President Barack Obama plans to return five percent of his $400,000 annual salary to US government coffers out of sympathy for federal workers furloughed as a result of massive budget cuts. "The salary for the President, as with members of Congress, is set by law and cannot be changed," a White House official said Wednesday on condition of anonymity. "However, the President has decided that to share in the sacrifice being made by public servants across the federal government that are affected by the sequester, he will contribute a portion of his salary back to the Treasury."

President Barack Obama showered praise Thursday on leaders of Sierra Leone, Malawi, Senegal and Cape Verde, calling them symbols of democratic success that could lead an emerging continent. Obama met the leaders at the White House as part of an effort to promote nations in sub-Saharan Africa that can serve as exemplars for democratic development across the region. "The reason that I am meeting with these four is they exemplify the progress that we are seeing in Africa," said Obama, noting that all of his guests had faced tough political challenges.

Washington, Mar 28 (EFE).- President Barack Obama said Thursday that "powerful voices" are seeking to prevent the U.S. Congress from voting to exert greater control over firearms in this country. During an event in the White House East Room just 100 days after the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut, the president emphasized that, for the victims of firearm violence, "the grief doesn't ever go away," and the proposals he presented in January are not radical and do not seek to eliminate the constitutional right to bear arms.

US President Barack Obama said Wednesday that he expected the Senate would start debating comprehensive immigration reform next month, putting an optimistic spin on the legislation's prospects. In an interview with the Univision Spanish-language television station, Obama praised a bipartisan group of Democratic and Republican senators working to come up with a joint bill on the issue. "The good news is, it seems like they are actually making progress. My expectation is that we will actually see a bill on the floor of the Senate next month," he said.