SINGAPORE, Aug 9 : Singapore threw a big party on Sunday for the 50th anniversary of independence and unrivalled economic success in a region struggling with poverty and political instability, even as the city-state began feeling the pinch of a midlife crisis.
As fighter jets screamed through the sky, nationalist songs blaring, leaders made speeches and people took advantage of free rides on trains and buses. While marvelling at the island's leap from a poor colonial port to a wealthy metropolis, Singaporeans are also grappling with a growing resentment over political restrictions, an influx of foreign labour and rising cost of living. ?AP