Rounding up top investing articles from around the web, including articles shared on Twitter.
JB-Singapore RTS Link: Construction passes 65% mark on both sides, connecting span completed (Straits Times)
About two-thirds of civil infrastructure works on the Singapore side of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link have been completed, with passenger service slated to start by December 2026.
On the Malaysian side, the project has reached 65 per cent completion as at Dec 31, 2023.
In a joint statement, the transport ministries of both countries said a significant construction milestone was reached at the end of December 2023, with the completion of a 17.1m-long concrete span connecting the Singapore and Malaysian ends of a rail viaduct that will run across the Strait of Johor.
S. Korean President Yoon faces leadership crisis over the First Lady’s controversies (Straits Times)
Analysts say his determination to protect his controversy-plagued wife, First Lady Kim Keon-hee, most recently by vetoing a Bill that would allow the opposition-controlled National Assembly to investigate her alleged involvement in a 2009 to 2012 stock manipulation case, may come at a huge cost to him and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) as the country heads towards a general election in April.
Trouble in paradise: Maldives tourism under threat after ministers’ remarks against India, Modi (Straits Times)
Ms Malsha Shareef, Ms Mariyam Shiuna and Mr Abdulla Mahzoom Majid – in the Maldives government made disparaging remarks against prime minister, Mr Narendra Modi, and India.
In now-deleted social media posts, the three officials in different posts had called Mr Modi a “clown” and a “puppet of Israel”. They also criticised Indians, with one comparing India to cow dung.
The comments have led to a call to boycott holidaying in the Maldives, a popular beach destination among well-heeled Indians. India also lodged a diplomatic protest with the Maldives.
Multi-currency e-wallet providers raising wallet limits following MAS rule change (Straits Times)
Travellers will be able to take more money overseas in multi-currency e-wallets as operators raise their wallet limits.
This comes after the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) raised the caps on e-wallets with effect from Dec 15, 2023, said a spokesperson for the regulator.
Malaysia anti-graft agency questions ex-PM Ismail Sabri in US$150 million publicity spending probe (CNA)
Malaysia’s anti-graft investigators have questioned former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as part of a probe into possible misconduct involving some RM700 million (US$150.86 million) spent on government publicity during a previous administration.
Coinbase threatened by bitcoin ETFs after almost 400% surge in stock last year (CNBC)
- Coinbase is the custody partner for most of the asset managers that are launching bitcoin exchange-traded funds.
- The company’s stock rose almost 400% last year alongside growing enthusiasm over the expected approval of bitcoin ETFs by the SEC.
- Some analysts anticipate that Coinbase’s stock will retreat in the months ahead as ETFs capture market share from crypto exchanges.
Israel to face Gaza genocide charges at World Court (CNBC)
As Israel’s war in Gaza continued to rage, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, also known as the World Court, was to hold hearings on Thursday and Friday in a case brought by South Africa in December claiming Israel’s war against Hamas militants in Gaza violates the 1948 Genocide Convention.
The hearings will deal exclusively with South Africa’s request for emergency measures ordering Israel to suspend its military actions in Gaza while the court hears the merits of the case – a process which could take years. Colombia and Brazil expressed their support of South Africa late Wednesday.
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