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

Mahathir-Anwar handshake

In an unprecedented move, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad appeared in the High Court in Kuala Lumpur to attend his arch-rival Anwar Ibrahim's application to challenge the controversial National Security Council Act 2016.

Anwar said be believes Mahathir's presence in court today showed the former prime minister's support for the reform agenda.

However, Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak said Anwar would do well to remember what happened soon after his former mentor shook his hand back in 1998, telling the jailed leader that "Mahathir's kiss is a kiss of death".

Sri Lankan envoy assaulted

Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar has confirmed that Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Malaysia Ibrahim Ansar was assaulted at the KL International Airport.

Coordinators of the protests against the presence of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa in Kuala Lumpur have distanced themselves from a series of related assault cases over the last two days, including the one involving the envoy.

Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy denounced the violence against Ibrahim. “We do not encourage violence, you cannot condemn violence by acting violently,” he said.

More Kini Bites

Padang Serai MP N Surendran accepted the 'invitation' from Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed to experience conditions as an inmate in a Kajang Prison cell, after the opposition blasted Nur Jazlan his supporting a call for rats, mosquitoes and cockroaches to be loosened upon prisoners.

Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria said the 'idolatrous' Tugu Negara is a big sin, for if building a monument in the image of animals is proscribed in Islam, what more when it involves human forms, like the Tugu Negara (National Monument). Harussani also said its beautification project is a waste of taxpayers' funds.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has found no element of graft in the pendrive provided by Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, but said there are technical issues raised that require improvements.

Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali has been urged to resign over a video allegedly depicting him dancing with several cabinet ministers during the National Day celebration last week.

Looking ahead

Police will be calling more participants of the TangkapMO1 rally for questioning. Today's tally will include, among others, Bersih chief Maria Chin Abdullah and national laureate A Samad Said.