Current Affairs on International

Ukraine Nationalized Nations Largest Private Bank ‘PrivateBank’ 

1. "Privatebank', Ukraine’s largest private bank, is being nationalised to protect the country’s financial system and preserve an essential bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund.
2. It was running out of money because of the recession in Ukraine and questionable loans, the central bank said 97 percent of its corporate loans had been made to companies linked to its shareholders.

Japan Cancels Failed Monju Reactor

1. Japan is a scrapping an experimental Monju reactor at Fukui city that was designed to burn most of its own spent fuel in just 250 days of its 22-year lifespan and cost $9bn (£7.2bn).
2. The experiment has suffered its first problems months after it went live, and has not worked properly since.

Dubai Opens Multi-Theme Based Parks

1. Motiongate that is spread across five zones is the largest multi-themed leisure and entertainment destination has been opened in Dubai, UAE.
2. The destination is spread across 30.6 million square feet, with over 100 rides, 50 themed retail, dining.
3. The theme park unites three Hollywood movie studios namely Columbia Pictures, DreamWork Animation and Lionsgate.

US Returns Some Land on Japan’s Okinawa

1. The U.S. military announced the return to the Japanese govt of the largest tract of land in more than 40 years  after its World War II victory, returning the islands to Japan only in 1972.
2. It will reduce American-administered areas on the southern island of Okinawa by 17 percent.

India Becomes Sixth Largest Economy

1. UK’s economy is expected to grow by 1.8 percent this year & slow down to 1.1 percent in 2017, India surpassed its colonial masters, the United Kingdom, to become the world’s sixth-largest economy in GDP terms.
2. India is now behind to United States, China, Japan, Germany, and France.
3. The milestone is a symbol of India’s rapid economic growth and, conversely, the U.K.’s post-Brexit slump.

Sao Tome cuts ties with Taiwan

1. The government of Sao Tome and Principe has cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
2. Sao Tome suspended ties with China in 1997, after choosing to officially recognise Taiwan.

NASA orbiter discovers Martian ‘spiders’

1. NASA’s researchers have detected cumulative growth of erosion-carved troughs that may be infant versions of larger features known as Martian “spiders".
2. The spiders range in size from tens to hundreds of yards (or meters).

Lunar Prize teams will ride to the Moon

1. Two of the teams competing in the Google Lunar X Prize competition have agreed to share a ride to the Moon next year.
2. The Japanese team, HAKUTO and Indian group Team Indus will use the same rocket to get its four-wheeled lunar rover to the Moon’s surface.