After the redistribution, the Liberals hold the seat by a narrow 2.5%. Fletcher is not recontesting. Boele is running a well-financed campaign with a lot of grass roots support.
The redistribution has pushed many former North Sydney voters into Bradfield. Whether they remain Teal or revert to being true-blue Liberals remains to be seen.
Much of the rest of the former North Sydney has gone into the very marginal Labor seat of Bennelong, which is now notionally marginal Liberal.
The Nationals have a problem in Calare, where former Nationals MP, now independent, Andrew Gee, is recontesting. The Nationals are also facing challenges from the left on the upper north coast due to demographic change. They hold Cowper by 2.4%.
Liberal-aligned independent, Dai Le, narrowly won Fowler in Sydney’s western suburbs in 2023. Labor has endorsed Tu Le, also of Vietnamese descent, in what promises to be a tough fight. Parramatta is another marginal seat in the western suburbs, held by Labor’s Andrew Charlton with a two-party preferred margin of 3.7%.
The government is concerned about seats on the central coast and in the Hunter and Illawarra regions, where concerns about wind farms and job losses due to renewable energy are a major issue. Most of the government’s vulnerable seats are in these areas: Gilmore, Robertson, Paterson and Hunter would all be lost with a two-party-preferred swing of 5%.
Queensland
Paul Williams, associate professor in politics and journalism, Griffith University
For decades we said Queensland was a key “battleground” in federal elections where seats north of the Tweed so often held the keys to The Lodge.
The 1975 election saw the Coalition leave Labor with a single seat, and the 1996 poll bequeath Labor just two. Conversely, Labor’s Kevin Rudd rode to victory on his nine-seat haul in in 2007, with Rudd losing seven of those in 2010.
But, for the past 15 years, federal elections have seen little movement in Queensland except, of course, for 2022 when the Greens won three seats. In short, Queensland is no longer the “make-or-break” state. Even the retirements of Keith Pitt (Hinkler), Karen Andrews (McPherson), Warren Entsch (Leichhardt) and Graham Perrett (Moreton) will hardly affect the mood.
The electoral pendulum confirms this. Labor holds just five of Queensland’s 30 seats, with Blair – a mix of outer-suburban and regional proclivities – Labor’s most marginal, but still held by a healthy 5.2% buffer. Given the two-party-preferred (2PP) swing to the Liberal-National Party (LNP) in Queensland will likely be under five percentage points – far lower than the 7.0% two-party-preferred swing the LNP attained at last October’s state election – the Coalition is unlikely to seize any more Labor property.
Conversely, despite the LNP holding seven Queensland seats on margins under 5%, the electoral tide is well and truly out for a Labor Party, whose Queensland brand is damaged at all levels. Inflation and housing shortages have hit Queensland hard, and especially so in the regions. Peter Dutton’s seat of Dickson – the LNP’s most marginal on just 1.7% – is therefore safe.
Climate action and other “community” candidates (some reject the “Teal” moniker) are standing on the Gold Coast (McPherson and Moncrieff), on the Sunshine Coast (Fisher and Fairfax), and in Groom and Dickson. None will win, but some will carve out a respectable primary vote.
All eyes will instead be on the cashed-up inner-urban seats of Ryan (potentially returning to the LNP), Griffith (a possible Labor win) and Brisbane (a genuine three-way race) – all three useful, but not essential, to Labor’s pathway to minority government.
In the Northern Territory, Labor’s Marion Scrymgour holds Lingiari by 1.7%, making that seat one to watch.
South Australia
Rob Manwaring, associate professor of politics and public policy, Flinders University
South Australia is rarely a key battleground in federal elections, and only comprises ten electoral seats.
There are, however, three key seats worth watching as they will tell us a lot about how the election campaign is playing out: Sturt, Boothby and Mayo.
In Sturt, the Liberals hold this key seat in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs with a margin of 0.5%. A fresh challenge for the incumbent James Stevens is that he faces a threat from SA’s first real Teal candidate, Verity Cooper. This potentially pulls this seat into a three-way fight.
Boothby, in Adelaide’s southern suburbs, will be a good litmus test of how well Labor’s campaign is performing. Labor won the seat for the first time ever in 2022, and Louise Miller-Frost has a 3.3% margin. Liberal candidate Nicolle Flint is resurrecting her political ambitions and would be a useful ally for Peter Dutton, if she were to win.
Finally – a question – does Rebekah Sharkie like pizza? Infamously, when state Labor Premier Jay Weatherill needed a critical independent vote to secure office in 2014, he drove to Port Pirie and brokered a deal over pizza with Geoff Brock. Sharkie holds the seat of Mayo in the Adelaide Hills as a member of the Centre Alliance party with a safe 12.3% margin. Sharkie aligns herself with the Teals, and if a Dutton-led victory looks likely, then she may well be ordering her favourite slice to thrash out the terms of any support.
Tasmania
Robert Hortle, deputy director of the Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania
There are two main seats to watch in Tasmania.
The large, rural seat of Lyons is one of the most marginal in the country. Labor’s Brian Mitchell won with a 0.9% margin in 2022, but he’s made way for Rebecca White. Despite an underwhelming record as Tasmanian Labor Leader – three state election defeats – White is very popular in Lyons. However, Liberal candidate Susie Bower was somewhat unlucky to lose in 2022 after winning 37.2% of the primary vote, and has been in campaign mode for the past three years.
On the surface, Franklin – Australia’s only non-contiguous electorate – looks like a safe Labor seat. Julie Collins, the MP since 2007 and a cabinet minister, has a 13.7% margin. But her primary vote fell in 2022, and community backlash against salmon farming in Franklin’s waterways – which Labor and the Coalition both support – could make her vulnerable.
If independent Peter George (former journalist and anti-salmon campaigner) can get ahead of the low-profile Liberal candidate at some point in the count, Liberal preferences may get him across the line.
Two other Tasmanian seats are unlikely to change hands, but feature some interesting dynamics.
Liberal MP Bridget Archer’s 1.4% margin in the northern seat of Bass might look vulnerable. However, she managed a strong primary vote in 2022 despite a big swing against the Liberal Party. She’s very popular in the community for her willingness to stick to her values – even if it means voting against her party 28 times – and should hold her seat despite rumours of internal moves against her.
In Braddon, long-serving Labor Senator Anne Urquhart has quit the upper house to run. Incumbent Liberal MP Gavin Pearce is retiring, and his replacement candidate, Mal Hingston, is a bit of an unknown. It’s unlikely Urquhart will be able to overturn the 8% two-party preferred margin, but prominence in the community might give her a glimmer of hope.
Another point of interest is who will pick up the votes won by the Jaquie Lambie Network (JLN) in 2022. The JLN is not running candidates following a spectacular implosion at state level – and where those voters find a home could be crucial, particularly in Lyons.
Victoria
Zareh Ghazarian, senior lecturer in politics, school of social sciences, Monash University
Victoria is shaping up to be a crucial state for the major parties. Several seats are held by the Labor and coalition parties with a margin of less than 5%.
According to Antony Green, Chisholm is the most marginal seat Labor currently holds. The eastern Melbourne seat has been held by both major parties over the past 30 years.
Next up is Aston, further east of Chisholm, which Labor won at arguably the Liberal Party’s lowest ebb in this electoral cycle at a byelection in 2023.
McEwen, on the other hand, is a provincial electorate to the north of Melbourne. Holding onto these three seats will be a significant feat for Anthony Albanese and may set up Labor to hold a majority government.
For the Coalition, the most marginal seat is Deakin, which is a neighbouring electorate to Aston and Chisholm. The seat is held by a margin of just 0.02%, making it the most marginal in the country.
Monash is also a very interesting seat as it was won by Russell Broadbent, who lost Liberal Party preselection and has decided to run as an independent. His local profile may provide a boost to his primary vote, but may not necessarily be enough to win the seat, which will likely be held by the Liberals.
The Coalition will be in trouble if it fails to retain any of its seats in Victoria. It would need to reclaim Chisholm and Aston if it has any chance of forming majority government.
Other seats to watch include Kooyong, held by Monique Ryan with a margin of 2.2% who defeated Josh Frydenberg in 2022, and Goldstein, held by Zoe Daniel with a margin of 3.3% after defeating Liberal Tim Wilson. These will be a test of whether the Liberal Party is able to reconnect with voters who had traditionally supported them in the past.
Western Australia
Narelle Miragliotta, associate professor in politics, Murdoch University
The five WA seats to watch are Curtin, Bullwinkel, Forrest, Pearce and Tangney.
The affluent inner metropolitan seat of Curtin is held by Teal Kate Chaney on a 1.3% margin. The Liberal’s 2022 defeat was existential and the party are investing heavily in reclaiming it, although Chaney is not likely to be outspent entirely, or outmanoeuvred.
Bullwinkel is a new seat on the eastern fringes of Perth. The majority of its voters are in the metropolitan area, but the seat also takes in regional parts of the state. The seat’s geography and lack of incumbent led to the Nationals fielding Mia Davies, who was leader of the Nationals in the state parliament between 2017 and 2023.
As a result, this notional Labor seat is the site of a fierce three-way contest. YouGov projects a “Coalition” gain, although the outcome will be influenced by whether the Liberals and Nationals can contain simmering hostilities.
Pearce, in the state’s far north, is held by Labor on a comfortable 8.8% margin. However, it’s one of the most indebted electorates in the nation, and the state Labor government experienced large swings against it in outer suburban and regional state electorates earlier this year.
Tangney, in the state’s southern suburbs, was a major win for Labor in 2022. A blue-ribbon inner-city seat held uninterrupted by the Liberals since the early 1980s, Tangney is Labor’s most marginal WA seat (2.6% margin). To Labor’s advantage is the fact that several of the once-safe Liberal inner metro electorates within Tangney’s boundaries have recently voted with Labor at a state level. However, it will be a tight contest.
Paul Williams is a research associate with the T.J. Ryan Foundation.
Rob Manwaring receives funding from the Australian Research Council for a Discovery project on political parties and associated entities.
David Clune, Narelle Miragliotta, Robert Hortle, and Zareh Ghazarian do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Disinfectant Wipes/Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
Trials
United States v. Don M. Rynn
No. 2:24-CR-00653 (District of South Carolina)
AUSA Winston Holliday
AUSA Amy Bower
On March 20, 2025, a jury convicted Don M. Rynn of making false statements to federal agents and falsifying fishing records (18 U.S.C. §§ 1001, 1519).
Rynn managed several commercial fishing vessels in the McClellanville area, including the Maximum Retriever and the Crystal C. The vessels docked at Carolina Seafood, a federally licensed dealer.
On March 21, 2023, the Maximum Retriever embarked on a commercial fishing trip captained by the defendant’s son, who Rynn instructed to catch as many fish as he could (ignoring federally imposed quotas). Rynn told his son he would “take care of things” when he returned.
The Maximum Retriever returned to McClellanville shortly after midnight on March 27, 2023, with almost three times the legal limit of snowy grouper on board, and one and a half times the allowable number of grey tilefish. Rynn was waiting for the boat to arrive. Once the Maximum Retriever was in place, the Crystal C was maneuvered so that the two boats were side-by-side.
Rynn then directed deckhands to move fish from the ice hold of the Maximum Retriever to the Crystal C. They removed additional fish from the Maximum Retriever to Rynn’s truck to take to another seafood dealer in Georgetown.
