Breaking fast, Muslim man donates blood to save newborn's life
Patna, May 28 : In another such case within a week or so, a young Muslim man in Bihar broke his Ramadan fast to donate blood to save the life of a newborn, officials said on Monday.
"I broke my fast to save a child because human life is more important than fast. I will keep the fast later to compensate but human life can't be compensated," remarked Mohammad Ashfaque who donated blood on Sunday to save the two-day-old child of Ramesh Kumar Singh and Aarti Devi in Darbhanga district.
Aarti had given birth to a boy after a caesarean operation at a private clinic in Darbhanga but the condition of the child deteriorated soon after birth.
After doctors asked Ramesh to procure O Negative group blood for the child, he posted an SOS message on social media, following which Ashfaque contacted them.
"When I came across the message for help, I simply approached the family and rushed to the hospital to donate blood. But doctors refused my offer since I was fasting. So, I broke my fast and consumed fruit juice and some solids," said Ashfaque, who is in his late 20s.
Last week, Jawed Alam donated blood to an eight-year-old thalassemic boy Rajesh to save his life in Gopalganj district.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismisses defence minister in surprise announcement
Jerusalem, Nov 5: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed his popular defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts across the region.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival. Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement.
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”
In the early days of the war, Israel's leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the Hamas group.
Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission."
Gallant has worn a simple, black buttoned shirt throughout the war in a sign of sorrow over the October 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A previous attempt by Netanyahu to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer but held off until Tuesday's announcement.
Gallant will be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister who was a junior officer in the military. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take the foreign affairs post.
Netanyahu has a long history of neutralising his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps with Gallant.
“But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy - our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it,” he said.
