More arrests in North Korean assassination intrigue

Malaysian officials have arrested two more people suspected of involvement in Monday’s assassination of Kim Jong Nam, half-brother to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. One is a woman identified as one of two who approached Nam at the Kuala Lumpur airport and sprayed some kind of poison on his face. The other suspect is the woman’s boyfriend. Officials have completed an autopsy on Kim but have not yet released his cause of death. They also haven’t said whether they believe the North Korean government gave the assassination order. The first woman arrested was traveling on a Vietnamese passport but her identity has not been confirmed. The second woman has been identified as Siti Aishah, a 25-year-old Indonesian. Police detained her boyfriend, 26-year-old Muhammad Farid bin Jalaluddin, for questioning. Although Kim once was considered the likely successor for his father, Kim Jong Il, he hasn’t been involved in North Korean politics in about 15 years. But his half-brother, Kim Jong Un, is known for his paranoia about protecting his authoritarian rule and has executed potential rivals since coming to power in 2011.