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

1. Umno is poised to be kingmaker as it flexes its muscles against Bersatu alongside an unlikely ally - PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.

2. Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak is backing his party’s resolution to reconsider its relationship with Perikatan Nasional, though he said it has nothing to do with Anwar, while a high-level Umno source said the move stemmed from the party having to play second fiddle to Bersatu.

3. In a letter to the Dewan Rakyat speaker, Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah called for a no-confidence motion against the prime minister to be debated in Parliament.

4. Amid the political manoeuvrings, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has postponed the audience granted over the next two weeks, including to political leaders, due to Covid-19-related restrictions.

5. The government has set up a special committee to ensure Malaysia will have access to Covid-19 vaccines once these become available, while Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said more former patients are needed for a study to help understand immunity to Covid-19.

6. Sabah has recorded its seventh consecutive day of Covid-19 deaths, while more than half of the intensive care unit beds allocated for Covid-19 patients in Sabah have already been occupied.

7. Bingkor assemblyperson Robert Tawik has denied distributing cash handouts to voters on polling day during last month’s Sabah election.

8. A former political secretary to a federal minister is expected to face charges today over an RM5 million corruption case.

9. A Reuters investigation has uncovered hate speech targeting the Rohingya community in Malaysia being featured in xenophobic Facebook groups, despite the social media platform’s attempts to stem such activities.

10. Khazanah Nasional said Firefly could become Malaysia’s national airline if Malaysia Airlines is shut down.