Further arrests after death of N. Korean leader's brother

Malaysian investigators said on Thursday that a second female suspect and one man had been detained over the apparent killing of Kim Jong-nam, who was passed over for leadership of North Korea for his younger brother, Kim Jong-un. Police said that the second woman was an Indonesian national, something Jakarta later confirmed while asking to be granted access to the suspect.

"Following that verification, the embassy has requested consular access to the Government of Malaysia to provide assistance in order to ensure her legal rights," the Indonesian foreign ministry said. The woman has been identified as Siti Aishah, 25, from the city of Serang.

An earlier police statement had said thatea first woman suspect carrying Vietnamese travel documents bearing the name Doan Thi Huong had been arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport  the day before.

She was reportedly picked up at the budget terminal of the airport, where Kim Jong-nam had fallen ill on Monday morning. 

Still photos of a video in which the woman is seen have been confirmed as authentic by police. They show a woman in a skirt and long-sleeved white T-shirt with 'LOL' on the front.

Seoul: Pyongyang ordered the hit

According to a Malaysian government official, Kim told medical workers before he died that he had been attacked with a chemical spray.

Medical workers have completed an autopsy on Kim Jong-nam.

North Korea had objected to the autopsy and asked for Kim Jong-nam's body to be returned, but Malaysia went ahead with the procedure anyway as the North did not submit a formal protest, said Abdul Samah Mat, a senior Malaysian police official.

It was not immediately clear if or when Malaysia would release the findings publicly.

South Korea's spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, said on Wednesday that North Korea had been trying to kill Kim Jong-nam for five years.

jbh, es/kl (AP, dpa, Reuters)