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U.S. NEWS A3
Thursday 28 December 2017

Obama to Prince Harry: Leaders must use care on social media

In this undated photo issued on Sunday Dec. 17, 2017 by May to American actress with the royal family. ron James.
Kensington Palace courtesy of the Obama Foundation, Britain’s Meghan Markle. “The family loved having Obama rejected gloomy
Prince Harry, right, interviews former US President Barack “I don’t know about that, her there,” Harry said. prognostications about the
Obama as part of his guest editorship of BBC Radio 4’s Today we haven’t even put the The prince used his position state of the world, saying
programme which is to be broadcast on the December 27, invite or the guest list to- to ask Obama a “lightning that in many ways the world
2017. The interview was recorded in Toronto in September 2017 gether, who knows if he’s round” of questions of the is healthier and wealthier
during the Invictus Games. going to be invited or not,” type normally asked of en- than it has ever been, mak-
Harry said. “I wouldn’t want tertainers, not politicians. ing it perhaps the best time
(Kensington Palace/The Obama Foundation via AP) to ruin that surprise.” The former president de- in human history to be born.
The Sun newspaper, a pop- clined to say whether he He cited improved treat-
ular tabloid, has suggested wears boxers or briefs, pre- ment of African-Americans
that the British government serving a bit of post-presi- and greatly expanded op-
is concerned that Harry dential dignity, but was will- portunities for young wom-
and Markle may invite the ing to say he prefers Aretha en as achievements of the
Obamas but not Trump, Franklin to Tina Turner — past few generations that
possibly straining ties be- “Aretha is the best,” he give him hope for the fu-
tween the two govern- said of the Queen of Soul ture. Harry also interviewed
ments. — and favors retired bas- his father, Prince Charles,
Harry did say his fiancee ketball star Michael Jordan who offered a more down-
enjoyed her first Christmas over current phenom LeB- beat assessment.q

By GREGORY KATZ editor of the BBC Radio 4
Associated Press news program. Both men
LONDON (AP) — Former said the interview, record-
President Barack Obama ed in Canada in Septem-
told Prince Harry in an inter- ber, was Obama’s first
view broadcast Wednes- since leaving the presiden-
day that people in leader- cy in January.
ship roles must be careful Obama said he felt serene
in their use of social me- the day he left the White
dia and warned against House at the end of his sec-
spending too much time ond four-year term despite
immersed in the internet at the vast amount of work
the expense of the world that remained unfinished.
outside. He said it was “hugely liber-
Obama did not, however, ating” to be able to set his
directly mention his suc- own agenda in the morn-
cessor, President Donald ing to have the time to talk
Trump, who has made the with his wife, Michelle, now
use of Twitter a center- that he is no longer presi-
piece of his presidency. dent.
“All of us in leadership have “I miss the work itself be-
to find ways to recreate a cause it was fascinating,”
common space on the in- Obama said of his eight
ternet,” he said. “One of years in the Oval Office,
the dangers of the internet citing his health care re-
is people can have entirely forms as one of his proud-
different realities. They can est achievements.
be just cocooned in infor- In a brief live segment at
mation that reinforces their the end of the show, Har-
current biases.” ry said he did not know if
He spoke with Harry in the Obama would be on the
prince’s capacity as guest guest list for his wedding in