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/ 4 June 2008

Obama wins Democratic race

After making history by capturing the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama turns on Wednesday to the task of unifying a fractured party for a five-month battle for the White House with Republican John McCain. The Illinois senator on Tuesday locked up the 2 118 delegates he needs for victory at the August convention.

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/ 4 June 2008

Wall Street puts its money behind Obama

Wall Street is putting its money behind Democrat Barack Obama for president, despite worries that his administration would raise taxes and take a tougher line on trade and regulation. The signs Wall Street reads point to Democrats prevailing in the November presidential and general election as voters punish the incumbent Republican party.

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/ 4 June 2008

Clinton defiant in face of loss

Hillary Clinton refused to surrender to Barack Obama in the Democratic race for the United States presidency on Tuesday or to acknowledge she had reached the end of the road in her bid for the White House. Rather than concede the loss to Obama, the New York senator told a cheering crowd she would consult supporters and party leaders to decide the future of her campaign.

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/ 3 June 2008

Obama eyes history as last primaries loom

Democrat Barack Obama stood on the brink of history on Tuesday, within reach of becoming America’s first black presidential nominee after a twisting, emotional and divisive battle with Hillary Clinton. As voters in the last two states, Montana and South Dakota, wrapped up the gruelling nominating marathon, Clinton faced the demise of her own quest.

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/ 3 June 2008

Rock’n’roll pioneer Bo Diddley dead at 79

Guitarist and songwriter Bo Diddley, who died of heart failure on June 2 at age 79, was an innovative R&B pioneer who forged rock’n’roll’s signature beat but rarely got the credit — or the riches — heaped on his fellow musical icons. He died at his home in Archer, Florida, where he had been convalescing since last year after suffering a stroke and later a heart attack.

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/ 1 June 2008

Large fire at Universal Studios in Los Angeles

Hundreds of firefighters were battling a large blaze that broke out on Sunday on a back lot at Universal Studios, site of movie and television production, a spokesperson for a neighbouring fire department said. Burbank firefighter David Ortiz said that about 200 firefighters and two helicopters had been deployed to assist the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

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/ 1 June 2008

Bolt electrifies with new 100m world record

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt clocked a 100m world record of 9,72 seconds on Saturday to electrify the Reebok Grand Prix athletics meeting. The 21-year-old broke the previous record of 9,74 set by compatriot Asafa Powell in Rieti, Italy, on September 9 2007. Bolt finished ahead of 100m and 200m World Champion Tyson Gay of the United States (9,85) and American Darvis Patton (10,07).

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/ 1 June 2008

Obama quits Chicago church after race rows

Democrat Barack Obama said on Saturday he had quit his long-time Chicago church after months of controversy over racially laced pulpit rhetoric that still threatens to tarnish his White House hopes. The Illinois senator said he and his wife, Michelle, were withdrawing from the 8 000-strong congregation of the Trinity United Church of Christ.

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/ 29 May 2008

Obama expects to clinch nomination next week

Senator Barack Obama said on Wednesday he expected to become the Democratic United States presidential nominee after next week and he is considering an overseas trip that may include Iraq. After a hard-fought primary season against rival Democrat Hillary Clinton, Obama said the general election race will begin in earnest next week.

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/ 27 May 2008

Film director Sydney Pollack dies

Hollywood filmmaker Sydney Pollack, who won a pair of Academy Awards for the epic romance <i>Out of Africa</i> and earned praise for his acting stints in films such as <i>Tootsie</i> and <i>Michael Clayton</i>, died on May 26 after a battle with cancer, his spokesperson said. He was 73.

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/ 25 May 2008

Obama says Clinton ‘stirring up’ Florida controversy

Democrat Barack Obama accused rival Hillary Clinton on Saturday of ”stirring up” a controversy over the disqualified Florida primary election because it was her last hope of winning their party’s presidential nomination. Obama, an Illinois senator, is leading Clinton, a New York senator, in delegates needed to win the Democratic nomination to face Republican John McCain.

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/ 24 May 2008

Clinton draws rebuke over assassination remark

Hillary Clinton mentioned the June 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy in explaining on Friday why she had resisted calls to end her White House bid, drawing a rebuke from Democratic front-runner Barack Obama’s campaign. Clinton, who later expressed regret over the remark, made it to the editorial board of theSioux Falls Argus Leader.