February 13th in History: France's first atom bomb test, assassination of Kim Jong-nam and more!

Two women pleaded not guilty Monday to murdering the half-brother of North Korea&#39;s leader, at the start of their trial in Malaysia over the Cold War-style assassination that shocked the world.

Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, who arrived at the heavily guarded court in handcuffs and wearing bulletproof vests, entered their pleas through interpreters as proceedings got underway.

The defendants were arrested just days after the killing of Kim Jong-Nam on February 13 as he waited to board a plane to Macau at Kuala Lumpur airport.

The women are accused of rubbing toxic VX nerve agent, a chemical so deadly it is listed as a weapon of mass destruction, on his face.&nbsp;

Kim died an agonising death about 20 minutes after the hit, which was caught on airport CCTV as the VX rapidly shut down his central nervous system.

The defendants -- who face the death penalty if convicted -- claim they were duped into believing they were taking part in a prank for a reality TV show.&nbsp;

The murder sparked an angry row between North Korea and Malaysia with both countries expelling each other&#39;s ambassadors.&nbsp;

The women were led into Sham Alam High Court, outside Kuala Lumpur, in handcuffs for the start of the trial. Aisyah, 25, was wearing traditional Malaysian dress and Huong, 29, a blue jumper.&nbsp;

The murder charge was read to them in their native languages and interpreters assigned to the defendants indicated they were pleading not guilty.

Prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad then read a statement giving details of the murder and said the prosecution had sufficient evidence to prove the women&#39;s guilt.

&quot;We will provide evidence that the dead victim was at (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) departure lounge when Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong approached the dead victim and swiped a poisoned liquid on the face and eyes of the victim,&quot; he told the court.

&quot;The evidence clearly showed that their action to swipe the poison known as VX caused the death of the victim. Expert evidence will be shown that the VX was the cause of death and the chance to save him were extremely slim.&quot;

He said the women had carried out exercises with four other people before the murder to ensure they succeeded in their &quot;common intention&quot; of killing Kim.

&quot;Murder mystery&quot; 
 
Defence lawyers immediately demanded the court reveal the names of four other people charged with the murder.&nbsp;

The four were formally accused in March of the assassination alongside Aisyah and Huong but authorities said they were still at large and have not disclosed their names.

Police have said four North Korean suspects fled Malaysia on the day of the murder, and the women&#39;s defence teams insist these individuals are the main suspects.

About 200 police officers had been deployed to guard the court. The defendants arrived in a convoy of police cars with their sirens blaring.&nbsp;

The trial could at last shed light on the many unanswered questions surrounding the murder.&nbsp;

These range from how two women living precarious existences among Malaysia&#39;s army of migrant workers allegedly became involved in a high-profile assassination, to how a lethal nerve agent was deployed in an airport and killed Kim but harmed no one else.&nbsp;

South Korea accuses the North of being behind the murder of Kim Jong-Un&#39;s estranged half-brother, who had voiced criticism of the regime after falling from grace and going to live in exile overseas.

The North denies the allegation.

The run-up to the trial has been marked by fierce criticism from the women&#39;s lawyers who say the accused are the fall guys in the case.

As well as the North Koreans who fled immediately after the assassination, several others allegedly linked to the murder plot were allowed to leave the country later to ease the diplomatic crisis.&nbsp;

The women&#39;s legal teams also accuse prosecutors of dragging their heels on handing over key material required to mount a defence.

Prosecutors -- who insist the women will get a fair trial -- will lay out their case over two months and call 30 to 40 witnesses. The defence is then likely to be called.

Prior to the murder, Malaysia had been one of Pyongyang&#39;s few allies amid a global outcry over the country&#39;s atomic weapons programme.

After the assassination sent diplomatic relations plummeting between Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur, tensions only eased when Malaysia agreed to return Kim&#39;s body in March.&nbsp;

The women are accused of rubbing toxic VX nerve agent, a chemical so deadly it is listed as a weapon of mass destruction, on his face

