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

'Don't exploit diplomatic row'

The diplomatic row between Malaysia and North Korea must not be exploited for political mileage, said Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Muhyiddin Yassin.

He also revealed that ties between PAS and Bersatu are becoming warmer after the Islamist party made overtures for a meeting on seat allocations. Muhyiddin said that after many attempts to forge ties, PAS has finally invited his party to the negotiation table.

Meanwhile Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad is scheduled to attend a party event at Padang Rengas in Perak, which is the parliamentary constituency of his staunch critic, Tourism and Culture Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, who cheekily responded that he would roll out the red carpet for his former boss.

'Korean drama' may benefit BN

PAS leader Iskandar Samad speculated that BN might gain from the current crisis where 11 Malaysians are barred from leaving North Korea, recalling how the Falklands War had helped former UK premier Margaret Thatcher win big in the elections.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said the 11 Malaysian citizens who have been made unwilling guests in North Korea are not under detention. "So there is no worry about their safety," he told journalists at the Parliament building yesterday.

Meanwhile a YouTube video has emerged depicting a man who claimed to be murdered North Korean Kim Jong-nam's son, Kim Han-sol.

The 40-second clip, titled KHS Video, was uploaded on the YouTube page of a group called Cheollima Civil Defense, which is said to be protecting Han Sol and other members in his family.

More Kinibites

A BN lawmaker grilled Deputy Health Minister Dr Hilmi Yahya over decrepit hospital equipment and lack of specialist doctors, claiming that in remote areas in Sarawak, those who go to hospitals end up dead.

An Umno Youth division leader from Johor and a woman were remanded yesterday to assist investigations into alleged fraud related to Rumah Mampu Milik Johor (RRMJ) affordable housing scheme.

Parliament has rejected a question on whether attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali still stands by his assertion that Najib is innocent over the claim that the US$681 million in his personal bank account was an Arab "donation".

This was in view of law suit filed by the US Department of Justice last year which sought to reclaim the “stolen money” allegedly siphoned from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. The DOJ claimed that part of the money went into the bank account of a Malaysian Official 1 (MO1).

The Finance Ministry, which is headed by Najib, told Parliament that former 1MDB officers, Jasmine Loo and Casey Tang, are no longer under the central bank's observation after 1MDB paid an undisclosed amount in fine for failing to adhere to the Financial Services Act 2013.

Looking ahead

A group of Jinjang Selatan residents will be sending a memo to Istana Negara over issues related to land titles today.