Disney characters star in North Korean show

Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters have appeared on stage in North Korea during a concert for leader Kim Jong-un.
Performers dressed as popular Disney characters were seen dancing on state TV, along with violin players in miniskirts, marking the first time that Disney characters have been featured in the reclusive state.
A Disney spokesperson told the Associated Press news agency that it had not licensed or authorised the use of the characters in the show.
The show was staged for young leader Kim Jong-un, who has a "grandiose plan to bring about a dramatic turn in the field of literature and arts this year", according to North Korean state media.
North Korean entertainment has traditionally ignored popular culture instead featuring nationalist or folk songs, and mass displays.
However, in recent years children in the isolated country have become familiar with characters such as Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh through stationery items and clothes imported from China, North Korea's closest ally.
This week's performance seems to point to an easing of North Korea's paranoia about what it calls "spiritual pollution" from the outide world.