Two women pleaded not guilty Monday to murdering the half-brother of North Korea's leader, at the start of their trial in Malaysia over the Cold War-style assassination that shocked the world. Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, who arrived at the heavily guarded court in handcuffs and wearing bulletproof vests, entered their pleas through interpreters as proceedings got underway. The defendants were arrested just days after the killing of Kim Jong-Nam on February 13 as he waited to board a plane to Macau at Kuala Lumpur airport. The women are accused of rubbing toxic VX nerve agent, a chemical so deadly it is listed as a weapon of mass destruction, on his face. Kim died an agonising death about 20 minutes after the hit, which was caught on airport CCTV as the VX rapidly shut down his central nervous system. The defendants -- who face the death penalty if convicted -- claim they were duped into believing they were taking part in a prank for a reality TV show. The murder sparked an angry row between North Korea and Malaysia with both countries expelling each other's ambassadors. The women were led into Sham Alam High Court, outside Kuala Lumpur, in handcuffs for the start of the trial. Aisyah, 25, was wearing traditional Malaysian dress and Huong, 29, a blue jumper. The murder charge was read to them in their native languages and interpreters assigned to the defendants indicated they were pleading not guilty. Prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad then read a statement giving details of the murder and said the prosecution had sufficient evidence to prove the women's guilt. "We will provide evidence that the dead victim was at (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) departure lounge when Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong approached the dead victim and swiped a poisoned liquid on the face and eyes of the victim," he told the court. "The evidence clearly showed that their action to swipe the poison known as VX caused the death of the victim. Expert evidence will be shown that the VX was the cause of death and the chance to save him were extremely slim." He said the women had carried out exercises with four other people before the murder to ensure they succeeded in their "common intention" of killing Kim. "Murder mystery" Defence lawyers immediately demanded the court reveal the names of four other people charged with the murder. The four were formally accused in March of the assassination alongside Aisyah and Huong but authorities said they were still at large and have not disclosed their names. Police have said four North Korean suspects fled Malaysia on the day of the murder, and the women's defence teams insist these individuals are the main suspects. About 200 police officers had been deployed to guard the court. The defendants arrived in a convoy of police cars with their sirens blaring. The trial could at last shed light on the many unanswered questions surrounding the murder. These range from how two women living precarious existences among Malaysia's army of migrant workers allegedly became involved in a high-profile assassination, to how a lethal nerve agent was deployed in an airport and killed Kim but harmed no one else. South Korea accuses the North of being behind the murder of Kim Jong-Un's estranged half-brother, who had voiced criticism of the regime after falling from grace and going to live in exile overseas. The North denies the allegation. The run-up to the trial has been marked by fierce criticism from the women's lawyers who say the accused are the fall guys in the case. As well as the North Koreans who fled immediately after the assassination, several others allegedly linked to the murder plot were allowed to leave the country later to ease the diplomatic crisis. The women's legal teams also accuse prosecutors of dragging their heels on handing over key material required to mount a defence. Prosecutors -- who insist the women will get a fair trial -- will lay out their case over two months and call 30 to 40 witnesses. The defence is then likely to be called. Prior to the murder, Malaysia had been one of Pyongyang's few allies amid a global outcry over the country's atomic weapons programme. After the assassination sent diplomatic relations plummeting between Pyongyang and Kuala Lumpur, tensions only eased when Malaysia agreed to return Kim's body in March.

Women plead not guilty to murdering North Korea leader's half-brother

More than a month after Kim Jong-Nam was murdered in Kuala Lumpur, experts are struggling to make sense of Malaysia&#39;s findings that the lethal nerve agent VX was used to kill him without apparent harm to anyone else.

Malaysian police have released virtually no forensic evidence connected to the high-profile assassination of the estranged half-brother of North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un.&nbsp;

Scientists are confounded by how VX -- a toxin so deadly it is classed as a weapon of mass destruction by the UN -- was deployed in an international airport without causing serious injury to the assailants, first responder medics or other travellers.

&quot;We are building speculation upon speculation&quot; to explain what happened, said Jean-Pascal Zanders, an expert on disarmament who focuses on chemical and biological weapons.

Airport CCTV footage on February 13 shows two women approaching the 45-year-old victim and apparently rubbing his face with a cloth. He died minutes later, according to police, who found traces of VX on his face.&nbsp;

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Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, from Vietnam, have since been charged with his murder and have told diplomats they were duped into believing they were participating in a TV prank show.&nbsp;

Police have rejected those claims but have not released any evidence to explain how the women were able to handle one of the world&#39;s deadliest toxins without suffering severe harm.

Here are some key questions and answers about the attack:&nbsp;

What is VX? 
VX is an organophosphate compound that strikes the nervous system, over-stimulating glands and muscles till they tire and stop working.

People exposed to high doses of the toxin experience seizures, heart failure and a shutdown of the respiratory system. Since it evaporates slowly, it can potentially contaminate areas for long periods of time.

A global treaty signed by more than 160 countries that went into force in 1997 prohibits the production, stockpiling and use of VX.&nbsp;

North Korea, which is not among the signatories to the treaty, has been blamed by Seoul for Kim&#39;s assassination, with the South saying the regime&#39;s leader wanted to eliminate a potential rival.

