News stories by Stanislaus Jude Chan

It is the national animal of several Asian countries, lends its name to brands as varied as budget airlines to alcoholic beverages, and features prominently in Asian mythology, including the Chinese zodiac. But unless there is a dramatic turnaround for the tiger, conservationists say, this giant feline could become extinct before the next Chinese Year of the Tiger in 2022.

Even as Asian ministers discussed ways to reduce disaster risks here, news broke of a twin tragedy in Indonesia — a tsunami triggered by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake, and the eruption of the country’s most active volcano, Mount Merapi, whose name means 'mountain of fire'.

Migrant workers may be what one filmmaker calls a 'socio- political hot potato' in Singapore, but that is precisely why a film festival opted to showcase the plight of workers who often remain faceless although they are vital to the city- state’s everyday life and economy.

Like a seasoned star, Ting Ting pranced around on the stage in an energetic dance routine as she delivered a pitch-perfect rendition of a high-tempo Chinese ballad. Enthralled, the 500- strong crowd surged forward, eager to catch a closer look at the svelte 25-year-old artiste, dressed in a bright pink top — and a skirt that ends too many inches above her knees.

Just a month after the buzz from the vuvuzelas ended at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Singapore is busy preparing to host the next major event in the world sports calendar — the Youth Olympic Games. But few seem to know, or care, about the inaugural youth version of the venerable Olympic Games.

A small group of students gathered, drawn like butterflies to the sweet sound of soft rock and pop music. Home to one of the most vibrant student communities in Singapore, Ngee Ann Polytechnic is no stranger to loud music and louder fashion sense. What was unusual for the crowd, though, was the concert’s mission — to drum up youths’ support against human trafficking.

'The strict laws in Singapore have been made fun of, but crime, especially serious ones like murder and drug trafficking, are no laughing matter,' said Ivan Tan, a 24-year-old undergraduate.

An unfamiliar sight in Singapore — that of vehicles with foreign licence plates filling the car park — meets visitors at the basement of the city-state’s first casino, which opened nearly a month ago.

Instead of spending weekends at shopping malls in this bustling city-state, Rod Luacan and his family now keep themselves busy with activities in church on Sundays.

To activists more accustomed to working against Burma’s military junta than with it, any engagement with the recalcitrant regime will amount to nothing. But to Nobel laureate Josepth Stiglitz, it is a window of opportunity for a country that has known only poverty and repression.