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

Nine Malaysians freed by Pyongyang arrived home early Friday, after Kuala Lumpur agreed to send back the body of the assassinated half-brother of North Korea&#39;s leader, ending a bitter feud between the two countries.

Kim Jong-Nam was killed with the lethal nerve agent VX on February 13 in a Kuala Lumpur airport, triggering a diplomatic row between Malaysia and North Korea, which expelled each other&#39;s ambassadors and barred their citizens from leaving.

But a deal announced by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and confirmed by North Korean state media on Thursday said the two countries had lifted their respective travel bans, and Kuala Lumpur would send the body to North Korea.

The Malaysians, three embassy staff and six family members, landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport before sunrise where they were met on the tarmac by Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman.

On Thursday, following the deal, Najib declared on Twitter: the &quot;diplomatic crisis is over&quot;.

&quot;Following the completion of the autopsy on the deceased and receipt of a letter from his family requesting the remains be returned to North Korea, the coroner has approved the release of the body,&quot; Najib said in a statement.

The prime minister did not specify who in the family had made the request. Kim&#39;s wife and children, who were living in exile in the Chinese territory of Macau, staged a vanishing act after the murder and are believed to be in hiding.

South Korea has blamed Pyongyang for the Cold War-style killing, citing what they say was a standing order from North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un to murder his exiled and estranged half-brother.

But the North denies this and denounced Malaysia&#39;s investigation into the death as an attempt to smear the secretive regime.

It had insisted that the man died of a heart attack and his body should be handed over to Pyongyang.

A van believed to be carrying the body of Kim left a hospital morgue in Kuala Lumpur Thursday, where it had been kept for more than six weeks, and headed for the airport&#39;s cargo centre.

Chinese and Malaysian media reported it was put on board a Malaysian Airlines plane bound for Beijing that left Kuala Lumpur at 7:39 pm.

An AFP photographer saw a North Korean embassy van and officials leaving Beijing airport early Friday morning, and South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Kim&#39;s body was expected to leave for Pyongyang on an Air Koryo flight as early as on Saturday.Analysts said the North Korean regime may use Kim&#39;s body as a &quot;propaganda tool&quot;.

&quot;They will likely use the body to claim they were not responsible and tell an alternative narrative,&quot; said Bridget Welsh, an expert on Southeast Asian politics.&nbsp;

Pyongyang has refused to confirm the identity of the victim, who was carrying a North Korean passport bearing the name of Kim Chol when he was killed.

Malaysia however has officially confirmed his identity using DNA evidence and had said it had been waiting for his next of kin to claim the body. 
There are fears Kim&#39;s 21-year-old son, Kim Han-Sol, could be targeted next.

Two women -- one Vietnamese and one Indonesian -- have been arrested and charged with the murder. Airport CCTV footage shows them approaching the 45-year-old victim and apparently smearing his face with a piece of cloth.

Malaysian investigators are also seeking seven North Korean suspects, four of whom left Malaysia on the day of the murder. Interpol has issued an international arrest warrant for the four men.

Japanese media on board the MH360 plane to Beijing said two of the three other suspects were on board the plane that carried the remains of Kim. It was still unclear what happened to the third suspect.

(AFP)

The Malaysians, three embassy staff and six family members, landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport before sunrise

