Singapore holds huge celebration to mark 50 years since independence

Fireworks filled the skies above Singapore last night as the Asian nation celebrated 50 years since it became an independent state.

World leaders, and tens of thousands of Singaporeans attended a grand outdoor parade, which featured fighter jets whizzing through the sky, a huge military convoy, traditional music and dancing, and a fly past by aeroplanes from Singapore Airlines.

The event culminated in a huge firework display, with spectators, most of whom were dressed in Singapore's nation the colour of red and white, reciting the national pledge and singing the national anthem.

The event also paid tribute to Singapore's late founding leader Lee Kuan Yew, who died in March aged 91.

He helped transform the country from colonial backwater to regional powerhouse, and was honoured with a video at the beginning of the annual National Day Parade.

A former British colony, Singapore became independent in 1965 when it was ejected from the Federation of Malaysia amid social unrest.

It has developed quickly and is now one of the world's wealthiest countries, although critics say the rapid development has been accompanied by strict controls on free speech and politics.