In the mandatory trip report filed shortly thereafter, Rynn reported his catch only up to the limit, hiding the fact that the Maximum Retriever had vastly overfished. He attributed a substantial portion of the catch to the Crystal C, which had remained moored at the dock.
On March 27, 2023, law enforcement officers received an anonymous tip alerting them to the excessive catch. The Georgetown seafood dealer that had received some of the overage initially lied to cover for Rynn. When he realized the agents were closing in, the dealer threw the fish in the river to get rid of them.
In October 2023, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) agents interviewed Rynn about the incidents in March. Rynn lied, saying the snowy grouper and tilefish had been contaminated by a fuel spill while at sea, and that he had disposed of them in a dumpster. Rynn further implied that a U.S. Coast Guard report addressing an unlawful discharge into Jeremy Creek was inaccurate and should have been attributed to the Crystal C, which would have bolstered his fuel spill story.
In total, the Maximum Retriever caught approximately 560 pounds of snowy grouper and 450 pounds of tilefish. The legal limit for grouper is 200 pounds and 300 for tilefish.
NOAA, the U. S. Coast Guard, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Saltwater Team conducted the investigation.
Photo from dock surveillance camera showing Rynn on back of boat directing two individuals to carry a tote of federally protected fish to his truck.
On March 14, 2025, a court unsealed a complaint charging the chief executive officer of a Georgia-based heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) company with illegally importing 500 cylinders of potent greenhouse gases known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) into the United States from Peru.
William Randolph Hires is charged with violating the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act (AIM Act) by unlawfully importing 500 cylinders of HFCs (42 U.S.C. §§ 7675, 7413).
In April 2022, on behalf of his company, Hires purchased 500 cylinders of HFCs in Peru. Over the next several months, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials explained to Hires’s employees that, under the AIM Act and its implementing regulations, Hires’s company could not lawfully import the HFCs into the United States because it did not have the required EPA-issued allowances. In a July 22, 2022, email to one of Hires’s employees, an EPA official stated “it is not possible to import bulk HFCs without consumption allowances.”
Hires’s employees conveyed this information from the EPA to Hires on several occasions. On one occasion, an employee forwarded an email to Hires that the employee had received from an EPA official which stated, “[t]he HFC you listed (R-410A) is a regulated substance. So, if you do not have allowances, you cannot import those bulk HFC refrigerants.” In another email exchange between Hires and an employee, the employee informed Hires that, based on a video conference the employee had with EPA officials, shipping without the necessary allowances would violate import laws so “[i]t is out of our hands.”
Hires nevertheless instructed his employees to illegally import the HFCs into the United States. In a July 28, 2022 email, Hires stated to his employees: “[y]eah you have to be careful what agencies you’re reaching out to because the EPA . . . can create a hassle and they can hold our stuff up in customs there[.]” In a subsequent email, Hires instructed his employees to “get [the HFCs] on the ship and get it out to sea . . . don’t care what it takes[.]” Hires later instructed his employees via email: “Do not call the EPA please do not.”
The EPA Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
United States v. Leshon E. Johnson
No. 6:25-CR-00012 (Eastern District of Oklahoma)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy
ECS Trial Attorney Sarah Brown
AUSA Jordan Howantiz
ECS Law Clerk Amanda Backer
On March 20, 2025, Leshon E. Johnson was arraigned on an indictment charging him with violating the Animal Welfare Act (7 U.S.C. § 2156(b) & 18 U.S.C. § 49). Specifically, Johnson possessed 190 pit bull-type dogs for the purpose of having the dogs participate in an animal fighting venture, and for selling, transporting, and delivering a dog for use in an animal fighting venture. Federal authorities seized the 190 dogs from Johnson in October 2024 as authorized under the Animal Welfare Act. This is believed to be the largest number of dogs ever seized from a single person in a federal dog fighting case.
Johnson ran a dog fighting operation known as “Mal Kant Kennels” in both Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma. He previously ran “Krazyside Kennels,” also out of Oklahoma, which led to his guilty plea on state animal fighting charges in 2004. Johnson selectively bred “champion” and “grand champion” fighting dogs — dogs that have respectively won three or five fights — to produce offspring with fighting traits and abilities desired by him and others for use in dog fights. Johnson marketed and sold stud rights and offspring from winning fighting dogs to other dog fighters looking to incorporate the Mal Kant Kennels “bloodline” into their own dog fighting operations. His trafficking of fighting dogs to other dog fighters across the country contributed to the growth of the dog fighting industry and allowed Johnson to profit financially. Trial is scheduled to begin on May 5, 2025.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Guilty Pleas
United States v. Terrell Williams
No. 4:23-CR-00692 (Eastern District of Missouri)
AUSA Jillian Anderson
On March 7, 2025, Terrell Williams pleaded guilty to an Animal Fighting Venture violation for hosting dog fights in his home and training dogs to fight (7 U.S.C. § 2156(a)-(c); 18 U.S.C. § 49(a)). Sentencing is scheduled for June 6, 2025.
Between September 2020 through May 2022, Williams hosted fights in a wooden “box” setup in the basement of his home in Riverview, Missouri. He also owned and bred bull terriers and terrier mixes that were used for fights. On June 22, 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Williams’s home and seized eight bull terrier mixes and three Yorkshire terriers. The dogs bore scars consistent with fighting. Agents also removed equipment used to train and condition dogs, including weighted vests and a canine treadmill.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Dog rescued from defendant’s home during execution of search warrant. Photo included with detention motion filed with the court.
On March 11, 2025, Nicholas Dryden pleaded guilty to creating and distributing videos depicting the torture of monkeys (known as animal “crush” videos) (18 U.S.C. §§ 371, 48(a)(3)). Co-defendant Giancarlo Morelli entered a similar plea in December 2024.
Dryden commissioned videos from a 17-year-old in Indonesia who was willing to commit specified acts of torture on video in exchange for payment. Dryden utilized Telegram, a cross-platform messaging app that includes encrypted group messaging and private chats, to advertise the animal crush videos and solicit funding for additional videos. Within these private groups, Dryden shared snippets of videos that he commissioned and advertised that the full content was for sale. Co-defendants Morelli and Philip Colt Moss each sent money to Dryden more than a dozen times in exchange for monkey torture videos.
Thereafter, they frequently gave feedback on the videos and Morelli sometimes suggested torturous acts he’d like to see in future videos.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
United States v. Jose Manuel Valenzuela
No. 3:24-CR-01037 (Southern District of California)
ECS Assistant Chief Stephen DaPonte
AUSA Laura Sambataro
On March 18, 2025, Jose Manuel Valenzuela pleaded guilty to intentionally failing to present refrigerant tanks for inspection (19 U.S.C. §§ 1433, 1436). Sentencing is scheduled for June 10, 2025.
On April 22, 2024, Valenzuela (an HVAC technician) attempted to enter the United States from Mexico without declaring four 24-pound tanks of 404A refrigerant (a hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant) in his vehicle.
Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
United States v. Robert C. Schmid
No. 3:25-mj-00011 (Eastern District of Virginia)
AUSA Carla Jordan-Detamore
On March 25, 2025, Robert C. Schmid pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) (7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(1)(A), 1361(b)(1)(B)). Sentencing is scheduled for July 22, 2025.
Schmid owned the Atlantic Manufacturing Group, LLC (AMG), which manufactured and sold cleaning and janitorial products. AMG marketed and sold its products via various means, including a website, as well as through outside sales representatives. In September 2017, AMG entered into an agreement with “Company 1” to purchase a product called “Maquat 64-PD” for which Company 1 had obtained a registration from the EPA. AMG entered into this Agreement because it wanted to distribute and sell its liquid ProAmenities Lemon Detergent Disinfectant, made with Company 1’s Maquat 64-PD.
In October 2017, the EPA approved the label for AMG’s ProAmenities Lemon Detergent Disinfectant. The label made clear that the product was hazardous to humans and animals and was not for use on clothing or on skin.
Beginning in May 2020, and acting on behalf of AMG, Schmid began manufacturing and selling AMG “Hygienic Facility Wipes” that purportedly protected users from COVID-19. Schmid sold these wipes to janitorial services that supported government entities, gyms and health clubs, universities, and janitorial product retailers. AMG manufactured these wipes by applying the ProAmenities Lemon Detergent Disinfectant to dry wipes and packaging the wipes in plastic buckets or plastic packages. These wipes, however, were not registered with the EPA pursuant to FIFRA and did not have EPA approved labels or safety guidance. Investigators also determined that Schmid, his employees, and outside sales reps made unauthorized claims about the efficacy and safety of these wipes to potential customers.
After Company 1 issued Schmid a cease-and-desist email in August of 2020 about the unauthorized use of its product, Schmid switched to “Company 2” to use its liquid, which was not registered with the EPA, in its wipes. Schmid, however, continued to claim that his wipes were an EPA-registered product. AMG also generated product labels claiming the wipes eradicated corona viruses, in addition to other falsified information (to include the ingredient list).
Between March and November 2020, AMG sold approximately 5,000 cases of the wipes, taking in close to $415,000 in sales and making approximately $33,000 in gross profit.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
United States v. Robert J. Bullock, Sr.
No. 1:24-CR-10056 (District of Massachusetts)
AUSA Benjamin Tolkoff
On March 26, 2025, Robert J. Bullock, Sr., pleaded guilty to violating the Safe Drinking Water Act for tampering with public water systems (42 U.S.C. § 300i-1(a)). Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2025.
On the evening of November 29, 2022, Bullock, a former Stoughton Water Department employee, went into one of the Water Department’s pumping stations and turned off the pump that introduces chlorine into drinking water. As a result, water that had not been properly disinfected was introduced into the drinking water system.
When questioned by investigators, Bullock claimed to not have tampered with the water system. Specifically, Bullock said that he had not knowingly turned off the chlorine pump at Goddard Pumping Station 7 on the night of November 29, 2022, when in fact he had; and that he did not set the alarms for the chlorine level to zero that night, when he did.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, and the Stoughton Massachusetts Police Department conducted the investigation.
Sentencings
United States v. National Water Main Cleaning Company
No. 3:25-CR-00002 (District of Connecticut)
AUSA Hal Chen
RCEC Man Chak Ng
On March 4, 2025, a court sentenced the National Water Main Cleaning Company (NWMCC) to pay a $500,000 fine, complete a three-year term of probation, and implement an environmental compliance program. The company will also employ an independent outside consultant to perform a compliance audit and identify an environmental compliance manager for its Connecticut facilities. NWMCC will also make a payment of $500,000 to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) to fund aquatic ecosystem enhancement projects in the South-Central Coastal Watershed.
The company pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) for knowingly discharging a pollutant into Cuff Brook while refurbishing a large culvert pipe in Cheshire, Connecticut, in July 2019 (33 U.S.C. §§ 1319 (c)(2)(A); 1311(a)). The unauthorized discharge of uncured geopolymer mortar killed more than 150 fish and contaminated Cuff Brook.
At the time of the incident, NWMCC was operating under a Code of Conduct as part of a 2014 settlement with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office to resolve civil allegations involving environmental pollution.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
United States v. Fidelity Development Group LLC
No. 3:24-CR-00077(Southern District of Ohio)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman
On March 4, 2024, a court sentenced Fidelity Development Group LLC (Fidelity) to pay a $100,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation. Fidelity pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Air Act for failing to inspect for the presence of asbestos (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(1)).
