Orchard Road: boom, bust, stuck and shut

There is a lot of construction activity along Orchard Road, our main shopping street. We're good at building huge new shopping malls, but creating a premier shopping district takes much more than that. We're not so good at tackling the other issues. Full essay.

Key concerns about internet deregulation emerge at forum

Much of the discussion during the Seminar on Internet Regulatory Reform concerned how we should handle racially and religiously offensive speech, how community moderation would work and the ban on political films. Full essay.

In the heartlands

Photos from where most of us really live: the hawker centre, the neighbourhood shops, the playgrounds. Nothing at all like how our tourism pictures portray Singapore. Photo essay.

Why only 'practical NGOs' and for economic reasons?

The government boasts that Singapore is attracting more non-profits and non-governmental organisations to locate in Singapore. Speaks of economic spin-offs, confident that there'll be no risk of activism. Vinita Ramani finds such an attitude appalling. Guest essay.

Did unbridled capitalism leave people vulnerable to oil and food price rises?

Globally, we have enjoyed half a century of unparalleled economic growth though some countries did better than others. Yet today we have protests breaking out across the world over oil and food price rises, because for hundreds of millions, the pain is real. Why are people still so vulnerable? Full essay.

Norway legalises gay marriage

By a parliamentary vote, Norway becomes the 6th country in the world to achieve marriage equality. Its new law also provides for equality in parental rights. Meanwhile same-sex weddings in California will start on 16 June 2008. Full essay.

Rainbow rising in the Western sky

The British government has instructed all its diplomatic missions to monitor and support gay equality abroad. How the Straits Times deals with news stories about gay pride parades. Full essay.

Gopalan Nair's quickie press conference

After Gopalan Nair was charged, for the second time, with insulting a judge, he held a press conference. An inside look into what happens at a press conference. How much of that will be in tomorrow's news? Full essay.

Pity that Youthquake 2 didn't make it to the Richter scale

The turnout for the Workers' Party's Youth wing's forum on transportation was poor, a sign of the Singapore public's political apathy, even among young citizens. However, this forum series is an important program for the party and they must persevere. Full essay.

The Singapore Democratic Party: method or madness?

It's common to hear people say the SDP's tactics put them off. They are futile anyway; they can never win, for who will vote for them? But electoral victory is not what the SDP is about. Full essay.

We duds at the pinnacle of evolution

With so many examples of unintelligent work around us, why do some of us think that humans are smart? Just spend some time in our public transport system, and the evidence is there to see. Full essay.

US Catholic group spends franctically to oppose gay marriage

A Catholic organisation in the United States spent about three-quarters of a million US Dollars to buy advertising space in major dailies to condemn homosexuality and same-sex marriage. What happened to feeding the poor, nursing the sick and disaster relief? Think what good all the money could have done. External essay on Fridae.com

Whose misbehaviour diminishes us all?

Political theatre in Singapore courts as leaders and supporters of the Singapore Democratic Party are charged for various offences. Some unflattering similarities with Thailand and Zimbabwe. Full essay.

Attorney-General says "human rights now a religion" with fanatics

Singapore's Attorney-General disses attempts to use the courts as a route to determining questions of human rights, calling those dissenters who draw attention to human rights abuses hypocrites and fanatics. Also suggests that it's absurd to consider same-sex marriage a human rights issue. Full essay.

A family's invisibles

Guest writer Zeal's grandmother passed away. Who mourned her passing? Who's she who sobbed so uncontrollably? Guest essay.

Necessary conditions for economic growth and the varnished truth

An international commission's report about how poor countries can achieve economic growth was reported by the Straits Times in a way that trumpeted the Singapore government's line about "good governance", non-necessity for democracy and high salaries for officials. Full essay.