News Business Obama, Cameron, Schmidt take selfie at Mandela memorial

Obama, Cameron, Schmidt take selfie at Mandela memorial

New Delhi: It could well be called as one of the highest-powered "selfies" ever snapped.US President Barack Obama, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, and Denmark's PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt took an impromptu photograph of themselves at

obama cameron schmidt take selfie at mandela memorial obama cameron schmidt take selfie at mandela memorial
New Delhi: It could well be called as one of the highest-powered "selfies" ever snapped.

US President Barack Obama, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, and Denmark's PM Helle Thorning-Schmidt took an impromptu photograph of themselves at the memorial service for the late South African President Nelson Mandela.

However, the idea of taking a selfie – short for self-portrait – at a serious place attracted criticism in the social media.

In the picture, Denmark's Helle Thorning-Schmidt was seen holding up her smartphone, with Obama lending a helping hand, as they pose for a picture with David Cameron, at Soweto's World Cup stadium.

However, First Lady Michelle Obama does not join in with the lightheartedness, keeping her eyes firmly trained on the podium where world leaders were paying tribute to South Africa's anti-apartheid hero Mandela, who died Thursday aged 95.

The so-called selfie -- short for self-portrait -- was quickly picked up by major international news outlets and went viral on social media sites, with many questioning whether the moment of mirth was appropriate for the occasion.

The snap joins what one commentator has suggested is the "interesting social phenomenon" of people taking "selfies" in serious places.

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