In 2015 or 2016, Fidelity purchased a building and planned to renovate it into a mixed-use property. Fidelity failed to perform or acquire an asbestos survey for the building prior to renovations. Around April 2020, a certified asbestos company conducted an asbestos survey in the Fidelity Building and identified more than 12,000 linear feet of 80% chrysolite asbestos pipe wrap insulation in friable condition.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
United States v. Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc.,et al.
Nos. 1:24-CR-00235, 00250 (Middle District of Pennsylvania)
AUSA William Behe
On March 6, 2025, a court sentenced Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc., to pay an $80,000 fine and complete a two-year term of probation. Mechanic Leon Martin will complete a two-year term of probation, to include three months’ home detention, and pay a $500,000 fine.
Both defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy and to violating the Clean Air Act (CAA) for tampering with the emission control systems for several heavy-duty diesel trucks (18 U.S.C. § 371; 42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)).
Between 2018 and October 2023, Martin provided “tuning” or “reprogramming” services by modifying the engine control modules (ECMs) on diesel trucks. The ECM is a computerized system that manages and controls the engine’s performance. During that time, Martin tampered with the emissions diagnostic systems on the vehicles for many companies to prevent the diagnostic system software from monitoring the emission control system hardware.
Frock, a long-distance trucking company based in New Oxford, Pennsylvania, transports a variety of goods, including snack foods, refrigerated items, and produce. Ed Frock owned the company until his death in August 2022.
Between November 13, 2018, and December 28, 2018, Frock contracted with co-defendant Martin to disable and/or remove emission control components from eight of their diesel trucks. Frock removed the vehicles’ ECMs from their engines and shipped them to Martin for reprogramming. Once the devices were “tuned,” Martin shipped them back to Frock, where they were reinstalled on the trucks. Martin also tampered with the onboard diagnostic equipment (OBD) to delete factory-installed emission controls from Frock’s heavy duty diesel trucks. Martin’s tunes enabled those deleted trucks to operate without emission control devices, which are required by federal law.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation.
On March 6, 2025, a court sentencedBenjamin Gathercole to complete a one-year term of probation, after he pleaded guilty to violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for illegally transporting hazardous waste without a manifest (42 U.S.C. § 6928(d)(5)).
Gathercole lived in Tappahannock, Virginia, and worked at a local brake manufacturing facility. In 2019, a Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) inspector determined that the brake manufacturing facility failed to make an accurate waste determination for 32 55-gallon drums stored on site. Some of the drums displayed labels noting they contained hazardous waste, but not in accordance with RCRA requirements. The DEQ issued a notice of violation to the facility in May 2019.
In September and October 2019, Gathercole removed 31 of the 55-gallon drums from the facility and transported them to his residence. He dug a hole near his property and buried the drums in the ground. He crushed some of them in the process, causing their contents to spill onto the ground.
In December 2020, a citizen tipped off the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the illegal burial. In November 2021, agents executed a search warrant on the defendant’s property. Gathercole admitted to burying the drums at the request of his employer and directed authorities to where he had buried them. Further testing confirmed the waste was ignitable hazardous waste. The EPA finished excavating the site in November 2022.
The EPA Criminal Investigation Division and the EPA National Enforcement Investigation Center conducted the investigation.
United States v. Keidrick D. Usifo, et al.
No. 24-CR-00040 (Eastern District of Arkansas)
AUSA Edward Walker
On March 6, 2025, a court sentenced Keidrick Usifo to pay a $5,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation. Co-defendant Deon Johnson will pay a $1,000 fine and complete an 18-month term of probation. Usifo and Johnson previously pleaded guilty to violating the Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA)(16 U.S.C. §§ 3372 (e)(1)(A), 3373 (d)).
Lawmakers enacted the BCPSA in December 2022 to protect the public by prohibiting the private ownership of big cats (such as tigers and lions) as pets and by prohibiting exhibitors from allowing public contact with big cats, including tiger cubs. This law places new restrictions on the commerce, breeding, possession, and use of certain big cat species.
In April 2023, a citizen tipped off local game authorities after seeing a tiger cub in a residential neighborhood in Conway, Arkansas. Further investigation confirmed that Usifo purchased a tiger in March 2023 from a broker in Dallas, Texas, and brought it back to his residence in Arkansas.
After receiving a second complaint about the tiger cub, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on April 21, 2023, arresting Usifo on a felony state warrant. The Conway Police Department then executed a search warrant at Usifo’s residence. The animal was not there, but they found evidence of its presence, including the fact that rooms in the house matched those in photos of the tiger that Usifo posted on Instagram.
While in the Pulaski County Detention Facility (PCDF), Usifo made several calls to Johnson, asking him to take care of the tiger while Usifo was held in detention. Johnson concealed his knowledge of the tiger when questioned by agents.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Conway Police Department, and the Little Rock Police Department.
Tiger cub, now named Fred, rescued by the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. Photo taken by case agent June 2024.
United States v. Frankluis Carela De Jesús, et al.
No. 3:24-CR-00174 (District of Puerto Rico)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan
AUSA Seth Erbe
On March 6, 2025, a court sentenced the final two Dominican nationals who attempted to smuggle tropical birds from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic. Frankluis Carela De Jesús will serve 12 months and one day of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Domingo Heureau Altagracia will complete eight months of incarceration and three years of supervised release. Waner Balbuena and Juan Graviel Ramírez Cedano were each previously sentenced to serve 12 months and one day of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. All the defendants pleaded guilty to Lacey Act trafficking and to smuggling wildlife from the United States (18 U.S.C. § 554; 16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(1), (a)(4), 3373(d)(1)(B)).
On May 3, 2024, the four Dominican nationals traveled in a flagless vessel departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to the Dominican Republic. They intended to smuggle various species of tropical birds to the Dominican Republic for financial gain. When the vessel was approximately 30 nautical miles north of Puerto Rico, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) approached the vessel and witnessed the crew tossing objects overboard. Following the boarding of the vessel, USCG authorities recovered several of the jettisoned objects, which were wooden cages containing tropical birds. Approximately 113 birds drowned as a result.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation.
On March 10, 2025, a court sentenced Travis Larson to pay a $40,000 fine and complete a five-year term of probation. Larson will also pay $2,400 in restitution, to be divided between the State of Alaska and the Port Graham Authority. Larson will forfeit $150,000 and is prohibited from hunting anywhere in the world or providing any big game commercial services while under supervision. Larsen pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act for illegally transporting four black bears and making false records (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(a)(2)(A), 3373(d)(1)(B); (d)(3)(A)).
Larson worked as a licensed big game transporter since 2010, and provided transport services through his company, Alaska Premier Sportfishing LLC (APS). Larson and APS offered paying clients transportation for multi-day hunting and fishing trips aboard a 65-foot liveaboard vessel, Venturess.
In May 2018, Larson transported eight hunters on a black bear hunt in the Nuka Bay area of the Kenai Peninsula. Each hunter paid $3,500 to participate in the hunt. The group included four Norwegian nationals. Larson knew all four people were not U.S. residents, nor were they accompanied by a licensed hunting guide or assistant guide, as required under state law.
On May 9, 2018, one foreign hunter was transported to a beach adjacent to Surprise Bay to hunt a black bear. The hunter shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the State of Alaska. On May 10, 2018, Larson transported three foreign hunters to a beach adjacent to Beauty Bay to hunt black bears. Two of the hunters each shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the Port Graham Corporation, an Alaska Native Corporation, and the other hunter shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the State of Alaska. On both days, Larson transported the hunters and the illegally harvested black bears back to his vesselvia the smaller motorboat.
On May 11, 2018, Larson transported the four foreign hunters and the four illegally harvested black bears to Homer, Alaska, where he knew the black bears would be transported in interstate and foreign commerce following the hunt. The government dismissed the charges against Larson’s business.
The National Park Service Investigative Services Branch and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
On March 10, 2025, a court sentenced Dugan Paul Daniels to six months’ incarceration, followed by three years’ supervised release, for falsifying fishing records in violation of the Lacey Act and illegally taking a sperm whale in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(d)(2), 3373(d)(3)(A), 1583(a)(1)(C), 1540(b)(1)). Daniels will also pay a $25,000 fine and perform 80 hours of community service, and is banned from commercial fishing for one year.
Daniels is a commercial fisherman with 20 years of experience. Between October and November 2020, he submitted falsified fishing records to make it appear that he lawfully caught sablefish, aka “black cod,” in federal waters on two separate occasions. In fact, Daniels illegally harvested the fish in State of Alaska waters, specifically, in Chatham Strait and Clarence Strait. The total market value of the illegally harvested fish was $127,528.
In March 2020, Daniels and three crew members were fishing for sablefish southwest of Yakobi Island in the Gulf of Alaska when they came upon a sperm whale. During the encounter, Daniels directed a crewman to shoot the whale multiple times and also tried to ram the whale with his fishing vessel. Daniels documented the encounter in writing and through text messages sent from a GPS communication device. Some of the messages stated he wished he “had a cannon to blow” the whale out of the water and that he hoped “to be reeling in a dead sperm whale.” It is a violation of the ESA to harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct involving an endangered species.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
No. 2:23-CR-00177 (Eastern District of Pennsylvania)
AUSA Christopher Parisi
On March 11, 2025, a court sentenced Bien King and Khalil King to each complete three-year terms of probation, to include six months’ home confinement. Bien King was also sentenced to pay a $1,000 fine. The defendants pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act for selling a misbranded pesticide and for violating the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for selling misbranded animal drugs (7 U.S.C. §§ 136j(a)(1)(E); 21 U.S.C. § 331(a)).
Bien King started “Little City Dogs” (LCD) a New York corporation with office space in New York City. Bien King also created a website that sold various products intended to treat diseases or pests in animals. Bien King’s son, Khalil, worked in the New York office. Khalil King was responsible for mixing ingredients and packaging various products for shipment. The defendants obtained the ingredients for these products from various suppliers in China. They knew that these suppliers routinely mislabeled shipments of these products to avoid detection by customs officials.
When LCD received orders from online sales, Khalil King and others shipped the products from the New York office to customers throughout the United States. An undercover agent placed several orders for various products through the LCD website. These purchases included a January 17, 2020, order for fipronil drops and ivermectin. Fipronil is designed to treat external parasites such as fleas and ticks. Ivermectin is designed to control heartworms in dogs and cats.
The defendants shipped the fipronil drops and ivermectin from New York to an address in Springfield, Pennsylvania. The labeling and packaging material accompanying the fipronil drops did not include information required by law. The labeling and packaging material accompanying the ivermectin likewise did not include required information. Furthermore, LCD’s facility in New York City was not registered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.
United States v. Jose V. Fernandez
No. 1:24-CR-00071 (District of Rhode Island)
AUSA John McAdams
On March 11, 2025, a court sentenced Jose V. Fernandez to complete a two-year term of probation. Fernandez pleaded guilty to making false statements for distributing false asbestos abatement training certifications (18 U.S.C. § 1001 (a)(3)).
Fernandez owned the Rhode Island Safety Environment Training Center. The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDH) accredited the facility to provide asbestos abatement training. On multiple occasions between 2021 and 2023, Fernandez submitted false documentation to the RIDH attesting that nearly two dozen individuals paid for, attended, and successfully completed an Environmental Protection Agency-approved abatement training program when, in fact, no one attended any classes.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Rhode Island Department of Health conducted the investigation.
