Highlights of some interesting stuff in the newspapers (Part 1).

This is a great headline (TODAY, June 2):

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This letter to ST Forum (June 2) was written by a university student:

Having been an exchange student, the writer is obviously up there in the academic grades department. But he or she fails to see that the folks at the airport Customs have been very kind. Just don't leave the purchases in their original packaging (and do take out the price tags!) -- if one does not want to pay the GST. But the writer is upset with this! Hello?
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Then there is this amazing letter (June 2), so amazing that I am thinking of framing it up:

The entire letter is amazing, from start to end. It is so amazing I can see why the Forum editor, in his great wisdom, chose it as the lead piece on a day when there's only one page of letters (hence, a very careful choice weighted on substance and merit has to be made).

I am so especially overwhelmed by the writer's suggestion that "we need to bring love to Parliament and to the people of Singapore" because of the "power of love" that I wish to lovingly play my part. So I am posting here two very loving songs:

All We Need Is Love (The Beatles)

http://vimeo.com/41672620

The Power of Love (Celine Dion)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8HOfcYWZoo&feature=kp

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The head of the Chinese delegation at the just ended Shangri-La Dialogue made a couple of significant points. TODAY (June 2) took cognizance:

First, General Wang pointed out that the US has not ratified the UN's Law of the Sea. This is already well known but it still weakens the US case in "scolding" China. Secondly, Gen Wang publicly said for the record that China was playing ball with ASEAN's desire for a Code of Conduct (CoC) which by definition will be binding on signatories. The eventual CoC -- strongly pushed for by Singapore -- may have to be one that China can live with, but it is better than nothing. So, progress was made at the Shangri-La Dialogue!

But ST (June 2) did not report this, nor did it feel that China had been helpful at the meeting:

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Finally, I thought former US defence secretary William Cohen asked a very specific question (ST, June 2)...

... and he threw the question -- do you want to see more or see less of the US presence -- at our own Defence Minister. But I guess Dr Ng Eng Hen had no choice but to duck and give a fuzzy response...

So now the US wants to be the Goldilocks in the region! But who, and where, are the three bears?