KINI ROUNDUP Here are the key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

Soros in the spotlight again

A document that purportedly originated from international grant-making network Open Society Foundation (OSF) has alleged that its founder, George Soros, has a "personal interest" in the Malaysian elections.

The leaked document, supposedly the minutes of a June 22, 2015 meeting on OSF's Malaysia Programme revealed by DC Leaks, details support provided by OSF and its affliates to civil society in Malaysia to support free and fair elections.

This prompted Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to order an investigation against the claim that electoral watchdog Bersih, pollster Merdeka Center and independent news website Malaysiakini received funding from Soros-linked bodies and into foreign involvement in national politics.

China gets East Coast rail project

China will build and finance the RM55 billion East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), Treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah announced.

Construction will be handled by the China Communication Construction Company Ltd (CCCC) while the financing is to be provided by Export-Import Bank of China (Exim).

Separately, China General Nuclear Power Corp, which bought 1MDB's power asset Edra Global Energy Bhd for US$2.3 billion (RM9.83 billion), will reportedly be listed next year, with the listing expected to raise US$400 million.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is in Beijing for a six-day visit.

Fuel prices up to highest in 2016

Fuel prices went up by 15 sen across the board today, reaching the highest this year. RON95 is now priced at RM1.95 per litre, RON97 RM2.30 per litre and diesel at RM2 a litre.

Other Kini bites

Najib, who is also finance minister, in a written parliamentary reply said debts accumulated by 1MDB are not categorised as federal government debts, so the 1MDB debts and its related projects do not contribute to government debt.

This came as the first 1MDB-related trial commenced in Singapore yesterday. Former BSI Singapore banker Yeo Jiawei is facing charges of money-laundering.

A total of 753,058 former students who took out loans to study under the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) did not pay back a single sen, with their unpaid loans amounting to RM18.311 billion.

Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali tabled a state budget of RM3.45 billion featuring, among others, free healthcare for the bottom 40 percent of households.

However, BN assemblypersons, who held placards to say they would not walk out of the budget speech like the opposition MPs did in Parliament on Oct 21, said the budget was just rhetoric.