Washington, Nov. 4 : Having already secured New Hampshire, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, continues to maintain a clear advantage over Republican rival John McCain, even as both made final appeals in battleground states in advance of Tuesday''s balloting.

The Washington Post-ABC News tracking poll showed Obama leading by nine percentage points -- 53 percent to 44 percent. That is slightly narrower than the 11-point lead Obama held the day before, but in general, Obama''s lead has held steady for the past several weeks.

London, November 4 : An advertising agency has turned U. S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama white, and his Republican counterpart John McCain black, in a set of ads posted around New York City..

The work by Ad agency Grey NYC also contains a slogan between the two “skin colour-switched” candidates, saying: "Let the issues be the issue".

Washington, Nov 4 : Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama confidently secured victory in the first official results announced early on Tuesday from two small towns in New Hampshire, where a tradition of casting the first votes on election day lives on.

Obama defeated McCain by a count of 15 to 6 in Dixville Notch, and the town of Hart’s Location reported 17 votes for the Democrat, 10 for the Republican and two for write-in Ron Paul. Both towns had favored George W Bush in the last two elections.

Washington, Nov. 4 : Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama holds a solid seven percentage point lead over Republican rival John McCain going into Election Day -- 50 percent to 43 percent -- according to the final FOX News pre-election poll of likely voters.

At the end of October, Obama led by 47-44 percent among likely voters, and by 49-40 percent about ten days ago (Oct 20-21).

North Carolina (USA), Nov. 4 : A tearful Barack Obama paid a public tribute to his late grandmother on Monday, saying Madelyn Dunham was one of America''s "quiet heroes".

Mrs. Dunham died on Monday aged 86.

Speaking to thousands of supporters at his penultimate campaign rally, Obama delivered an impassioned vow to work for all such heroes if elected to the White House.

He became visibly emotional when he talked about Mrs. Dunham, whom he called "Toots".