ICYMI: Alan Rickman, ‘Friends’, No Singlish challenge and more

Haven’t had the time to catch up on the news lately? No worries, for we have compiled the top stories that are trending this week!

Legendary singer David Bowie and British actor Alan Rickman (who famously played Severus Snape from Harry Potter) left the world this week. Both 69-year-old performers had suffered from cancer.

The late David Bowie recently released Blackstar on his birthday last Friday, which was, as shared by producer Tony Visconti, intended as a “parting gift” for his fans. If you wish to rediscover his music, here is a list of David Bowie songs you should listen to.

A well-loved and greatly admired actor, news about Alan Rickman’s passing were, too, received with shock and disbelief. Condolences poured out on social media, and the hashtag #RIPAlanRickman went viral on Twitter.

Fans of Harry Potter also mourned on social media, sharing scenes of Hogwarts students raising their wands in honour.

Find out more about his on-screen achievements here.

The Friends cast will be returning next month for a two-hour special on NBC. Details are still being ironed out, but this is definitely exciting news for fans of the award-winning American sitcom!

However, all six actors will not be reprising their characters in a continuation of the sitcom, as the special is intended as a tribute to director James Burrows.

Unfortunately, Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing) has confirmed that he will not be appearing in the special—he will be busy with rehearsals for his upcoming play. Let’s hope that the rest of them can make it for the filming together!

Find out more the reunion here.

Indonesia’s capital was attacked by suicide bombers and gunmen yesterday. The attack, which has been officially claimed by the Islamic State, left seven people, including five attackers, dead. The blasts were reportedly caused by attackers throwing grenades while riding past on motorcycles.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has issued a statement condemning the attacks, and promises full support to the Indonesian government to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Read the full story here.

Teachers who drive to work may need to start looking for alternative parking near their schools soon as the Ministry of Education is reviewing the carpark charges policy.

Netizens are concerned because some believe that teachers are entitled to enjoy benefits, such as complimentary parking, to compensate them for their efforts in schools. However, most civil servants do not get these benefits.

So, is this a worthy cause for debate?

More opinions about the parking policy here.

Two Youth.SG writers (yours truly included) tried to avoid using Singlish for an entire day. We had to form grammatically correct sentences in our texts and conversations. P.S. Singlish really goes beyond the lahs, lehs, and lors.

Find out how we fared and what made us go all tongue-tied here.

Did we miss anything this week? Tell us in the comments below!