Yahoo unveils 2015 Year in Review for Singapore; Pope Francis, Mamasapano clash, 2016 elections top search trends in the Philippines

Yahoo unveils 2015 Year in Review for Singapore

Pope Francis, Mamasapano clash, 2016 elections top search trends in the Philippines

MANILA, 22 December 2015 – Yahoo today announced its 2015 Year in Review (YIR) for Singapore. The YIR is an annual recap of the top search trends, happenings and events, which caught the imagination of Internet users in Singapore, based on users’ daily search habits and an editorial selection of what they read, recommended and shared most on Yahoo.

From former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s passing, to major sporting events and the General Elections, 2015 was a year filled with poignant moments, as well as political significance for Singaporeans. Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s passing, the haze caused by forest fires in Indonesia, the 28th South-East Asian Games and the formation of the new Cabinet under Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong - all featured among the top searches of the year.

Among the biggest entertainment stories of the year, Singaporeans were riveted by the Bill Cosby sex scandal, which was the No. 1 entertainment story that shocked Singaporeans. Troubled TV star Charlie Sheen’s revelation of being HIV positive came in second and – like the rest of the world – Singaporeans too followed closely the news surrounding Caitlyn Jenner’s gender transition.

While on entertainment, this year’s YIR wouldn’t be complete without mention of the celebrities who made their love official. 2015's Most Memorable Celebrity Weddings included the fairytale-themed wedding of China’s media darlings Angelababy and Huang Xiaoming. Taiwanese heartthrob Jay Chou’s wedding to Hannah Quinlivan on his 36th birthday and local crooner Taufik Batisah’s wedding to Sheena Akbal, also saw a lot of user interest online.

If there’s something Singaporeans love besides entertainment, it’s their food, and the trends that go with it! Foodies added ‘Cakeshakes’ to their ‘foodcabulary’ in 2015, with the decadent dessert taking top spot among the year’s food trends. Other sweet additions to this list included Bingsu, the Korean shaved ice dessert, and the indulgent Thai barbeque steamboat – Mookata.

Apple products dominated the Most-Searched Gadgets category once again with the newly launched Apple Watch and iPad pro dominating the top 10. As Star Wars fever swept the globe, Sphero’s BB-8 Droid fed the frenzy online, giving fans in Singapore the opportunity to own their very own BB-8.

Top Search Trends in SEA that caught users’ attention in the Philippines and Malaysia in 2015

In nearby Malaysia, news about Prime Minister Najib Razak topped search trends, as he came under fire for alleged corruption. The Haze, which forced school shutdowns, flight cancellations and posed a serious safety and health hazard, was also among the ‘most searched’ by Malaysian users.

In the Philippines, the first papal visit by Pope Francis to this predominantly Roman Catholic country, was hugely followed online. Also topping Search trends was the Mamasapano clash, where forty-four members of a special action force perished in a police operation code-named Oplan Exodus. Filipino users also searched for news and updates on the 2016 elections -- the frenzy building with a record number of certificates of candidacy filed for various positions for public office.

For more on Yahoo Singapore’s 2015 Top 10s, please visit https://sg.news.yahoo.com/yearinreview

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