The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, arrived there a week after President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebel forces led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTC). Responding to questions from the press upon his arrival, Mr. Pedersen noted the “immense” change since the fall of the Assad regime. “This change in itself creates great hopes, but we all know that many challenges still lie ahead. So we have to get it right from the beginning,” he said. He considered it necessary to launch a political process that includes all Syrians and which “must obviously be led…
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Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma will deliver a keynote address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on U.S. efforts to advance Ukraine’s economic recovery and reconstruction. Deputy Secretary Verma will also highlight ways the U.S. government and private sector can continue supporting Ukraine by developing technology, energy, agriculture, infrastructure, metal and mining industries, and Ukraine’s defense industrial base. The event will take place at CSIS on Thursday, December 12 from 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. CSIS is located at 1616 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. The program will stream live and…
MINNEAPOLIS – The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Office of the Federal Contract Compliance Programs has entered into a conciliation agreement with Ryan Companies US Inc. to resolve allegations that the federal contractor’s employees faced sexual harassment, a hostile work environment and/or faced retaliatory actions after complaining about harassment and cooperating with federal investigators. During a routine compliance evaluation, OFCCP discovered worker harassment based on sex that included physical, verbal and visual harassment. The incidents occurred while employed by the Minneapolis-based construction services provider to work on federally funded projects including construction of a U.S. federal courthouse in Des Moines, Iowa.OFCCP also determined the…
Austria became the 50th signatory of the Artemis Accords at a ceremony at NASA headquarters this afternoon. Ambassador Petra Schneebauer signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the Government of Austria and in the presence of State Department Acting Assistant Secretary Jennifer R. Littlejohn and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. Austria is a vital strategic partner of the United States and, via this signing, has further demonstrated its continuing commitment, alongside the other Artemis Accords signatories, to safe and sustainable international cooperation in outer space. As the host to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Austria supports…
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the release of comprehensive data collected by its Occupational Safety and Health Administration on more than 890,000 workplace injuries and illnesses at more than 91,000 workplaces in calendar year 2023, including incident level details on the conditions and circumstances of injury and illness events. Federal electronic recordkeeping and reporting requirements require certain employers to use OSHA’s Injury Tracking Application to submit injury and illnesses reports. The posted data supports OSHA’s continued efforts to carry out the agency’s statutory mission to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working people. To promote understanding, OSHA…
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Erdoğan to discuss the latest developments in Syria. Secretary Blinken discussed strong U.S.-Turkish regional cooperation and our shared interest in supporting a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition to an accountable and inclusive government. He reiterated the importance of all actors in Syria respecting human rights, upholding international humanitarian law, and taking all feasible steps to protect civilians, including members of minority groups. Secretary Blinken noted the importance of facilitating the flow of humanitarian assistance to all in need…
Coastal Gunite Construction Co. did not evaluate diver’s health before first day on jobMANNS HARBOR, NC – A Maryland-based construction contractor could have prevented a 47-year-old diver from suffering fatal injuries during an underwater dive test in June 2024 at the Manns Harbor Bridge on Croatan Sound. Investigators with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration learned a four-member dive team employed by Coastal Gunite Construction Co. was doing an underwater test on the worker’s first day of work. Seconds after descending from a boat to about 19-feet underwater, the diver became unresponsive. Once the diver failed to answer radio…
FOREIGN MINISTER FIDAN: (Via interpreter) Distinguished members of the press, today we are hosting the U.S. Secretary of State, my counterpart, Secretary Antony Blinken, in Ankara. And I’m very pleased to host him. He has been received last by our president today, and as of this meeting we have been having intense deliberations. Of course we had two very important items on the agenda, the first one being Syria and the Gaza Strip – with the new situation in Syria, for the better of the citizens of Syria, with the sovereignty and for the integrity of Syria. What could be…
Stella’s Ice Cream assigned children dangerous tasks, illegally shared tips with managersBOISE, ID – A Nampa-based ice cream manufacturer and retailer faces $321,015 in civil money penalties assessed by the U.S. Department of Labor after investigations found four of its Idaho retail locations put the safety of dozens of children at risk by employing them to perform dangerous tasks and work later than the law allows.Investigators with the department’s Wage and Hour Division determined that Stella’s Ice Cream locations in Boise, Caldwell, Eagle and Nampa employed children to operate industrial mixers, drive a delivery van and work during times forbidden by law.…
Hundreds more were reportedly injured in clashes following the disputed elections and around 2,000 arrested, including teenagers, young adults, opposition members, human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers, as well as bystanders. Since then, the Government has announced the conditional release of over 100 of those detained. Addressing the UN Human Rights Council, High Commissioner Volker Türk termed the move “an important step” and called for review of cases of all those still held. “I also urge the authorities to provide guarantees of a fair trial for detainees. This includes allowing them to designate a lawyer of their choice, and providing…