55-year-old Mockridge Philip Richard, a Briton who is a Singapore PR, pleaded guilty to one count of breaching Covid-19 regulations and was fined $8,000 on 18 August.

He had repeatedly refused to put on a face mask in public at City Square Mall on 16 May 2021.

Another two other similar charges were considered for his sentencing, for not wearing a face mask at Sengkang MRT station in November 2020 and Serangoon MRT station in December 2020.

Mockridge was reportedly defiant when approached by police officers at a Mos Burger outlet in City Square Mall, where he had his mask under his chin even though he wasn’t eating or drinking at the time.

The officers told him to put on his face mask, and he then replied “are you sure about that? I’m not so sure,” before asking them for their identification,

He then walked away from the officers while still unmasked and went to collect his food from the restaurant counter.

Sergeant Shawn Ang Yi Xiang, then asked Mockridge is he had a problem with wearing a mask, to which the latter ask him “which law are you referring to?” before taking out his phone and recording the exchange.

Sgt Ang then read out the law to him, to which Mockridge then asked “and if I don’t, what will you do?”

Mockridge was then informed that composition fines are usually given to first and second-time offenders, while repeat offenders will face prosecution in court.

Mockridge then told the officer, “so you’re threatening to put me in a cage?”

He said that the officer was “threatening” him, and refused to put on his face mask throughout the exchange with the police officers.

Mockridge defended himself in court during mitigation, reasoning that he was “not entirely sure of what the law was”, despite the police officer reading out the law to him at the time of the incident.

Facebook user Sajitha Nair shared how she used Speedpost to send parcels to herself from Singapore to the US, and one of her parcels went missing.

She said that she tried to track it online but to no avail, and tried to reach out to the customer service and was told by an agent that the duty manager was “busy” and that she would escalate the issue.

However, Nair said that there has been no response to date despite her numerous enquiries.

Here is what she said

In April, I used Speedpost to send parcels to myself from Singapore to my shipping agent in USA. I moved abroad and had to move my personal items.

Three of four boxes arrived and one box is completely missing.

Last update online was 9 April, when it was moved out of the Speedpost facility to the shipping hub.

Since then, no news. Tried tracking it online and no news. Spent hours on the phone calling the customer service and few days ago managed to get connected to a representative who said the duty manager was busy and she will escalate the issue and send me an email; no email to date.

I have sent numerous “forms” online and always get a ticket number and zero response thereafter.

Does anyone know anyone at Speedpost who can help me sort this out? The box contains personal and sentimental items. I am beginning to suspect that my box has been stolen before it reached the vessel. I need answers.

A fire broke out at a HDB flat at Block 3 Aljunied Lane on 19 August, with 13 people being evacuated from the HDB building earlier today.

The SCDF said in a news release that the fire, which broke out on a 6th-storey flat of the HDB building, was likely started due to a candle that was lit at a prayer altar.

They were alerted to the fire at about 7.05am, and the fire was extinguished using a water jet.

Three people had self-evacuated before the SCDF’s arrival, and they (the SCDF) evacuated another 10 people from the units nearby.

Two people were asses by medics but refused conveyance to the hospital.

The homeowner, 75-year-old Madam Teo Bong Chee, lives in the affected unit alone, and her flat was burned with bags of clothes that pile all the way to the windows, as well as radios, fans and stacks of newspapers, according to The Straits Times.

About 14 rubbish chutes were filled with the items that were burnt from the home.

Madam Teo said that she lit a candle at the altar after her morning exercise, “I only lit the candle for 5 minutes, very risky, one candle can kill the whole house”.