Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has overtaken his rival Hillary Clinton for the first time in endorsements from super-delegates.

Four super-delegates - party and elected officials - pledged to support Mr Obama, including two who previously supported Mrs Clinton.

Mr Obama also has a strong lead in delegates won in state primary and caucus votes.

The Democratic super-delegates look set to decide who wins the nomination.

Added to the nine who came out in support of Barack Obama on Friday, he Clinton vows to press ahead ...
Indiana and North Carolina primaries underway ...
Voting begins in Pennsylvania ...
Pennsylvania campaign gains pace ... now has a slim margin of super-delegates.

'Likely nominee'

Mr Obama won a convincing victory in Tuesday's North Carolina primary; while Mrs Clinton narrowly won in Indiana.

Six more states hold primaries before the Democratic Party officially declares at its nominating convention in August who will take on presumptive Republican candidate John McCain.

The nearly 800 super-delegates automatically attend the Denver convention and can vote for whomever they choose.

Mrs Clinton held a massive lead in super-delegate support before the party's first primary in Iowa in January.

But a string of wins for Mr Obama has convinced many of them to come out in his favour.

On Friday, former Democratic US presidential hopeful John Edwards said that Mr Obama is now the party's "likely presidential nominee".

But he stopped short of actually endorsing Mr Obama.

(BBC)

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