Barack Obama's grandmother has died of cancer, a little more than a week after he interrupted the White House race to say goodbye to her in Hawaii.
"It is with great sadness that we announce that our grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died peacefully after a battle with cancer," Mr Obama said in a joint statement with his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng this evening.
"She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility."
Ms Dunham helped raise Mr Obama from the age of 10 while his mother was working in Indonesia, and Mr Obama made an emotional 22-hour trip to Hawaii to visit her on October 23rd and 24th.
Reuters