Why are experts confounded?&nbsp; 
Experts have expressed skepticism about Malaysia&#39;s findings, with one UK-based scientist telling AFP that &quot;there are aspects of this that do not &#39;add up&#39;.&quot;

Simon Cotton, a specialist in molecular chemistry at the University of Birmingham, added: &quot;I cannot see how the accused women would have administered a fatal dose of VX directly to the victim without sustaining corresponding life-threatening injuries themselves.&quot;

&quot;There is also no report of any trace of VX - or of any cloths or containers carrying traces of it - at the &#39;crime scene&#39;.&quot;&nbsp;

So VX wasn&#39;t deployed? 
Not so fast. Some experts have put forward a hypothesis that the killing was carried out using a binary version of VX known as VX2.

In that case, the assassins would have separately applied two chemicals to his face, using a precursor which is not severely toxic on its own but lethal once combined with sulphur. The theory would also explain why two women were used for the attack.

&quot;The simplest explanation is that it was binary,&quot; said Matthew Meselson, a professor at Harvard University and member of the national advisory board at the US-based Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

As the two chemicals combined on Kim&#39;s face to create VX, the assailants would have been unharmed while the delayed reaction would have allowed him to continue walking as shown in the CCTV footage.

It is also easier to transport VX across borders when it is broken down into two seemingly innocuous components.

Why use VX instead of other toxins? 
Experts believe Pyongyang made a considered decision to use VX instead of the more commonly deployed Sarin.

&quot;Sarin kills indiscriminately -- there&#39;s a heavy risk of collateral damage. To use it in a foreign country would have been an act of war,&quot; said Vipin Narang, an expert on nuclear strategy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Unlike Sarin, which evaporates quickly whether deployed as a gas or liquid, VX vaporises slowly, giving authorities time to cordon off affected areas before large numbers of people are exposed to it.

Is there any way Kim could have survived? 
Although just one drop of VX can kill a man when inhaled, the nerve agent takes longer to penetrate the skin, meaning that Kim could have survived had someone injected him with its antidote atropine within minutes.

Even simpler, he could have washed his face to remove the toxin -- which is soluble in cold water -- as the two assailants did, washing their hands soon after the attack.

&quot;If he had... washed his face or rubbed it off with tissues, it could have reduced his exposure,&quot; Harvard professor Meselson said.

&quot;He might have ended up sick, not dead&quot;.

Why are experts still doubtful? 
The binary theory relies entirely on circumstantial evidence and it doesn&#39;t explain how the medics who treated Kim shortly after the attack escaped contamination, disarmament expert Zanders pointed out.

&quot;People are assuming it is VX and then finding reasons for why certain anomalies exist,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

(AFP)

How could VX -- classified as a WMD by the UN -- have killed him in the middle of an airport without harming anyone else?

