Ukip will cause political earthquake in European elections, says Nigel Farage

The United Kingdom Independence party will trigger a political "earthquake" in next year's European parliamentary elections, its leader, Nigel Farage, has said.

Amid growing calls from Tory MPs for David Cameron to respond to the Ukip threat by bringing forward legislation on an EU referendum, Farage warned that his party would not go away even if No 10 "starts singing the same song".

William Hague, who famously suffered a major defeat in the 2001 election after tacking to the right, called for a cautious response to Ukip as he warned of the dangers of "quick fixes".

Philip Hammond, the defence secretary, said many Ukip voters were "frustrated Conservatives".

As the Tories work out their response to Ukip, which won nearly a quarter of the vote in wards it contested in the local elections, Farage said he would not be standing in any byelection over the next year as he focuses on the European parliamentary elections.

The Ukip leader told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC1: "Ukip is here to stay … June 2014 we have a European election. That is the day on which Ukip can cause an earthquake in British politics. I want to lead the party into that."

Asked whether he would stand for parliament in the 2015 general election – he stood against the Commons Speaker, John Bercow, in Buckingham in 2010 - Farage said: "Yes I will stand for a seat in 2015. I have been rather busy for the last few weeks doing other things [to decide which seat to contest]. But I will think about it."

Farage pointed out that Ukip was picking up votes not just from the Tories, saying his party won 24% of the vote in the South Shields byelection, mostly from old Labour supporters. He added: "Please don't think that Ukip is just some little pressure group that will go away because somebody in Downing Street starts singing the same song."

The Ukip leader, who has said he will refuse to negotiate with Cameron after the Tory leader called his party "fruitcakes", said he would be open to holding discussions with another Tory leader though he said this was not his priority.

"If David Cameron gets removed … and somebody else was put in place who wanted to come and talk to us and say, 'Shall we find an accommodation?' we would consider it.

"But it is not my priority. My priority is to build a new political party, a movement in this country that actually wants to stand up for the interests of ordinary people."

Hammond acknowledged that Ukip presented a threat to the Tories but said it would be difficult for the government to bring forward legislation for an EU referendum in this parliament in the face of Lib Dem opposition.

He told The Andrew Marr Show: "The great majority of the people who supported Ukip are ordinary decent people. Many of them are frustrated Conservatives – frustrated at the length of time it is taking to get the economy growing again, frustrated about the constraints of coalition government, frustrated about the way globalisation limits our ability to control the world that effects.

"We understand that is people's concerns and we are addressing the key issues they care about. Immigration down by a third, deficit down by a third, welfare capped."

Hammond said it was important to point out that the Tories are constrained by coalition government as he said it would be difficult to introduce legislation on an EU referendum during this parliament.

"I understand people's scepticism; they are saying: 'Yeah yeah, that is the other side of an election … What can you do now to reassure us?'" the defence secretary said.

"We should do everything we can to reassure people about our commitment [to hold a referendum in the next parliament.] We should make it in very clear and unambiguous terms including publishing a draft bill. The simple reality is we would not get a bill through parliament in this parliament."

Hague said it would be wrong for the Tories to embark on a shift to the right as he rejected "quick fixes".

In an article for the Sunday Telegraph, the foreign secretary wrote: "There is always a temptation for politicians to offer quick fixes; to say we can cut taxes, increase spending, bring down the deficit and solve our problems with a magic wand. When times are hard the temptation to do this is even stronger. People are tired of bad news.

"Many want to hear that there's a Plan B or C or D that is a shortcut to success. But to offer shortcuts that will not work would be to cheat the British people, offering them a dead end – and frankly it is patronising to them too."

Source: Guardian.co.uk
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Welcome to the year of the comet (we hope)

First a meteor exploded over Russia, followed closely by an asteroid fly-by. Now, two comets are expected to put on a naked-eye spectacle for sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere.

Up first is Comet Pan-STARRS, which gets its funky name from the telescope credited with discovering it in June 2001: the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System in Hawaii.

