CNN journalist apologizes for claiming Hamas beheaded babies
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.
Yesterday the Israeli Prime Minister's office said that it had confirmed Hamas beheaded babies & children while we were live on the 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. https://t.co/Yrc68znS1S
— Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) October 12, 2023
The words I used were the PM's office must have proof if they are confirming this. Then President Biden confirmed seeing it. And then backed tracked.
— Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) October 12, 2023
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Kerala CM leads 'Satyagraha' protest against Centre
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday led a 'Satyagraha' protest here against the BJP-led union government, accusing it of "political vengeance" and "bias" in denying the state its rightful financial allocations.
The day-long protest, which commenced at the Martyrs' Memorial in Palayam in the heart of the city in the morning, saw the participation of cabinet ministers, ruling MLAs, senior leaders and other people's representatives.
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During his inaugural address, Vijayan charged the Centre with "deliberately creating obstacles" to stall the state's progress it has achieved in various sectors all these years.
"The Centre is trying to snatch away the constitutionally guaranteed rights of Kerala, which should not happen in a democratic country," he said.
He said the LDF government was forced to launch such a protest to protect the rights of its people in such an unprecedented situation.
He urged everyone to stand united to ensure that Kerala received its due share.
Vijayan also took aim at the opposition Congress-led UDF, accusing them of indirectly supporting the BJP and the saffron party-led union government in the matter.
The satyagraha is scheduled to be concluded in the evening.
