Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The Shakargarh Bulge is a strategic area in Pakistani territory that sticks into India, located between the Ravi and Chenab rivers. It has flat terrain and lies close to key Indian cities like Amritsar, Pathankot, Batala, and Gurdaspur, with important road links to Jammu. This makes it a critical military corridor for both India and Pakistan. Recently, a major build-up of tanks and armoured vehicles by the Pakistan Army was spotted here. The area is historically significant as the site of the 12-day Battle of Basantar during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, which influenced the western front’s outcome.

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Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores Island in Indonesia recently erupted, sending volcanic ash nearly a kilometer into the sky. It is located on Flores Island, Indonesia. The volcano is in East Nusa Tenggara province. Mount Lewotobi is part of a twin-volcano system, with Lewotobi Laki-laki (male) erupting, while Lewotobi Perempuan (female) remains inactive. Both are stratovolcanoes, formed by repeated layers of lava, making them common globally. Indonesia frequently experiences volcanic eruptions as it lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area prone to earthquakes, volcanic activity, and tsunamis due to active tectonic plates.

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The Perito Moreno Glacier is experiencing alarming changes. The glacier has been losing ice mass at about 0.85 meters per year since 2015. This rapid melting threatens local ecosystems and contributes to rising global sea levels.The Perito Moreno Glacier is located in Argentina. Specifically, it’s situated in the Argentine province of Santa Cruz, within the Los Glaciares National Park. It recently lost a massive block of ice, sparking concerns about its long-term stability. Known as the ‘White Giant’, it spans 250 square kilometres and formed around 18,000 years ago. It is a major freshwater source and has been part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site since 1981.

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Recently, researchers from the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Cairo studied Lake Manzala in Egypt from 2015 to 2022. The study found that dredging in the lake led to higher salinity and lower nutrient levels in 2022 compared to 2015. These changes affected the lake’s water chemistry and zooplankton in the northern and middle parts of the lake. The findings were published in May 2025 in the journal Nature under the title “Evaluating the restoration of Lake Manzala after dredging using water quality parameters and zooplankton changes.” Lake Manzala, located in northern Egypt, borders the Mediterranean Sea and acts as a flood buffer for nearby coastal cities. It also supports biodiversity in the Mediterranean region and protects farmland from seawater intrusion.

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The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island recently erupted with lava fountains reaching over 1,000 feet high. Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It is a shield-type volcano located in the southeastern part of the island of Hawaii in the state of Hawaii, United States. The volcano stands at 4,190 feet or 1,227 meters above sea level. Its summit caldera has a lava lake called Halemaʻumaʻu, believed to be the home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess. Its slopes join with those of Mauna Loa volcano to the west and north. Kilauea has been erupting almost continuously since 1983. Its eruptions are mostly nonexplosive and usually remain within Halemaʻumaʻu, sometimes overflowing onto the caldera floor and sides.

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The Perito Moreno Glacier, also called the ‘White Giant’, is located near El Calafate in Santa Cruz, Argentina. It lies in the Andes Mountains of South America and is part of the Los Glaciares National Park, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site. The glacier was formed about 18,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. It is now rapidly crumbling due to global warming and rising temperatures.

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Recently, the Birch Glacier in Switzerland collapsed, causing a huge landslide that partly buried Blatten village. The landslide also affected the flow of the Lonza River, increasing local risk. Birch Glacier is located in the Lötschental valley in northern Switzerland. Experts say that climate change played a key role in this disaster. Switzerland, which has the most glaciers in Europe, has lost nearly 40% of its glacial volume since 2000. This incident highlights the urgent impact of global warming on mountain ecosystems.

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Recently, Mount Etna volcano on Sicily island in Italy erupted, drawing global attention. It is the highest mountain on a Mediterranean island and the most active stratovolcano in the world. It is also recognised as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site.

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A Chinese ship recently ran aground due to severe weather near Thitu Island, raising alert levels among Filipino soldiers in the disputed South China Sea. Thitu Island, also called Pag-asa Island in the Philippines, lies within the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The Spratly Islands are claimed entirely by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and partially by Malaysia and the Philippines. Thitu is the second largest natural island in the Spratlys and the biggest of the nine occupied by the Philippines.

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Recently, two oil tankers named Adalynn and Front Eagle caught fire after a collision near the Strait of Hormuz, raising global concerns about energy security and trade stability. The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow and strategic waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. It lies between Iran on the north and the Arabian Peninsula on the south, specifically the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Musandam region of Oman. This route is vital for global oil transport, with a large share of the world’s oil passing through it daily.