Two women indicted, to be charged with murder

Two women arrested over the nerve agent assassination of Kim Jong Nam are to be charged with his murder, Malaysia said yesterday, as North Korea sent a senior diplomat to retrieve the body from the morgue.

The spectacular killing of Kim Jong-Un's half-brother with VX, a fast-acting poison developed for warfare, sparked an international probe and lurid stories of Pyongyang's Cold War-style tradecraft.

South Korea says its isolated neighbour was behind the assassination, and claims the North's agents engaged two outsiders to carry out the murder.

The women will appear in court today. If convicted, they could face death by hanging.

Kim died less than 20 minutes after he was set upon at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13. CCTV footage shows two women approaching him and seemingly pushing something in his face.

Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, from Vietnam, told officials that they were tricked into killing Kim and thought they were taking part in a prank for a comedy video.

The development came as Kim South Korea's spy agency reported the North Korean leader has ordered more executions.

According to the report, North Korea executed five senior officials using anti-aircraft guns because they made false reports that “enraged” leader Kim Jong-un, South Korea's spy agency said Monday.

It's not clear what false reports they allegedly made, and the Soth Korea didn't say how it got its information.