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

Najib revels in Saudi king's visit

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak used the visit by Saudi Arabia's King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud, which officially started yesterday, to defend his national policy.

Defending the 20 sen per litre hike in RON95 pump prices, he said even oil-producing Saudi Arabia raised prices by 50 percent, but did not note that RON95 in that country costs less than half the price in Malaysia, at RM1.07 per litre.

Najib also said the Saudi government gave out welfare aid, such as the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) that is provided in Malaysia, and imposed the goods and services tax (GST).

Meanwhile, UiTM associate professor Hanafiah Harun said the Saudi king's visit to Malaysia has put to rest opposition slander on the RM2.6 billion donation given to Najib.

N Korean spy operation in KL?

A company selling battlefield radio equipment in Kuala Lumpur is a front company run by North Korean intelligence agents, according to a United Nations report drafted for the Security Council, sighted by Reuters.

This came as friends of a suspect arrested in the Kim Jong-nam murder case said she was framed. The claim was denied by police.

The South Korean intelligence agency told lawmakers in Seoul that the North Korean Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Home Security plotted to assassinate Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who was killed at KLIA2 on Feb 13.

North Korea continued to deny responsibility for the death.

Meanwhile, police denied Jong-nam's family arrived to provide DNA samples, which could help the authorities to positively identify the body.

Other Kinibites

Selangor's Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah spared the life of inmate Shahrul Izani Suparman, who was convicted of drug possession and sentenced to death, after a campaign led by Amnesty International Malaysia.

Police said the teen who claimed he was assaulted by police when he tried to flee a roadblock in Shah Alam last week was injured when they found him.

The Court of Appeal ordered Malaysia Airlines Bhd to give MH370 documents to family members of those on board.

Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tajuddin Abdul Rahman has filed a defamation suit against Shah Alam MP Khalid Abdul Samad, video portal KiniTV and English daily New Straits Times, over reports on a series of press conferences that started after Tajuddin referred to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok in Parliament as "the only woman with a Kok".

Looking ahead

Petronas and Saudi Arabia's Aramco will sign an agreement worth US$7 billion today.

Pakatan Harapan will commence formal talks with Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia on seat allocations for the 14th general election.