BARACK OBAMA’S position as the presumptive Democratic nominee will not be confirmed until his rival, Hillary Clinton, concedes defeat.

Democratic leaders are urging a quick end to the nomination fight between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, fearing their protracted campaigns are harming the party.

Barack Obama’s march toward the Democratic presidential nomination picked up support from four more superdelegates, pushing him ever closer to victory over Hillary Clinton – even as their primary marathon staggered on.

Either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama must drop out of the Democratic presidential race after the June primaries in order to unify the party in time for November’s election, Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean said today.

DEMOCRATIC presidential candidate Barack Obama yesterday brushed aside a challenge from Hillary Rodham Clinton to debate before the May 6 primaries in Indiana and North Carolina.

Democratic White House hopeful Hillary Clinton’s pollster and senior strategist has left her campaign after it was disclosed he met representatives of the Colombian government to help promote a free trade agreement his boss opposes.

The Democratic presidential nominee ought to be decided by July 1 in order to avoid bitter in-fighting, the party’s national committee chairman said today.

The Illinois senator is favoured to win in today’s nominating race, writes John Dunbar

Barack Obama’s campaign apologised to Hillary Clinton today after one of his key foreign policy aides branded the former first lady a desperate “monster”.

The close two-way race to become Democratic US Presidential candidate has landed party leaders with an unexpected problem over states barred from the contest.

NOT since 1960 have Wyoming Democrats felt so relevant.

A YEAR ago, Hillary Clinton was joshing about whether she could appoint her husband secretary of state when she became president and Barack Obama was urging a throng to be realistic about his own chances.

BILL BRADLEY, a former presidential hopeful and senator, yesterday endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president.

Thursday is a critically important date in the 2008 US presidential race, Evan Thomas and Richard Wolffe look at Iowa’s history as a graveyard for front runners and a launching pad for long shots.

A deranged man wearing what appeared to be a bomb strapped to his chest walked into a Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign office in the US tonight, took several hostages and demanded to speak to the candidate, authorities said.

Democrats won control of the US House of Representatives early today after a dozen years of Republican rule in a resounding repudiation of a war, a president and a scandal-scarred Congress.

US President George Bush, delivering the latest in a series of speeches on the war on terrorism, admitted to setbacks in Afghanistan today, particularly in the training of police.

US president George Bush has embarked on nearly 24 hours of sombre observances at the three sites where 9/11 terrorists wrought death and destruction and transformed his presidency.

US president George W Bush today embarked on nearly 24 hours of sombre observances at the three sites where 9/11 terrorists wrought death and destruction and transformed his presidency.

US vice president Dick Cheney’s former top aide told prosecutors President George Bush authorised the leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according to court papers filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case.

US Vice President Dick Cheney’s former top aide told prosecutors President George Bush authorised the leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according to court papers filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case.

US President George Bush said today that even though the state of the union is strong, he understands why some Americans are worried in a time of war and job cuts.

WELL, by now we’ve found out the self-styled eagle could squawk better than he could fly.

US President George Bush today questioned Senator John Kerry’s “ability to lead our nation” raising the Democratic challenger’s year-old opposition to emergency funding for the Iraq war.

UNITED STATES intelligence warnings of al-Qaida threats to attack the New York Stock Exchange, World Bank and International Monetary Fund sent a shiver through global markets yesterday after the US issued a “high” level threat alert and reminded Americans they were a target.

US President George W Bush has come under fire from his election challenger John Kerry for tasteless joking about the fruitless search for Iraq’s alleged weapons of mass destruction.

JOHN KERRY, with only pushovers left in the Democratic race, easily won four Southern primaries on Tuesday to bring him within striking distance of the presidential nomination.

JOHN KERRY is pressing US President George W Bush on national security issues, raising questions about the handling of probes into terrorist attacks as well as intelligence suggesting weapons of mass destruction were in Iraq.

John Kerry cemented the Democratic presidential nomination, driving John Edwards from the race with a string of triumphs on what has been dubbed “Super Tuesday”.

THE two Democratic contenders hoping to challenge George Bush for the presidency would beat him if an election were held now, according to a poll yesterday.

Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean has withdrawn from the Democratic Party race to take on George W Bush for the White House, leaving senators John Kerry and John Edwards as the two main contenders in the contest.

Howard Dean has formally announced that he is “no longer actively pursuing the presidency”.

US Senator John Kerry squeezed past John Edwards to win the Wisconsin primary for the Democratic nomination to challenge George W Bush for the White House, leaving former front-runner Howard Dean considering backing one of his rivals.

A confident-sounding Senator John Kerry wrapped up his campaign for today’s pivotal Wisconsin presidential primary by aiming barbs at President George W Bush and ignoring his Democratic opponents.

JOHN KERRY, buoyed by a denial by journalist Alexandra Polier that she had an affair with the Massachusetts senator, consolidated his place yesterday in the race to challenge George W Bush for the White House.

Senator John Kerry accused President George Bush of repeating Vietnam-era mistakes in Iraq and pledged on Sunday to combat Republican attacks.

DEMOCRATIC presidential hopeful John Kerry moved yesterday to quash potentially catastrophic rumours linking him to an intern.

Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry today moved to quash potentially catastrophic rumours linking him to an intern.

ALLEGATIONS against Vietnam war hero John Kerry yesterday threatened his runaway presidential campaign.

Allegations against Vietnam war hero John Kerry today threatened his runaway presidential campaign.

HIS front-runner status, bolstered by dual Southern victories, John Kerry is looking to Wisconsin to dispatch the dwindling field of Democratic presidential rivals still clinging to hope.

Retired four star general Wesley Clark tonight dropped out of the race for the White House.

US Senator John Kerry coasted to victory in the Maine caucuses, wrapping up a three-state weekend sweep that pushed the Democratic front-runner closer to the party nomination than any of his vanquished rivals.

JOHN KERRY won crushing caucus victories in Michigan and Washington On Saturday, trouncing his Democratic presidential rivals and predicting, “George Bush’s days are numbered”.