London, Dec 25 : Russia has thrown down a new challenge to incoming Barack Obama Administration with an announcement that it will sharply increase production of strategic nuclear missiles.

Moscow's strategy appears to be to challenge Obama's new administration as soon as it takes office on January 20, The Guardian reported.

Washington, Dec 25 : The New York Times is currently putting together a book, named "Obama: The Historic Journey," which features photos and essays depicting US President-elect Barack Obama's life.

The book will be published by Riverhead in February 2009.

The much-awaited book will talk about Obama's journey, starting from his childhood to his historical win as the 44th President of America, reports Politico. com.

Washington, Dec 25: Less than a month before Barack Obama takes office, a new CNN/Opinion Research survey has found that 82 percent of Americans approve of how he is handling his transition to power.

The approval of more than eight in 10 Americans is up 3 percentage points from when CNN asked the same question at the beginning of December.

Fifteen percent of those surveyed disapprove of the way the president-elect is handling his transition, down 3 points from the last poll.

Washington, December 24: US President-elect Barack Obama scattered his late grandmother's ashes in the Pacific Ocean off Honululu.

The first African-American to be elected President of the United States mourned the death of Madelyn Dunham, 86, in a private church service on December 23.

The former junior United States Senator from Illinois headed towards the shoreline after formally paying tribute to his late grandmother, one of the key figures in his life who had died on November 2 this year, two days before he won the election.

Washington, Dec 24 : US Vice President-elect Joe Biden has expressed his concerns about the "exceedingly high expectations" the world community has for Barack Obama's presidency.

According to a report in the Politico, the statement was made by Biden in an interview with CNN's Larry King.

London, Dec 24: If reports are to be believed, after assuming office, US President-elect Barack Obama's administration may cancel funding for a new technology to be used in a US warplane that fires lasers at the enemy, in a bid to save costs in a recession hit economy.

Known as the Airborne Laser (ABL) weapons programme, the system aims to send an invisible, ultra-powerful laser beam from aircraft hundreds of miles from their targets, and could one day alter the nature of aerial warfare.