{"id":60223,"date":"2018-03-07T06:09:18","date_gmt":"2018-03-07T06:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=60223"},"modified":"2018-03-07T06:09:18","modified_gmt":"2018-03-07T06:09:18","slug":"north-korea-used-vx-nerve-agent-to-kill-leaders-brother-says-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/north-korea-used-vx-nerve-agent-to-kill-leaders-brother-says-us.html","title":{"rendered":"North Korea used VX nerve agent to kill leader’s brother, says US"},"content":{"rendered":"

North Korea used VX nerve agent to kill leader’s brother, says US<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The half-brother of Kim Jong-un was killed by a chemical attack in Malaysia on the orders of the North Korean government, the US has concluded.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kim Jong-nam died after a bizarre encounter at Kuala Lumpur airport in 2017, when two women smeared his face with VX nerve agent.<\/span><\/p>\n

The women, who say they believed they were carrying out a prank for a TV show, are on trial for murder.<\/span><\/p>\n

The US said it would impose new sanctions on North Korea in response.<\/span><\/p>\n

“This public display of contempt for universal norms against chemical weapons use further demonstrates the reckless nature of North Korea and underscores that we cannot afford to tolerate a North Korean WMD program of any kind,” said State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.<\/span><\/p>\n

The US has consistently accused North Korea of being behind the attack on Kim Jong-nam.<\/span><\/p>\n

North Korea denies any involvement.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new sanctions, which came into force on 5 March, are largely symbolic, joining a vast array of punitive economic measures the US has taken against North Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n

The announcement comes a day after a high-level South Korean delegation returned from Pyongyang where they had cordial meetings with Mr Kim.<\/span><\/p>\n

Capitalising on warmer ties after the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Mr Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have arranged a landmark meeting for next month.<\/span><\/p>\n

It would be the first such meeting for more than a decade and the first since Kim Jong-un took power in North Korea in 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

US President Donald Trump has said the developments, including North Korea’s suggestion that it might discuss getting rid of its nuclear weapons, are positive” but might be a “false hope”.<\/span><\/p>\n

In previous programmes to halt its nuclear ambitions, the North has failed to keep its promises.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kim Jong-nam was largely estranged from his family and was bypassed for the leadership in favour of his younger half-brother, Kim Jong-un. He spent most of his time overseas in Macau, mainland China and Singapore.<\/span><\/p>\n

He had spoken out in the past against his family’s dynastic control of North Korea and in a 2012 book was quoted as saying he believed his half-brother lacked leadership qualities.<\/span><\/p>\n

He died in February 2017, shortly after Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong accosted him as he checked in for a flight at Kuala Lumpur airport.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-43312052<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/div><\/div>\n\t\t