Singapore's Chinatown has presented a snake-themed lantern display and vibrant decorations in celebration of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, drawing locals and tourists alike to soak in the joyous atmosphere of the Year of the Snake, arriving Jan 29.
The lantern display will stay in place until February 27, transforming the city's Chinatown into a hub of festive cheer and cultural charm.
This year's centerpiece lantern is an eight-meter-tall "Tree of Blessings," adorned with golden coins and red wish tags. Surrounding the tree are shimmering displays of gold ingots and peonies, symbolizing prosperity and wealth, while an eye-catching golden-scaled snake guards the tree.
Above the main street, colorful lanterns light up the sky, including the design of orchids, the national flower of Singapore, and lanterns with holiday greetings written on them.
Locals and visitors alike have been captivated by the festive decorations.
"We brought the whole family to see the lantern display. It's so exciting! The snake is adorable. It has such a youthful, energetic presence," said a local resident.
"It's very pretty. It's very nice. I love the snake and it's really pretty. The color is very warm, and the light of the city is very nice and pretty," said a tourist from France.
"We come here every year to enjoy the festive atmosphere. The upcoming Year of the Snake is extra special, as it happens to be my zodiac year! I'm thrilled to see the lantern display which is really well done," said a local resident.
Singapore's Chinatown celebrates upcoming Spring Festival with lantern installations
Pakistani warplanes struck several locations across Afghanistan on Thursday night and Friday, killing at least six people, including a woman and a child, and wounding more than a dozen others, local officials said.
The strikes hit a fuel depot near the country's Kandahar Airport, areas in the capital Kabul, and the eastern Nangarhar Province.
A Pakistani security source said the strikes targeted hideouts belonging to the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
In Kabul's 21st police district, one of the areas hit, a market was left in ruins. Several cars were destroyed, and windows of buildings in the market and nearby areas were shattered. A crater caused by the Pakistani airstrikes was also visible.
"This is my car. I had parked it here, and it was the only way I could bring food to my family's table. It was my sole source of income and my only means of employment. Now my car is in this condition, and I have no other way to provide for my family," said Mohamad Ghulam, a taxi driver.
The airstrikes destroyed a house, killing four members of a single family. More than a dozen other households in the area reported their homes either fully or partially destroyed.
One of the victims was 22-year-old Hedayatullah, who had just been married. He was killed alongside his pregnant wife, as well as his brother and sister.
"Hedayatullah got married nine months ago. His brother was 18 years old. He himself was 22 years old, he also had a 12-year-old sister, and his wife was about 19 years old and was pregnant," said Ghulam Sakhi, a relative of the victims.
"This neighbor of ours was a family of five. Their mother was not present at the moment of the bombardment, but the rest of them lost their lives. It was Hedayatuallah's family. From my own family, two of my daughters, my sister-in-law, my brother, and two nieces got injured," said Mohamad Homayoun, a survivor.
In the past weeks, scores of people from both sides have been killed or injured in the conflict between Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, according to officials from the two countries.
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has called for an immediate halt to cross-border clashes, warning that the escalating violence is driving a surge in civilian casualties and deepening a humanitarian crisis.
At least 6 killed, more than a dozen wounded in Pakistani airstrikes on Afghanistan: officials
