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

1. Netizens came to the defence of a student (above) who was left in tears after police slapped him with an RM1,000 fine for not wearing his face mask properly, pointing out that VIPs who do not wear any mask in crowded places have yet to face any action.

2. Infectious disease expert Christopher Lee, who is part of the Health Ministry's panel on Covid-19, said the authorities must apply the mask rule evenly across all strata of society and not appear to be selective.

3. Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi dismissed his party deputy Mohamad Hassan's bid to contest in the Rembau parliamentary seat, stating that even the candidates for the next general election have yet to be decided on.

4. Bersatu saw a series of departures of its ranking members at the grassroots level after former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced his plan to set up a splinter party to challenge Bersatu and its allies.

5. Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was notably absent at Mahathir's announcement of the new party amid speculation that he plans to start a new youth movement.

6. PKR president Anwar Ibrahim said anyone can form Malay-based parties but stressed that it was time for the country to move beyond such race-based parties.

7. A leaked video showed Bersatu Youth chief hopeful Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal promising to use his positions in the government and party to issue support letters in exchange for votes.

8. DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said he felt helpless in protecting his family after his wife Betty Chew is set to be charged with alleged money laundering.

9. The country saw the emergence of two new groups of Covid-19 infections, bringing the active clusters to 25.