Nine Malaysians freed by Pyongyang arrived home early Friday, after Kuala Lumpur agreed to send back the body of the assassinated half-brother of North Korea's leader, ending a bitter feud between the two countries. Kim Jong-Nam was killed with the lethal nerve agent VX on February 13 in a Kuala Lumpur airport, triggering a diplomatic row between Malaysia and North Korea, which expelled each other's ambassadors and barred their citizens from leaving. But a deal announced by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and confirmed by North Korean state media on Thursday said the two countries had lifted their respective travel bans, and Kuala Lumpur would send the body to North Korea. The Malaysians, three embassy staff and six family members, landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport before sunrise where they were met on the tarmac by Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman. On Thursday, following the deal, Najib declared on Twitter: the "diplomatic crisis is over". "Following the completion of the autopsy on the deceased and receipt of a letter from his family requesting the remains be returned to North Korea, the coroner has approved the release of the body," Najib said in a statement. The prime minister did not specify who in the family had made the request. Kim's wife and children, who were living in exile in the Chinese territory of Macau, staged a vanishing act after the murder and are believed to be in hiding. South Korea has blamed Pyongyang for the Cold War-style killing, citing what they say was a standing order from North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un to murder his exiled and estranged half-brother. But the North denies this and denounced Malaysia's investigation into the death as an attempt to smear the secretive regime. It had insisted that the man died of a heart attack and his body should be handed over to Pyongyang. A van believed to be carrying the body of Kim left a hospital morgue in Kuala Lumpur Thursday, where it had been kept for more than six weeks, and headed for the airport's cargo centre. Chinese and Malaysian media reported it was put on board a Malaysian Airlines plane bound for Beijing that left Kuala Lumpur at 7:39 pm. An AFP photographer saw a North Korean embassy van and officials leaving Beijing airport early Friday morning, and South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Kim's body was expected to leave for Pyongyang on an Air Koryo flight as early as on Saturday.Analysts said the North Korean regime may use Kim's body as a "propaganda tool". "They will likely use the body to claim they were not responsible and tell an alternative narrative," said Bridget Welsh, an expert on Southeast Asian politics. Pyongyang has refused to confirm the identity of the victim, who was carrying a North Korean passport bearing the name of Kim Chol when he was killed. Malaysia however has officially confirmed his identity using DNA evidence and had said it had been waiting for his next of kin to claim the body. There are fears Kim's 21-year-old son, Kim Han-Sol, could be targeted next. Two women -- one Vietnamese and one Indonesian -- have been arrested and charged with the murder. Airport CCTV footage shows them approaching the 45-year-old victim and apparently smearing his face with a piece of cloth. Malaysian investigators are also seeking seven North Korean suspects, four of whom left Malaysia on the day of the murder. Interpol has issued an international arrest warrant for the four men. Japanese media on board the MH360 plane to Beijing said two of the three other suspects were on board the plane that carried the remains of Kim. It was still unclear what happened to the third suspect. (AFP)

Freed Malaysians arrive home from North Korea after Kim row

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

North Korea&rsquo;s state media broke a 10-day silence Thursday on the murder of Kim Jong-Un&rsquo;s half brother, launching a ferocious assault on Malaysia for &ldquo;immoral&rdquo; handling of the case and for playing politics with the corpse.

In its first comments on the airport assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, KCNA said Malaysia bore responsibility for the death, and accused it of conspiring with South Korea.

&quot;Malaysia is obliged to hand his body to the DPRK (North Korea) side as it made an autopsy and forensic examination of it in an illegal and immoral manner&quot;, the North&#39;s Korean Jurists Committee said, in comments carried by the state-run news agency.

Malaysia has not released the corpse &quot;under the absurd pretext&quot; that it needs a DNA sample from the dead man&#39;s family, it said.

&quot;This proves that the Malaysian side is going to politicise the transfer of the body in utter disregard of international law and morality and thus attain a sinister purpose,&quot; it said.

Throughout its lengthy dispatch, KCNA avoided any reference to the dead man&#39;s identity, calling him only &quot;a citizen of the DPRK bearing a diplomatic passport&quot;.

North Korea has never acknowledged him as the estranged brother of its leader.

Leaked CCTV footage from the brazen attack last Monday shows the portly Kim being approached by two women who appear to put something in his face.

Moments later he is seen asking for help from airport staff, who direct him to a clinic.

Malaysian police said he suffered a seizure and died before he reached hospital.

An autopsy has ruled out heart failure, with investigators focusing on the theory that a toxin was applied to his face, in what South Korea has insisted was a targeted assassination.

Malaysian detectives are holding three people -- women from Indonesia and Vietnam, and a North Korean man -- but want to speak to seven others, including diplomat Hyon Kwang Song.&nbsp;

But Malaysia&#39;s top policeman acknowledged Thursday that unless Hyon, second secretary at the North Korean mission, volunteers himself, they will be unable to speak to him.

&quot;We will adhere to the rules of immunity,&quot; Khalid Abu Bakar said. &quot;We cannot go inside the embassy.&quot;

Malaysian police think four North Korean suspects may have fled to Pyongyang immediately after the killing.

&nbsp;&#39;Wild rumours&#39;

A small group of protesters descended on North Korea&#39;s embassy Thursday, with many carrying signs reading &quot;Respect Malaysia&quot;.&nbsp;

Demonstrators from the youth wing of Malaysia&#39;s ruling party handed in a letter to diplomats denouncing Pyongyang&#39;s &quot;impermissible attitude and rudeness&quot; and urging the North &quot;to reconsider its aggressive approach&quot;. &nbsp;

It was reported Thursday South Korea is using giant loudspeakers to blast news of the dramatic assassination across the border with its reclusive northern neighbour.

Seoul employed its banks of high-decibel loudspeakers to ensure details of the death of Jong-Nam, once believed to be the North&#39;s likely heir, reverberated through the border area, Seoul&#39;s MBC TV station said.&nbsp;

&quot;Kim Jong-Nam... died after being attacked by two unidentified women at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia,&quot; blared the message.