More than a month after Kim Jong-Nam was murdered in Kuala Lumpur, experts are struggling to make sense of Malaysia's findings that the lethal nerve agent VX was used to kill him without apparent harm to anyone else. Malaysian police have released virtually no forensic evidence connected to the high-profile assassination of the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un. Scientists are confounded by how VX -- a toxin so deadly it is classed as a weapon of mass destruction by the UN -- was deployed in an international airport without causing serious injury to the assailants, first responder medics or other travellers. "We are building speculation upon speculation" to explain what happened, said Jean-Pascal Zanders, an expert on disarmament who focuses on chemical and biological weapons. Airport CCTV footage on February 13 shows two women approaching the 45-year-old victim and apparently rubbing his face with a cloth. He died minutes later, according to police, who found traces of VX on his face. We are building speculation upon speculation' to explain what happened, said Jean-Pascal Zanders, an expert on disarmament who focuses on chemical and biological weapons × Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, from Vietnam, have since been charged with his murder and have told diplomats they were duped into believing they were participating in a TV prank show. Police have rejected those claims but have not released any evidence to explain how the women were able to handle one of the world's deadliest toxins without suffering severe harm. Here are some key questions and answers about the attack: What is VX? VX is an organophosphate compound that strikes the nervous system, over-stimulating glands and muscles till they tire and stop working. People exposed to high doses of the toxin experience seizures, heart failure and a shutdown of the respiratory system. Since it evaporates slowly, it can potentially contaminate areas for long periods of time. A global treaty signed by more than 160 countries that went into force in 1997 prohibits the production, stockpiling and use of VX. North Korea, which is not among the signatories to the treaty, has been blamed by Seoul for Kim's assassination, with the South saying the regime's leader wanted to eliminate a potential rival. Why are experts confounded? Experts have expressed skepticism about Malaysia's findings, with one UK-based scientist telling AFP that "there are aspects of this that do not 'add up'." Simon Cotton, a specialist in molecular chemistry at the University of Birmingham, added: "I cannot see how the accused women would have administered a fatal dose of VX directly to the victim without sustaining corresponding life-threatening injuries themselves." "There is also no report of any trace of VX - or of any cloths or containers carrying traces of it - at the 'crime scene'." So VX wasn't deployed? Not so fast. Some experts have put forward a hypothesis that the killing was carried out using a binary version of VX known as VX2. In that case, the assassins would have separately applied two chemicals to his face, using a precursor which is not severely toxic on its own but lethal once combined with sulphur. The theory would also explain why two women were used for the attack. "The simplest explanation is that it was binary," said Matthew Meselson, a professor at Harvard University and member of the national advisory board at the US-based Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. As the two chemicals combined on Kim's face to create VX, the assailants would have been unharmed while the delayed reaction would have allowed him to continue walking as shown in the CCTV footage. It is also easier to transport VX across borders when it is broken down into two seemingly innocuous components. Why use VX instead of other toxins? Experts believe Pyongyang made a considered decision to use VX instead of the more commonly deployed Sarin. "Sarin kills indiscriminately -- there's a heavy risk of collateral damage. To use it in a foreign country would have been an act of war," said Vipin Narang, an expert on nuclear strategy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Unlike Sarin, which evaporates quickly whether deployed as a gas or liquid, VX vaporises slowly, giving authorities time to cordon off affected areas before large numbers of people are exposed to it. Is there any way Kim could have survived? Although just one drop of VX can kill a man when inhaled, the nerve agent takes longer to penetrate the skin, meaning that Kim could have survived had someone injected him with its antidote atropine within minutes. Even simpler, he could have washed his face to remove the toxin -- which is soluble in cold water -- as the two assailants did, washing their hands soon after the attack. "If he had... washed his face or rubbed it off with tissues, it could have reduced his exposure," Harvard professor Meselson said. "He might have ended up sick, not dead". Why are experts still doubtful? The binary theory relies entirely on circumstantial evidence and it doesn't explain how the medics who treated Kim shortly after the attack escaped contamination, disarmament expert Zanders pointed out. "People are assuming it is VX and then finding reasons for why certain anomalies exist," he said. (AFP)

The toxic mystery behind Kim Jong-Nam's assassination

South Korea&#39;s intelligence believes that some North Korean government officials were involved&nbsp;in the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam earlier this month.

Among the suspects wanted by the Malaysian police include several officials who worked in North Korea&#39;s foreign and security ministries, according to South Korean lawmakers.

North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un&#39;s half-brother Kim Jong-Nam was killed in Malaysia&#39;s international airport when two women sprayed the deadly VX nerve agent on&nbsp;his face. VX nerve agent is a chemical capable of killing a person in minutes and listed by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction.

&quot;Among eight suspects in this case four are from the ministry of state security and two who actually took action are from the foreign ministry,&quot; Lee Cheol-woo, one of the lawmakers briefed by South Korean intelligence, told reporters.

&quot;That is why it is a case of terrorism led by the state, directly organised by the ministry of state security and the foreign ministry,&quot; Lee added.

One of the eight suspects wanted by Malaysia is a North Korea embassy official, who is believed to still be in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia&#39;s health minister Subramaniam Sathasivam said on Sunday that Kim Jong Nam died within 15-20 minutes of being assaulted by two women who are believed to have smeared VX on his face.

The women, Indonesian and Vietnamese citizens, are in police custody and have told officials from their respective embassies that they believed they were taking part in a TV prank.

Another South Korean lawmaker briefed by the intelligence agency, Kim Byung-kee, said the North Koreans had operated in three teams. Two teams were responsible for hiring women in Indonesia and Vietnam and bringing them to Malaysia to carry out the attack and another was a &quot;back-up&quot; team.

The killing has sparked a diplomatic standoff between the two usually friendly countries, with Malaysia refusing to hand over the body to North Korea before it is officially identified by the victim&#39;s next of kin.

