Washington  - Long-time US Senator Ted Kennedy, who has been battling brain cancer since May, collapsed Tuesday in the middle of US President Barack Obama's inaugural lunch with members of Congress.

Obama said his prayers were with Kennedy - the brother of former president John F Kennedy - and his family.

"I would be lying to you if I did not say that right now a part of me is with him," Obama said.

San Francisco  - The inauguration of US President Barack Obama was greeted by an instantaneous avalanche of chatter and commentary on the internet.

But the web team of the new leader was not far behind. In fact, by many measures, it beat not only the bloggers but also the president himself.

At precisely 12:01 pm local time, pictures of Obama and his family appeared on the home page of the president's website Whitehouse. gov alongside four features, under the headline Change Has Come to America

Oslo/Copenhagen  - Nordic leaders Tuesday congratulated new US President Barack Obama on his inauguration and expressed hopes for good cooperation in the future with the new administration.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he expected "very, very close ties" to remain between the United States and Denmark, and hoped to cooperate on efforts to tackle climate change.

"We expect him to be very active in achieving a climate treaty in Copenhagen in December," Rasmussen told Danish television news.

Washington  - George W Bush, 62, said goodbye to his staff and left Washington on Tuesday after turning over the reins of power to President Barack Obama.

Shortly after attending Obama's inauguration, a Marine helicopter took the former president to Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington. Obama and First Lady Michelle waved goodbye as he boarded.

Washington  - George W Bush's time in the White House ended on Tuesday, as he departed Washington with a long list of unpopular policies and a low public standing, but ever optimistic that the longer view of history will judge him more kindly.

Bush looked on as Barack Obama was sworn in Tuesday on the Capitol steps as the 44th president. Moments later the two men shook hands and Bush began the journey back to Texas. He and former first lady Laura Bush boarded a helicopter, no longer known by the presidential name "Marine One," to Andrews Air Force Base for their flight home.

Washington  - Tears flowed and the crowd roared as Barack Obama took the presidential oath on a subfreezing Tuesday and signalled the beginning of a new era in Washington under the Democratic president and the nation's first African American to live in the White House.

The boisterous crowd, which had booed when outgoing Republican US President George W Bush stepped onto stage, fell briefly silent at the moment Obama swore the oath.