News of the outside world is heavily restricted and censored in the North under the Kim family, which has ruled for decades with an iron fist and pervasive personality cult.&nbsp;

Seoul&#39;s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se said Wednesday in London the assassination by the North, if confirmed, would constitute a &quot;serious breach&quot; of international order and would be regarded as a &quot;state-led act of terrorism&quot;.

Pyongyang&#39;s statement, issued in both English and Korean, repeated the North&#39;s demand for a joint investigation, stressing it was ready to dispatch a delegation.

It said Malaysia had initially claimed the death was from heart failure, and blamed the poisoning theory on &quot;wild rumours&quot; from South Korean media.

&quot;The biggest responsibility for his death rests with the government of Malaysia as the citizen of the DPRK died in its land,&quot; KCNA said.

&quot;The unfriendly attitude of the Malaysian side found a more striking manifestation in the matter of transferring his body to the DPRK side.&nbsp;

&quot;The DPRK... will watch the future attitude of the Malaysian side.&quot;

(AFP)

North Korea has accused Malaysia of not releasing the corpse 'under the absurd pretext' that it needs a DNA sample from the dead man's family

North Korea’s state media broke a 10-day silence Thursday on the murder of Kim Jong-Un’s half brother, launching a ferocious assault on Malaysia for “immoral” handling of the case and for playing politics with the corpse. In its first comments on the airport assassination of Kim Jong-Nam, KCNA said Malaysia bore responsibility for the death, and accused it of conspiring with South Korea. "Malaysia is obliged to hand his body to the DPRK (North Korea) side as it made an autopsy and forensic examination of it in an illegal and immoral manner", the North's Korean Jurists Committee said, in comments carried by the state-run news agency. Malaysia has not released the corpse "under the absurd pretext" that it needs a DNA sample from the dead man's family, it said. "This proves that the Malaysian side is going to politicise the transfer of the body in utter disregard of international law and morality and thus attain a sinister purpose," it said. Throughout its lengthy dispatch, KCNA avoided any reference to the dead man's identity, calling him only "a citizen of the DPRK bearing a diplomatic passport". North Korea has never acknowledged him as the estranged brother of its leader. Leaked CCTV footage from the brazen attack last Monday shows the portly Kim being approached by two women who appear to put something in his face. Moments later he is seen asking for help from airport staff, who direct him to a clinic. Malaysian police said he suffered a seizure and died before he reached hospital. An autopsy has ruled out heart failure, with investigators focusing on the theory that a toxin was applied to his face, in what South Korea has insisted was a targeted assassination. Malaysian detectives are holding three people -- women from Indonesia and Vietnam, and a North Korean man -- but want to speak to seven others, including diplomat Hyon Kwang Song. But Malaysia's top policeman acknowledged Thursday that unless Hyon, second secretary at the North Korean mission, volunteers himself, they will be unable to speak to him. "We will adhere to the rules of immunity," Khalid Abu Bakar said. "We cannot go inside the embassy." Malaysian police think four North Korean suspects may have fled to Pyongyang immediately after the killing. 'Wild rumours' A small group of protesters descended on North Korea's embassy Thursday, with many carrying signs reading "Respect Malaysia". Demonstrators from the youth wing of Malaysia's ruling party handed in a letter to diplomats denouncing Pyongyang's "impermissible attitude and rudeness" and urging the North "to reconsider its aggressive approach". It was reported Thursday South Korea is using giant loudspeakers to blast news of the dramatic assassination across the border with its reclusive northern neighbour. Seoul employed its banks of high-decibel loudspeakers to ensure details of the death of Jong-Nam, once believed to be the North's likely heir, reverberated through the border area, Seoul's MBC TV station said. "Kim Jong-Nam... died after being attacked by two unidentified women at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia," blared the message. News of the outside world is heavily restricted and censored in the North under the Kim family, which has ruled for decades with an iron fist and pervasive personality cult. Seoul's Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se said Wednesday in London the assassination by the North, if confirmed, would constitute a "serious breach" of international order and would be regarded as a "state-led act of terrorism". Pyongyang's statement, issued in both English and Korean, repeated the North's demand for a joint investigation, stressing it was ready to dispatch a delegation. It said Malaysia had initially claimed the death was from heart failure, and blamed the poisoning theory on "wild rumours" from South Korean media. "The biggest responsibility for his death rests with the government of Malaysia as the citizen of the DPRK died in its land," KCNA said. "The unfriendly attitude of the Malaysian side found a more striking manifestation in the matter of transferring his body to the DPRK side. "The DPRK... will watch the future attitude of the Malaysian side." (AFP)

North Korea slams Malaysia for 'politics' over Kim Jong-Nam's body