Two women charged with assassinating the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have been ordered to enter their defence in their long-running trial.
A Malaysian judge has ruled there is enough evidence to support a murder charge against Siti Aisyah from Indonesia and Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam.
The women are accused of smearing a deadly nerve agent on Kim Jong-nam's face as he waited for a flight at Kuala Lumpur airport.
Here is a timeline of key events in the killing.
The attack
A North Korean man, later identified as Kim Jong-nam, died after being attacked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on 13 February 2017. South Korea blamed its northern neighbour, saying it was a political hit aimed at weeding out potential rivals to Kim Jong-un.
Malaysian detectives tracked down two migrant women, one Vietnamese and one Indonesian, who they said were seen on CCTV carrying out the attack.
The two women said they had been paid to carry out what they thought was a prank for a reality TV show.
An autopsy revealed Mr Kim died from exposure to the VX nerve agent, an artificial chemical so deadly it is banned under international treaty and classified by the UN as a weapon of mass destruction.
The Fallout
Malaysia arrested North Korean citizen Ri Jong Chol in connection with the murder. Over the following days investigators said diplomats and airline employees from the isolated regime were also wanted for questioning. All were believed to be staying at the North Korean embassy or to have already left the country.
North Korea poured scorn on what it called "absurd" claims that VX was used, saying South Korea and the US were mounting a smear campaign against it.
It insisted the dead man was called Kim Chol and demanded that his body be returned. Investigators refused to release the corpse.
Malaysia cancelled a visa-free travel deal with North Korea and deported North Korea's ambassador. North Korea hit back, expelling Malaysia's envoy.
Tensions escalated after North Korea banned all Malaysians from leaving Pyongyang. Malaysia retaliated and the international community called for calm amid allegations of hostage holding.
The Rapprochement
In early March, Ri Jong Chol was released from custody and deported from Malaysia. Frustrated Malaysian police said they believed he was involved in the plot but lacked evidence to prove it.
At the end of the month, Malaysia's then-prime minister Najib Razak announced an agreement had been reached to return the body to North Korea. Nine Malaysians stuck in Pyongyang were free to travel and North Koreans in Kuala Lumpur were allowed to go home.
In October, the two women will go on trial over the murder. They maintain their innocence.
Four men formally accused on a charge sheet of plotting with the women to murder Kim Jong Nam have been identified by a police officer as North Koreans who fled Malaysia immediately after the assassination. The women's lawyers insist they are the masterminds.