On March 11, 2025, a court sentenced Pedro Luis Bones-Torres to 12 months’ incarceration, followed by one year of supervised release. Bones-Torres pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act for illegally constructing and depositing material into the wetlands and waters of the United States in the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (the “Jobos Estuarine Reserve”) and Las Mareas community of Salinas, Puerto Rico (33 U.S.C. §§ 1311(a), 403).
Starting in January 2020, Bones-Torres engaged in construction and land clearing activities on a property to the South of Camino de Galileo in the Las Mareas area of Salinas, Puerto Rico (the “Property”). Much of the Property supported mangrove trees with an open area that was occasionally partially submerged by the sea tides. This wetland area was within the Jobos Estuarine Reserve.
Between January 2020 and October 2022, Bones-Torres removed mangroves from the Property, depositing fill material onto the wetland area using excavation and earth moving equipment. After he filled the wetlands, he built a concrete pad, a concrete gazebo with an outdoor kitchen, a wooden gazebo, and a dock extending into Mar Negro. Bones-Torres did not seek or receive approval to fill the wetlands and was at no point permitted to fill wetlands on or near the Property.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
United States v. Royce Gillham
No. 2:24-CR-14046 (Southern District of Florida)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman
AUSA Daniel Funk
On March 13, 2025, a court sentenced Royce Gillham to 37 months’ incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Gillham, the former General Manager of a biofuel producer based in Fort Pierce, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and conspiring to make false claims (18 U.S.C.§ 371).
This biofuel company produced and sold renewable fuel and fuel credits and claimed to turn various feedstocks into biodiesel. When reporting the number of gallons produced to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Gillham and his employer vastly overstated their production volume in an effort to generate more credits. When auditors sought more information from the company, Gillham and his co-conspirators gave them false information about their fuel production and customers.
The scheme generated more than $7 million in fraudulent EPA renewable fuels credits and sought over $6 million in fraudulent tax credits connected to the purported production of biodiesel.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.
No. 2:24-CR-00161 (Central District of California)
ECS Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors
ECS Trial Attorney Lauren Steele
AUSA Dennis Mitchell
ECS Law Clerk Maria Wallace
ECS Law Clerk Tonia Sibblies
On March 14, 2025, a court sentenced Sai Keung Tin, also known as Ricky Tin, to 30 months’ incarceration, followed by one year of supervised release. Tin will also pay a $5,000 fine for his role in smuggling protected turtles from the United States to Hong Kong. Tin pleaded guilty to four counts of exporting merchandise contrary to law (18 U.S.C. § 554).
Between February 2018 and June 2023, Tin, a Chinese citizen, assisted turtle smugglers in the United States. During that time, Tin aided and abetted the trafficking of approximately 2,100 turtles to Hong Kong. The turtles were intended to be sold as part of the illegal Asian pet trade. Based on a conservative, contemporary market valuation of $2,000 per turtle, the smuggled reptiles were valued at $4.2 million.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) agents arrested Tin in February 2024 as he arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
USFWS agents obtained a search warrant to seize Tin’s cell phones, and found evidence that Tin came to the United States to smuggle turtles. He planned to travel to New Jersey, Texas, and Washington — familiarizing himself with tourist locations to present a false story if apprehended. His ultimate plan was to pay for turtles in cash, ship them around the country, and eventually illegally export them to Hong Kong.
Tin was associated with international turtle smuggler Kang Juntao, of Hangzhou City, China, who was extradited from Malaysia in 2019 and later sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to money laundering. Kang caused the shipment of approximately 1,500 turtles (with a market value exceeding $2.25 million) from the United States to Hong Kong, which included shipments to Tin.
The eastern box turtle is a subspecies of the common box turtle and native to the United States. Turtles with colorful markings are highly prized pets, particularly in China and Hong Kong, and are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations.
On March 19, 2025, Hino Motors, Ltd. (HML) was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $521.76 million, serve a five-year term of probation, during which it will be prohibited from importing any diesel engines it has manufactured into the United States, and implement a comprehensive compliance and ethics program and reporting structure. Additionally, the court entered a $1.087 billion forfeiture money judgment against the company.
Prosecutors charged HML in a single conspiracy count with five objects: to defraud the Environmental Protection Agency, to defraud the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, to violate the Clean Air Act, to commit wire fraud, and to smuggle goods into the United States, all in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.
Between 2010 and 2019, HML submitted and caused to be submitted false applications for engine certification approvals. Company engineers regularly altered emission test data, conducted tests improperly, and fabricated data without conducting any underlying tests. HML submitted fraudulent carbon dioxide emissions test data, which resulted in the calculation of false fuel consumption values for its engines. Company engineers also failed to disclose software functions that could adversely affect engines’ emission control systems. As a result of the fraud, HML imported and sold more than 105,000 non-conforming engines between 2010 and 2022.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Nos. 1:24-CR-00124, 1:21-CR-00016 (Northern District of New York)
AUSA Benjamin Clark
On March 20, 2025, a court sentenced Kyle Offringa to pay a $100,000 fine for conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act (CAA). His company, Highway and Heavy Parts, LLC (HHP), was sentenced on December 3, 2024, to pay a $25,000 fine. As part of the sentencing, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will monitor the company for ongoing compliance for a two-year period. HHP and Offringa pleaded guilty to conspiring to tamper with a required monitoring device in violation of the CAA (18 U.S.C. § 371).
Between June 2017 and March 2019, HHP and Offringa conspired with a diesel truck operator, and others, including co-conspirators Daim Logistics, Inc., and Patrick Oare, to remove, delete, and tamper with monitoring devices that were required under the CAA to be installed on heavy-duty diesel trucks. Truck operators delete the emissions control hardware on heavy-duty diesel trucks to allow them to run at higher horsepower, with greater fuel efficiency, and with reduced maintenance costs. HHP charged its customers a fee for Offringa to reprogram the vehicles’ on-board detection equipment so regulators would not discover the tampering. Customers paid HHP between $1,000 and $1,500 for each truck Offringa altered.
Oare and Daim Logistics were sentenced in November 2024 for tampering with a monitoring device or method in violation of the CAA (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2)(C)). Oare was sentenced to time served and to pay a $15,000 fine; the company will pay a $13,000 fine. In addition, prior to sentencing, the EPA and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation monitored Daim for approximately 18 months to ensure the company complied with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding the emission control devices installed on diesel vehicles owned or operated by the company.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police.
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As a University arm in providing service to the nation, the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute envisions people, institutions and communities that are resilient to disaster and climate change risks. This shall be done by empowering them with open, accessible, accurate, understandable, and timely risk-based information and by developing a culture of safety and preparedness. It adopts the whole of government, nation and society approach and the trans-disciplinary science, arts, and humanities.
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UP NOAH Website and Mobile Application
The UP NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) website and mobile application is an initiative by the University of the Philippines (UP) that provides real-time weather, flood, landslide, and other disaster-related data for the Philippines. It aims to enhance disaster risk reduction and management by offering scientific tools and hazard maps to local governments, emergency responders, and the general public.
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UPRI is dedicated to advancing scientific and policy research aimed at enhancing disaster resilience and climate adaptation in the Philippines. UPRI undertakes a variety of research initiatives, including policy research, action research, and interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary studies, all aimed at producing and applying new knowledge in DRRM.
Probabilistic Risk Assessment
UPRI advocates for the implementation of Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) to enhance disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the Philippines. PRA is a systematic approach that evaluates the likelihood and potential impacts of various hazard scenarios, including those beyond historical records, by incorporating uncertainty and randomness into risk analysis. This method contrasts with deterministic assessments, which typically consider only single, often historical, scenarios. UPRI emphasizes the necessity of PRA in national development planning to anticipate and prepare for future hazards that may surpass those previously experienced.
Capacity Building of Higher Education Institutions
UPRI actively enhances disaster resilience and climate adaptation capacities across the University of the Philippines System and other state universities and colleges (SUCs) through various strategic initiatives. UPRI actively collaborates with various SUCs to co-create local knowledge and build capacity in disaster resilience. These partnerships are crucial for formulating effective DRRM strategies tailored to local contexts.
NASA’s Stennis Space Center employees were recognized with Honoree Awards from NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Program during a March 10 ceremony in Orlando, Florida, for outstanding support of human spaceflight.
Melissa Wagner of Pass Christian, Mississippi, is a NASA contract specialist in the Office of Procurement at NASA Stennis. She received the honor for contributions to NASA’s Artemis campaign by identifying potential risks related to propulsion test efforts in support of the initiative, resulting in successful mitigation actions.
Samone Wilson of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is a NASA public affairs specialist in the Office of Communications at NASA Stennis. She received the honor for her work in telling others about NASA and NASA Stennis activities and missions. Timothy Miller of Pearl River, Louisiana, is a senior drafter for Syncom Space Services at NASA Stennis. Although unable to attend the ceremony, he received the honor for contributions supporting flight systems integration, facility readiness, and cost reduction with his use of Creo Parametric modeling, a powerful 3D software. Madison Monti of Kiln, Mississippi, is a security support specialist for Chenega Global Protection at NASA Stennis. Although unable to attend the ceremony, she received the honor for contributions supporting the badging office at NASA Stennis to ensure a consistent, efficient, and secure process. NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, Space Operations Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Kenneth Bowersox, and Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate Acting Associate Administrator Dr. Lori Glaze presented the awards. Bresnik, assistant-to-the-chief of the Astronaut Office for Exploration, was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2004. He manages the development and testing of everything that will operate beyond low-Earth orbit on Artemis missions. Bresnik previously served as commander of the International Space Station for Expedition 53 and flight engineer for Expedition 52. In recognition of flight program contributions, honorees toured NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and viewed the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft named Endurance in conjunction with the launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10. The spacecraft carried NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscomos cosmonaut Kirill Pesko to the International Space Station on March 14 as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA’s Space Flight Awareness Program recognizes outstanding job performances and contributions by civil service and contract employees throughout the year and focuses on excellence in quality and safety in support of human spaceflight. The Honoree Award is one of the highest honors presented to employees for their dedication to quality work and flight safety. Recipients must have contributed beyond their normal work requirements toward achieving a particular human spaceflight program goal; contributed to a major cost savings; been instrumental in developing material that increases reliability, efficiency or performance; assisted in operational improvements; or been a key player in developing a beneficial process improvement. For information about Silver Snoopy and other Space Flight Awareness awards, visit: SFA Honoree Award – NASA For information about NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit: Stennis Space Center – NASA
Indian Railways Implements Digital Solutions for Transparent Revenue Monitoring Regular Workforce Assessment Ensures Efficient Manpower Utilization in Indian Railways
Posted On: 02 APR 2025 7:43PM by PIB Delhi
Indian Railways has a detailed mechanism in place for continuous monitoring of revenue generated at each Railway Station. Based on passenger earnings and footfalls, Railway stations are categorized into Non-suburban Grade (NSG1-6), Suburban Grade (SG1-3) and Halt Grade (HG1-3) Stations.
The sources of revenue at the station include:
Passenger earnings: Reserved passenger earnings (through the Passenger Reservation System) and unreserved passenger earnings (through Unreserved Ticketing System).
