Rodman sings Happy Birthday to North Korea's Kim Jong-un

 

Dennis Rodman led the crowd in a rendition of Happy Birthday before the match

US basketball star Dennis Rodman has sung Happy Birthday to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in front of a crowd of thousands in the capital. Rodman said Mr Kim, who was in the audience with his wife and other senior officials, was his "best friend".
The former NBA star is on his fourth North Korean visit to mark Mr Kim's birthday with a basketball match.
He has angrily defended his visit after criticism from rights groups. The US said he does not represent the country.
The crowd of about 14,000 at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium clapped and waved as Rodman sang Happy Birthday on Wednesday, the Associated Press news agency says.

  The US and North Korean players raised their hands to the crowd after an exhibition game held at an indoor stadium in Pyongyang

  Dennis Rodman remains the highest-profile American to have met the young Mr Kim

Rodman is with a team of former National Basketball Association (NBA) players who played an exhibition match. He said the match was to celebrate Kim Jong-un's birthday, although the leader's official birthday and age have not been confirmed.

Retired NBA professional who played for teams including the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons

• Known for a bad-boy image, colourful hair, piercings and tattoos
• Briefly married to US actress Carmen Electra; had a brief relationship with Madonna
• Appeared in action films and television series, and has also been a professional wrestler
• Has appeared in several reality shows, including one tackling celebrity alcohol abuse

The celebration comes weeks after the execution of Mr Kim's uncle, Chang Song-thaek, once seen as a major power in North Korea. His rapid and brutal purge has sparked concern over stability inside the country.

Meanwhile, state news agency KCNA has announced that elections for North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament will be held on 9 March - an event which could provide a hint of who the key players are in the wake of Mr Chang's execution.
'Take the abuse' Dennis Rodman has said that he was on a "basketball diplomacy" mission in North Korea. He remains the highest-profile American to have met the young Mr Kim.
Rodman had been asked several times in the past whether he could use his relationship with Mr Kim to discuss Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American sentenced to 15 years' hard labour in May 2013.