KINI ROUNDUP | Key headlines that you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

It’s charity, not ransom

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the RM12 million raised by the families of hostages freed by the Abu Sayyaf last week was given to an Islamic body in the Philippines unconnected to the terror organisation, stressing that the payment was not ransom to secure the release of the four Sarawakians.

This after he denied the police were involved in negotiating the release of the four, who were freed after 69 days of captivity. Meanwhile, deputy inspector-general of police Noor Rashid Ibrahim said he was unaware of any ransom paid.

Noor Rashid also said the police did their best to rescue the four who were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf gunmen, though he added that the important thing now was that the freed hostages were reunited with their families.

Philippine media yesterday reported that another four Malaysians were allegedly kidnapped off the coast of Sabah and brought to Sulu.

No stone unturned in 'Dirty Hindus' probe, says UTM

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) vice-chancellor Wahid Omar has promised he would leave no stone unturned in the probe on the lecture slides containing erroneous claims on Hinduism and Sikhism, after meeting the Malaysia National Sikhs Movement (GerakSikh) delegation yesterday.

Former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan shared her thoughts on the controversy in an open letter to Wahid.

Meanwhile, the Higher Education Ministry and Universiti Malaya will investigate allegations of research fraud involving a group of UM’s faculty of medicine researchers.

Ostrich on Federal Highway

Motorists travelling along the Federal Highway yesterday afternoon were both amused and surprised when an ostrich sprinted along the fast lane of the highway near Midvalley Megamall.

The ostrich, Chickaboo, had escaped while being transported on a truck to a farm in Semenyih. It was later caught unharmed by two good Samaritans and safely transported to the farm by its owner.

More Kini bites

After prime minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor drew criticism again over her use of a government-chartered flight to receive an award in Istanbul, Malaysiakini looked at how spouses of the head of governments around the world travel.

On the first anniversary of the death of Pakatan Rakyat yesterday, Malaysiakini revisited the highlights marking the beginning of the end for the opposition alliance until it finally unravelled on June 16, 2015.

Former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has hit out at blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin for a series of postings linking him to an alleged affair with a married woman, calling the allegations malicious slander.

After previously telling cops not to arrest his critics and receiving calls to issue a royal pardon for them, Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim yesterday indicated that he would let due process proceed for those who have landed in prison for insulting him.

Looking ahead

PKR ex-MP S Manikavasagam will lodge a police report today about allegations against him linked to his recent arrest by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Campaigning is to end at midnight in both Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar, and polling for the twin by-elections begins tomorrow at 8am.