Compiled by QISTINA SALLEHUDDIN and C. ARUNO
TEENAGE members of a lion dance troupe from Pontian, Johor, had a fright when the cruise ship they had been hired to perform on caught fire, China Press reported.
The Pontian Tai Hing Dragon and Lion Dance Association had been invited to perform on board the ship, which was en route to Singapore on Saturday.
At about 4.30am that day, a fire broke out in a lounge, forcing passengers to evacuate to another deck.
“Our members are between 14 and 18 years old. Some of them cried because they were afraid they would not be able to return home,” said troupe leader Hong Wen Cun, 23.
Eventually, the blaze was put out by the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s marine firefighters.
While members of the troupe made their way back to shore safely, their equipment was left on board.
Hong said they have yet to retrieve two lion heads, a God of Wealth costume, a drum and their uniforms.
All 271 passengers on board the ship were rescued, four of whom subsequently received medical treatment.
Unfortunately, one crew member, who was found collapsed, died later.
> A pair of 14-year-old twins in China’s Shandong province have been hard at work selling spring couplets to repay their family’s medical debt, Sin Chew Daily reported.
A spring couplet is a pair of banners with auspicious phrases written on red paper and is traditionally displayed on doors during Chinese New Year to bring good luck.
Their mother, known only as Xu, said the twin’s father died from cancer in 2024.
The family is saddled with debts amounting to 300,000 yuan (RM169,480) from the cancer treatment, as well, as Xu’s spinal surgery.
As Xu now has trouble performing strenuous work, the task of setting up the stall fell upon her son and daughter.
From Feb 4 up to the eve of Chinese New Year on Feb 16, the twins woke up early to get their stall ready.
They worked more than 10 hours a day for two straight weeks, buying simple meals nearby to fill their stomachs.
“Sometimes I would bring them food and help watch the stall for a while,” Xu said.
The twin’s endeavour soon made the rounds on Chinese cyberspace.
Many people, who were touched by their efforts, came to the stall to show support. Their classmates turned up to help them sell the spring couplets.
An online influencer even placed an order worth about 10,000 yuan (RM5,645).
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.
