US President turns comedian

President Barack Obama cracked jokes about his "Muslim socialist" background and copying his wife's hairstyle at the White House Correspondents' dinner. 

Mr Obama used the annual event to poke fun at himself and some of his political adversaries, asking if it was still possible to be brought down a peg or two after four-and-a-half years as commander-in-chief

Entering to the rap track All I Do Is Win by DJ Khaled, Mr Obama joked about how last year's re-election would allow him to unleash a radical agenda.

But then he showed a picture of himself golfing on a mock magazine cover of 'Senior Leisure'.

"I'm not the strapping young Muslim Socialist that I used to be," the president remarked, mentioning his two out of 22 basketball shooting success rate at the White House Easter Egg hunt.

And after referring to first lady Michelle Obama's enduring popularity, he said his own team had advised an image change and presented a montage of shots featuring him with a fringe similar to his wife's.

Mr Obama closed his speech on a more sombre note - addressing the recent tragedies in Boston and Texas and praising Americans from the emergency services to local journalists for serving the public good.

Saturday night's banquet, not far from the White House, attracted an assortment of stars from Hollywood and beyond.

Actors Kevin Spacey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Claire Danes, who play government characters on US TV shows, were among the attendees, as was Korean pop star Psy.

Director Steven Spielberg was enlisted to help with a mock trailer for a film of the president's life - based on his Oscar-winning Lincoln.

Late-night talk-show host Conan O'Brien headlined the event.

Some of Mr Obama's jokes came at his Republican rivals' expense. He asked that the Republican's minority outreach begin with him as a "trial run" and said he would take his recent charm offensive with Republicans on the road, including to a book-burning event with Tea Party favourite Michele Bachmann.

On the 2016 election, the president noted that potential Republican candidate Marco Rubio wasn't qualified because he hasn't even served a full term in the Senate.

Mr Obama served less than four years of his six-year Senate term before he was elected president in 2008.