The El Nino and La Nina climate patterns are unlikely to make an appearance during the first half of this year, the U.N.'s weather agency said Monday."Model forecasts and expert opinion suggests that the likelihood of El Nino or La Nina conditions developing during the first half of 2013 is low," the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in a statement.During the past 10 months, indicators in the tropical Pacific, including ocean temperatures, sea level pressure and cloudiness, "have gene

Hungarian lawmakers on Monday overwhelmingly approved a long amendment to the constitution which critics say threatens certain democratic checks and balances.After smaller protests during the day, several thousand people gathered in the evening near the offices of President Janos Ader, asking him to veto the amendment.The bill enshrines in the Fundamental Law, as the new constitution is called, a number of policies that were previously been struck down as unconstitutional by the country's highes

KANO, Nigeria (AP) ― Radical Islamic fighters killed seven foreign hostages in Nigeria, European diplomats said Sunday, making it the worst such kidnapping violence in decades for a country beset by extremist guerrilla attacks. Nigeria’s police, military, domestic spy service and presidency remained silent over the killings of the construction company workers, kidnapped Feb. 16 from northern Bauchi state. The government’s silence only led to more questions about the nation’s continued inability

LONDON (AFP) ― Polls closed in the Falkland Islands on Sunday on the first day of a two-day vote intended to show the world that the residents want to stay British amid increasingly bellicose claims by Argentina.Buenos Aires has dismissed the vote as meaningless, but witnesses reported up to 90 people waiting in the rain to vote at the single polling station in the capital Stanley an hour after it opened.“It’s an extraordinary turnout,” Barry Elsby, a member of the Falklands legislative assembly

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Three goals will dominate President Barack Obama’s coming visit to Israel, his first as president: Convincing Israel and its leadership he means what he says about stopping Iran from building a nuclear weapon, mending a deeply troubled relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, in return, enticing Israel back to negotiations with the Palestinians.Some of the cosmic stars of diplomacy and Middle East reality are lining up to make the visit a success. Others are not

South Korean pop star fans gathered at Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Tangerang and Bung Karno Stadium in Central Jakarta on Friday afternoon to get a glimpse of their idols.K-pop sensations Super Junior, 2PM, SHINee, Beast, Infinite, Teen Top, Sistar and Eru arrived on Friday to perform at Music Bank in Jakarta on Saturday.Indonesian singer Afgan and boy band S4 also performed at the event, aired live by KBS World in 73 countries.Event promoter Asia Top Entertainment claimed tickets ha

The main accused in the fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in New Delhi last December hanged himself in jail Monday while in solitary confinement, prompting outrage from the victim's family.Ram Singh, one of six people on trial over the shocking attack, was found dead shortly before dawn after making a noose out of his clothing, according to officials at Delhi's top-security Tihar jail."He tied all his clothes together and used the ceiling grill and a wooden stool to hang himself," the prison