Compiled by MARTIN CARVALHO, C. ARUNO and R. ARAVINTHAN
A MAN in Xinjiang, China, who bears a striking resemblance to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, used his Internet fame to promote local cuisines after going viral, reported China Press.
It was reported that 25-year-old Iliyata Yier, who sells naan for a living, bears an uncanny resemblance to the Ukrainian entertainer-turned-politician.
Many netizens noted how Iliyata’s side profile, beard, and overall demeanour were very similar to Zelenskyy’s.
“They look like brothers. One makes naan while the other is at war with Russia,” one Internet user wrote.
When interviewed, Iliyata, a local from Xinjiang, said he started making naan when he was just 15.
“After many people on the Internet watch my videos, I hope more will come to like naan from Xinjiang,” he said.
Since going viral, Iliyata has changed his Douyin handle to Da Naanskyy, a play on the words “naan” and “Zelenskyy”.
He currently has over 340,000 followers and has become a local attraction for tourists.
It was reported that he sells around 300 pieces of naan each day.
> A woman got a pleasant surprise when she won a one-gram gold bar just by spending 12 yuan (RM6.83) on two cups of instant noodles at a supermarket in Henan province, China, reported China Press.
The woman, whose surname is Ma, was travelling by train from Luoyang to Kaifeng in January with a friend when she stopped by a supermarket for lunch after arriving at the station.
Ma bought two cups of Baixiang instant noodles as the shop did not have other brands.
When she opened one of the cups to add hot water, Ma was surprised to discover a gold bar inside engraved with the word “Baixiang”.
She posted a video of her lucky find on social media and the clip was shared more than 40,000 times. With gold prices at an all time high, Ma said she plans on selling the one-gram gold bar and share the proceeds with her friend.
It was reported that Baixiang launched a promotion last Dec where it hid 2,026 customised one-gram gold bars in its cup instant noodles.
The promotion led to many Internet users resorting to using electronic scales and metal detectors in a bid to check which cup noodle contained gold.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
