BARACK OBAMA won the Democratic nomination, making him the first black candidate for the US presidency.

The two were said to have spoken by phone early today and Mr Obama renewed his offer to "sit down when it makes sense for you" but there were no plans for an immediate meeting.

Mrs Clinton told her supporters: "A lot of people are asking, 'What does Hillary want?

"I want what I have always fought for: I want the nearly 18 million people who voted for me to be respected and heard."

But she added: "I'm committed to uniting our party so we move forward stronger and more ready than ever to take back the White House this November."

The results of yesterday's primaries reflected the close contest fought between the two candidates since the start of the year. Mrs Clinton won in South Dakota and Mr Obama won Montana.

And as the results came in, a series of "superdelegates" declared their support for Mr Obama.

Mr Obama praised his rival for her campaign. He told supporters: "Senator Hillary Clinton has made history in this campaign, not just because she is a woman who has done what no woman has done before, but because she is a leader who has inspired millions of Americans with her strength, her courage and her commitment to the causes that brought us here.

"Our party and our country are better off because of her and I am a better candidate for having had the honour to compete with Hillary Rodham Clinton," he added.

The Democrats will formally endorse Mr Obama as their candidate at the party's convention in August.

But the attention now turns to the battle with Republican nominee Senator John McCain in November's general election to decide who will become the 44th president of the United States.

Mr Obama said: "America, this is our moment. This is our time. Our turn to turn the page on the policies of the past."

The Democrats will seek to link Mr McCain firmly with George Bush's record.

Mr Obama said the former Vietnam PoW had voted with President Bush 95 per cent of the time last year.