The comet is already visible through telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere, and it should swing into view over the Northern Hemisphere beginning around March 8.

It's hard to predict exactly how bright Pan-STARRS will be, but you should be able to see it without binoculars or telescopes, said Don Yeomans of NASA's Near-Earth Object Program. It should be about as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper.

"There is a chance that it will be a little brighter than this, but likewise, it might not get quite that bright," said Karl Battams of the Naval Research Lab.

Part of the brightness will depend on how close Pan-STARRS gets to the sun. Comets are made up of water, ice, dust and other elements and minerals, all loosely packed together, Battams said. As a comet gets closer to the sun, the sun's heat causes these elements to melt, spewing out dust and gas in a brilliant tail.

"The closer it gets, the more intense the radiation and the more elements will be melted," he said.

Pan-STARRS is expected to get fairly close to the sun. That's bad news for the comet, but it could be a boon for sky watchers if the comet is brighter and easier to see.

Pan-STARRS also could fall apart and fizzle. But if it survives its sunbath, we should be able to see it low on the horizon in the western sky for a couple of weeks, Battams said.

"About half an hour after sunset would be a good time for people take a look," he said.

Here are some key dates:

March 5: Pan-STARRS will be closest to Earth;

March 10: The comet will pass closest to the sun;

March 12 and 13: The best dates to look for Pan-STARRS; it should emerge in the western sunset sky not far from the crescent moon.

Battams has these viewing tips:

1) Safety first: Don't try to look at the comet until the sun sets. Do not look at the sun using regular binoculars or telescopes. Ever! You'll burn up your eyes.

2) Comet Pan-STARRS will stay close to the horizon, so you'll need to get away from trees and buildings.

3) Look carefully! The sky will still be bright at dusk, which can make it hard to spot comets.

4) If the skies are clear, and you are away from city light pollution, you may be able to see the comet with your bare eyes. If not, use binoculars.

5) If you can't escape the city, try using binoculars.

Second chance to catch a comet

If your quest to see the first comet doesn't pan out -- get it? (OK, that's bad) -- we might get to see a better comet later in 2013: Comet ISON.

ISON was discovered by Russian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok in September 2012. It's named after their night-sky survey program, the International Scientific Optical Network.

Some early comet prognosticators -- and reporters -- have tagged ISON "the Comet of Century." But Yeomans isn't buying it just yet. He remembers being duped by another comet with that same moniker. In 1973, Kohoutek was hyped, too, and it fizzled.

"Predicting the behavior of comets is like predicting the behavior of cats -- can't really be done," he said.

So here is the hype on ISON: On November 28, it is expected to dive into the sun's atmosphere. If it survives, it might glow as brightly as the moon and be briefly visible in daylight. Its tail might stretch far across the night sky.

Battams is optimistic, but he said we won't know until late summer what to expect from ISON.

"I'll be surprised if we don't have a bright comet this fall and/or winter, but it's still just too early to speculate," he said.

So, like Pan-STARRS, ISON's fate will be decided by the sun. It could burn brightly and earn that "Comet of the Century" title; it could melt or it could just break apart.

Scientists say neither comet poses any threat to Earth, but if both comets hold together, sky watchers will get a rare treat: two comets, both bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, in one year.

Fingers crossed! Source: CNN
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Western powers set to increase aid for Syrian rebels

The United States promised Thursday to send food and medical supplies -- but not weapons -- to rebels in the first such move since the conflict began two years ago.

At the same time, European nations began to explore how to strengthen rebel fighters short of arming them after a European Council decision allowing aid for civilian protection.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the aid would help fighters in their effort to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The conflict has claimed more than 60,000 lives, laid waste to large portions of the country and created an enormous humanitarian crisis as refugees flee the fighting.

The fighting also threatens to widen into a regional crisis and has raised concerns that Hezbollah, Iran or others could gain control in Damascus after al-Assad's government falls.

