barack obama makes his farewell address to the american people following in a tradition that began with america's very first president, george washington. laura, many thanks indeed. we will be here in the studio in london. let's run through some of the highlights of the final speech from president obama to the nation as president. my my fellow americans. michelle and i have been so touched by all the well wishes we have received over the past few weeks. but, tonight, it's my turn to say thanks. whether we have seen eye to eye, or rarely

agreed at all, my conversations with you, the american people, in living rooms and in schools, in farms, on factory floors, diners, and on distant military outposts, those conversations are what has kept me honest and kept me inspired and kept me going. and every day, i have learned from you. —— have. you made mea learned from you. —— have. you made me a better president, and you made me a better president, and you made mea me a better president, and you made me a better president, and you made me a better man. during the address in chicago where his political career began, he started by saying the people had made him a better president. i first ifirst came i first came to chicago when i was in my early 20s, and i was still trying to figure out who i was, still searching for a purpose in my life. and it was a neighbourhood not

farfrom here life. and it was a neighbourhood not far from here where life. and it was a neighbourhood not farfrom here where i began working with church groups, in the shadows of closed steel mills. it was on these streets where i witnessed the power of faith and the quiet dignity of working people in the face of struggle and loss. i can't do that. chanting "one more year" now, this is where i learned that change only happens when ordinary people get involved, and they get engaged, and they come together to demand it. after eight years as your president, i still believe that. and it's not just my belief. it's the beating heart of american ideal, our bold

experiment in self—government. if conviction that we are all created equal, endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, among them, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. the insistence that these rights, while self—evident, have never been self executed. that we, the people, through the instrument of our democracy, can form a more perfect union. what a radical idea. a great gift that our founders gave to us. he then went on to list what he considered his successes. ifi if i have told you eight years ago —— had told you, that america would

reverse a great recession, reboot oui’ reverse a great recession, reboot our auto industry and unleashed the greater stretch of job our auto industry and unleashed the greater stretch ofjob creation in oui’ greater stretch ofjob creation in our history... if i had told you that we would open up a new chapter with the cu ban that we would open up a new chapter with the cuban people, shut down iran's nuclear weapons programme without firing a shot, take up the mastermind of 9/11... if i had told you that we would secure marriage equality and secure health insurance for another 20 million of our fellow citizens... if i had told you all that, you might have said, our sites we re that, you might have said, our sites were set a little too high. but that's what we did! —— sights.

that's what you did. you were the change. the answer to people's hopes. and because of you, i almost every measure, america is a better, stronger place than it was when we started. in his speech the president, barack obama, focused on the state of the democracy. understand democracy does not require uniformity. 0ur founders argued, they quarrelled, and eventually they compromised. they expected us to do the same. but they knew that democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity. the idea

that for all our outward differences, we are all in this together. that we rise or fall as one. and he went on to focus on the state of the economy, and its relationship to healthcare and education. to begin with, our democracy won't work without a sense that everyone has economic opportunity. and the good news is that today, the economy is growing again, wages, incomes, home values and retirement accounts are all rising again. poverty is falling again. the wealthy are paying a fair share of taxes, even as the stock—market shatters records the unemployment rate is near a ten year low. the uninsured rate has never, ever been lower. health—care

costs are rising at the slowest rate in 50 years. and i said, and i mean it, if anyone can put together a plan that is demonstrably better than the improvements need made to oui’ than the improvements need made to our health—care system, that covers as many people with similar or lower costs, i will publicly support it. because that, after all, is why we serve. not to score points or take credit, but to make people's lives better. but for all the real progress that we've made, we know it's not enough. 0ur

progress that we've made, we know it's not enough. our economy doesn't work as well or grow as fast. when a few prosper, the expenses grow for the middle class, and the same for those who want to get into the middle class. that is the economic argument. starc middle class. that is the economic argument. sta rc inequality middle class. that is the economic argument. starc inequality is also corrosive to our democratic ideal. while the top 1% has amassed a eager share of wealth and income, too many of our friends share of wealth and income, too many of ourfriends in share of wealth and income, too many of our friends in cities and in rural counties have been left behind —— stark. lead of factory workers, the wages, the health—care worker who is barely getting by in struggling to pay the bills, convinced that the game is fixed against them. that the government only serves the interests of the powerful. that is the recipe for more citizens to make polarisation in our politics. but there are no quick fixes to this long—term trend.

