Distant Dwarf Planet Secrets Revealed

Orbiting at the frozen edges of our solar system, the mysterious dwarf planet Makemake is finally coming out of the shadows as astronomers get their best view yet of Pluto's little sibling.

Discovered in 2005, Makemake—pronounced MAH-keh MAH-keh after a Polynesian creation god—is one of five Pluto-like objects that prompted a redefining of the term "planet" and the creation of a new group of dwarf planets in 2006. (Related: "Pluto Not a Planet, Astronomers Rule.")

Just like the slightly larger Pluto, this icy world circles our sun beyond Neptune. Researchers expected Makemake to also have a global atmosphere—but new evidence reveals that isn't the case.

Staring at a Star

An international team of astronomers was able for the first time to probe Makemake's physical characteristics using the European Southern Observatory's three most powerful telescopes in Chile. The researchers observed the change in light given off by a distant star as the dwarf planet passed in front of it. (Learn how scientists found Makemake.)

"These events are extremely difficult to predict and observe, but they are the only means of obtaining accurate knowledge of important properties of dwarf planets," said Jose Luis Ortiz, lead author of this new study and an astronomer at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, in Spain.

It's like trying to study a coin from a distance of 30 miles (48 kilometers) or more, Ortiz added.

Ortiz and his team knew Makemake didn't have an atmosphere when light from the background star abruptly dimmed and brightened as the chilly world drifted across its face.

"The light went off very abruptly from all the sites we observed the event so this means this world cannot have a substantial and global atmosphere like that of its sibling Pluto," Ortiz said.

If Makemake had an atmosphere, light from the star would gradually decrease and increase as the dwarf planet passed in front.

Coming Into Focus

The team's new observations add much more detail to our view of Makemake—not only limiting the possibility of an atmosphere but also determining the planet's size and surface more accurately.

"We think Makemake is a sphere flattened slightly at both poles and mostly covered with very white ices—mainly of methane," said Ortiz.

"But there are also indications for some organic material at least at some places; this material is usually very red and we think in a small percentage of the surface, the terrain is quite dark," he added.

Why Makemake lacks a global atmosphere remains a big mystery, but Ortiz does have a theory. Pluto is covered in nitrogen ice. When the sun heats this volatile material, it turns straight into a gas, creating Pluto's atmosphere.

Makemake lacks nitrogen ice on its surface, so there is nothing for the sun to heat into a gas to provide an atmosphere.

The dwarf planet has less mass, and a weaker gravitational field, than Pluto, said Ortiz. This means that over eons of time, Makemake may not have been able to hang on to its nitrogen.

Methane ice will also transform into a gas when heated. But since the dwarf planet is nearly at its furthest distance from the sun, Ortiz believes that Makemake's surface methane is still frozen. (Learn about orbital planes.)

And even if the methane were to transform into a gas, any resulting atmosphere would cover, at most, only ten percent of the planet, said Ortiz.

The new results are detailed today in the journal Nature.

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President Obama Prepares for Cabinet Shuffle

Nov 26, 2012 6:45am

Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo

As President Obama prepares for his second term, preparations have begun for the traditional shuffling of the Cabinet.

Top priority for the president: filling slots for those top officials heading — if not running — for the door: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner.

To replace Clinton, Democratic insiders suggest that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Dr. Susan Rice is the frontrunner, with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., also a viable candidate.

Rice has been harshly criticized by Republicans for the erroneous comments she made on Sunday news talk shows after the attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, comments that were based on intelligence reports that falsely blamed the attack on a protest against an anti-Muslim video. When the president, during his recent press conference, offered a vociferous defense of Rice, many of those close to him began to suspect he was tipping his hand as to what he might decide.

To replace Geithner at Treasury, White House chief of staff Jack Lew is thought to have the inside track if he wants it, with other possibilities including Neal Wolin, the current deputy secretary of the Treasury and Lael Brainard, current under secretary of the Treasury for international affairs.

Other informed sources suggest that there is consideration being given to a business/CEO type such as investor Roger Altman, former Time/Warner chair Richard Parsons, and Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg.