Freight earnings: transportation of Goods, demurrage, wharfage, etc.
Other Coaching earnings: Parcel, Luggage, platform tickets, postal haulage charges, cloak room charges, demurrage / wharfage of Parcels, etc. and
Sundry earnings: revenue from rent, leased parking lots, catering receipts, revenue from commercial utilization of land, advertisements on coaches and stations, etc.
Designated officials such as Commercial Inspectors, Travelling Inspectors of Accounts, etc. of the concerned Division supervise the revenues. The monitoring of revenue generated at each Railway station is done by concerned officials at all levels i.e. Station, Division and the Zonal Head Quarters.
With a view to ensure transparency, accuracy and efficiency in the present revenue management system, following digital applications are in use which are developed by domain experts of CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems):
Passenger Reservation System (PRS)
Terminal Management System (TMS)
Parcel Management System (PMS)
Freight Operations Information System (FOIS)
Traffic Accounts Management System (TAMS)
Online payment system
e-payment system
e-Balance sheet
Indian Railways E-Procurement System (IREPS) etc.
Human resources are very vital asset of Indian Railways and it is imperative that it is utilized effectively, efficiently and rationally. In order to optimally utilize the manpower continuous review of manpower is crucial, in view of changing workload condition, introduction of new technologies, working systems and creation of new assets.
Indian Railways assessing the workload of each employee regularly by reviewing the yardsticks from time to time for achieving the same. Besides this, work studies and benchmarking are regularly conducted for rationalization of manpower for various activities of different departments to review the provision of staff.
The workload of each employee is also guided by provisions of Hours of Employment Regulations (HOER), which is statutory in nature. Classification of staff as per HOER is also periodically revised based upon job analysis. This exercise enables Indian Railways to deploy manpower for new organizations & assets and also to utilize its existing human resources in most efficient and productive manner.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
SCST commences visit to Beijing Miss Law briefed the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the HKMAO, Mr Xia Baolong, on the major work in the last four months and future plans of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB). She expressed sincere gratitude to Mr Xia and the HKMAO for their guidance and unwavering support. Mr Xia encouraged the Secretary to lead the CSTB in taking forward its duties by staying principled and innovative, to utilise the rich local resources in tourism in particular and pursue innovation, with a view to telling the good stories of Hong Kong.
Also joining the visit to Beijing are the Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ms Vivian Sum; the Commissioner for Tourism, Mrs Angelina Cheung; the Head of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong), Mr Yeung Tak-keung; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan; the Deputy Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Winnie Tse; the Commissioner for Sports, Mr George Tsoi; and the Commissioner for Cultural and Creative Industries, Mr Victor Tsang.
Accompanied by the delegation, Miss Law called on the Minister of the GASC, Mr Gao Zhidan, and briefed him on the preparatory work of the 15th National Games and the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games in Hong Kong. Asserting that the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region attaches great importance to the mega sports event co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao for the first time, Miss Law said not only does it demonstrate Hong Kong’s ability in hosting major sports events, but it also deepens collaboration between the three places and promotes development of the Greater Bay Area, laying the foundation for hosting more mega events in future.
In the afternoon, Miss Law and the delegation visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and met with the Director of the Museum, Mr Li Zongyuan. Miss Law said it was the second time she visited the Museum and she had a stronger impression this time. Noting that Hong Kong is planning for the construction of a museum to showcase the development and achievements of the country, Miss Law said the content of the Museum of the CPC’s permanent exhibition matches with one of the themes about the CPC’s history and development in the museum-in-planning. She hoped that support and professional guidance from the Museum of the CPC could be given in future exhibitions and collaborations.
At night, Miss Law and some members of the delegation watched a performance by Wiener Symphoniker at the National Centre for the Performing Arts to experience high-level arts and cultural exchanges.
Miss Law and the delegation will continue their visit to Beijing tomorrow (April 3).
Presently, Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project (508 Kms) is the only sanctioned project of High-Speed Rail in India under execution with technical and financial assistance from Government of Japan.
Being highly capital intensive, the decision to sanction any HSR Corridor/Project depends on many factors such as outcome of DPR, techno-economic feasibility, availability of resources such as financing options.
In order to increase the speed and capacity of Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes, following works/surveys have been taken up:
Delhi-Mumbai section (1386 Km):
The work for raising sectional speed to 160 kmph has been sanctioned and is in advance stage.
Out of 1386 Km route length, 196 Km has 4 rail lines and construction of 3rd & 4th line between Dahanu Road-Virar (64 Km) has been taken up.
Survey for 3rd and 4th line in the balance section for 1126 KM has-been sanctioned.
1404 Km of Western DFC (double line) has been commissioned and the work in the balance section for 102 Km has been taken up.
Construction of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Corridor (double line) covering length of 508 Km has been taken up.
Delhi-Howrah section (1450 Km):
The work for raising sectional speed to 160 kmph has been sanctioned and is in advance stage.
Presently, out of 1450 Km route length, 194 Km is 4-line section, 312 Km is 3-line section and balance 944 Km is double line rail section.
Following projects have been sanctioned and work taken up:
Multi tracking of Son Nagar – Andal (375 Km)
Aligarh – Daud Khan 3rd line (18 Km)
Mughalsarai – Allahabad 3rd line (150 Km)
Kalipahari-Bakhtarnagar 5th Line (18 Km)
Saktigarh-Chandanpur 4th line (43 Km)
Extension of Nimcha up avoiding line (9.42 Km)
Surveys for construction of 3rd line of 480 km, 4th line of 96 Km and 5th line of 151 Km have been sanctioned.
Eastern DFC (1337 Km) has been commissioned.
Augmentation/Improvement of passenger amenities on Indian Railways is a continuous and on-going process. Accordingly, Ministry of Railways has launched Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for redevelopment of stations which envisages development of stations with a long-term approach. It involves preparation of master plans and their implementation in phases to improve the amenities at the stations like improvement of station access, circulating areas, waiting halls, toilets, lift/escalators as necessary, platform surfacing and cover over platform, cleanliness, free Wi-Fi, kiosks for local products through schemes like ‘One Station One Product’, better passenger information systems, executive lounges, nominated spaces for business meetings, landscaping, etc. keeping in view the necessity at each station.
The scheme also envisages improvement of building, integrating the station with both sides of the city, multimodal integration, amenities for Divyangjans, sustainable and environment friendly solutions, provision of ballastless tracks, etc. as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of city centre at the station in the long term. So far, 1337 stations have been identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
In order to ensure safety, Indian Railways continuously upgrades and modernises its signaling system like Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralized operation of points and signals, Complete Track Circuiting of stations, Interlocking of Level Crossing Gates (LC) etc. Indian Railways has also gone for implementation of advance technology system “Kavach” as an Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system which required safety certification of highest order.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Union Government released Rs 4,906.32, 666.33 crore and 1,238.48 crore under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Jan Shikshan Sansthan scheme and National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme respectively in the last five years (upto 2023-24)
Posted On: 02 APR 2025 6:19PM by PIB Delhi
Under the Government of India’s Skill India Mission (SIM), the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) delivers skill, re-skill and up-skill training through an extensive network of skill development centers under various schemes, viz. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) scheme, National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and Craftsman Training Scheme (CTS) through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), to all the sections of the society across the country. The SIM aims at enabling youth of India to get future ready, equipped with industry relevant skills. The Schemes of MSDE are demand driven and the Training Centers are set up or engaged on need basis. Details of the State-wise Training Centers set up or engaged under the schemes of MSDE are at Annexure.
Funds under PMKVY and JSS scheme are released to implementing agencies for meeting the training cost as per prescribed norms. Funds are released under JSS scheme to Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs) directly. Under NAPS, stipend support up to Rs 1500/- per month is released to apprentices through DBT. Day to day administration as well as financial control in respect of ITIs lies with the respective State government/UT Administration. Details of funds released for implementation of skill development schemes of MSDE during last five years up to 2023-24 are as under:
Scheme
Funds Released (Rs in Cr)
PMKVY
4906.32
JSS
666.33
NAPS
1238.48
To promote the digital skills, including advanced digital skills and artificial intelligence, MSDE has undertaken the following initiatives:
New training programs have been introduced under PMKVY 4.0 to enhance digital and technical skills among youth. PMKVY 4.0 has focus on new age skills like AI/ML, Web 3.0, etc. which are specially designed for upcoming market demand and industry requirements.
Under NAPS, there are approx 60 private establishments which are currently providing apprenticeship in seven (07) AI-related courses.
Directorate General of Training (DGT) under the aegis of MSDE has introduced 31 new age /future skills courses under Craftsmen Training Scheme in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) to provide digital training in emerging areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Mechatronics, Internet of Things, Cybersecurity, Semiconductor, etc.
With a view to adopt the best practices in the digital skill training, DGT has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with leading IT tech companies like IBM, CISCO, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Microsoft. These partnerships facilitate the provision of technical and professional skills training in modern technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data Analytics (BDA), Blockchain, Cloud Computing, etc.
Directorate General of Training (DGT) under MSDE has introduced one course ‘Artificial Intelligence Programming Assistant (AIPA)’ to impart AI-based skill training through Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs). Also, a micro-credential course “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI)” of 7.5-hour has been developed for all CTS trainees in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), in collaboration with industry and academic experts.
MSDE has launched ‘Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH)’ platform, a comprehensive and accessible platform for skill enhancement, offering industry-relevant skill courses, job opportunities, and entrepreneurship support to youth of the country. SIDH offers an extensive array of AI and ML courses, ranging from foundational programs like ‘Fundamentals of Azure AI Speech’ and ‘Machine Learning’, to specialized offerings such as ‘Google Cloud Generative AI’ and ‘AI Strategy to Create Business Value in Healthcare’, to cater to varying levels of expertise and application, enabling participants to stay at the forefront of AI and ML technology.
National Skill Development Corporation under the aegis of MSDE has partnered with a number of international organizations such as AWS, Microsoft, Intel, Redhat, Pearson VUE, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Cisco Networking Academy for providing digital courses.
ANNEXURE
State-wise details of the Training Centres set up or engaged under schemes of MSDE
State/UT
PMKVY 4.0
Centres
JSS
Centers
NAPS
Establishments
CTS ( ITIs)
Govt. ITIs
Pvt. ITIs
Andaman and
Nicobar Islands
7
1
20
3
1
Andhra Pradesh
408
6
1,147
85
434
Arunachal Pradesh
86
0
25
7
0
Assam
833
6
941
31
16
Bihar
596
21
548
150
1,219
Chandigarh
9
1
166
2
0
Chhattisgarh
202
14
324
120
106
Delhi
222
3
3,013
18
28
DNH & DD
9
2
130
4
0
Goa
8
1
495
11
2
Gujarat
377
8
12,458
273
215
Haryana
629
2
5,872
159
222
Himachal Pradesh
210
11
740
128
139
Jammu And Kashmir
694
1
554
49
0
Jharkhand
246
13
442
77
269
Karnataka
457
12
2,452
274
1,192
Kerala
145
9
1,904
149
297
Ladakh
12
0
16
3
0
Lakshadweep
1
1
1
1
0
Madhya Pradesh
1,527
29
1,126
195
767
Maharashtra
684
21
9,086
422
615
Manipur
164
4
23
10
0
Meghalaya
99
1
41
7
1
Mizoram
102
1
20
3
0
Nagaland
91
1
22
9
0
Odisha
307
29
738
73
427
Puducherry
23
0
245
8
7
Punjab
617
2
933
115
205
Rajasthan
1,613
9
984
182
1,363
Sikkim
37
0
69
4
0
Tamil Nadu
581
9
2,892
93
363
Telangana
157
6
1,314
66
232
Tripura
151
2
98
20
2
Uttar Pradesh
2,965
47
6,395
294
2,964
Uttarakhand
231
8
738
103
71
West Bengal
344
8
1,352
168
139
Overall
14,844
289
49,788
3,316
11,296
This information was given by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Jayant Chaudhry, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on April 02, 2025.