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

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South Korea's intelligence believes some of the suspects worked for North Korea's foreign and security ministries

South Korea's intelligence believes that some North Korean government officials were involved in the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam earlier this month. Among the suspects wanted by the Malaysian police include several officials who worked in North Korea's foreign and security ministries, according to South Korean lawmakers. North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un's half-brother Kim Jong-Nam was killed in Malaysia's international airport when two women sprayed the deadly VX nerve agent on his face. VX nerve agent is a chemical capable of killing a person in minutes and listed by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction. "Among eight suspects in this case four are from the ministry of state security and two who actually took action are from the foreign ministry," Lee Cheol-woo, one of the lawmakers briefed by South Korean intelligence, told reporters. "That is why it is a case of terrorism led by the state, directly organised by the ministry of state security and the foreign ministry," Lee added. One of the eight suspects wanted by Malaysia is a North Korea embassy official, who is believed to still be in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia's health minister Subramaniam Sathasivam said on Sunday that Kim Jong Nam died within 15-20 minutes of being assaulted by two women who are believed to have smeared VX on his face. The women, Indonesian and Vietnamese citizens, are in police custody and have told officials from their respective embassies that they believed they were taking part in a TV prank. Another South Korean lawmaker briefed by the intelligence agency, Kim Byung-kee, said the North Koreans had operated in three teams. Two teams were responsible for hiring women in Indonesia and Vietnam and bringing them to Malaysia to carry out the attack and another was a "back-up" team. The killing has sparked a diplomatic standoff between the two usually friendly countries, with Malaysia refusing to hand over the body to North Korea before it is officially identified by the victim's next of kin. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

North Korean government officials 'involved in Kim Jong-Nam's murder'

Kim Jong-Nam&#39;s autopsy results suggest he was killed by &quot;very serious paralysis&quot; due to a lethal nerve agent, Malaysia&#39;s health minister said on Sunday, adding that he would have died within 20 minutes of being attacked.

Health minister S Subramaniam said the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would have suffered a &quot;very painful death&quot; as his major organs shut down, AFP reported.

&quot;He died in the ambulance. He fainted in the clinic,&quot; Health Minister S. Subramaniam told reporters.

&quot;From the time of the onset (of the attack) he died within 15 to 20 minutes.&quot;&nbsp;

The airport terminal where the estranged half-brother of Kim Jong-un was assassinated was declared a &quot;safe zone&quot; after a complete sweep by the police forensic team, fire department and Atomic Energy Licensing Board, agencies reported.

Police sealed off large areas of the Terminal Two departures hall as a few curious onlookers watched.&nbsp;

&quot;The police cordon was at three areas -- the scene of the attack, the bathroom where the two female suspects washed their hands and pathway leading to the airport clinic -- (and) has been taken down,&quot; a police spokesman said.

Malaysia had revealed on Friday that the 45-year-old Kim Jong-Nam was killed with the VX nerve agent, which is so deadly it is listed by the UN as a weapon of mass destruction.&nbsp;

Nerve agents prevent the proper operation of an enzyme that acts as the body&#39;s &quot;off switch&quot; for glands and muscles. Without that switch, glands and muscles are constantly being stimulated, eventually tire and become unable to sustain breathing.

Friday&#39;s news that lethal VX nerve agent was used in the attack sparked anger in Malaysia and brought condemnation from South Korea, which has pointed the finger at the North over Kim&#39;s death.

Seoul slammed the use of the toxin as a &quot;blatant violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and other international norms&quot;.&nbsp;

Police are holding two women, an Indonesian and a Vietnamese, suspected of staging the attack as well as a North Korean man. Leaked CCTV footage of the two women shows them shoving something into Kim&#39;s face before he suffered a seizure before he reached hospital, AFP reported.

Both women suspected of carrying out the attack insisted they thought they were taking part in a prank video, although Malaysian police have said they knew what they were doing.

One of the two female suspects in custody, 25-year-old Indonesian Siti Aisyah, reportedly told a senior diplomat Saturday she had been paid just 400 ringgit ($90) for her role, adding she believed she was handling a liquid like &quot;baby oil&quot;.

The other woman, Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, 28, told Hanoi officials she had been tricked into killing Kim and thought she was taking part in a prank for a comedy video.

Police also want to speak to seven other North Koreans including a senior embassy official, but four of the suspects fled Malaysia on the day of the murder.

