Outgoing US Secretary of State Blinken’s last press meet turns chaotic as Gaza issue comes up
Washington DC: The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s farewell press conference witnessed two senior journalists being dragged out of the hall for heckling Blinken with questions on the ‘genocide’ in Gaza due to the Israel-Hamas war in West Asia.
The event held on Thursday turned chaotic as journalists Max Blumenthal of Grayzone News and Sam Husseini accused Blinken of turning a blind eye towards the suffering of the residents of Gaza due to the war that has been continuing for more than 15 months. Both the journalists were physically removed from the conference room in spite of their protests.
Husseini shouted at Blinken, saying that the US diplomat was asking the world to respect the process although all prominent institutes of the world, ‘from Amnesty International to the International Court of Justice (ICJ)’, had said that Israel is running a genocide and extermination. Further, he angrily called Blinken a criminal, asking the diplomat to go to The Hague, in reference to the ICJ.
The security guards at the conference intervened as he continued to heckle Blinken and, lifting him off his feat, took him out of the room.
Blumenthal, who was seen reacting next, although Blinken remained calm through the drama, asked why the US stuck to the bomb supply, although a deal had been struck in May.
Even as he was taken out of the conference hall, Blumenthal continued shouting towards Blinken, mocking the diplomat by asking if he felt comfortable and happy to have genocide as his legacy.
Blinken admitted during the press conference that the US had differences with Israel regarding defence of its people, adding that the concerns had been shared privately in order to prevent undermining truce negotiations.
Even in the backdrop of increasing protests, including outside his house, and also vandalism of his own vehicles, the diplomat has defended the US policy on Gaza.
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Deeply distressed by loss of lives in Odisha hospital fire incident: President Murmu
New Delhi (PTI): President Droupadi Murmu on Monday condoled the loss of lives in the fire incident at a hospital in Odisha and prayed for a speedy recovery of the injured.
At least ten patients were killed after a major fire erupted in an ICU in Odisha government-run SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, in the wee hours of Monday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said.
"Deeply distressed by the loss of lives in the tragic fire incident at a hospital in Cuttack, Odisha. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. I wish a speedy recovery to those injured," Murmu said in a post on X.
