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Although I do grumble and complaint about the strict rules and regulations in Singapore, I am thankful I am living here and know I am in safe hands. Two structural columns buckled and some floors have sagged in the building near Grand Central station Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/new-york-city-unstable-tower-evacuation-6239716 NEW YORK: Emergency crews evacuated a busy Manhattan street block during the Tuesday (Jul 7) morning rush hour after structural columns buckled inside a skyscraper undergoing construction work, officials said. The former head office of the drug giant Pfizer, near Grand Central station and the United Nations headquarters, is being converted from offices into apartments in a major overhaul at the 37-story tower. The developer insisted there was no risk of the entire building collapsing. But city officials warned the situation remained serious as they worked to determine if the structure was safe enough to enter to perform remedial work. "Two structural columns have buckled, in addition to multiple cracks and sagging floors. The building remains unstable. Since arriving on scene, we have witnessed additional movement in one of the compromised columns," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. No one has been injured and all the workers in the building repurposing work are accounted for, the mayor said, adding that the project engineer was working with structural engineers to develop plans to shore up the tower. Emergency struts and beams would be brought in to strengthen the building, officials said. Nearby hotels, businesses, apartments and a school were evacuated, and streets were closed as a precaution as police and firefighters swarmed the area, AFP correspondents saw. A drone was deployed to allow officials to assess the extent of the damage. The mayor said New Yorkers will be allowed to "return back into these buildings when we are fully confident that they are safe for them to do so". Local cable channel PIX11 was forced to abandon its studio near the affected building mid-broadcast following an evacuation order. Clifford Johnsen, a representative of the Steamfitters Local 638 union, said that the addition of new floors on top of the existing office structure had put pressure on the building's supports. "They keep adding. Now you put more weight, and when you put more weight, that's what's going to happen when it's not engineered correctly or installed incorrectly," he said. "I've been in construction 21 years, and I've never seen a beam bend in half - so this is super dangerous." Construction worker Eddie, 28, who declined to give his full name, told AFP he was evacuated from the site and that he "was down below and I saw everyone starting to come down. Just then, they let me know that a column was broken". Video shared by construction workers seemed to show buckled columns within the building site. The edifice sits on a public transport corridor used to ferry World Cup soccer fans from Manhattan to MetLife stadium in New Jersey. It was not active on Tuesday in the absence of any matches there. Construction worker Fernando Sanchez, 50, told AFP that "the beams from around the 21st to 25th floor ... bent and part of it collapsed a bit, and everyone had to get out quickly. All of us. "All the people evacuated on this side, and we are waiting for new orders," he added. The project will total 1.3 million sq ft and bring to the market approximately 1,600 luxury rental apartments, according to developers. Upon completion, which had been scheduled for early 2027, it would be New York City's largest ever office-to-residential conversion. "We want to confirm that the affected area is a small section of one of the two buildings on this site," said developer Metroloft. "As the (fire department) spokesperson noted, the entire building itself is not at risk of collapse." Additional photos from taken from https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/07/07/nyc-building-on-e-42nd-st-in-danger-of-collapse-evacuated-after-columns-buckle/

Manhattan Fish Market has been accused of denying a mother in Singapore a Mother’s Day promotion offer because the woman has no husband. According to a June 5 Facebook post by Mellissa Seah, the incident occurred at the Manhattan Fish Market outlet at Changi Airport Terminal 1. Seah wrote that she came across a promotion where mothers are entitled to a free Manhattan Fish ‘N Chips with every purchase of a main dish. Staff allegedly said, “Your family is not complete” Seah thought that this was a good deal and wanted to dine at Manhattan Fish Market with her mother. However, when Seah asked about the promotion, the eatery’s personnel allegedly told her that her mother did not qualify for it. The staff allegedly said, “You’re not entitled to this because your family is not complete,” and “The father is missing”. Seah clarified that her family is incomplete “not by choice”, but did not elaborate: Seah also wrote that it was “disappointing that a brand like MFM still has the mindset that a Complete Family Unit is one that is made up of Father, Mother and Child”. She ended her post by saying that she is proud to be part of an incomplete family, and she will never patronise Manhattan Fish Market again.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/nyregion/chelsea-explosion-new-york-city.html?_r=0 At Least 25 Injured in Explosion in Manhattan By CHRISTOPHER MELE and AL BAKER SEPT. 17, 2016 NEW YORK By JONAVIDOR/TWITTER 00:46 Explosion Rocks Chelsea Neighborhood Video Explosion Rocks Chelsea Neighborhood More than 20 people were injured by an explosion in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan on Saturday night. The blast occurred on 23rd Street between the Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue. By JONAVIDOR/TWITTER on Publish DateSeptember 17, 2016. Photo by Louis Lanzano for The New York Times. A powerful explosion rocked the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan on Saturday night, injuring 25 people, shattering windows and forcing the closure of several blocks, the authorities said. None of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening, the Fire Department said on Twitter. The explosion was reported around 8:30 p.m. at 133 West 23rd Street, near the Avenue of the Americas, the department said, adding that there was a report that it emanated from a Dumpster. The authorities were unsure of the cause of the explosion and were exploring various possibilities. Mayor Bill de Blasio said at an 11:15 p.m. news conference that the explosion appeared to have been “an intentional act” but that there was no evidence that terrorism had been involved, although the investigation was continuing. The blast shattered windows in a five-story brownstone building and sent debris into the street, a law enforcement official said. The building is between a church on its eastern side and an apartment building under renovation on its western side. As a precaution, the police and fire personnel were searching trash cans for possible explosive devices, officials said. At 11 p.m., the police said onTwitter that a “possible secondary device” had been found at 27th Street between Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue.

In the last four years, Purisima, who can safely be described as litigious, has filed lawsuits against the People's Republic of China and several major banks including Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, and Wachovia.