The Union Government has been working towards establishing institutional mechanisms to foster the global mobility of Indian workers as well as students, academicians, researches, business persons etc. The Government has been proactively furthering the mobility for Indian workforce through diverse MoUs/agreements such as, Migration and Mobility Partnerships, Labour mobility and Labour Welfare Agreements, Skill Development and Vocational Education and Training with destination countries, which establish a robust framework for legal migration.
These agreements/MoUs seek to enhance global employment opportunities for Indian workers while protecting their labour rights, preventing irregular migration and supporting skill development.
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), under the aegis of MSDE, has trained a total of 23,254 candidates and certified 22,455 in the past 3 years (2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25) for international mobility.
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has MoUs or Memoranda of Cooperation (MoCs) with seven countries, namely, Australia, Denmark, Japan, Germany, Qatar, Singapore and UAE, for cooperation in skill development and Vocational Education and Training. Focused on increased opportunities for Indian workforce, both domestic and global, these agreements facilitate technical exchanges, collaborative training programs, qualification recognition, and the sharing of best practices.
Further, with the efforts of MSDE, the New Delhi Leaders Declaration accepted by the leaders of G20 made a commitment towards developing an international reference classification of occupations by skills and qualification requirements to facilitate cross-country comparability and mutual recognition of skills and qualifications. The International Labour Organization (ILO) will be the agency undertaking this study.
It is the constant endeavour of MSDE to engage with different countries and facilitate gainful employment opportunities to the youth of the country. Accordingly, NSDC, under the aegis of MSDE, has undertaken a study of following 16 countries to understand their skill requirements:
Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Germany, Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, United States of America, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.
Additionally, in line with the Budget announcement for the fiscal year 2023-24, MSDE has proposed establishment of 30 Skill India International Centres (SIICs) across various states. The SIICs are envisioned as centralized hubs for individuals seeking employment abroad. The overarching goal of SIICs is to establish a ‘Trusted Workforce Supply Chain’ ensuring fair and transparent skilled mobility from India. Currently, two SIICs have been established, one in Varanasi and another at SDI, Bhubaneswar and further 05 centres have been approved by Project Steering Committee (PSC).
This information was given by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Shri Jayant Chaudhary, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on April 02, 2025.
The government has established the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) through ANRF Act of 2023, which was notified in February 2024. The ANRF aims to receive funds in the form of ANRF Fund, Innovation Fund, Science and Engineering Research Fund and Special Purpose Funds. A budgetary provision of Rs. 14,000 crores have been made from the Central Government and remaining amount will be sourced through donations from any other source, including from public sector enterprises, the private sector, philanthropist organizations, foundations or recoveries made of the amounts granted to ANRF, any income from investment of the amounts received by ANRF and all amounts with the Fund for Science and Engineering Research under the repealed Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008.For the Financial Year 2024-25, ANRF has been allocateda Revised Estimate (RE) of Rs. 966 crores of which Rs. 721 crores has already been utilized.
Educational universities can obtain research grant through submitting research proposals in competitive mode under the different calls advertised from ANRF as per respective guidelines. So far, five calls have been announced: Prime Minister Early Career Research Grant (PMECRG), EV-Mission, Inclusive Research Grant (IRG), Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) and JC Bose Grant. Among these, the PAIR program aims to strengthen the research capabilities of higher education institutions, where research is still in the early stages but holds significant potential. This program pairs emerging institutions with established, top-tier research institutions in a ‘Hub & Spoke’ framework, providing mentorshipand support. The objectives of the PAIR programme include: support internationally competitive research with substantial impact and outcome; foster successful and productive collaborative networks between diverse institutions; and propel the advancement of institutions by (i) upscaling and building advanced research infrastructure and capabilities, (ii) enhancing the quality of research and (iii) facilitating infusion of best practices and research culture.
The PAIR program has earmarked a budget of Rs. 1,500 crores over five years, with each selected PAIR networkeligible for funding up to Rs. 100 crore. Of this, 30% of the funds will go to the Hub institution, while 70%will be allocated to the Spokeinstitutions. It is envisaged that the hubs in tandem with select spokes are expected to come up with competitive, impactful research proposals with potentially significant outcomes in the specified indicative themes.
In its first phase, the program is targeting universities that have demonstrated potential through national ranking and those that show promisefor scaling up their research capabilities.The evaluation process for the proposals received under different ANRF calls is currently underway.
As on date, there is no plan of setting up regional centres of Anusandhan National Research Foundation in collaboration with education institutions, however, under a program, Partnerships for Accelerated Innovation and Research (PAIR) which is designed to work in ‘Hub & Spoke’ framework, hubs will be set up across the country.
This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is implementing Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) scheme to attract, nurture and retain meritorious youth to study natural sciences areas at the college and university level and to pursue research careers in both basic and applied science areas including engineering, medicine, agriculture and veterinary sciences. The ultimate objective is to expand the R&D base of the country. It is implemented on pan India scale through four components. INSPIRE scheme’s component-wise salient features are given below:
INSPIRE Internship component of INSPIRE aims at providing exposure to the top 1% students at Class X Board level by organizing Science Camps either during summer or winter and provide opportunity to them to interact with science icons from India and abroad, including Nobel Laureates, to experience the joys of scientific pursuit. These science camps nourish the curiosity of students in science, help them to think out-of-the box and attract students at an early age of 16-17 years to choose science subjects for further studies.
Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)component of INSPIREaims to enhance the rate of attachment of talented youth to undertake higher education in science intensive programs by providing scholarships and mentorship support. The scheme offers 12,000 scholarships of 5-year duration @ Rs 0.80 lakh per year to undertake Bachelor and master’s level education in basic and natural Sciences area for the top 1% talented youth as per central and state education board data in the age group 17-22 years.
INSPIRE Fellowshipcomponent of INSPIREaims to provide fellowship to M.Sc. 1st Rank holders in Basic & Applied Sciences including engineering, medicine, agriculture, veterinary at the University/academic institute of national importance i.e. IITs, NITs, IISERs level examination as well as Inspire Scholars having secure 70% marks in aggregate at the MSc level who are eligible for admission to the Ph.D. program in any recognized university/ academic institutions in the country every year. The Fellowships are tenable for maximum 5 years (2 years as JRF @ Rs.37000/pm + HRA + Contingency grant of Rs.20000/annum and 3 years as SRF @ Rs.42000/pm + HRA + Contingency grant of Rs.20000/annum) or completion of PhD, whichever is earlier to pursue full-time Ph.D. program. Maximum 1000 INSPIRE Fellowships per year are tenable.
INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship component of INSPIRE aims to provide opportunities to post- doctoral researchers in the age group of 27-32 year (the upper age limit for SC/ST/Women candidates and persons with benchmark disabilities is 37 and 42 years respectively) for 5 years in both basic and applied sciences area including engineering, agriculture, veterinary and medicine every year. Aspirants having Ph.D. degree with strong academic and research track record are considered on competitive basis. It grants an attractive fellowship for a duration of 5 years with a consolidated emolument of Rs. 1,25,000/- p.m. with annual increment of Rs.200 per annum and a research grant of Rs.7 lakh per annum. This scheme has motivated young researchers to pursue high-quality post-Ph.D. research within the country. Maximum 150 INSPIRE Faculty Fellowships per year are tenable.
The details of the number of students selected from the States/Union Territories during 2024-2025 till 27.03.2025 under the said scheme are given below:
S. No.
State/UT
INSPIRE-Internship
INSPIRE-SHE
INSPIRE-Fellowship
INSPIRE-Faculty Fellowship
1
Andhra Pradesh
530
5
11
0
2
Arunachal Pradesh
0
0
2
0
3
Assam
0
84
24
4
4
Bihar
0
172
6
1
5
Chandigarh
0
3
10
0
6
Chhattisgarh
150
421
13
0
7
Delhi
200
61
53
8
8
Goa
0
6
10
0
9
Gujarat
350
93
21
0
10
Haryana
0
66
7
1
11
Himachal Pradesh
450
138
7
1
12
Jammu and Kashmir
150
2
21
3
13
Jharkhand
0
23
5
3
14
Karnataka
150
60
46
16
15
Kerala
150
376
31
3
16
Madhya Pradesh
0
573
28
2
17
Maharashtra
200
198
34
8
18
Manipur
0
138
2
1
19
Meghalaya
0
49
1
0
20
Mizoram
0
13
4
0
21
Nagaland
0
9
1
0
22
Odisha
0
108
23
2
23
Puducherry
0
2
3
0
24
Punjab
550
61
30
2
25
Rajasthan
0
2879
9
0
26
Sikkim
0
0
2
0
27
Tamil Nadu
975
44
59
6
28
Telangana
450
31
36
4
29
Tripura
0
3
1
0
30
Uttar Pradesh
1200
5374
40
4
31
Uttarakhand
400
387
22
0
32
West Bengal
350
362
52
9
This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Indian Scientists have developed advanced technologies for solid waste management, including plastic waste. Significant progress has been made by Indian researchers, institutions, and innovators in devising technologies and strategies to manage solid waste.
Various technologies have been developed for effective management of the solid waste. Some of these technologies are given below: –
CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT) has developed a novel high-rate bio methanation technology for decentralized applications of sewage and organic solid waste. This technology is superior in terms of biogas and bio-manure production as it incorporates novel pre and post processing technologies required for the bio methanation of organic solid waste. This technology has been commercialized and is in operation.
CSIR- Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) has developed a decentralised solid waste management technology. The significant features of the technology include mechanized segregation system for biodegradable & non-biodegradable waste; Eco-friendly disposal of plastic waste through agglomeration process; Generation of bio-gas from organic waste and conversion of agro-waste into briquette. The technology has been transferred to industries for commercialization.
Indian scientists have developed a technology to recycle the Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste to produce a high compressive strength Glass Foam Bricks, which are offering a sustainable alternative to conventional building materials.
A robust mechanical separator has been developed to facilitate the efficient disassembly of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, supporting enhanced recycling and sustainability in the solar energy sector.
CSIR- Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (AMPRI) has developed a technology for the bulk utilization of fly ash in the production of synthetic fine and coarse aggregates, which can replace conventional natural aggregates in construction, promoting sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of traditional aggregate production.
Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) Tirupathi and CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML) has developed a technology for recycling of graphite from spent Lithium-ion batteries for high energy Li-ion capacitors.
With the support of DST, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT) has developed an indigenous non-pathogenic psychrophilic bacterial formulations and composting methods for accelerated composting of municipal solid waste and agricultural waste in cold regions.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has setup Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) nationwide, for sorting, processing and recycling of segregated dry waste .