Those are the two most pressing jobs to fill, with Clinton exhausted from a long stretch in government — eight years as first lady, eight as senator, and four as secretary of state — and the president having personally promised Geithner’s wife that he could leave as soon as possible after the election.

Any of the business/CEO types being discussed for treasury secretary could also serve as secretary of commerce, a position that for the Obama administration has proved as troublesome as the role of drummer in Spinal Tap. Jeff Zients, the acting director of the Office of Management & Budget, is said to be under consideration.

It’s too flip to refer to it as a consolation prize, but informed sources say that — with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also planning on leaving — Kerry could be offered the position secretary of defense if he wants it, though the Massachusetts senator has suggested he only wants State. Another option, Michelle Flournoy, a former under secretary of defense for Policy, would be the first female to serve in that position. There was some discussion of National Security Adviser Tom Donilon moving across the river, but it seems clear, sources say, that he’s staying where he is.

If Lew leaves to take the position at Treasury, some possible replacements for him as chief of staff include deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough or Vice President Biden’s former chief of staff Ron Klain. Tom Nides, deputy secretary of state for management and resources, has also been discussed.

President Obama’s senior adviser David Plouffe has also long discussed leaving the White House. There are many options to fill his shoes, including the elevation of communications director Dan Pfeiffer. Also possible: bringing back former press secretary Robert Gibbs, or former deputy chief of staff/campaign manager Jim Messina. Another option might be to bring in some of the people who were part of the messaging shop in the campaign — David Simus, who served as director of opinion research for the campaign, or Larry Grisolano, who did ads for campaign.

– Jake Tapper

SHOWS: World News

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Portugal MPs to adopt unpopular austerity budget

LISBON: Portugal's parliament is due to adopt on Tuesday a massively unpopular 2013 budget that will make unprecedented austerity reforms in a bid to satisfy international creditors helping the country fight off economic collapse.

Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho's centre-right government has a comfortable majority in parliament, virtually guaranteeing the budget will pass.

But lawmakers will face anger from many constituents, with a protest outside parliament against "austerity and recession" called by the country's main labour federation, the CGTP.

The CGTP organised a crippling general strike on November 14, a day of anti-austerity protests across southern Europe that boiled over into sporadic clashes -- including in Portugal, where protests outside parliament turned violent, leaving 50 people wounded.

Police officers, soldiers, firefighters and students have also staged major protests in recent weeks as public angst over the country's dire economic straits has grown.

The Portuguese economy, in recession since 2010, is expected to contract by three percent this year and one percent in 2013, while unemployment hit a record 15.8 percent of the workforce in the third quarter of this year.

The European Union and International Monetary Fund granted the country rescue funding of 78 billion euros ($100 billion) in May 2011 in exchange for drastic economic reforms aimed at reducing the country's swollen public deficit and debt.

But the austerity underpinning the reforms is weighing heavily on economic activity and the government's ability to fight unemployment.

The new budget aims at 5.3 billion euros in additional savings, achieved in part through further spending cuts but mostly through a tax hike that even Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar acknowledged is "enormous".

Next year, the government will also introduce a package of state reforms seeking to cut public spending by another four billion euros by the end of 2014.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel warmly praised the government for its efforts at reform during a visit to Portugal this month, and the country has just passed a new quarterly audit by its creditors, the EU, IMF and European Central Bank -- the so-called "troika".

But the IMF has acknowledged the country faces serious economic risks.

"The near-term outlook is uncertain, and sizeable medium-term economic challenges remain," said an IMF statement on November 20.

As the government fights an uphill battle to cut spending and raise tax revenues wherever it can, the IMF said the success of Portugal's international rescue plan would depend in part on a factor beyond the country's control: the economic environment across the 17-nation eurozone.

The Socialist opposition has for its part condemned the austerity policies as "excessive", despite signing off on the international rescue plan.

"The deficit is not under control, the debt has risen to nearly 120 percent (of gross domestic product), unemployment is the highest in our history and the economy is collapsing," Socialist party secretary-general Antonio Jose Seguro said Saturday.

-AFP/ac

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Badminton: Lee, Chen in Hong Kong Open men's final

HONG KONG: Lee Chong Wei will meet Chinese second seed Chen Long in the final of the Hong Kong Open after the Malaysian world number one breezed past Japan's Kenichi Tago on Saturday.

