Happy Newyear 2017...

Nov 8, 2016; Demonitaisation. Indian Primer Modi anounces the demonitaization of Rs:1000 and Rs:500 from mid-night.

Surgical strike on Black money

New Delhi: November 08, 2016 8.15pm IST: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes will be invalid from midnight November 8 and will cease to be legal tender. However, airports, hospitals and petrol pumps will accept notes of these denominations until midnight of November 11. All banks will remain closed to the public tomorrow, November 9, while ATMs will not be functional on November 9 and November 10. Addressing the nation, Modi said this move was needed to tackle the "disease of black money". .

PM Modi's address to the nation on demonetization of Rs. 500 & Rs. 1000 currency notes.

"Our measures to check black money are paying off. A voluntary disclosure scheme for undeclared money saw a good response. A Special Investigating Team is making progress to identify who has sent money abroad. We need to take a new solid step to fight black money," he said, before announcing the withdrawal of the Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes.
He also announced that newly designed notes for Rs 500 and Rs 2000 will be in circulation soon. Those in possession of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes can return these to the banks until Dec.30,2016. .

The government claimed that the demonetisation was an effort to stop counterfeiting of the current banknotes allegedly used for funding terrorism, as well as a crack down on black money in the country. The move was described as an effort to reduce corruption, the use of drugs, and smuggling. However, in the days following the demonetisation, banks and ATMs across the country faced severe cash shortages.The cash shortages had detrimental effects on a number of small businesses, agriculture, and transportation, while people seeking to exchange their notes had lengthy waits, and several deaths were linked to the rush to exchange cash. Also, following Modi's announcement, the BSE SENSEX and NIFTY 50 stock indices crashed for the next two days.
The demonetisation received support from several bankers as well as from some international commentators, although it was criticised by members of the opposition parties, which led to debates in both houses of parliament and triggered organised protests against the current government in front of the parliament and elsewhere across India

Prior leakage of information:
     Several exact details pertaining to the decision to demonetise the notes had been published on  1 April 2016 in a Gujarati newspaper called Akila, including for instance, that there would be around 2 months' time to exchange banned notes, and that new notes in the ?2,000 denomination would be issued. The editor of the newspaper claimed that it was only an April fool's day prank.
A fortnight before the official announcement, a news report in the Hindi daily Dainik Jagran quoting RBI sources mentione d about the coming release of new 2000 rupee note alongside withdrawal of 500 and 1000 rupee notes. A businessman reportedly admitted in an interview that he had received prior warning of the impending demonetisation from a source in the government, and that he had sufficient time to convert most of his money into smaller denominations.
The chairman of the State Bank of India had also openly spoken in April 2016 about the possibility of demonetisation of ?500 and ?1000 notes. A BJP MLA from Rajasthan, Bhawani Singh Rajawat, claimed in a video that 'Ambani and Adani' were informed about the demonetisation, and made arrangements. However, he later said that it was an off-the-record conversation, and officially denied the comments.

Sep 8, 2016; Giraffe DNA study published in "Current Biology" reveals there are 4 species not just 1, as previously assumed.

Surprise! There are four species of giraffe, not one.
One of the most iconic animals in Africa has a secret. A genetic analysis suggests that the giraffe is not one species, but 4 separate ones - a finding that could alter how conservationists protect these animals. As the tallest mammals on Earth, giraffes can reach heights up to nearly 6 metres, with necks stretching 2 metres. To prevent fainting when they lower their heads to drink water, giraffes have developed an unusually strong pumping mechanism in their hearts that can maintain a blood pressure 2.5 times greater than that of humans. To keep their balance and reach sprints up to 60 kilometres per hour, giraffes have a sloped back, long legs and short trunks.
A closer look at the genetics of Africa's giraffes suggests that Giraffa camelopardalis really represents four distinct species.The new classification came about after researchers from the Giraffe Conservation Foundation in Namibia collected skin samples from 190 giraffes throughout Africa. Thus, the team reports online today in Current Biology that, based on their genetic differences, the continent's nine subspecies really break down into four true species.
The new categorization divides these animals into the southern giraffe (G. giraffa), the Masai giraffe (G. tippelskirchi), the reticulated giraffe (G. reticulata), and the northern giraffe (G. camelopardalis). There are more than 40,000 southern giraffes, but fewer than 5000 northern giraffes, and given that the total giraffe population has dropped from 150,000 to about 90,000 in the past 30 years, northern giraffes could be in trouble in the near future, the researchers say.

Giraffe kills lion. Giraffe attacks lion pride and kicks one of them to death.