Day: February 23, 2023

Victims of the 1992 Khojaly massacre were remembered Wednesday with a concert in the US capital Washington, D.C.

Organized by Azerbaijan's Embassy in D.C., the event at the Kennedy Center came ahead of the 31st anniversary of the mass killings by Armenian forces in Azerbaijan on Feb. 26, 1992, during which 613 innocent people including women and children were massacred.

In addition, 487 people were severely injured and Armenian forces took 1,275 people captive. Of those, the whereabouts of 150 still remain unknown.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Khazar Ibrahim said those who committed the massacres in the town of Khojaly have not yet faced justice.

Ibrahim said that Azerbaijan will never forget the Khojaly massacre and Azerbaijanis will continue to raise their voice for justice.

Also attending the event, Türkiye's Ambassador to the US, Hasan Murat Mercan, echoed his Azerbaijani counterpart.

"We cannot forget history. We cannot forget justice for Khojaly," said Mercan.

Later, musicians Jeffrey Werbock and Nargiz Aliyarova played pieces from Azerbaijani traditional music for participants.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Amazon announced Wednesday it completed the purchase deal to acquire primary care service firm One Medical, as the e-retailer raises its presence in the health care sector.

The all-cash deal was announced in July to buy One Medical for $18 per share which was valued at $3.9 billion as the company had gone public in 2020.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said in a statement that the deal will make the health care experience "easier, faster, more personal, and more convenient for everyone" and added: "If you fast forward 10 years from now, people are not going to believe how primary care was administered."

One Medical CEO Amir Dan Rubin said the deal will have further positive effects on consumers, employers, care teams and health networks.

Members will have around-the-clock access through the One Medical app, providing more control of how they seek care and the ability to do so from home or on-the-go, according to Amazon.

The company said One Medical membership will be available to new US customers for $144 for the first year, or $12 per month, for a limited time.

One Medical has approximately 815,000 members with more than 200 medical offices across the US, according to its latest filing.

The acquisition increases Amazon's stronghold in the health care industry after expanding its telehealth service, Amazon Care, in 2021 and acquiring online pharmacy company PillPack in 2018 for $750 million.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The US is "deeply concerned" by an Israeli raid on the occupied West Bank city of Nablus that killed at least 10 Palestinians and injured over 100 others, the State Department said Wednesday.

Spokesperson Ned Price said the Biden administration wishes "a speedy recovery to those injured and our hearts go out to the families of the innocent bystanders who were killed today" and voiced concern that the "raid could set back efforts aimed at restoring calm for both Israelis and Palestinians."

"We recognize the very real security concerns facing Israel. At the same time, we are deeply concerned by the large number of injuries and the loss of civilian lives," Price told reporters.

"Today's events further underscore the urgent need for both sides to work together to improve the security situation in the West Bank. We also call on all parties to desist from actions that inflame tensions, such as incitement to violence, evictions of families from their homes, demolitions, settlement advancements and the legalization of outposts," he added.

Earlier, at least 10 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire during a military raid in Nablus, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. There were a total of 102 other people who were injured, including six critically.

According to witnesses, Israeli army forces raided Nablus and surrounded a house in the Old City, triggering an exchange of fire with gunmen. Explosions were also heard in the city. Israeli forces have repeatedly carried out raids in Nablus in search of members of the Lions’ Den group, which emerged in the West Bank last year.

Israel accuses the group of carrying out deadly attacks on Israeli targets.

Source: Anadolu Agency

A series of shootings in the US state of Florida have left three people dead, including a television news employee and a 9-year-old girl, police said Wednesday.

The suspect, identified as 19-year-old Keith Melvin Moses, is in custody, according to the Orange County, Florida Sheriff’s Office.

The shootings took place in the Pine Hills neighborhood of Orlando.

First, the gunman killed a woman in her 20s.

Later, two journalists with the central Florida cable TV outlet Spectrum News 13 were shot by the suspect. They were covering an investigation into the killing of the woman.

One employee was taken to the hospital in critical condition and died from their injuries. The news employees, who were said to be a photographer and a reporter, were in their news van when they were attacked.

The gunman reportedly went to a nearby house and shot a woman and her daughter. The girl, 9, died, while her mother was in critical condition.

"We extend our deepest condolences to all of their families. This is a sad day for our community," the Sheriff’s Office said on Twitter.

The motive behind the shootings remains unknown.

Source: Anadolu Agency