The top-seed and Olympic silver medallist saw off sixth seeded Tago 21-19, 21-15 in 45 minutes, with the Malaysian smashing his way to the $350,000 Badminton World Federation Super Series tournament final.

Lee will face Chen after the latter beat unseeded Tommy Sugiarto from Indonesia 21-18, 21-10.

In the women's draw, China's top seed Wang Yihan overcame Germany's Juliane Schenk 21-8, 19-21, 21-15, to set up an all-Chinese final after her compatriot Li Xuerui defeated another Chinese player Wang Ling 21-12, 21-13.

In the men's doubles China's second seed Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng fended off a fierce challenge from compatriots Liu Xiaolong and Qiu Zihan 18-21, 21-17, 21-16 in a 62-minute encounter.

They will meet Malaysia's top pair Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong after they advanced to the finals beating Taipei's unseeded Lee Sheng-mu and Tsai Chia-hsin 22-20, 21-13.

In the women's doubles, it will be another all-Chinese finals between top seed Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei and the controversial duo Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang, who were disqualified during this summer's Olympic Games for playing to lose.

Yu, who along with Wang, raised eyebrows when she won last week's China Open, after apparently announcing her retirement a day after her expulsion in August.

But Yu on Tuesday denied she was quitting and said she now wants to focus on the sport.

-AFP/ac

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1,534 candidates in fray for phase one of Gujarat polls

AHMEDABAD: A total of 1,534 candidates have filed their nomination papers for the 87 constituencies in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections on December 13, the officials said.

It was the last day today for filing nomination papers for the first phase of the polls. The scrutiny of nomination forms will take place on November 26.

"We have received nomination forms of 1,534 candidates for the first phase. 988 candidates filed their nominations today. The scrutiny of the nominations will take place on November 26," Additional chief electoral officer Ashok Manek told reporters here.

Last date of withdrawal of forms is November 28, he said. Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president Arjun Modhwadia filed his nomination papers from Porbandar assembly seat today where the BJP has fielded Babubhai Bokhiriya.

There was heavy rush to file nominations on the last day as parties like Congress and Gujarat Parivartan Party finalised their candidates last night.

About 1.81 crore electors from Saurashtra, South Gujarat and four talukas - Sanand, Viramgam, Dholka and Dhandhuka - in western part of Ahmedabad will exercise their franchise in the first phase of voting on December 13.

Read More..

Distant Dwarf Planet Secrets Revealed

Orbiting at the frozen edges of our solar system, the mysterious dwarf planet Makemake is finally coming out of the shadows as astronomers get their best view yet of Pluto's little sibling.

Discovered in 2005, Makemake—pronounced MAH-keh MAH-keh after a Polynesian creation god—is one of five Pluto-like objects that prompted a redefining of the term "planet" and the creation of a new group of dwarf planets in 2006. (Related: "Pluto Not a Planet, Astronomers Rule.")

Just like the slightly larger Pluto, this icy world circles our sun beyond Neptune. Researchers expected Makemake to also have a global atmosphere—but new evidence reveals that isn't the case.

Staring at a Star

An international team of astronomers was able for the first time to probe Makemake's physical characteristics using the European Southern Observatory's three most powerful telescopes in Chile. The researchers observed the change in light given off by a distant star as the dwarf planet passed in front of it. (Learn how scientists found Makemake.)

"These events are extremely difficult to predict and observe, but they are the only means of obtaining accurate knowledge of important properties of dwarf planets," said Jose Luis Ortiz, lead author of this new study and an astronomer at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, in Spain.

It's like trying to study a coin from a distance of 30 miles (48 kilometers) or more, Ortiz added.

Ortiz and his team knew Makemake didn't have an atmosphere when light from the background star abruptly dimmed and brightened as the chilly world drifted across its face.

"The light went off very abruptly from all the sites we observed the event so this means this world cannot have a substantial and global atmosphere like that of its sibling Pluto," Ortiz said.

If Makemake had an atmosphere, light from the star would gradually decrease and increase as the dwarf planet passed in front.

