Washington - More than three-quarters of US citizens consider Barack Obama's inauguration as US president Tuesday as one of the most historically significant in the history of the United States, according to a poll released Monday by the US Gallup institute.

Some 33 per cent of US citizens in fact gave the inauguration of the first black president the top ranking of "most important" inauguration in US history.

Barcelona  - Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos on Monday urged US president elect Barack Obama to "immediately get involved" in efforts to end the Gaza conflict after being sworn in.

The situation in Gaza should be Obama's first foreign policy priority, advised Moratinos, who helped to negotiate the ceasefire in Gaza.

The former European Union Middle East envoy expressed trust that the new US administration would take "urgent" action on the Gaza Strip.

Moscow  - Russia signalled on Monday it would overhaul its 2009 budget against the backdrop of plummeting oil prices, Russia's main export commodity, and a forced devaluation of the rouble.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered the finance ministry to review the 2009 budget, based on an average price of oil at 41 dollars per barrel.

Taipei  - Taiwan's ex-president, Chen Shui-bian, is scheduled to appear in court Monday in a corruption trial that his lawyer says is weighted against him.

"Not only that the presiding judge Tsai Shou-hsun is (biased), but most local news media are also one-sided. So the chances to win the case in the district court trial are not high," Chen's defense lawyer Cheng Wen-lung told reporters Sunday.

He said local news media have been making unfavourable reports against Chen, which Cheng believed would affect the decisions of the judge's panel.

Wilmington, Delaware  - Vice presidents usually claim second fiddle in the presidential limelight, but Saturday, for a few moments, Joe Biden stood in the sun - despite the minus 12 degree Centigrade chill.

The vice president-elect boarded the historic inaugural train in his hometown of Wilmington, which had earlier picked up president- elect Barack Obama on the historic final journey towards Washington and the inauguration on Tuesday.

Budapest  - The most prominent party on Hungary's extreme right, Jobbik, held a rally in front of the parliament building on Saturday to protest the outlawing of its paramilitary offshoot, the Hungarian Guard.

"The court of first instance ruling on the disbanding of the Magyar Garda (Hungarian Guard) doesn't mean anything. They will continue their work," said Gabor Vona, president of both Jobbik and the Hungarian Guard.