World News

US President Barack Obama blamed a "network of misinformation" for keeping alive persistent rumors that he is Muslim, but he shrugged off the misconception as being out of his control. He said the recurring controversy was something he will not allow himself to spend too much time on, however. "I'm not going to be worrying too much about whatever rumors are floating out there," Obama said. "If I spend all my time chasing after that then I wouldn't get much done," the president said. Opinion polls earlier this month showed that 24% of Americans wrongly believes Obama is a Muslim, even though the US leader is a church-going Christian who repeatedly has spoken out about his faith.