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

Top diplomat dragged into 1MDB scandal

United Arab Emirates ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba became entangled in the 1MDB scandal after the Wall Street Journal claimed that firms linked to him received US$66 million in funds allegedly linked to 1MDB.

Switzerland's Office of the Attorney-General said it was building a criminal case on 1MDB but bound by law to maintain secrecy during the process.

Parti Amanah Negara strategy director Dzulkefly Ahmad said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had "outdone" the attorney-general in painting the US Department of Justice's action on 1MDB as a case of "foreign intervention".

Meanwhile, Amanah Youth deputy chief Faiz Fadzil asked Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom to verify whether the haj sponsorship provided by 1MDB was funded from "halal" sources.

S'wak seeks evidence on its rights in UK

The Sarawak government will be sending a team of lawyers to London to search for and study any references related to the state's rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said she will propose the repeal of the Tourism Tax Act 2017, which had caused an uproar in Sarawak.

A paper published by the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) found that public universities were still bound by systems of governance similar to the civil service despite being granted "autonomy" status.

Higher Education Minister Idris Jusoh said the granting of autonomy to public universities was a work in progress and some results can already be seen.

BN targets Guan Eng's graft charges

BN claimed Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was making history by being the "first and only" state leader who refused to resign despite facing graft charges.

Gerakan vice-president Dominic Lau dismissed DAP's accusation of sabotage over his plan to file an injunction to stop the controversial Penang undersea tunnel project which will also be accompanied by three new roads.

Johor DAP political education bureau Mahdzir Ibrahim urged Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia to come up with a broad agenda apart from wanting to defeat Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Bersatu claimed that banners portraying its leaders with a "larger" Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang was an act of provocation by enemies but noted that they did not come from DAP.

Other Kini bites

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi denied that Malaysia had stopped issuing work permits to North Korean labourers.

Zahid also said Malaysia's improved ranking in the Trafficking in Persons report proved the government's seriousness in combating human trafficking.

Immigration Department director-general Mustafar Ali said operations to round up undocumented migrant workers are gaining ground following the end of an amnesty exercise.

Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) criticised the Federal Territories Islamic Affairs Department (Jawi) for charging lawyer Siti Kasim with obstruction of its officers during a raid on a transgender event, stating that she was only conducting her duty as a lawyer.

Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the formation of the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) can help shed light on who was responsible for the forex losses in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Looking ahead

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng will flag off a run in Selangor tomorrow to promote Penang tourism.

Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali will be hosting a Hari Raya open house in Ampang.