Two women accused of killing the half-brother of North Korea's leader have pleaded not guilty as their trial started in Malaysia.

Two women accused of murdering the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will stand trial in October.

Two women accused of poisoning the half brother of North Korea's ruler Kim Jong Un in an airport assassination are expected to plead not guilty in court on Friday, their lawyers said.

A dispute over custody of the body of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half-brother is raging between Malaysia and Pyongyang as inquiries continue into his apparent assassination.