Indonesia&#39;s deputy ambassador to Malaysia Andreano Erwin, who was granted consular access to Siti Saturday, reportedly said she did not know Huong.&nbsp;

Selangor state police chief Abdul Samah Mat told reporters an investigation was continuing at an apartment complex in Kuala Lumpur in connection with the four North Koreans who fled Malaysia on the day of the killing.&nbsp;

He added that samples from the address had been sent for chemical analysis.&nbsp;

One man wanted for questioning and believed still in Malaysia is senior North Korean embassy official Hyon Kwang Song, who enjoys diplomatic immunity. &nbsp;&nbsp;

No next-of-kin have yet come forward to formally identify the body or provide a DNA sample, but authorities have said relatives would be given more time to do so. &nbsp; 
 
(WION&nbsp;with inputs from AFP, Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Malaysia's health minister said Kim Jong Nam's autopsy revealed he died within 20 minutes of being attacked

Kim Jong-Nam's autopsy results suggest he was killed by "very serious paralysis" due to a lethal nerve agent, Malaysia's health minister said on Sunday, adding that he would have died within 20 minutes of being attacked. Health minister S Subramaniam said the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would have suffered a "very painful death" as his major organs shut down, AFP reported. "He died in the ambulance. He fainted in the clinic," Health Minister S. Subramaniam told reporters. "From the time of the onset (of the attack) he died within 15 to 20 minutes." The airport terminal where the estranged half-brother of Kim Jong-un was assassinated was declared a "safe zone" after a complete sweep by the police forensic team, fire department and Atomic Energy Licensing Board, agencies reported. Police sealed off large areas of the Terminal Two departures hall as a few curious onlookers watched. "The police cordon was at three areas -- the scene of the attack, the bathroom where the two female suspects washed their hands and pathway leading to the airport clinic -- (and) has been taken down," a police spokesman said. Malaysia had revealed on Friday that the 45-year-old Kim Jong-Nam was killed with the VX nerve agent, which is so deadly it is listed by the UN as a weapon of mass destruction. Nerve agents prevent the proper operation of an enzyme that acts as the body's "off switch" for glands and muscles. Without that switch, glands and muscles are constantly being stimulated, eventually tire and become unable to sustain breathing. Friday's news that lethal VX nerve agent was used in the attack sparked anger in Malaysia and brought condemnation from South Korea, which has pointed the finger at the North over Kim's death. Seoul slammed the use of the toxin as a "blatant violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and other international norms". Police are holding two women, an Indonesian and a Vietnamese, suspected of staging the attack as well as a North Korean man. Leaked CCTV footage of the two women shows them shoving something into Kim's face before he suffered a seizure before he reached hospital, AFP reported. Both women suspected of carrying out the attack insisted they thought they were taking part in a prank video, although Malaysian police have said they knew what they were doing. One of the two female suspects in custody, 25-year-old Indonesian Siti Aisyah, reportedly told a senior diplomat Saturday she had been paid just 400 ringgit ($90) for her role, adding she believed she was handling a liquid like "baby oil". The other woman, Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, 28, told Hanoi officials she had been tricked into killing Kim and thought she was taking part in a prank for a comedy video. Police also want to speak to seven other North Koreans including a senior embassy official, but four of the suspects fled Malaysia on the day of the murder. Indonesia's deputy ambassador to Malaysia Andreano Erwin, who was granted consular access to Siti Saturday, reportedly said she did not know Huong. Selangor state police chief Abdul Samah Mat told reporters an investigation was continuing at an apartment complex in Kuala Lumpur in connection with the four North Koreans who fled Malaysia on the day of the killing. He added that samples from the address had been sent for chemical analysis. One man wanted for questioning and believed still in Malaysia is senior North Korean embassy official Hyon Kwang Song, who enjoys diplomatic immunity. No next-of-kin have yet come forward to formally identify the body or provide a DNA sample, but authorities have said relatives would be given more time to do so. (WION with inputs from AFP, Reuters)

Kim Jong-Nam killed by 'serious paralysis' due to lethal nerve agent: Autopsy

Malaysia summoned the North Korean ambassador on Monday for a dressing-down over Pyongyang&#39;s attack on its investigation into the assassination of leader Kim Jong-Un&#39;s brother, deepening a diplomatic row.

Five North Koreans are in the frame for last week&#39;s airport killing, drawing a furious response from Pyongyang which has accused Kuala Lumpur of conspiring with &quot;hostile forces&quot; to damage its reputation.

Malaysia recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and also summoned the North Korean ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, who was told his accusation was &quot;baseless&quot;, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

&quot;The ministry emphasised that as the death occurred on Malaysian soil under mysterious circumstances, it is the responsibility of the Malaysian government to conduct an investigation to identify the cause of death,&quot; it said.

The row erupted when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats&#39; demands to hand over the body of Kim Jong-Nam after he was apparently poisoned at Kuala Lumpur&#39;s international airport.