"The United States' decision to take further steps now is the result of the continued brutality of a superior armed force propped up by foreign fighters from Iran and Hezbollah, all of which threatens to destroy Syria," Kerry said after meeting opposition leaders in Rome.

He did not say how much aid, but did announce that the United States would separately give $60 million to local groups working with the opposition Syrian National Council to provide political administration and basic services in rebel-controlled areas of Syria.

That's on top of $50 million in similar aid the United States has previously pledged to the council, as well as $385 million in humanitarian assistance, Kerry said.

"This funding will allow the opposition to reach out and help the local councils to be able to rebuild in their liberated areas of Syria so that they can provide basic services to people who so often lack access today to medical care, to food, to sanitation," he said.

Islamist Influence

The aid represents, in part, an effort to hem in radical Islamist groups vying for influence in Syria after the fall of al-Assad, a senior State Department official told CNN.

"If the Syrian opposition coalition can't touch, improve and heal the lives of Syrians in those places that have been freed, then extremists will step in and do it," the official said.

Sheikh Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, president of the Syrian National Council, said concerns about Islamist influence were overstated.

"We stand against every radical belief that aims to target Syria's diverse social and religious fabric," he said.

READ: Inside Syria: Exclusive look at pro-Assad Christian militia

U.S. officials hope the aid will help the coalition show what it can do and encourage al-Assad supporters to "peel away from him" and help end the fighting, the official said.

The opposition council will decide where the money goes, Kerry said.

But the United States will send technical advisers through its partners to the group's Cairo headquarters to ensure the aid is used properly, the senior State Department official said.

Additional aid possible

The European Council carved out an exception in its sanctions against Syria on Thursday to allow for the transfer of nonlethal equipment and technical assistance for civilian protection only.

The council did not specify what kind of equipment could be involved.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Friday on Twitter that his country would pledge new aid because "we cannot stand still while the crisis worsens and thousands of lives are at stake."

A diplomatic official at the French Foreign Ministry told CNN that France is studying the possibility of supplying night-vision equipment or body armor.

In the United States, President Barack Obama is thinking about training rebels and equipping them with defensive gear such as night-vision goggles, body armor and military vehicles, sources familiar with the discussions said.

The training would help rebels decide how to use their resources, strategize and perhaps train a police force to take over after al-Assad's fall, one of the sources said.

READ: Syrian army in Homs is showing strains of war

Kerry did not announce that sort of aid Thursday, but said the United States and other countries backing the rebels would "continue to consult with each other on an urgent basis."

An official told reporters that the opposition has raised a number of needs in the Rome meetings and the administration will continue to "keep those under review."

"We will do this with vetted individuals, vetted units, so it has to be done carefully and appropriately," the official said.

Humanitarian crisis

Meanwhile, the bloodshed continued. On Thursday, 98 people were killed across Syria, including 35 in Damascus and its suburbs, said the Local Coordination Committees for Syria, a network of opposition activists.

The conflict began with demands for political reform after the Arab Spring movement that swept the Middle East and Africa, but devolved into civil war when the al-Assad regime cracked down on demonstrators.

In addition to the 60,000 people who have died since the fighting began in March 2011, another 940,000 have fled the country and more than 10% of Syria's 20 million residents have been forced to move elsewhere inside the country, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said.

The outpouring of refugees threatens to overwhelm the ability of host nations to provide for their needs, Assistant High Commissioner Erika Feller told the U.N. Human Rights Council on Tuesday.

READ: Syrian war is everybody's problem. Source: CNN
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Unique Cycling on The Road

Cycling is very pleasant indeed especially cycling on the road with this unique bike, the higher the confidence and unique bike will take you through a fun sport. Picture this unique bike is a bike that I've seen on the internet.





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Happy 50th Birthday, Michael Jordan


Michael Jordan, the basketball star who won six NBA crowns and improved in the professional sports world, celebrates its 50th anniversary on Sunday with a powerful legacy 10 years after his last match.

