Obama's farewell speech both a tearful goodbye and a call to arms

Chicago

BARACK Obama addressed America and the world for the last time as US president on Tuesday, in a speech that was both a tearful goodbye and a call to arms.

Capping eight years in the White House, Mr Obama returned to his adopted hometown of Chicago to recast his "yes we can" campaign credo as "yes we did". Surveying the staging posts of his presidency - from the Iran nuclear deal to reforming healthcare - the speech sought to lift supporters shaken by Donald Trump's shock election.

Mr Obama urged them to pick up the torch, fight for democracy and forge a new, fairer, "social compact".

"For all our outward differences, we are all in this together," he said, …