‘Fired up’ Barack Obama back from holiday

US President Barack Obama is returning to the rancour of the nation’s capital after two weeks of fun and sun in his native Hawaii, saying he’s “fired up” for his final year in office and ready to tackle unfinished business.

At the top of Mr Obama’s priority list is executive action that is expected to expand when background checks are required for gun purchases.

Mr Obama is meeting attorney-general Loretta Lynch on Monday to discuss a three-month review of what actions he could take to help reduce gun violence.

The actions, which are staunchly opposed by Republicans and likely to spark a legal fight, underscore Mr Obama’s desire to keep up an aggressive agenda in 2016, even as the public’s attention shifts to the presidential election.

Mr Obama spent much of his vacation out of the public eye, playing golf with friends and dining out on the island of Oahu with his family. He also worked on his final “state of the union” address, scheduled for January 12.

The address to Congress is a high-profile opportunity for the President to try to reassure the public about his national security stewardship after the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.

Advisers say Mr Obama will also look for other opportunities to keep security issues at the forefront as he tries to ease Americans’ concerns over the heightened security situation.