I'm not a die hard fan of soccer, and I did not watch a single second of any matches in the world cup. However, one thing that captured my attention in this years world cup were a couple of psychic characters.

Paul, also known as 'Oracle of Oberhausen' (because he lives in Sea Life aquarium located in the western German city of Oberhausen), is an octopus that has remarkably predicted all 8 of Germany's matches correctly for this season. 2 little containers of food is lowered into Paul's tank, both bearing the 2 different countries that would have to play against each other. The tank that Paul takes food from would be the his predicted winner. Not only was he able to accurately predict Germany's loss to Spain, he also correctly picked the winner of the world cup. A huge sum of money consisting of bets around the globe were entrusted upon this mere octopus.

The second animal that has been performing similar feats resides in our very own homeland. Mani the Parakeet also made some good predictions such as the four semi-finalists in the world cup, and also predicted that Spain would beat Germany. This local talent is located in Little India, where it helps superstitious people with other personal problems and life-changing decisions. However, Mani recently disappointed many faithful followers after predicting Netherlands to emerge as the winner over Spain.

I'm extremely dubious when it comes to the matter of psychic powers. I cannot believe things that I am unable to comprehend. Although there is a hefty amount of evidence to support the existance of psychic powers, I have to simply dismiss it as there is no possible explanation in regard to how it works. Although the world cup has come to an end for most of us, it has made me question the existance of psychic powers and opened my mind to various possibilities.

Dr. Goh Keng Swee was a national hero who worked side-by-side with MM Lee in developing Singapore as an independent nation. He also helped significantly in the development of Singapore's economy. According to MM Lee, Dr. Goh Keng Swee was a sharp and perceptive man who often questioned MM Lee's decisions and assisted him in re-evaluating them. Dr. Goh Keng Swee was well recognized for his ability as a political repairman and was often assigned with the toughest tasks. He was appointed to deal with the loss of 20% GDP in 1967, and he resolved it. Soon after, he was appointed as minister of defense in 1970. Dr. Goh Keng Swee read up as much as he could regarding war strategies to ensure that he was well-learned and a capable minister of defense. Goh was also responsible for projects that sought to improve Singaporeans' cultural and leisure life, such as the Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, Sentosa and Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

It is without a doubt that Dr. Goh Keng Swee has contributed greatly to the growth of our nation. Without his sacrifices, it would certainly but unlikely for us to be at where we are today. His unquenchable thirst for knowledge leaves many lessons for us to learn from. Dr. Goh was a capable man who managed to look at tough situations from a broader perspective and resolve them. He helped jumpstart our stagnant economy. Dr. Goh Keng Swee's departure serves as a reminder to all of us Singaporeans that each of us have to do our part in prospering our nation, as he too had done so.

Total water sufficiency by 2061

It brings me a sense of pride to know how well we are doing as an independent nation. This milestone serves to encourage ourselves and show the world what a tiny red dot is capable of.

However, it is incredibly selfish of Malaysia to constantly threaten us with the termination of our water contracts to pressure and force us to succumb to their desires. Instead of respecting our decisions and opinions, Malaysian politicians have constantly used this treat against us over and over again. It is certainly a good feeling to know that we are no longer under their clutches with the recently constructed NEWater plant.

With Singapore on its way to becoming completely self-sufficient in terms of treated water, we now have one thing less to worry about. Our next step would be to produce more of this NEWater and start selling it to other nations in order to generate more income for ourselves.

Bilateral relationships and their influence on legal matters has been a matter of major debate in our recent history. The concept of diplomatic immunity which has been repeatedly utilized by foreign ambassadors as a ‘get out of jail free card’ only shines further light upon the muddled gray areas that exist when these two entities of opposite spectrums collide. The attempted balancing act that follows often ends up favouring one party heavily. In particular, the elongated processing that is occurring with the case of Mr. Ionescu justifies the need for further attention to detail specifically with regard to legal matters when the initial bilateral relationship agreement is signed.

In my opinion, local government and local laws should apply to criminal case, such as the Romanian ambassador, even if he possesses diplomatic immunity. Singapore should be awarded full power to convict Mr. Ionescu for his foolish act and disallow him from abusing his status to escape punishment. This is certainly not a matter that should be discussed over several months while the culprit sits by a beach sipping cocktails before the case even opens. Diplomatic immunity itself should not even be used for such cases, with the exception of matters of state importance.

Legal doctrine within bilateral relationships must be categorized especially when the cause of concern is criminal in nature. I believe that the only resolution to this game of cat and mouse should be one that modifies the bilateral treaty to make space for such circumstances in the future. Secondly, any criminal proceedings happening on home soil should be conducted via the basis of local legal proceedings with appropriate due process. The concept of diplomatic immunity should only be utilized in states of emergency and not for minor or major criminal proceedings that only affect the individual and not the state he/she represents.

To prevent such incidents from occurring in future, the casino should tighten its security through stationing well trained security guards at every possible entrance of the casino. This would ensure thieves would not be able to flee so easily. They should also record the transactions made from each individual counter and frisk the cashiers at the end of the day before leaving work. This measure may seem a bit extreme, but it should significantly discourage the casino's employees from trying anything funny in the future.