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The text of the following statement was released by the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union. Begin Text: We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the EU, condemn in the strongest possible terms Iran’s export and Russia’s procurement of Iranian ballistic missiles. Evidence that Iran has continued to transfer weaponry to Russia despite repeated international calls to stop represents a further escalation…

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VERONA, WI – A suburban Madison contractor with a history of federal safety failures – including violations that led to an employee’s fatal injuries in 2022 – has again been found exposing workers to the construction industry’s most deadly hazard — falls from elevation — during a federal safety inspection in February 2024.U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance officers opened their inspection after observing six employees of GL Construction of Madison LLC at a Verona residential construction site doing framing work up to 12 feet off the ground without required protective equipment. Inspectors initiated their inspection under…

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The following is the Joint Statement released by the Governments of the United States and United Kingdom on the occasion of the U.S.-UK Strategic Dialogue in London, United Kingdom. Begin text: United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken and United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Lammy met in London to open the U.S.-UK Strategic Dialogue. The Strategic Dialogue – led by the Secretaries of State of the United States and United Kingdom – celebrates and deepens the long-standing and special relationship between the United States and United Kingdom.  The Dialogue, held September 10-11, 2024, covered the key elements of the U.S.-UK…

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PORTLAND, OR – The U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon against Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. and R.B. Pamplin Corporation for jeopardizing millions of dollars in retirement funds for thousands of employees because of the unlawful acquisition of company-owned real estate by the R.B. Pamplin Corporation and Subsidiaries Pension Plan.The department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration conducted an investigation and found that, beginning in 2019, the plan unlawfully acquired interests in more than 20 company-owned properties. These acquisitions exceeded the limit permitted by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. The department alleges that…

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SECRETARY BLINKEN:  Well, good afternoon, everyone.  And for those of you who were traveling, welcome home. Accurate information is vital to the health of any democracy.  It helps citizens understand the issues and effects – and events that are affecting their lives.  It empowers them to engage meaningfully in their communities, their country, the world.  When state or non-state actors spread disinformation, material deliberately meant to deceive or divide our public, they attack the very foundations of our free and open society. In March, I laid out the comprehensive steps the administration is taking to address this threat to our…

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Today, at the Silesian Museum in Katowice, the European City of Science 2024, two prestigious European science competitions concluded with the announcement of their winners. The 35th EU Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS) and the 2nd EU TalentOn brought together over 250 promising young minds from across the globe to present innovative solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time.EUCYS 2024Meanwhile, 146 young scientists aged 14 to 20, from 37 countries, showcased their projects at the 35th EUCYS. Competing in a range of scientific fields including biology, chemistry, computer science, and engineering, the participants impressed the international…

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US Department of Labor found Los Cocos locations violated overtime, minimum wage, tip rulesKANSAS CITY, KS – A federal jury in Kansas has awarded $957,324 in back wages for 168 workers at three Wichita-area restaurants jointly operated by three owners who willfully violated federal laws by using tips earned by servers to pay hosts and bussers and denying workers minimum and overtime wages.The favorable verdict, rendered on Aug. 30, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas comes in response to a U.S. Department of Labor lawsuit against Los Cocos Mexican Restaurant after the department’s Wage and…

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The MVA-BN vaccine from the Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic was prequalified by the WHO on Friday and has already been approved in Europe and the United States, for use by adults. WHO approval will accelerate access for millions, to reduce transmission and help contain the outbreak. WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the prequalification of this vaccine is an important step in the fight against the mpox virus in Africa and for the future. “We now need urgent scale up in procurement, donations and rollout to ensure equitable access to vaccines where they are needed most, alongside other public health…

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The government’s plan to restrict pensioners’ winter fuel payment to households getting pension credit has been easily if grudgingly passed by parliament. This was despite a strong case for delaying the move to explore better ways to target the money and to improve take-up of pension credit (which will now be the benchmark for qualifying for the payment). But the government estimates the move will cut public spending by £1.4 billion a year. Winter fuel payment is a tax-free grant of £200 or £300 per household depending on age. Last winter it amounted to around 13% to 20% respectively of…

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Displacements in this Caribbean country have reached record levels, with nearly 600,000 people forced to leave their homes this year – double the number from last year. This makes Haiti the country with the highest number of displacements due to violence. Support from the NGO TOYA Louise and Chantal* both received support from the Haitian NGO TOYA, a partner of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the regional branch of the World Health Organization (WHO). © UNICEF/Ralph Tedy Erol People continue to flee their homes in Port-au-Prince due to gang-related violence. Louise, 47, is a single mother of five children.…

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