iagree, our quick fixes to this long—term trend. i agree, our trade should be fair. but the next wave of economic dislocations won't come from overseas, it will come from the relentless pace of automation that makes a lot of good middle—class jobs obsolete. and so, we are going to have to forge a new social contract to have to forge a new social co ntra ct to to have to forge a new social contract to guarantee all our kids the education they need, to get workers the power to unionise for better wages, to update the social safety net to reflect the way we live now. to make more reforms to the tax code so that corporations and individuals who reaped the most from this new economy torrent of wheat there obligations to the country that has made their very success possible. in the last hour, president obama spoke about race relations in american society.

after may election, there was talk ofa after may election, there was talk of a post— racial america —— my. in such a vision, however well intended, was never realistic. race remains a potent and often divisive force in our society. now, i've lived long enough to know that race relations are better than they were ten, 20, 30 years ago, no matter what some folks say. you can see it not just what some folks say. you can see it notjust in statistics, you see it in the attitudes of young americans across the political spectrum. but we are not where we need to be. and all of us have more work to do. if every economic issue is framed as a struggle between a hard—working,

white middle class, and an undeserving minority, then workers of all shades are going to be left fighting for scraps while the wealthy withdraw further into their private anglaise. if we are unwilling to invest in the children of immigrants just because they don't look like us, we will diminish the prospects of our own children. because those brown kids will represent a larger and larger share of america's work off. cheering and applause climate change, a controversial issue which has seen him at odds with the incoming president, was next on the speech agenda. take the challenge climate change.

injust eight take the challenge climate change. in just eight years, with halved take the challenge climate change. injust eight years, with halved our dependence on foreign oil, doubled our renewable energy and lead the world to an agreement that has a promise to save this planet. but without more direction, our children won't have time to debate the existence of climate change. thou be busy dealing with its effects. more environmental disasters, more economic disruptions, ways of climate refugees seeking sanctuary —— waves. we can and should argue about the best approach to solve the problem. but to simply deny the problem, it's not only betrays future generations, it betrays the essential spirit of this country.

the essential spirit of innovation and practical problem—solving that guided ourfounders. he highlighted what he called the post—war successes, including the rule of law and freedoms of religion and speech. freedoms he said which were under threat from terrorism. that order is now being challenged. first, by violent fanatics who try to speak for islam. more recently by autocrats in foreign capitals who see free markets and open democracy in civil society itself as a threat to their power. the peril it poses to their power. the peril it poses to our democracy is more far reaching than a car bomb or a missile —— each poses. they represent the fear of change, the fear of people who look or speak or

pray differently. a contempt for the rule of law that holds leaders accountable. and intolerance of dissent and free thought. a belief that the forward, the gun or the bomb is the ultimate arbiter of what is true and right —— sword. because of the extraordinary courage of our men and women in uniform, because of our intelligence officers and law enforcement, our diplomats who support our troops. no foreign terrorist organisation has successfully planned and executed an attack on our homeland these past eight years. and although boston, and orlando, and san bernardino, and

fort hood remind us of how dangerous radicalisation can be, our law enforcement agencies are more effective and vigilant than ever. we have taken out tens of thousands of terrorists, including bin laden. the global coalition we are leading against islamic state has taken out their leaders and taken away about half their territory. islamic state will be destroyed and nobody who threatens america will ever be safe. and to all who serve, all who have served, it has been the honour of my lifetime to be your commander in chief. and we all owe you a deep debt of gratitude. during his speech barack obama said that laws against discrimination wont be enough in an increasingly diverse nation. we need to uphold laws against

discrimination in hiring and in housing and in education and in the criminal justice system. housing and in education and in the criminaljustice system. that is what our constitution and our highest ideals require. but laws or loa n highest ideals require. but laws or loan won't be enough. hearts must change. they won't change overnight. social attitudes oftentimes take generations to change. but if our democracy is to work the way it should in this increasingly diverse nation, then each one of us need to try to heed the advice of a great character in american fiction, atticus finch, who said, "you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." he invoked the first american president when talking of the need for good governance.

