Another hurdle for Barack Obama

New President Barack Obama has a more personal challenge to face as he takes up residence in the White House, reports The Times.

Obama is a smoker, and despite promising his wife to give up during his election campaign, he admitted on a US talk show that "There are times where I have fallen off the wagon." In the UK the percentage of people who actually manage to stay off the cigarettes after giving up is a mere 3%.

It takes a full six weeks of not smoking for the nicotine cravings to subside, and the article, written by a former smoker, suggests that perhaps now is not the best time for the new President to try and give up.

There is also a no-smoking rule in the White House, imposed, somewhat ironically, by Hillary Clinton.Read more here...