US RIVALS FIGHT ON AFTER KEY DAY !

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John McCain has wrapped up several winner-takes-all states.
John McCain jubilant
The main contenders in the race for the US presidency have come out ahead in Super Tuesday's key state votes, but none has delivered a knock-out blow.
On the Republican side John McCain took a commanding lead, although outsider Mike Huckabee did better than expected.
For the Democrats, Hillary Clinton carried the big-prize states of New York and California, but rival Barack Obama also secured many votes.
It was the biggest day in the race to pick candidates in November's election.
The clearest winner was Senator McCain.
He won New York, Illinois, Oklahoma, New Jersey, Missouri, Connecticut, Delaware, and his home state of Arizona - and is projected to have won California.
New York alone comes with 87 delegates to the Republican convention, while the others carry 205 between them.

Hillary Clinton8 states, 725 delegates
Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Arizona, California
Barack Obama13 states, 625 delegates
Georgia, Illinois, Delaware, Alabama, Utah, North Dakota, Kansas, Connecticut, Minnesota, Colorado, Idaho, Alaska, Missouri 2025 delegates needed for nomination. Delegate totals are latest Super Tuesday projections from AP
Mike Huckabee5 states, 102 delegates
West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee
John McCain9 states, 420 delegates
Connecticut, Illinois, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Oklahoma, Arizona, Missouri, California
Mitt Romney5 states, 130 delegates
Massachusetts, Utah, North Dakota, Montana, Colorado 1191 delegates needed for nomination. Delegate totals are latest Super Tuesday projections from AP


The Democratic race was as tight as forecast, although Mrs Clinton is ahead in the two biggest states.
In New York, with almost all the votes counted, she captured about 57% of votes to Mr Obama's 40%.
In California, with about a half of precincts counted, Mrs Clinton had won more than 50% of Democratic votes and Mr Obama about 39%.
But the Illinois senator took a greater number of states, including some in Mrs Clinton's north-eastern backyard.
In terms of delegates captured, Mrs Clinton was only marginally ahead - under the Democrats' system of proportional distribution.
Momentum regained
Mr Obama seized the early momentum, taking Georgia and his home state of Illinois - both big states.

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Georgia, with a large African-American population, was expected to fall to him - but analysts picked up on the racial breakdown in the vote. In South Carolina last month, they noted, only 24% of white voters chose Mr Obama. In Georgia the figure was 43%, suggesting he may have broadened his appeal.
But Hillary Clinton's campaign brushed off the early defeat, saying: "Unlike the Obama campaign, the Clinton campaign never dedicated significant resources to Georgia."

Party split benefits McCain
Profile: John McCain

Mrs Clinton then rebounded, with projected wins in Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arkansas - showing, her campaign team said, that she could win in "red", (traditionally Republican) states.
She then went on to take big-prize states.
Meanwhile Mr Obama added Utah, North Dakota, Alabama, Delaware, Connecticut, Kansas, Colorado and Minnesota.
The Illinois senator told supporters: "We don't need the final results to know our time has come."


Overall, voters were choosing 42% of those delegates on Super Tuesday.
In each state's primary or caucus, successful candidates are awarded delegates who formally choose the party's presidential nominee at the national convention in six months' time.
After what has been widely seen as an exciting campaign so far, turnout was expected to be high.
WHAT IS SUPER TUESDAY?
24 states holding simultaneous contests to help decide the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations
About 40% of each party's delegates - who will choose the candidate - are up for grabs
Key states electing large numbers of delegates include California, New York and Illinois
Who's backing whom?
Justin Webb's America
In pictures: Super Tuesday
Among Mr McCain's supporters at the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, there was a mood of enormous optimism, said the BBC's David Willis.
"I think we must get used to the idea that we are the Republican Party front-runner for the presidency of the United States and I don't really mind it one bit," Mr McCain told supporters.
His main challenger had been seen as Mr Romney, who won his home state of Massachusetts, as well as Utah and Minnesota.

Hillary Clinton fought back after early losses
Clinton in New York
However it was Mr Huckabee who took the first state to announce a result, West Virginia, and went on to confound the polls which had put him in a firm third.
Projections showed he won across the south, in Arkansas, where he used to be governor, as well as Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.
Mr Huckabee hailed his "wonderful, wonderful win here at home" in Arkansas, saying: "We are still on our feet and much to the amazement of many we are getting there folks, we are getting there."
Mr Romney said he was not about to drop out of the race. "This campaign's going on... We're going all the way to the White House," he told supporters in Massachusetts.