Kim Jong-nam death: Malaysia and N Korea in tit-for-tat exit bans

North Korea and Malaysia have banned each other's citizens from leaving their countries, in a growing row over the killing of Kim Jong-nam.

The extraordinary tit-for-tat actions come amid North Korean fury at Malaysia's ongoing investigation into his death at a Kuala Lumpur airport.

The North Korean leader's half-brother was killed with a potent nerve agent.

Malaysia has not directly blamed the North for this, but there is widespread suspicion Pyongyang was responsible.

North Korea has fiercely denied any accusations of culpability and the row over the killing - and who has the right to claim Mr Kim's body - has rapidly escalated over the past two weeks.

Both Malaysia and North Korea have already expelled each other's ambassadors.

What was North Korea's announcement?

The state news agency KCNA said on Tuesday that "all Malaysian nationals in the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] will be temporarily prohibited from leaving the country until the incident that happened in Malaysia is properly solved".

It said this was to ensure the safety of it citizens and diplomats in Malaysia.

Malaysians in North Korea would be able to carry on their lives as normal, it added.

How did Malaysia respond?

Furiously. Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said it was an "abhorrent act" which was "in total disregard of all international law and diplomatic norms".

Malaysia initially responded by banning North Korean embassy staff and officials from leaving the country.

But Mr Najib later said the ban would extend to all North Koreans.

How many people does this affect?

Malaysian officials have said there are believed to be 11 Malaysian citizens currently in North Korea, mostly diplomats.

They include two Malaysians working with the UN's World Food Programme, the organisation said.

History of Malaysia-North Korea relations

Malaysia was one of the few countries that had relatively friendly relations with North Korea

Diplomatic ties between the nations were initiated in the 1970s

As trade in resources such as palm oil and steel increased, North Korea eventually established an embassy in Kuala Lumpur in 2003

At one point the nephew of Chang Song-thaek, Kim Jong-un's uncle who was executed in 2013, served as the North Korean ambassador to Malaysia

But visa-free travel for Malaysians and North Koreans travelling to each other's countries was abruptly cancelled in the wake of Kim Jong-nam's death