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Georgia’s vibrant democracy has been a source of strength since 2004, and yesterday’s turnout demonstrates the Georgian people’s embrace of democracy.  In 2024, however, international and local observers noted a pre-election environment marked by the ruling party’s misuse of public resources, vote buying, and voter intimidation, all of which contributed to an uneven playing field and undermined public and international trust in the possibility of a fair outcome.  While international and local observers agreed that Election Day was generally well administered, we note reports of irregularities and sporadic violence.  International observers have not declared the result to be free and fair.  We…

OKLAHOMA CITY – The U.S. Department of Labor has obtained a consent judgment and injunction to recover $120,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for 177 Oklahoma restaurant workers whose employer deducted time for lunch breaks not taken and failed to pay employees for all hours worked.The Sept. 18, 2024, judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma against Gregg Hansen – operator of Huddle House franchise locations in Ardmore, Edmond and Oklahoma City – follows an investigation by the department’s Wage and Hour Division that found the employer’s pay practices from October 2019 to February 2023…

The following text was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Cyprus on the occasion of the first Republic of Cyprus – United States Strategic Dialogue:  The governments of the Republic of Cyprus and the United States of America launched a Strategic Dialogue in Nicosia on October 23, 2024, with the attendance of high-level representatives from both governments.  The launch of this Strategic Dialogue is an important milestone in the relationship between the Republic of Cyprus and the United States and reaffirms their growing strategic partnership and intention to advance shared priorities that…

OKLAHOMA CITY – El Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU. obtuvo un fallo por consentimiento y un interdicto para recuperar $120,000 en sueldos atrasados y daños y perjuicios para 177 trabajadores de restaurantes de Oklahoma cuyo empleador dedujo el tiempo de descanso para almorzar que no se utilizó y no les pagó por todas las horas trabajadas.La orden judicial dictada el 18 de septiembre de 2024 en el Tribunal de Distrito de EE. UU. para el Distrito Oeste de Oklahoma contra Gregg Hansen, operador de las franquicias de Huddle House en Ardmore, Edmond y Oklahoma City, es consecuencia de una investigación realizada por la…

The Republic of Cyprus became the 46th signatory of the Artemis Accords at a ceremony in Nicosia today.  The Republic of Cyprus’ Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy Nicodemos Damianou signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the government and in the presence of State Department Assistant Secretary James O’Brien and NASA Associate Administrator James Free, who participated virtually.   The United States welcomes the Republic of Cyprus to the Artemis Accords, the latest step forward in the successful and growing partnership across a wide range of issues between our two countries.  The signing coincides with the first-ever…

Advises Secretary of Labor on benefits for nuclear weapons workers with medical conditions WASHINGTON – The Department of Labor today announced the Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health for Part E of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act will hold an online meeting Oct. 30, 2024. Meetings are open to the public.The act provides compensation and medical benefits to nuclear weapons workers diagnosed with medical conditions caused by their exposure to toxic substances at covered nuclear facilities.The Secretary of Labor appoints advisory board members to two-year terms. Meeting at least twice a year, the board advises the…

Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins will travel to Luxembourg and Brussels from October 23-26. While in Luxembourg, she will meet with government officials to highlight the U.S. and Luxembourg’s strategic partnership as NATO Allies.  The Under Secretary’s engagements will focus on transatlantic defense industry and space technology. In Brussels, the Under Secretary will also meet with her counterparts and lead the United States’ participation in NATO’s Arms Control, Disarmament and Nonproliferation Committee. For further information, please follow @UnderSecT  on X. Source_link

Date of action:           Oct. 3, 2024 Participants:              U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division                         New York State Department of Labor, Division of Labor StandardsPurpose:                     The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and New York State Department of Labor’s Division of Labor Standards announced a new collaboration designed to help employers comply with labor laws with a focus on child labor enforcement. The partnership will allow the agencies to effectively and efficiently communicate and cooperate on areas of common interest, share training materials, conduct joint investigations and share information to encourage enhanced law enforcement.Background:              The…

Today, in Washington DC, in the framework of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) Annual Meetings, Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen reaffirmed Europe’s commitment to fostering sustainable development across the globe through her participation in the WBG/IMF Development Committee as well as with a series of landmark agreements concluded during her mission. Commissioner Urpilainen alongside the Ambassador of Denmark to the United States, Jesper Møller Sørensen, and Deputy CEO of Danish development agency IFU, Søren Peter Andreasen, signed an EU guarantee supported by European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), one of the financing tools of Global Gateway, promoting sustainable investments in partner countries. The…

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and Greenland on the occasion of the U.S. Greenland Joint Committee meeting in Washington, D.C. October 21-22, 2024: Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Igaliku Joint Declaration creating the Joint Committee, the Governments of the United States and Greenland met in Washington, D.C. on October 21-22, 2024, with the participation of the Government of Denmark, to strengthen our partnership and continue building on our shared goals across key areas of cooperation. Committee discussions focused on building connectivity between our two peoples, economies, and…