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WASHINGTON: The United States will not be in Afghanistan "another eight or nine years," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Wednesday.The US spokesman said that US President Barack Obama will announce his new Afghan strategy in an address to the nation Tuesday evening from the prestigious West Point military academy.In what will be the defining moment of Obama's young presidency, he is widely expected to send some 34,000 more troops into battle to try and quell an increasingly fierce Taliban insurgency.The announcement will take place at 8:00 pm Tuesday (0100 GMT Wednesday) at the elite US officer school of West Point in New York state, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters.A day after Obama vowed to "finish the job" in the eight-year conflict, an outline of the president's plans began to emerge, with Gibbs promising they will include an exit strategy.The US would not remain in Afghanistan for "another eight or nine years," he said,...

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 JEDDAH: Flooding killed at least 11 people in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port city of Jeddah on Wednesday after a heavy downpour, with more deaths feared, a civil defence official said. The 11 victims were believed to have drowned, the official said, requesting anonymity. The storm struck the western Saudi city in the morning, flooding streets. In one part of Jeddah, a bus could be seen submerged under several metres (yards) of water in an underpass. A witness told a French news agency by telephone he had seen several bodies beside another bus that overturned in the storm. Major roads remained gridlocked by traffic late on Wednesday after the rain stopped and floodwaters receded, witnesses said. The storm also stranded hundreds of Muslim pilgrims in buses headed from Jeddah to Makkah for the first full day of the annual hajj. Traffic accidents were reported on the 80-kilometre (50-mile) stretch from Jeddah to Islam's holiest city, where some 2.5 millio...

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that a temporary ease on Israeli settlement building approved by the security cabinet on Wednesday did not include Jerusalem. "We do not put any restrictions on building in our sovereign capital," Netanyahu told a news conference, referring to the Holy City. A settlement freeze also in annexed east Jerusalem is a key Palestinian demand to resume peace negotiations that were suspended during the Gaza war at the turn of the year.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 KATHMANDU: Nepal's first international fast-food restaurants opened in the capital Kathmandu on Wednesday, reflecting the country's cautious attempts to attract more investment from Western companies.Long queues formed outside Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and Pizza Hut, with KFC serving more than 500 people in the first two hours of business."It has been an exciting day after a long period of planning and preparation," Vishnu Reddy, country manager for the two brands said. "We are happy and satisfied with the overwhelming response from customers."KFC and Pizza Hut arrived in Nepal as the country recovers from a decade-long civil war that claimed more than 16,000 lives before a peace deal was reached between rebel Maoists and the government in 2006.During the violence, rebels targeted foreign ventures including Coke, Pepsi and Unilever but more recently Kathmandu has seen rapid growth in restaurants, malls and supermarkets.Many of...

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 LONDON: A survey has shown that women are constantly concerned by their appearance and worry about ageing. One hundred women were asked to carry a clicker in an experiment to measure how many times they felt anxiety about their bodies ageing. Over a seven day period, the women aged 35 to 69 had to use the clicker every time they worried about their face, body, or appearance in general. On average, the women surveyed had negative thoughts 36 times a day. One of the participants, Loose Women presenter Sherrie Hewson, 59, said: "It brought to the fore how many women have issues. "Listening to others, they are saying what I'm saying when you think it's only you. "There are so many of us there's got to be a common denominator, so we've got to get together and change it, change us." Sherrie, who had a facelift ten years ago, clicked 1,400 times over seven days but admitted she thought it would be more. In her waking hours, she...

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 LONDON: The bottle, which has already won a series of innovation and research awards, ensures that the milk is heated to between 32 and 34 degrees in just 60 seconds and stays warm for up to an hour. It can be recharged up to 100 times and even features an anti-colic teat which allows a baby to latch on more easily. It was invented by a husband and wife team who were tired of having to painstakingly heat milk to an exact temperature in the microwave or ask waiters for hot water to heat a bottle while out. Jim and Farah Shaikh, an engineer and a solicitor, came up with the idea following the birth of their eldest son Danial. Six years ago, Mr Shaikh sketched out a plan on a pub napkin and the prototype was tested on their second son Niall, who is now two. Dr Shaikh, 43, said the device works on a similar principle to hand warmers using gel packs, and he and his wife consulted the guidance and professional advice of academics, midwives, nurses, parenting gro...

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 MANILA: Bizarre candidates such as the "Ultimate Messiah" and a man who crows like a chicken are seeking their moments of fame by making unlikely bids for president in next year's Philippine elections.Their chances of winning are non-existent but they have given a splash of colour to the start of a long election race in which the Southeast Asian nation's chaotic brand of democracy will be on full display.Rigoberto Madera was the first to register as a candidate at the election commission on Friday, waving handouts identifying him as "Star General Ace Diamond, Commander-in-Chief on Earth... Emparador (Emperor), Ultimate Messiah."But for Madera, 62, winning the May elections and becoming president for six years is only a stepping stone."I will run for president of the US, after Barack Obama," he declared to reporters.Another prospective candidate who rushed to register at the Commission of Elections was George Samia, 60,...