Current Affairs on International

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced unexpectedly resignation

1. After marking his eighth anniversary as prime minister and 10th year as leader of the centre-right National Party, popular New Zealand Prime Minister John Key announced his shock resignation on 5 Dec 2016
2. He came into politics relatively late, entering parliament in 2002 and assuming leadership of the National Party four years later.
3. He stated that it was the right time to go after eight years in the job and is hardest decision he has ever made. 
4. Deputy PM Bill English is likely to take over until the National Party holds a caucus to choose a new PM. 

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announces resignation

1. Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi announces resignation after loosing a referendum on constitutional reform by a wide margin and this result was in line with what opinion polls had been indicating up until November 18, after which the media were banned from publishing survey results.
2. The referendum was regarded as a barometer of anti-establishment sentiment in Europe.
3.  Italy plunges in a new phase of political uncertainty and possible economic turmoil.
4. Polls called the vote for the No camp by a margin of at least 54 per cent to 46 per cent for the Yes camp

Spanish city changes name for third time in a decade

1. A Spanish city has changed its name for the third time in a decade, renaming itself Palma from Palma de Mallorca as the city was renamed Palma in 2008, but its name was changed to Palma de Mallorca in 2012.
2. The regional government voted for the name change, claiming the "de Mallorca" tag to be a leftover from Spain’s centralist past.

World’s first polluted river was discovered by scientists

1. The world’s first polluted river was discovered by scientists that was contaminated about 7,000 years ago by Neolithic humans.
2. Professor Russell Adams from the University of Waterloo in Canada and colleagues, claimed to have discovered the world’s first polluted river in the now-dry riverbed in the Wadi Faynan region of southern Jordan. 
3. Researchers have found evidence of early pollution caused by the combustion of copper. The findings shed light on a turning point in history, when humans began moving from making tools out of stones to making tools out of metal.

UAE  based 16-year-old Indian environmental activist won prize

1. Based in the UAE, 16 year old Kehkashan Basu has won this year's prestigious International Children's Peace Prize for her fight for climate justice and combating environmental degradation.
2. Kehkashan Basu was presented the award by Bangladesh's Nobel peace laureate Mohammad Yunus at a glittering ceremony in The Hague. 
3. Yunus, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his efforts for economic and social development.

Donald Trump breaking custom to lead Pentagon

1. Donald Trump  decision of appointing U.S. military retired Gen. James Mattis (age 66) once again seeing as breaking the presidential custom,
2. U.S. military retired Gen. James Mattis will be the first career officer to do so since just after World War II.
3. Mattis retired in 2013 after serving as commander of the U.S. Central Command.

New £5 note angered the vegetarians in UK

1. The new £5 note issued by the Bank of England has angered the vegetarians after it was revealed that it contains traces of animal fat.
2. The note entered circulation in September 2016 but the information regarding the presence of the meat substance emerged on 28 November 2016 following a tweet by the Bank of England confirming the existence of the controversial substance.