Coming Into Focus

The team's new observations add much more detail to our view of Makemake—not only limiting the possibility of an atmosphere but also determining the planet's size and surface more accurately.

"We think Makemake is a sphere flattened slightly at both poles and mostly covered with very white ices—mainly of methane," said Ortiz.

"But there are also indications for some organic material at least at some places; this material is usually very red and we think in a small percentage of the surface, the terrain is quite dark," he added.

Why Makemake lacks a global atmosphere remains a big mystery, but Ortiz does have a theory. Pluto is covered in nitrogen ice. When the sun heats this volatile material, it turns straight into a gas, creating Pluto's atmosphere.

Makemake lacks nitrogen ice on its surface, so there is nothing for the sun to heat into a gas to provide an atmosphere.

The dwarf planet has less mass, and a weaker gravitational field, than Pluto, said Ortiz. This means that over eons of time, Makemake may not have been able to hang on to its nitrogen.

Methane ice will also transform into a gas when heated. But since the dwarf planet is nearly at its furthest distance from the sun, Ortiz believes that Makemake's surface methane is still frozen. (Learn about orbital planes.)

And even if the methane were to transform into a gas, any resulting atmosphere would cover, at most, only ten percent of the planet, said Ortiz.

The new results are detailed today in the journal Nature.

Read More..

Egypt's Top Judges Slam President's New Powers

Egypt's highest body of judges slammed on Saturday a recent decision by the president to grant himself near-absolute power, calling the move an "unprecedented assault" on the judiciary.

The statement from the Supreme Judicial Council came as hundreds protested outside a downtown courthouse against Thursday's declaration by President Mohammed Morsi. The president's decision means that courts cannot overrule his decrees until a new constitution and parliament is in place, several months if not more in the future.

The judges' condemnation of the president's edicts are the latest blow to Morsi, whose decision set off a firestorm of controversy and prompted tens of thousands of people to take to the streets in nationwide protests on Friday.

Through their statement, carried by the official MENA agency, the judges join a widening list of leaders and activists from Egypt's political factions, including some Islamists, who have denounced the decree.

The Supreme Judicial Council is packed with judges appointed by former President Hosni Mubarak. It regulates judicial promotions and is chaired by the head of the Court of Cassation.

Their move reflects a broader sense of anger within the judiciary against the president. Some judges' groups and prosecutors have already announced partial strikes to protest Morsi's decree.

AP Photo/Egyptian Presidency

Morsi has accused pro-Mubarak elements in the judiciary of blocking political progress. In the last year, courts have dissolved the lower house of parliament as well as the first panel drafting the constitution, both led by his Muslim Brotherhood group.

The edicts Morsi issued mean that no judicial body can dissolve the upper house of parliament or the current assembly writing the new constitution, which are also both led by the Brotherhood. Supporters of Morsi feared that courts reviewing cases against these bodies might have dissolved them, further postponing Egypt's transition under the aegis of a new constitution.

They say Morsi has a mandate to guide this process as Egypt's first freely elected president, having defeated one of Mubarak's former prime ministers this summer in a closely contested election.

The judges' council's stand against the president sets the ground for an uneasy alliance between former regime officials and activist groups that helped topple Mubarak's regime and have in the past derided those officials as "felool," or remnants.

The presidents' opponents nonetheless see the judiciary as the only remaining civilian branch of government with a degree of independence, since Morsi already holds executive power and as well as legislative authority due to the dissolution of parliament.

The judges released their statement following an emergency meeting Saturday. They said Morsi's decision is an "unprecedented assault on the judiciary and it rulings" and called on the president to "distance himself from the declaration and all things that touch judicial authority, its specifications or interference in its members or its rulings."

The primary court in Alexandria and the judges' club there announced Saturday they and public prosecutors have suspended all work until the declaration is withdrawn, according to the state news agency MENA.

One of the most controversial edicts states that the president has the right to take any steps to prevent "threats to the revolution," wording that activists say is vague and harkens back to the type of language employed by Mubarak to clamp down on dissent.

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Shoppers Descend on Black Friday Deals

Black Friday got off to its earliest start ever as many shoppers cleared the table of Thanksgiving dinner and headed straight to the malls and big-box retailers across the nation to snag goods at bargain prices.