Ambassador Kang Chol last week told reporters outside the morgue where Jong-Nam&#39;s body is being held that Malaysia was being pressured by South Korea in a bid to defame its northern neighbour.&nbsp;

Seoul has pointed the finger of blame for the attack at the North, citing a &quot;standing order&quot; from Kim Jong-Un to kill his elder sibling and a failed assassination bid in 2012 after he criticised the regime.

&quot;The Malaysian government takes very seriously any unfounded attempt to tarnish its reputation,&quot; the statement said, after the ambassador&#39;s meeting with Deputy Secretary General for Bilateral Affairs Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin.

The Malaysian ambassador in Pyongyang has also been recalled to Kuala Lumpur for consultations, the statement said.

Police said Sunday they believed five North Koreans were involved in the killing, with four having fled the country on the day of the murder.

Officers have already arrested one North Korean living in Kuala Lumpur, an Indonesian woman and her Malaysian boyfriend, as well as a Vietnamese woman.

Three more North Koreans were wanted for questioning, police said.

The drama erupted last week as Jong-Nam prepared to board a plane to Macau, where he has been living in recent years. Malaysian police say the 45-year-old was jumped by two women who squirted liquid in his face.

Jong-Nam suffered a seizure and died before arriving at hospital.&nbsp;

Warning: Footage contains violence:

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zjfm_XOxLOs" width="560"></iframe>

He was once thought to be the natural successor to his father, the then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il.

But after Jong-Il&#39;s death in 2011 the succession went instead to his younger half-brother Kim Jong-Un.

Reports of purges and executions have emerged from the current regime as Jong-Un tries to strengthen his grip on power in the face of international pressure over his nuclear and missile programmes.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Malaysia is upset that Pyongyang has attacked them for carrying out a probe into the death of Kim Jong-Un's half-brother

Malaysia summoned the North Korean ambassador on Monday for a dressing-down over Pyongyang's attack on its investigation into the assassination of leader Kim Jong-Un's brother, deepening a diplomatic row. Five North Koreans are in the frame for last week's airport killing, drawing a furious response from Pyongyang which has accused Kuala Lumpur of conspiring with "hostile forces" to damage its reputation. Malaysia recalled its envoy to Pyongyang and also summoned the North Korean ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, who was told his accusation was "baseless", the foreign ministry said in a statement. "The ministry emphasised that as the death occurred on Malaysian soil under mysterious circumstances, it is the responsibility of the Malaysian government to conduct an investigation to identify the cause of death," it said. The row erupted when Malaysian police rejected North Korean diplomats' demands to hand over the body of Kim Jong-Nam after he was apparently poisoned at Kuala Lumpur's international airport. Ambassador Kang Chol last week told reporters outside the morgue where Jong-Nam's body is being held that Malaysia was being pressured by South Korea in a bid to defame its northern neighbour. Seoul has pointed the finger of blame for the attack at the North, citing a "standing order" from Kim Jong-Un to kill his elder sibling and a failed assassination bid in 2012 after he criticised the regime. "The Malaysian government takes very seriously any unfounded attempt to tarnish its reputation," the statement said, after the ambassador's meeting with Deputy Secretary General for Bilateral Affairs Raja Nushirwan Zainal Abidin. The Malaysian ambassador in Pyongyang has also been recalled to Kuala Lumpur for consultations, the statement said. Police said Sunday they believed five North Koreans were involved in the killing, with four having fled the country on the day of the murder. Officers have already arrested one North Korean living in Kuala Lumpur, an Indonesian woman and her Malaysian boyfriend, as well as a Vietnamese woman. Three more North Koreans were wanted for questioning, police said. The drama erupted last week as Jong-Nam prepared to board a plane to Macau, where he has been living in recent years. Malaysian police say the 45-year-old was jumped by two women who squirted liquid in his face. Jong-Nam suffered a seizure and died before arriving at hospital. Warning: Footage contains violence: He was once thought to be the natural successor to his father, the then-North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il. But after Jong-Il's death in 2011 the succession went instead to his younger half-brother Kim Jong-Un. Reports of purges and executions have emerged from the current regime as Jong-Un tries to strengthen his grip on power in the face of international pressure over his nuclear and missile programmes. (AFP)

Malaysia summons North Korea envoy as rift deepens over airport death

The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who has been murdered in Malaysia, pleaded for his life to be spared after a failed assassination bid in 2012, lawmakers briefed by Seoul&#39;s spy chief said Wednesday.&nbsp;

Kim Jong-Nam died after reportedly being attacked by two women believed to be North Korean agents at a Kuala Lumpur airport on Monday.