Technologies developed for management of plastic waste:
Department of Science and Technology (DST) through Waste Management Technologies (WMT) program, has developed and demonstrated a technology for conversion of municipal mixed plastic waste to high quality plasto-fuels for transportation and industrial heating applications. A 2-TPD (Tonnes Per Day) demo plant was setup at Vadodara. The plant is flexible enough to convert all kinds of mixed plastic waste collected from residential communities, railway establishments and industries.
Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET)-Bhubaneswar has developed an eco-friendly technology for upcycling of different grades of plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment to high impact grade plastics.
Recycling of plastic waste into tiles: CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL) has developed a novel technology to convert waste plastic scrap to floor tiles, interlock tiles, paver tiles, and roof tiles. The technology has been transferred to industry for commercialization.
Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals (DCPC) has established three Plastic Waste Management Centres (PWMCs) for effective plastics waste management solutions, to develop eco-friendly cost-effective value added recyclates and to establish digital demonstration facilities on plastic recycling and waste management.
Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM): Government’s initiative like Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) has played a key role in improving solid waste and plastic-waste management, in both urban and rural areas. In October 2021, government launched the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0), with the overall vision of creating “Garbage Free Cities.” Under this mission, material recovery facilities (MRFs), waste-to-energy plants, and recycling units have been created which have led to an increase in the solid waste processing capacity by 1,05,876 TPD in the urban areas under SwachhBharat Mission Urban.
These steps reflect Government’s commitment to bridging the gap between scientific innovation and practical implementation, ensuring sustainable solid waste management and a reduction in plastic pollution.
This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
A call for proposals (CFP) on “Geospatial Technology and Solutions” was issued on 13th June 2024 through the Electronic Project Management System Portal (e-PMS portal), in which Proposals were invited only in consortium mode, comprising academia, startups/MSMEs/industry, and user-agencies/practitioners.
A total of 280 proposals were received under this CFP. The proposal titled “Spring Shed Management and linking of Ecohydrological processes to Human well-being in water-scarce regions of the Western Ghats using Geospatial Technology” was also received online under the above said CFP. The proposal aimed to develop a Geographical Information System (GIS)-based Spring Information System for selected districts of Western Ghats for assessing climate and land use impacts on watershed hydrology.
A Project Screening Committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of an eminent professor and other Expert members representing, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Survey of India (SoI), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Central Universities, Other IITs, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), as well as from private sector etc. The total 280 proposals received online through e-PMS portal, were presented before the Project Screening Committee during its meeting held on 26th–27th September 2024 at IIT Delhi. The said proposal was not recommended by the Project Screening Committee for the next level as the committee opined that “The proposal seems to be more research focused lacking scalability and commercialization potential; the consortium partner appears to lack experience and/or expertise”. Out of the 280 proposals, committee finally recommended 11proposals for financial support.
This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
NATIONAL MISSION ON INTERDISCIPLINARY-CYBER PHYSICAL SYSTEMS
Posted On: 02 APR 2025 5:37PM by PIB Delhi
The details of the total number of research projects piloted under National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), along with the funds allocated and disbursed, year-wise and location-wise are as under:
S. No.
TIH Name & Location
No. of Research Projects
Funds Allocated
(In Lakhs)
Funds Disbursed (in Lakhs)
(Financial year-wise)
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
2024-25
1
TIH Foundation For IOT And IOE, IIT Bombay, Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 400076
A list of TIHs approved and established under NM-ICPS (State-wise) along with the total funds allocated and disbursed (year-wise) till date is as under:
TIH Name & Host Institution
State/UT
Sanctioned Year
Funds Allocated (₹ Cr)
Funds Disbursed (₹ Cr)
TIH Foundation For IOT And IOE, IIT Bombay
Maharashtra
2020
170.00
97.41
Project ‘BharatGen’ on LLM
2024
235.18
89.66
IIIT-H Data I-Hub Foundation, IIIT Hyderabad
Hyderabad
2020
110.00
58.77
I-HUB for Robotics and Autonomous Systems Innovation Foundation, IISc Bangalore
Karnataka
2020
170.00
113.25
IHUB NTIHAC Foundation, IIT Kanpur
Uttar Pradesh
2020
170.00
143.19
IHUB Drishti Foundation, IIT Jodhpur
Rajasthan
2020
115.00
54.95
Divyasampark IHUB Roorkee for Devices Materials and Technology Foundation, IIT Roorkee
Uttarakhand
2020
135.00
111.70
IIT Patna Vishlesan I-hub Foundation, IIT Patna
Bihar
2020
110.00
22.25
IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation, IIT Madras
Tamil Nadu
2020
170.00
156.18
NMICPS Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation Foundation (TiHAN), IIT Hyderabad
Hyderabad
2020
135.00
127.43
I-DAPT-HUB Foundation, IIT (BHU) Varanasi
Uttar Pradesh
2020
110.00
23.37
IIT Guwahati Technology Innovation and Development Foundation, IIT Guwahati
IIT Bhilai Innovation and Technology Foundation, IIT Bhilai
Chhattisgarh
2020
55.00
50.80
Total
3435.18
1852.43
The details of the number of Centre of Excellence (CoEs) established under NM-ICPS, year-wise and State-wise is as under:
S. No.
Name of State/UT
No. of CoEs Established (year-wise)
1
Uttar Pradesh
2 (2022, 2025)
2
Goa
3 (2023, 2025)
3
Tamil Nadu
2 (2024, 2025)
4
Himachal Pradesh
2 (2024)
5
Haryana
1 (2022)
6
Delhi
3 (2023)
7
Jharkhand
10 (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
8
Karnataka
4 (2023, 2024, 2025)
9
Nagaland
1 (2025)
10
Manipur
1 (2025)
11
Mizoram
1 (2025)
12
Maharashtra
1 (2025)
13
West Bengal
1 (2025)
14
Madhya Pradesh
1 (2023)
15
Rajasthan
2 (2024, 2025)
16
Andhra Pradesh
5 (2025)
17
Telangana
2 (2025)
18
Kerala
2 (2023, 2025)
19
Punjab
12 (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
20
Uttarakhand
1 (2024)
21
Ladakh
1 (2024)
22
Sikkim
1 (2024)
23
Assam
5 (2022, 2023, 2024)
Total
64
The total number of Government and Industry Research and Development (R&D) labs participating under NM-ICPS, year-wise and State-wise are as under:
S. No.
TIH Name
State
Total number of Government and Industry Research and Development (R&D) labs (year-wise)
1
IIIT-H Data I-Hub Foundation
Telangana
44 (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
2
NMICPS Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation Foundation (TiHAN)
3
I-HUB for Robotics and Autonomous Systems Innovation Foundation
Karnataka
5 (2021, 2023, 2024, 2025)
4
I-DAPT-HUB Foundation
Uttar Pradesh
5 (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
5
IHUB Drishti Foundation
Rajasthan
6 (2024, 2025)
6
BITS BioCYTiH Foundation
7
IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation
Tamil Nadu
5 (2021, 2022)
8
IIT Guwahati Technology Innovation and Development Foundation
Assam
11 (2023, 2024)
9
IIT MandiIHub and HCI Foundation
Himachal Pradesh
5 (2022, 2023)
10
I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC)
Delhi
55 (2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
11
IHUB Anubhuti-IIITD Foundation
12
IIT Palakkad Technology Ihub Foundation
Kerala
4 (2023, 2024, 2025)
13
IIT Ropar Technology and Innovation Foundation
Punjab
6 (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
14
Technology Innovation in Exploration & Mining Foundation
Jharkhand
4 (2022, 2023, 2024)
15
IIT Kharagpur AI4ICPS I-Hub Foundation
West Bengal
6 (2023, 2024, 2025)
16
IITI Drishti CPS Foundation
Madhya Pradesh
6 (2021, 2022, 2024)
17
IIT TirupatiNavavishkar I-Hub Foundation
Andhra Pradesh
4 (2023, 2024)
18
IIT Bhilai Innovation and Technology Foundation
Chhattisgarh
2 (2022, 2024)
Total
168
This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Following measures have been adopted to establish a resilient and cost-effective coal evacuation logistics system:
Coal Logistic Plan and Policy was launched by Ministry of Coal in February, 2024 to enhance supply chain efficiency, reduce costs & promote sustainability.
Development of First Mile Connectivity (FMC) Projects to enhance the efficiency of coal evacuation from mines to dispatch points. These projects focus on developing mechanized coal loading infrastructure, such as conveyor belts, and crushers with minimal manual intervention to make the system more cost-effective.
iii. Improvement in Rail Infrastructure to expand rail network to ensure smoother and faster evacuation of coal.
iv. Use of Rail Sea Rail Mode as an alternate route to rail or road for coal evacuation especially for power plants and industries located near coastal regions to ease the coal transportation movement in the country.
39 First Mile Connectivity (FMC) projects with a total capacity of 386 million tons have been completed by coal companies.
During last two years, coal movement via Rail-sea-Rail route has increased from about 28 million tons in financial year 2021-22 to about 54 million tons in financial year 2023-24.
This information was given by Union Minister of Coal and Mines Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Fiscal Health Index 2025 Mapping India’s State-Level Economic Resilience
Posted On: 02 APR 2025 5:42PM by PIB Delhi
Introduction
The Fiscal Health Index (FHI) initiative by NITI Aayog aims to evolve an understanding of the fiscal health of states in India. The FHI analysis covers eighteen major states that drive the Indian economy in terms of their contribution to India’s GDP, demography, total public expenditure, revenues, and overall fiscal stability. Odisha leads the Index, followed by Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand and Gujarat. As states are responsible for approximately two-thirds of public spending and one-third of total revenue, their fiscal performance is important for the country’s overall economic stability. The report objectively evaluates each state’s fiscal health through a composite index, facilitating comparisons and benchmarking against best practices. The composite Fiscal Health Index has been developed using data from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), covering the Financial Year 2022-23.
Objectives of the Fiscal Health Index
To provide a comparative analysis of fiscal health across Indian states through standardized metrics.
To identify areas of strength and concern in states’ fiscal management practices.
To promote transparency, accountability, and prudent fiscal management through empirical assessment.
To assist policymakers in making informed decisions aimed at enhancing fiscal sustainability and resilience.
Key Indicators Evaluated
The Fiscal Health Index 2025 is based on a comprehensive set of indicators that are grouped into five broad categories:
Tax Buoyancy
Tax buoyancy is a ratio of change in tax revenue in relation to change in gross state domestic product or GSDP of a state. It measures how responsive a taxation policy is to growth in economic activities.
Revenue Generation and Mobilization: Assessment of states’ own revenue receipts, tax buoyancy, and non-tax revenue generation.
Debt-to-GSDP
The debt-to-GDP ratio is a metric that compares a state’s total public debt to its gross state domestic product (GSDP), indicating its ability to repay its debts, and is often expressed as a percentage.
Expenditure Management and Prioritization: Evaluation of efficiency in expenditure allocation, prioritization of capital expenditure, and adherence to fiscal discipline.
Debt Management: Analysis of states’ debt-to-GSDP ratios, interest payment burdens, and overall sustainability of debt portfolios.
Fiscal Deficit Management: Measurement of states’ fiscal deficit as a percentage of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) and adherence to statutory limits.
Overall Fiscal Sustainability: Composite analysis of revenue, expenditure, deficit, and debt indicators to gauge long-term fiscal health.