More than 10,000 people were wrapped around Macy's flagship store in New York City before the doors opened at midnight this morning. Across the country, up to 147 million people are expected to shop at some point this weekend.

Thousands lined up outside a Target in Chicago ahead of a 9 p.m. start time.

"I'm here because my mom is making me, because she said I couldn't eat any of the Thanksgiving food if I didn't hold her place in line," Alex Horton told ABC News station WLS-TV in Chicago Thursday.

Many critics panned the early start this year, saying it cuts into quality time that should be spent with family and friends.

PHOTOS: Black Friday Shoppers Hit Stores

Chicago resident Claudia Fonseca got creative and took Thanksgiving to go.

"We brought a plate, but that's about it, we've been here since 11 a.m. And that's it," Fonseca told WLS Thursday.

Black Friday makes headlines every year, but not always for the right reason as violence has become linked to the day after Thanksgiving tradition.

AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Black Friday Holiday Shopping Bargains and Pitfalls Watch Video

Black Friday Shoppers Brave Long Lines, Short Tempers Watch Video

In Los Angeles, police aren't taking any chances with the LAPD deploying dozens of extra officers around the city to make sure things don't get out of hand.

Ontario Mills shopping mall in Los Angeles opened at midnight last year, but decided to give excited shoppers a two-hour head start to get their hands on the cut-rate deals, especially for electronics.

"This is my first year," Gabriela Mendoza told ABC News station KABC-TV Thursday. "I tried to stay away from this but I've heard it's really exciting so, I'm looking forward to it."

Things have been relatively calmer compared to the incident last year when a woman was accused of unleashing pepper spray on other shoppers in a dash for electronics at Walmart in Los Angeles.

The Black Friday madness kicked off Thursday when a south Sacramento, Calif., Kmart opened its doors at 6 a.m. Thursday. A shopper in a line of people that had formed nearly two hours earlier reportedly threatened to stab the people around him.

At two Kmarts in Indianapolis, police officers were called in after fights broke out among shoppers trying to score vouchers for a 32-inch plasma TV going for less than $200, police told ABC News affiliate RTV6. No injuries or arrest were made.

Stores have taken preventive measures in hopes of shoppers and tempers at ease, where safety is the main concern for everyone involved.

Mall of America has tightened its Black Friday policies and will bar unaccompanied minors from the megamall all day today. After a chair-throwing melee last year after Christmas, which was captured on smartphones and posted online, the mall is taking steps to prevent any repeat.

At the Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento, Calif., security planned to place barricades at the mall entrance to control the crowds and officials planned to double the number of security officers.

ABC News' John Schriffen and Sarah Netter contributed to this report.

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Cyprus says bailout deal close

NICOSIA: President Demetris Christofias said on Thursday Cyprus is close to agreeing a bailout with international lenders, with the finance minister confirming that some 17 billion euros ($21.8 billion) is needed.

"After tough negotiations with the troika (of lenders), and keeping in mind the difficult circumstances this country is going through, we are very close to signing the memorandum with the troika," Christofias said in a statement after marathon talks on deep spending cuts and reforms to save its teetering economy.

"With the issues that remain, which are very limited, there is a possibility that very soon we can bridge those differences."

The statement, the president's first on the matter since the latest talks began on November 9, appeared to dismiss criticism he was not ready to agree to harsh terms.

Christofias sought to allay fears that officials from the troika of the European Commission, European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund would leave the island empty-handed after more than two weeks.

The troika is expected to wrap up the talks on Thursday over what is needed to secure an agreement for EU financial aid.

Finance Minister Vassos Shiarly confirmed that reform of index-linked salaries, privatising the telecommunications authority and managing revenues from a major natural gas find were the remaining sticking points.

"We are on a very good road, and very soon we expect to make the final arrangement. There are only a few issues left, which we expect to cover very soon," he told reporters in Nicosia.

He said the memorandum could be ready for Eurogroup approval at its scheduled December 3 meeting.

