Day: February 14, 2024

The US is concerned by the reports of deadly military-to-military clashes which resulted in several casualties, Spokesperson for the US Department of State Matthew Miller said at a daily briefing today, commenting on the recent flareup between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed and injured. The use of force undermines negotiations. The only way to a sustainable peace is at the negotiating table,” Miller said, adding that “any ceasefire violations should be investigated and properly addressed.”

“As the Secretary continually emphasizes, the United States is committed to Armenia-Azerbaijan peace negotiations,” the Spokesperson said.

Four Armenian servicemen were killed, one was wounded as Azerbaijan resorted to provocation in the early hours of February 13.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attack and reaffirmed the previously voiced proposals of the Armenian side to implement reliable measures aimed at increasing border security.

It accused Azerbaijan of looking for excuses to carry out border escalations.

Multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos has sold more of his shares in Amazon, bringing the total value of sales in recent days to more than $4bn, the BBC reports.

The technology giant, which Mr Bezos founded in 1994, said he has sold 24 million Amazon shares this month.

Mr Bezos, who is the firm’s executive chair, last sold Amazon shares in 2021.

Earlier this month, the company said he was planning to sell 50 million shares over the next year, which are worth around $8.4bn at current prices.

The first sale of 12 million shares was announced in a regulatory filing on Friday, followed by an announcement on Tuesday of the sale of another 12 million shares.

Mr Bezos has also given away shares in Amazon as part of his philanthropy, most recently in 2022.

As Mr Bezos moved to Miami in Florida from Seattle in Washington last year, he will save around $280m in tax on the $4bn worth of stock he has sold.

The House of Representatives has narrowly voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, making him the first cabinet member to face impeachment in nearly 150 years, CNN reports.

Many Republicans blame Mr Mayorkas for an unprecedented influx of migrants at the US-Mexico border.

The Republican-led chamber voted 214 to 213 for the measure, after the first attempt failed last week.

The issue now heads to the Democratic-led Senate, where it is likely to fail.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday called the vote a “blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship” and a “political stunt”.

The vote was largely divided along party lines, with 210 Democrats voting against the impeachment, along with three Republican representatives: Tom McClintock of California, Ken Buck of Colorado and Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin.

Only one Cabinet official has previously been impeached in American history: Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876.

The Department of Homeland Security said that House Republicans “will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution” following the vote to impeach.

“House Republicans will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution for political gain rather than working to solve the serious challenges at our border,” DHS spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said in a statement.

“Secretary Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security will continue working every day to keep Americans safe,” the statement said.