If you’re like us and get all your news from Facebook these days, first can we say, shame on you. And second, let us help by getting you ready for those weekend dinner party conversations with our very own scoop of news from the week that you can digest in 5 minutes flat.
- If you only have time for one thing this weekend: the Economic Intelligence Unit has declared Singapore the most expensive city in the world – for expats, that is. Singaporeans, we don’t deny it has become increasingly expensive to live here, but we got slapped with that title due to the stronger Singapore dollar (against the US dollar). D’you know what it actually means? Cheaper holidays!
- Ellen DeGeneres’ celebrity-filled (yes, the one with Brad Pitt, Meryl Streep, J. Law and more) selfie was retweeted so many times that Twitter actually crashed. It’s more than just a picture though – it highlighted how the product placement game is changing and Samsung, Clarins, and Big Mama’s & Papa’s Pizzeria have got their head in the game. Need a laugh? See the Simpsons’ version of The Oscar Selfie.
- Clueless about what’s happening in the Ukraine? It actually started all the way back when the USSR fell apart – BBC’s timeline is really informative. We can’t decide what ticks us off more, Putin’s self-serving justification for invading or that the rest of the West is too weak and lack the will to act – or have their own self-serving excuses.
- The folks behind Audi Fashion Festival have finally spilled the beans on some of the headliners this year – like Prabal Gurung and Oscar de la Renta – that’s got us rubbing our hands in glee. We hope we don’t see something like Keira Knightley’s Chanel ensemble on the runway here though, eating disorders in Singapore might just shoot through the roof.
- North Korea, where human rights violations occur on a daily basis (which they, of course, deny vehemently), is going to hold its (yeah, right) elections this weekend. Kim Jong Un is running in Paektusan, an inactive volcano that’s his father’s (Kim Jong Il) birthplace, according to national, legendary folklore. We think you’d agree how ridiculous that sounds. For more comic relief, check out 10 fun facts about this unelected leader!
- We’re really happy for Scarlett Johansson (who’s expecting her first kid with French fiancé Romain Dauriac), but this means she probably won’t be able to suit up as the Black Widow in Avengers 2: Age of Ultron that’s supposed to start filming next month. So the Avengers might have to delay their reunion, boo hoo.