Until Thursday, no official figure had been given, but it was widely reported to total 17.5 billion euros -- 10 billion euros for the banks, 6.0 billion euros for maturing state debt and 1.5 billion euros for public finances.

Shiarly said "the amount comes at around 17 billion euros ($21.8 billion). It's what we said in the past on the proviso the banks need 10 billion, which isn't our figure."

An independent audit of the banks' requirements is still underway, so the final figure for aid to the banks has not yet been announced.

The country's entire GDP in 2011 was only 17.97 billion euros.

The talks, which started in July, are the longest the troika has been involved in before agreeing terms, mainly because Cyprus is uneasy with the level of cuts and reforms.

Nicosia applied for bailout in June after its biggest lenders, Cyprus Popular Bank and Bank of Cyprus, could not meet new capital reserve limits because of exposure to Greece.

A document leaked to the media shows the government apparently proposing tax hikes and fewer cutbacks over a longer period than proposed by the troika.

Cyprus reportedly hopes to cut the debt gap by about 975 million euros by the end of 2016 rather than the 1.2 billion euros in mostly public finance cuts by 2015, as sought by the troika.

The troika's proposal is 80 percent through expenditure cuts and 20 percent from tax hikes.

It reportedly wants to slash the state payroll by 15 percent, shave 10 percent off welfare benefits, scrap the inflation-linked cost-of-living allowance and tax pension payments.

But the government has resisted, saying that would undermine an economy already in recession.

Cyprus proposes a two percentage point hike in value-added tax to 19 percent by 2014, a five-cent rise in excise duty on petrol and 150 million euros slashed off state benefits.

It has been unable to borrow on international markets since last year when credit rating agencies lowered its sovereign rating to junk status.

On Wednesday, Fitch downgraded debt issued by Cyprus by two notches, from "BB+" to "BB-" and said the outlook was negative, which means it could be cut further.

"A delay in negotiating official support has contributed to the deteriorating economic conditions and raised uncertainties about public sector reform and the correction of macroeconomic imbalances."

-AFP/ac

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26/11 hero claims govt didn't pay dues, Army denies claims

NEW DELHI: A former National Security Guard (NSG) commando, who fought terrorists in the 26/11 attack and was invalidated from service after he became medically unfit, on Thursday claimed he has not got any financial benefits or pension and the money "gifted" to him and his colleagues.

Flanked by India Against Corruption (IAC) activist-politician Arvind Kejriwal and his associates, the 34-year-old former elite NSG commando Surender Singh told a news conference that he has so far received just Rs 4 lakh, including Rs 2.5 lakh from the Centre, as financial benefits.

However, the government rejected his claim with information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari saying that the commando has been paid Rs 31 lakh in the form of ex-gratia payment by the governments of India and Maharashtra.

Interestingly, the government's rejection first came on PIB's twitter handle even as the press conference was on.

Narating his story, Singh said he was severely injured in the operation to flush out terrorists from the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai and was invalidated from service in October, 2011.

Since last year, he alleged, he has not received "even a single paise" from the government.

Singh claimed that NSG commandos, who were injured in the 26/11 operation, received a "number of gifts in the form of cheques" but the force had not dispersed them to the people concerned.

"I saw a file in which the photocopy of a cheque of Rs 2 lakh each from Rohan Motors Pvt Ltd and another firm were received in my name. I never got the money. Not just me but none of my colleagues got the money which came in their name. I want to know who en-cashed them and where are they now?" he asked.

'White lies'

Meanwhile, raising Surender Singh's cause, IAC on Thursday rebutted Army's claims that it paid dues to a former NSG commando, who fought terrorists in the 26/11 attack and was invalidated from service after he became medically unfit, saying these are "white lies".

In a statement on behalf of Surender Singh, IAC claimed that army and government were only talking about sanctioning his pension and not actually given it to him.

The IAC said the government did not give it in writing to Singh that he has been sanctioned pension.

"Surender Singh has termed the claims of Army as white lies," the statement said.

On Twitter, Arvind Kejriwal said army accepted all their allegations. "Pension has been sanctioned just now. So he was not getting it till now," he said.

He also claimed, "Army accepts that medical card was made in Oct 2012. This means he was getting treated from his own money so far."

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