in his own farewell address, george washington wrote that self—government is the underpinning of our safety, prosperity and liberty, but from different causes and from different quarters much pains will be taken to weaken in your mind is the conviction of this truth. and so, we have to preserve this truth with jealous anxiety, that we should reject the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties that make us one. america, we weaken

those ties when we allow our political dialogue to become so corrosive that people of good character aren't even willing to enter into public service stops so of course with rancour, americans with whom we disagree are seen not just as misguided but seen as malevolent. we weaken those ties when we define some of us as more american than others, when we write off the whole system as inevitably corrupt, and when we sit back and blame the leaders we elect without examining ourown blame the leaders we elect without examining our own role in electing them. he also talked of the support and love he'd received throughout his presidency from his family. p teater when he talked of the resort port and love he received throughout his presidency from his family —— he then teared up.

michelle robinson, goal of the southside —— girl of the southside. for the past with ideas you have not only been my wife and mother of my children, you have been my best friend. you took on a roll you didn't ask for and you made it your own with grace and with grit and with style and good humour. cheering and applause. you made the white house a place that belongs to everybody. and a new generation sets its sights higher because it has you as a role model. so, you have made me proud and you have made the country proud. and he ended where he began, with a call

for people to continue to believe in bringing about change at a hold on to the values of the country's founding fathers. my fellow americans, it has been the honour of my life to serve you. i won't stop. in fact, i will be right there with you as a citizen for all my remaining days. but for now, whether you are young or whether you are young at heart, i do have one final ask of you as your president, the same thing i asked when you took a chance on me eight years ago, i am asking you to believe not in my ability to bring about change but in yours. iam ability to bring about change but in yours. i am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding documents, that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists, that spirit sung by

immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched forjustice the creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the surface of the mood delma moon, a creed of every american whose story is not yet written, "yes, we can." yes we did, yes we can. thank you, god bless you. may god continue to bless the united states of america. thank you. applause. president obama, of course, in chicago, in his final address to the nation as president, and lest you forget what the president called the hallmark of democracy, the peaceful tra nsfer of hallmark of democracy, the peaceful transfer of power from one freely elected leader to the next, donald

trump to be sworn in onjanuary 20. i should also tell you he has announced a press conference for tomorrow. there will be a statement before hand, some of it possibly about this: donald trump has complained of a political witch hunt against him after unconfirmed reports emerged in the us media that russian intelligence had gathered compromising information about him. in a tweet, the president—elect denounced the reports as fake news. unnamed american officials say the us intelligence services have briefed mr trump and president obama about the unsubstantiated claims. there has been nothing said publicly by the us intelligence community to support the claims so far. in just ten days donald trump will take over as president of the united states and today was a key moment for the team he has assembled. senatorjeff sessions was the first to go before lawmakers in his confirmation hearing to become the next attorney general. concerns have been raised about his record especially when it comes to civil rights but today

he defended his past and pledged to uphold the laws of the land. the bbc‘s barbara plett—usher reports. this was always going to be a hard sell, a senator dog for years by allegations of racism now set to become the country's top law enforcement official. jeff sessions is the first of donald trump's cabinet nominees to be questioned by congress, and the most controversial. i am not a racist, i am not insensitive to black. 30 yea rs am not insensitive to black. 30 years ago he was accused of races comments. it rejected him as position as that willjudge. 0ther charges of civil rights they'll eat and have followed. he has defending himself since. a fellow senator from the gave him the opportunity. when i came as united states attorney, i didn't prepare myself well in 1986 and it was an organised effort to caricature me as something that wasn't true. macro to strongly --

