Washington: CNN journalist Sara Sidner has issued an apology for reporting unverified claims regarding the beheading of babies, which she stated had been confirmed by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Sidner made the apology on X (formerly Twitter) after the Israeli government stated that it could not confirm the alleged incident.

Sidner expressed regret for her earlier report, stating, "Yesterday, the Israeli Prime Minister's office said that it had confirmed Hamas beheaded babies and children while we were live on air. The Israeli government now says today it CANNOT confirm babies were beheaded. I needed to be more careful with my words and I am sorry."

Furthermore, CNN also issued an update on X, acknowledging the contradiction in their earlier report. The update clarified that Israel could not confirm the claims, retracting their previous statement.

The initial claims regarding the beheading of children at the Kfar Aza kibbutz had surfaced during a live broadcast by Israeli news channel i24News. The channel's reporter had mentioned the discovery of babies with their heads cut off following the Israeli army's recapture of the kibbutz, citing testimonies from Israeli soldiers. These claims quickly circulated in the international media and social networks, prompting a response from various leaders, including US President Joe Biden.

However, the White House later clarified President Biden's remarks, stating that he and other US officials had not independently confirmed the alleged beheadings. The clarification cited information from "Netanyahu's spokesperson and media reports from Israel" for the comments made by President Biden.

 

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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.

The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.

He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.

Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.

The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.

Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.

Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.

Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.

He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.

These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.

On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.

Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.

In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.

Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.

For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.

Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.