World abuzz with why, how and what killed him

PETALING JAYA: The death of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North-Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has sparked international speculation over why and how he was killed – and even what killed him.

Global news agencies such as The Channel NewsAsia, Reuters and CNBC made it their prime news yesterday, reporting about his death in Malaysia, stating that Jong-nam was poisoned at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) by two women, believed to be North Korean operatives.

News agencies Mail Online and Telegraph reported that Jong-nam was “assassinated” by two women.

The Telegraph said the two women were spies and that they had used poisoned needles to kill Jong-nam.

Mail Online pointed out that Jong-nam’s death is the highest profile death under the Jong-un regime since the execution of the leader’s uncle Jang Song-thaek in December 2013.

Daily Mail and The Sun UK highlighted reports that Jong-nam was a “playboy”. However, the news reports themselves did not elaborate on why he was labelled such.

There was also the bizarre, such as an online news agency called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, a satire site, which claimed Jong-nam died from “unsanitary food practices” by Malaysians.

“Indigestion epidemic in Malaysia claims life of esteemed Kim Jong-nam. Unsanitary food practices of filthy Malaysian people is blamed,” it said on its twitter account DPRK news service.