Obama poised to claim nomination

Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton neared the finish line in their exhaustive Democratic presidential race yesterday, with Obama poised to claim victory as the first black nominee of a major US political party and Clinton facing the prospects of having to abandon a quest that once seemed a sure bet.

Democratic Party leaders were eager for a quick end to a race that shattered fundraising and voter turnout records, but also exposed racial and gender divisions within the party that threatened to undermine chances of defeating Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain.