Singaporeans’ Plans to Visit Israel on Hold After Hamas Attack
Singaporeans with upcoming trips to Israel are relooking their travel plans following an uptick in the armed conflict between Israel and Hamas over the weekend.
Reverend Dr Aaron Tay of Bedok Methodist Church had been planning to lead a group of 56 parishioners to Israel from Nov 26 to Dec 11, but has put the 16-day trip on hold.
Israel declared a “state of war” on Saturday (Oct 7) after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched some 2,200 missiles from the Gaza Strip and infiltrated southern Israel over the weekend. More than 700 Israelis and over 400 Palestinians have died so far in this conflict, along with at least 1,200 wounded.
URA Eyes Rezoning of One-North Land Parcel As Residential, and Intensification of Land Use in Several Sites
A land parcel bounded by Media Circle and one-north Avenue, currently zoned for business-park use, is being proposed for a high-density residential development. Elsewhere, land use in five other sites already earmarked for residential use will be intensified for this purpose.
On Friday (Oct 6), the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said that the residential development in Media Circle will support the demand for housing in one-north and enhance the district as a vibrant, mixed-use business park.
More information on the development plans for the site will be announced when ready, said URA.
Fintech Funding in South-East Asia Sinks to Lowest Level Since 2020: Tracxn
The total funding to fintech startups in South-east Asia plunged by 74 percent to US$229 million in the third quarter, from US$887 million in the third quarter of last year.
It is the lowest funding level since 2020, following a steady decline from its peak in Q4 of 2021, according to a report by data intelligence platform Tracxn released on Friday (Oct 6).
No new unicorns emerged from the sector in Q3, similar to the previous quarter and the corresponding quarter last year, and no funding round exceeded US$100 million in the quarter.