Key Findings
Odisha leads the fiscal health index with a top score of 67.8, excelling in the Debt Index (99.0) and Debt Sustainability (64.0). It maintains low fiscal deficits, a strong debt profile, and a high Capital Outlay/GSDP ratio. Chhattisgarh (55.2)and Goa (53.6) follow, excelling in Debt Index and Revenue Mobilization, respectively. Odisha, Jharkhand, Goa, and Chhattisgarh excel in non-tax revenue mobilization, averaging 21% of Total Revenue, with Odisha benefiting from mining premiums and Chhattisgarh from coal block auctions. Conversely, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Kerala face significant fiscal challenges, including low expenditure quality, poor debt sustainability, and high fiscal deficits. States like Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Goa, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh allocate around 27% of their Developmental Expenditure to Capital Expenditure, while West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan allocate only about 10%. While top states excel in Debt Index and Sustainability, West Bengal and Punjab struggle with rising debt-to-GSDP ratios, raising concerns about debt sustainability.
Sustainability of Debt Portfolios
Sustainability of debt portfolios refers to state’s ability to meet its current and future debt obligations without defaulting or requiring exceptional financial assistance, focusing on both solvency and liquidity.
Top Performers: Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Goa excel in Debt Index, Debt Sustainability, and Revenue Mobilization.
Revenue Mobilization: Odisha, Jharkhand, Goa, and Chhattisgarh effectively mobilize non-tax revenue (average 21% of Total Revenue).
Debt Index
The ratio of Interest Payments to Revenue Receipts (IP/RR) indicating the percentage of Revenue Receipts used for interest payment on account of outstanding debt.
Aspirational States: Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala face fiscal challenges like poor debt sustainability and high deficits.
Capital Expenditure: High allocation (27%) by Odisha, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh; Low allocation (10%) by West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan.
Debt Concerns: West Bengal and Punjab face growing debt burdens and increasing debt-to-GSDP ratios.
Conclusion
The Fiscal Health Index 2025 offers a valuable tool for assessing the fiscal performance of Indian states. It highlights the need for continuous monitoring, prudent fiscal management, and proactive measures to enhance states’ financial health. The Index underscores the importance of revenue generation, efficient expenditure management, debt control, and adherence to fiscal deficit targets for overall fiscal sustainability. The FHI report has been shared with all States/UTs to help them evaluate their fiscal performance across key indicators. States are encouraged to adopt sustainable fiscal practices suited to their economies and work towards fiscal prudence through appropriate state-level interventions
Government has approved Semicon India programme with a total outlay of Rs 76,000 crore for the development of semiconductor and display manufacturing ecosystem in India. which provides:
Fiscal support of 50% of the project cost on pari-passu basis for setting up of Silicon Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) based Semiconductor Fabs in India.
Fiscal support of 50% of Project Cost on pari-passu basis for setting up of Display Fabs in India.
Fiscal support of 50% of the Capital Expenditure on pari-passu basis for setting up of Compound Semiconductors / Silicon Photonics (SiPh) / Sensors (including Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) Fab/ Discrete Semiconductor Fab and Semiconductor Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) / Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facilities in India.
Product Design Linked Incentive of up to 50% of the eligible expenditure subject to a ceiling of ₹15 Crore per application and also “Deployment Linked Incentive” of 6% to 4% of net sales turnover over 5 years subject to a ceiling of ₹30 Crore per application for incentivising chip design.
Government has also approved modernisation of Semi-Conductor Laboratory, Mohali to enhance efficiency and cycle time.
Government has approved five semiconductor manufacturing projects that includes One Semiconductor Fabrication facility and four Semiconductor ATMP/OSAT facilities under Semicon India Program with cumulative investment of around Rs. 1,52,000 crore. The approved projects are under various phases of implementation and are expected to be completed in 4–6-year timeframe.
Further, to strengthen semiconductor manufacturing and creating a semiconductor ecosystem in the country, Government has entered in Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with USA, European Union, Japan and Singapore.
Semiconductor manufacturing is very complex and Technology intensive sector which requires specialized skilled manpower. To address this, the following measures have been taken by the Government:
All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched the new curriculum for B. Tech in Electronics Engineering (Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) Design and Technology), Diploma in Integrated Circuit (IC) manufacturing and Minor Degree in Electronics Engineering (VLSI Design and Technology), as a step towards creation of Talent pool in Semiconductor domain.
Government has launched the Chips to Startup (‘C2S’) programme which plans to train 85,000 industry ready workforce at about 113 participating institutions in VLSI and Embedded System Design. More than 43,000 engineering students have been onboarded for training at 113 organizations under C2S Programme till date.
A Skilled Manpower Advanced Research and Training (SMART) Lab has been setup in NIELIT Calicut in 2022 with an aim to train one lakh engineers nation-wide within 5 years in VLSI and Embedded System design. More than 42,000 engineers have been trained nationwide using the SMART Lab.
Further, the following collaborations/ partnerships have been entered into by India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) to encourage skill development:
MoU between ISM with IISc and Lam Research: To train about 60,000 Indian engineers in the upcoming 10 years through Lam Research’s Semiverse platform.
MoU between ISM and IBM: To facilitate Indian students/professionals to build a broad skill base by gaining access to laboratories and research focal centers and establishing internship and fellowship programs.
MoU between ISM with Purdue University: To promote the cutting-edge research and development and commercialization thereof, curating skilled talent pool and investment opportunities in India enabling the Indian professionals to explore their potential in the semiconductor and display space.
Government is focused on its objective of building the overall semiconductor design and manufacturing ecosystem with an emphasis on fostering R&D in semiconductor area in the country. MeitY supports R&D projects in the area of semiconductors at academic institutions, research organizations, and startup companies through a dedicated R&D Scheme. Some of them includes but not limited to the following- nanotechnology, semiconductor materials, semiconductor processes, chip design, semiconductor IP Cores etc
This information was given by the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology Shri Jitin Prasada in Lok Sabha today.
Government of India Takes Measures for Digital Infrastructure Upgradation in Villages
Posted On: 02 APR 2025 6:06PM by PIB Delhi
The BharatNet project is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages beyond GPs on demand basis across the country.
For providing a reliable network to ensure quality internet for the users, amended BharatNet program approved by the Union Cabinet on 04.08.2023 has inter-alia provisions to upgrade existing BharatNet network in ring architecture, focus on utilization of the network through BharatNet Udyamis, BSNL is appointed as the single Project Management Agency (PMA) under Amended BharatNet program for Operation & Maintenance of the entire network based on Service Level Agreement (SLA), Dedicated Network Operation Centre, etc.
State-UT/wise details of FTTH connections provided under BharatNet is attached as Annexure-I.
Government of India launched National Broadband Mission 2.0 on January 17, 2025, with the vision of fast-tracking the rapid expansion of digital communications infrastructure, bridging the digital divide and fostering digital empowerment and inclusion, ensuring High-Speed Broadband and Meaningful Connectivity for all.
MeitY initiated Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) to ensure/provide digital literacy in 6 crore rural households (one person per household) nationwide. The Scheme was implemented by CSC e-Governance Services India Limited through Common Service Centres (CSCs) present at Gram Panchayats level across the country. As against 6 crore, 6.39 crore individuals were trained. The training & certification under the scheme was officially concluded on March 31 , 2024. The States/UTs wise achievement is given as Annexure-II.
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) conducted the ‘Comprehensive Annual Modular Survey’ (CAMS) in its 79th round (July, 2022 to June, 2023). As per the survey, among the persons aged 15-24 years, around 78.4 percent reported execution of skill of ‘sending messages (e.g., e-mail, messaging service, SMS) with attached files (e.g., documents, pictures, video)’. Further, about 94.2 percent of rural households and about 97.1 percent of urban households possess telephone and/or mobile phone. From the said report, given the significant rise in smart-phone usage, internet penetration, and digital engagement in rural areas, the objectives of the scheme were successfully achieved.
Impact analysis of the PMGDISHA scheme was carried out by three agencies namely IIT Delhi, Council for Social Development (CSD) and Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA). The gist of the evaluation report is that the PMGDISHA is a unique scheme due to its large scale and the use of remotely proctored examinations. The training provided under PMGDISHA has had a significant impact on the adoption of Information & Communication Technology (ICT) and other forms of digital media. It has benefited its participants by enabling their access to a wide range of information and services for various purposes, helping to reduce the overall digital divide in the country.
TheNational Broadband Mission (NBM) was launched by the government on 17th December 2019 with a vision to enable fast-track growth of digital communications infrastructure, bridge the digital divide for digital empowerment and inclusion; and provide affordable and universal access to broadband for all. The NBM addresses the major bottleneck of Right of Way (RoW) issues, enabling faster telecom infrastructure deployment across the country. Key initiative under NBM are:
(i) Centralized Right of Way (RoW) Portal GatiShakti Sanchar.
(ii) Telecommunication Right of Way Rules, 2024
(iii) ‘Call Before u Dig’ (CBuD) mobile app
(iv) The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP) Platform
Progress under the National Broadband Mission (NBM) 1.0 since the launch
No. of broadband subscribers increased from 66 crores to 94.49 crores.
Per capita average monthly wireless data consumption increased from 10 GB to 21.10 GB.
The median mobile broadband download speed witnessed a substantial increase, rising from 10.71 Mbps in 2019 to an impressive 144.33 Mbps in February 2025. Similarly, the median fixed broadband download speed increased from 29.25 Mbps in 2019 to 61.66 Mbps in February 2025, according to Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index.
Optical Fiber Cable (OFC) length increased from 19.35 lakh route km to 42.13 lakh route km.
Mobile towers increased from 5.37 lakh to 8.23 lakh.
Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) increased from 21.80 lakh to 29.97 lakhs including 4.69 lakh 5G BTSs.
As of March 25, 2025, 206 State Broadband Committee (SBC) meetings were held for the effective implementation of the mission and proliferation of broadband across the country.
Capacity-building conferences for 5G use cases were held in the majority of States/UTs focussing on various sectors viz. health, education, Industry 4.0 and public safety domains.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology Shri Jitin Prasada in Lok Sabha today.
******
Annexure-I
State-UT/wise details of FTTH connections provided under BharatNet
S.No.
State
Total FTTH connection
1
A & N
7741
2
Andhra Pradesh
50142
3
Arunachal Pradesh
16
4
Assam
5877
5
Bihar
42121
6
Chandigarh
300
7
Chhattisgarh
12202
8
Dadra Nagar Haveli
173
9
Daman & Diu
0
10
Gujarat
125864
11
Haryana
150256
12
Himachal Pradesh
3650
13
Jammu & Kashmir
9789
14
Jharkhand
25899
15
Karnataka
53530
16
Kerala
199753
17
Lakshadweep
0
18
Leh (UT)
0
19
Madhya Pradesh
57914
20
Maharashtra
27328
21
Manipur
3957
22
Meghalaya
102
23
Mizoram
48
24
Nagaland
136
25
Odisha
11832
26
Puducherry
4105
27
Punjab
230243
28
Rajasthan
52041
29
Sikkim
46
30
Telangana
22409
31
Tamilnadu
102
32
Tripura
1408
33
Uttar Pradesh-E
77698
34
Uttar Pradesh-W
35
Uttarakhand
21481
36
West Bengal
55834
Total
12,53,997
Source: Department of Telecommunications
Annexure- II
State/UT-wise achievement made under PMGDISHA Scheme