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Jong-Nam, the eldest son of the late former leader Kim Jong-Il, was once seen as heir apparent but fell out of favour following an embarrassing botched bid in 2001 to enter Japan on a forged passport and visit Disneyland.&nbsp;

He has since lived in virtual exile, mainly in the Chinese territory of Macau, while Jong-Un took over the isolated, nuclear-armed state after the death of his father in December 2011.

The North in 2012 tried to assassinate Jong-Nam -- known to be a supporter of reform in Pyongyang -- Seoul lawmakers said following a closed-door briefing by the chief of the National Intelligence Service, Lee Byung-Ho.&nbsp;

&quot;According to (Lee)... there was one (assassination) bid in 2012, and Jong-Nam in April 2012 sent a letter to Jong-Un saying &#39;Please spare me and my family,&#39;&quot; Kim Byung-Kee, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters.&nbsp;

&quot;It also said &#39;We have nowhere to go... we know that the only way to escape is suicide&#39;,&quot; he said, adding Jong-Nam had little political support at home and posed little threat to Jong-Un. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Jong-Nam&#39;s family -- his former and current wives and three children -- are currently living in Beijing and Macau, said another committee member, Lee Cheol-Woo.&nbsp;

&quot;They are under the protection by the Chinese authorities,&quot; he said, adding Jong-Nam had entered Malaysia on February 6, a week before his death.&nbsp;

Jong-Nam&#39;s murder is the highest-profile death under the Kim Jong-Un&#39;s regime since the execution of the leader&#39;s uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in December 2013.&nbsp;

Jang, known to be close to China and an advocate of economic reform in the North, was charged with treason.&nbsp;

Jong-Nam, believed to have ties with Beijing&#39;s elite, was a relatively outspoken figure, publicly criticising Pyongyang&#39;s political system.

The 45-year-old said he &quot;personally opposed&quot; the hereditary power transfer in his own family, during an interview with Japan&#39;s Asahi TV in 2010.&nbsp;

One of his sons -- Han-Sol -- also described his uncle, Jong-Un, as a &quot;dictator&quot; in a rare interview with a Finnish TV station in 2012 while he was studying in Europe.&nbsp;

(AFP)

They said he pleaded for his life to be spared after a failed assassination bid in 2012

The half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who has been murdered in Malaysia, pleaded for his life to be spared after a failed assassination bid in 2012, lawmakers briefed by Seoul's spy chief said Wednesday. Kim Jong-Nam died after reportedly being attacked by two women believed to be North Korean agents at a Kuala Lumpur airport on Monday. Kim Jong-Nam died after reportedly being attacked by two women believed to be North Korean agents at a Kuala Lumpur airport on Monday × Jong-Nam, the eldest son of the late former leader Kim Jong-Il, was once seen as heir apparent but fell out of favour following an embarrassing botched bid in 2001 to enter Japan on a forged passport and visit Disneyland. He has since lived in virtual exile, mainly in the Chinese territory of Macau, while Jong-Un took over the isolated, nuclear-armed state after the death of his father in December 2011. The North in 2012 tried to assassinate Jong-Nam -- known to be a supporter of reform in Pyongyang -- Seoul lawmakers said following a closed-door briefing by the chief of the National Intelligence Service, Lee Byung-Ho. "According to (Lee)... there was one (assassination) bid in 2012, and Jong-Nam in April 2012 sent a letter to Jong-Un saying 'Please spare me and my family,'" Kim Byung-Kee, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters. "It also said 'We have nowhere to go... we know that the only way to escape is suicide'," he said, adding Jong-Nam had little political support at home and posed little threat to Jong-Un. Jong-Nam's family -- his former and current wives and three children -- are currently living in Beijing and Macau, said another committee member, Lee Cheol-Woo. "They are under the protection by the Chinese authorities," he said, adding Jong-Nam had entered Malaysia on February 6, a week before his death. Jong-Nam's murder is the highest-profile death under the Kim Jong-Un's regime since the execution of the leader's uncle, Jang Song-Thaek, in December 2013. Jang, known to be close to China and an advocate of economic reform in the North, was charged with treason. Jong-Nam, believed to have ties with Beijing's elite, was a relatively outspoken figure, publicly criticising Pyongyang's political system. The 45-year-old said he "personally opposed" the hereditary power transfer in his own family, during an interview with Japan's Asahi TV in 2010. One of his sons -- Han-Sol -- also described his uncle, Jong-Un, as a "dictator" in a rare interview with a Finnish TV station in 2012 while he was studying in Europe. (AFP)

Kim half-brother pleaded for his life: Seoul MPs

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