There was something very unusual about the President’s press conference. Source: AP

But there was something very unusual about the Q&A session.

The President only took questions from women.

Despite plenty of male journalists clamouring to speak, the leader of the United States deliberately passed them over.

The move caused a storm on social media, with journalist Allison Kilkenny tweeting: “No male reporters get to ask a question AND The Interview got cancelled. Sorry bros.”

Male journalists try in vain to grab Barack Obama’s attention. Source: AP

Buzzfeed reporter Rosie Gray posted: “This press conference is sponsored by Male Tears”, while PBS Newshour host Gwen Ifill added: “See how newsy press conferences can be when women ask the questions?”

Mr Obama took questions from Politico’s Carrie Budoff Brown, Bloomberg BNA’s Cheryl Bolen, The Associated Press’s Julie Pace, McClatchy’s Lesley Clark, Reuters’ Roberta Rampton, The Wall Street Journal’s Colleen Nelson, The Washington Post’s Juliet Eilperin and American Urban Radio Networks’ April Ryan.

TV networks were told in advance that they would not be called upon because they have each asked the President a question at least twice since November, and several have had exclusive interviews, Politico reported.

The President took eight questions, only from women. Source: AP

Two male reporters desperately shouted questions as the President left, one asking about New Year’s resolutions and the other questioning whether he would smoke a Cuban cigar.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement: “The fact is, there are many women from a variety of news organisations who day-in and day-out do the hard work of covering the President of the United States.

“As the questioner list started to come together, we realised that we had a unique opportunity to highlight that fact at the President’s closely watched end of the year news conference.”

The President was outspoken on a number of subjects, including the Sony cancellation of The Interview, his new direction on Cuba and international crises.

Mr Obama said it was a “mistake” to cancel the release of The Interview. Source: AFP

SONY

The President joined in widespread criticism of Sony’s cancellation of the December 25 release of The Interview, saying that the studio had “made a mistake”.

“I wish they had spoken to me first,” he said. “We cannot have a society in which some dictatorship someplace can start imposing censorship.”

The studio cancelled the release of the satricial movie about Kim Jong-un after North Korea launched a cyber attack on its servers.

“Sony’s a corporation. It has suffered significant damage,” Mr Obama told reporters. “There were threats against its employees. I am sympathetic to the concerns that they faced.”

But he said he would not recommend getting into “a pattern in which you’re intimidated by these kinds of criminal attacks”.

CEO Michael Lynton fired back after the press briefing, saying the studio had no choice after the country’s top cinemas pulled out.

Mr Obama caused another social media explosion when he mispronounced James Franco’s name as “James Flacco”, possibly confusing the actor with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

Javier Yanez hangs a US and Cuban flag in Old Havana, Cuba. Source: AP

CUBA

Mr Obama said the opening of US-Cuba relations, announced earlier this week, was the best chance to influence the Cuban government and improve conditions there after 50 years of failed policy.

He said he expects “healthy debate” in Congress on scrapping the trade embargo on Cuba, adding the White House cannot act unilaterally to end it.

He said he doesn’t expect the policy changes will alter life in Cuba overnight, but added engagement offers more opportunity for the US to influence the Cuban government and improve conditions in the country.

The US continues to be concerned about democracy and human rights in the country, where the regime still “oppresses its people,” Mr Obama said.

He told reporters: “It could happen fast. It could happen slower than I would like, (but) it’s going to happen and this change in policy is going to advance that.”

The President spoke of America’s economic resurgence. Source: AP

ECONOMY

The President hailed 2014 as the “strongest year for job growth since the 1990s”.

He said 11 million new jobs had been created in the past 57 months, mainly in full-time positions, and “in a hopeful sign for middle-class families”, wages are on the rise again.

He said America was now the number one producer of oil and natural gas, saving drivers about 70 cents a gallon at the pump over last Christmas.

The rescue of the American auto industry is complete, he added, with the industry on track for its strongest year since 2005.

“The six years since the crisis have demanded hard work and sacrifice on everybody’s part,” he said. “But as a country, we have every right to be proud of what we’ve accomplished. More jobs; more people insured; a growing economy; shrinking deficits; bustling industry; booming energy. Pick any metric that you want — America’s resurgence is real.”

The US leader said the nation had led the way in the fight against Ebola. Source: AP

GLOBAL ACTION

The President said the US was leading in the fight against IS, tackling the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and curbing Russian aggression in Ukraine.

He also said America was spearheading efforts to address climate change, including last month’s joint announcement with China that was “jump-starting new progress in other countries”.

He thanked US troops and their families for their bravery in Afghanistan, adding that “in less than two weeks, after more than 13 years, our combat mission in Afghanistan will be over.”

He said healthcare reforms had left more Americans with insurance than ever. Source: AP

HEALTH

The uninsured rate is at a near record low, with 10 million Americans getting health insurance this year “thanks to the Affordable Care Act”, said the President.

He said the cost of healthcare was rising at its slowest rate in 50 years, and that deficits had been cut by two-thirds.

TAXES

The President said he will try to undertake an overhaul of the tax system with the new Republican majorities in Congress, claiming “the devil is in the details.”

He said the system needed to be simpler and fairer, with some corporations engaging in tax avoidance while others pay full freight. He also said he would like to combine tax changes with money for capital works projects.

Obama will have a Republican-led Congress for the first time in his presidency when the GOP takes control of the Senate in January. Republican leaders have said that creates opportunities for compromise on issues such as trade or taxes.

Mr Obama said corporate tax avoidance needed to stop. Source: AP

KEYSTONE

The President played down the benefits of building the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada. He said it would not lower gasoline prices and argued more jobs would be created by repairing America’s infrastructure.

He said the pipeline would mainly benefit Canadian oil companies that need to get Canadian oil to the Gulf of Mexico and is “not even a nominal benefit for US consumers.”

Mr Obama has resisted efforts by Republicans to authorise the pipeline’s construction. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said it would be the first bill taken up in the new Republican-controlled Senate.

Environmentalists are strongly opposed to the plan.