sessions denied being part of the clue cost clan. i know that was wrong. —— ku klux klan. we can never go back. civil rights concerns tapped into the fears of what a trott administration would bring, especially from a supporter like sessions. communities across this country are concerned about whether they would be able to rely on the department ofjustice to protect their rights and freedoms. democratic senators quizzed sessions about his ha rdline democratic senators quizzed sessions about his hardline views on immigration and social issues. could he enforce laws he voted against? yes, he said, including same—sex marriage and abortion. it is the law of the land, it has been so established and settled for quite a long time and it deserves respect, andi long time and it deserves respect, and i will respect it and follow it. he also sought to ease fears that he supported trump's initial call for a ban on muslim is entering the country. but reassuring testimony has limited impact in this climate.

and black lawmakers plan to testify against their fellow congressmen, something almost unheard—of. against their fellow congressmen, something almost unheard-of. please understand i think these are extraordinary times and they call for extraordinary measures. just a reminder of the main news that president obama has given his farewell official speech to the nation. more on that and all of the news anytime on the bbc news website. hello. before our weather turns increasingly wintry, it turns wild and windy. a particularly lively day across the northern half of the uk today. this morning we could this morning we could see this morning we could see some this morning we could see some travel disruption with winds of 60 mph. strong winds to the north and west scotland. elsewhere across scotla nd west scotland. elsewhere across scotland and northern england they could cause a problem. the mixture

of sunshine and frequent showers in the morning. few showers in northern england. difficult conditions for the pennines. if there are gales developing in wales, and parts of devon and cornwall, not as windy, but strengthening to the south—east. morning cloud and patchy rain or drizzle introducing sunshine and dropping the temperature. increasingly called through the day. frequent showers. when an island turning wintry. the same for england and wales. —— wintry. dropping a way to seven or eight in the south. it remains blowy into wednesday night. showers are thick and fast. a covering of snow in places in northern england and ireland. icy conditions possible. the south, many will be dry but even here the wind will be dry but even here the wind will make itself known. the arctic winds coming in from the north and north—west as we go into thursday.

convocations fourth southern areas is this developing feature, how north it gets. —— complications for southern areas. it looks at rain for southern counties. snow developing for the welsh mountains and the moors of the south—west and increasingly for other areas of southern england, even to low levels of sussex and kent later in the day. keep tuned to the forecast. further north on thursday it is going to be wintry showers will stop frequent heavy sleet and snow flurries. covering of snow elsewhere. either showers hit and miss. many avoid it all together. you will notice the icy wind. it will feel like subzero forjust icy wind. it will feel like subzero for just about all. icy wind continues into friday, picking up in southern areas. the showers dieback. isn't —— potential for mardle coastal —— minor coastal flooding.

the latest headlines from bbc news, my name's mike embley: president barack obama has given a farewell speech to the nation before thousands of supporters in chicago, where his political career began. to sustained applause and cheers, the president said he was leaving the united states a better, stronger country after eight years in the white house. donald trump has complained of a political witch hunt against him, after unconfirmed reports emerged in the us media that russian intelligence had gathered compromising information about him. the president—elect denounced the reports as fake news. he's due to give a press conference on wednesday. the us senate has begun confirmation hearings for key nominees to the cabinet of president—elect donald trump. first to appear was the republican senator jeff sessions. he's mr trump's choice for attorney—general. democrats say the senator from alabama has an extremely conservative agenda. time now for panorama.

0n panorama tonight: we return to tunisia to investigate the terror attack on the beach. i was on my knees. i just kept praying to god to keep us alive. we find the holidaymakers who say they were misled about the risks. i was just constantly asking the question — are we going to be safe? we expose the police failures that may have cost lives. the policeman admitted he was so scared he fainted. and we identify the man accused of masterminding the attack. i've not seen that, if that's right and the families see that, they'll be shocked to see the face of the man that caused them