Jordan cut from his high school team as a sophomore, who used the brightness and contrast as inspiration for a career like no other in turn, and was considered by many as the best player dribbling a basketball again.

"It's simple," Miami Heat star guard Dwyane Wade said. "There will never be another Michael Jordan. He was the first to do a lot of things to do. If you are the first, there can never be another. "

Jordan dunks high jump, winning clutch baskets and performance art defensive determination allowed for the Chicago Bulls, NBA titles which makes for 1991-1993 and 1996-1998 with a retreat in the middle.

When the Stars American academics were not able to win Olympic gold in Seoul in 1988, Jordan led a "Dream Team" team of NBA stars icons in Barcelona in 1992, and launched a new era for the sport with an effort dominant rock-star treatment from the fans.

"Air Jordan" sneakers are among the most sold, the impact of Jordan in the sports marketing thanks to Nike and others that are just as innovative as its commitment in the field.

The memory of the exploits of Jordan is so great and more recently as 28 years LeBron James, director of current top of the NBA, whose acrobatic jumps and spectacular movements comparisons to Jordan, he was tired of the obligation .

"Happy Birthday to him. We wish him the best," James said. "There is no comparison. People always want to find a way to compare anyone to find anyone. But Mike is Mike and LeBron and I'm trying to get my name, my own statement."

When asked if he was the Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant or James as the most successful in this area, said Jordan took Bryant NBA TV.

"Five beats you every time I look at it," Jordan said, referring to Bryant NBA championships one in five James.

More than 22 million people have "liked" the Facebook page of Jordan and more than 1,700, the "Happy Birthday" messages - a technology that did not even exist when Jordan was in his early 20 years ago.

Jordan Sports Illustrated on the cover of this week, the 50th time Jordan has been so honored.

Jordan was named player of the NBA Finals Most Valuable each year his team won a title and won the regular season version of the award five times. Jordan also won 10 NBA scoring crowns, 1987-1993 and 1996-1998.

After a brilliant academic career of North Carolina, Jordan was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1985 and was a legend with the Bulls.

But in July 1993, disaster struck his father, James Jordan Jordan, was killed in motorway service area. Three months later, Jordan shocked the sports world by withdrawing from the NBA first.

Jordan started playing baseball, the American pastime, the pursuit of a dream that his late father had for his son to play in the major leagues. Jordan signed with the Chicago White Sox and played with a team of two minor league levels below the elite league.

In 1994, the Bulls retired jersey number 23 in Jordan, and a statue of Jordan outside the home arena of the team remains a popular tourist destination.

In March 1995, however, Jordan had his dream of baseball with a simple explanation of two words - "I'm back" - and 19 points in his return to the Bulls in Indiana. He wore uniform number 45, what was the number of baseball.

The Bulls lost in the second round of the playoffs, making Jordan ready to his old number 23, and for the next three full seasons to recover, Jordan used his common sense and leadership to replace the time took his body to lift the Bulls back in form in the league until his retirement in 1999.

But his second pension will not last. Jordan in 2001 for the Washington Wizards NBA playing for two seasons, but ways with the team after pieces are not allowed to return to his position as senior director of basketball operations.

In 2010, Jordan returned to the NBA as an owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, but was able to work the same magic with them as he did on the field with the Bulls.

In a block-shortened 2011-2012 season in the NBA, the Bobcats have a painful 7-59, the worst record in NBA history.

"I'm not really happy with the book landscape last year. It's very frustrating," said Jordan.
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Russian Meteor Collection Photos

Some time ago a meteor crashed in russia, meteor of another half a football field left thousands injured hit by meteor fragments. many people who perpetuate meteor in russia but only little information can be obtained.

Nomayes blog has a collection of photographs of the tragedy of the fall of the meteor in russia, the photo was taken when the meteor fell one record with an amateur camera.


















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Flowers New York City

I love the beautiful flowers, new york city flower garden much can you meet, not flower if it does not make the city more attractive. here are the flowers that you might encounter in the city of new york.






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