Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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The Embassy of India in Seoul issues an advisory for Indian nationals travelling to Jeju Island under the visa waiver scheme. Jeju Island is a volcanic island located off the southern coast of South Korea. It is designated as a special autonomous province of South Korea. The island is oval in shape and is the largest as well as the southernmost island of the country. Its provincial capital is Jeju City. The island is formed from volcanic material that rises symmetrically to the summit of Mount Hallasan.

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Golestan Palace, located in Tehran, Iran, is a historic royal complex and one of the oldest monuments in the capital city. The palace recently sustained damage due to shockwaves and debris from airstrikes conducted by the United States and Israel, highlighting risks to cultural heritage during conflicts. It served as the official residence and seat of power of the Qajar Dynasty, which ruled Iran from 1789 to 1925.

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Recently, a 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck Kirakira in the Solomon Islands. It is located in the south-western Pacific Ocean. The Solomon Islands lie southeast of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu. The country consists of two parallel chains of volcanic islands and small coral atolls. It includes about 1,000 islands, with 6 large main islands and more than 900 smaller ones, of which around 147 are inhabited. The capital city, Honiara, is located on Guadalcanal, the largest island.

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Raisen Fort is a historic hilltop fort where police recently arrested youths after a cannon-firing video surfaced on social media. The fort is located on a sandstone hill in Raisen town, Madhya Pradesh and is among the largest forts in Central India. Built in the 11th century, it witnessed rule of local Hindu chiefs, Mandu Sultans, Mughals under Akbar, and later Nawabs of Bhopal. Around 1760, Fiaz Mohammad Khan occupied it and was recognised by Alamgir II as Faujdar. The fort has massive stone walls with nine gateways and panoramic views.

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Recently, about 25 visitors were injured after a swarm of bees attacked tourists at Sinhagad Fort, bringing the historic site into news. Sinhagad, earlier known as Kondhana, is an ancient hill fortress located near Pune, Maharashtra, in the Sahyadri range and is believed to be around 2,000 years old. The fort was captured in 1340 CE by Muhammad bin Tughlaq and later controlled by the Nizam Shahi dynasty. Shivaji captured the fort in 1647, but it was handed to the Mughals under the Treaty of Purandar. It was recaptured in 1670 by Tanaji Malusare during the Battle of Sinhagad, where he sacrificed his life. After this victory, the fort was renamed Sinhagad (Lion’s Fort).

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Roopkund Lake, popularly called Skeleton Lake, is a small glacial lake famous for hundreds of human skeletons found around it. It lies at 5,029 metres (16,500 ft) in the Garhwal Himalayas near the base of Mount Trishul, Uttarakhand. The lake is only about 130 feet wide and remains frozen for most of the year, revealing skeletons when ice melts. Skeletons were first noticed in 1942 by a British forest ranger. Scientific studies using radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis found over 300 individuals.

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Iranian drone strikes on Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have raised concerns over disruption of global energy supply routes. Fujairah is the only UAE emirate located on the eastern coast along the Gulf of Oman and has no coastline on the Persian Gulf. It is separated from the rest of the UAE by the Hajar Mountains. The Port of Fujairah is the world’s fourth-largest bunkering (marine fuel supply) hub after Singapore, Rotterdam, and Zhoushan.

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India and Indonesia have partnered to restore the Prambanan Temple complex in Yogyakarta, Southern Java. Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia, located in Sleman region. It is locally known as Roro Jonggrang, meaning “Temple of the Slender Virgin.” The temple was built in the 9th century by the Sanjaya dynasty. It is dedicated to the Hindu Trimurti: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The complex remained buried for centuries and was rediscovered in the 19th century. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

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Cross-border trade between India and China through the Lipulekh Pass in Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand is set to resume from June, marking an important development in border trade. Lipulekh Pass is a high-altitude Himalayan mountain pass located in Uttarakhand. It connects India with the Tibet region of China, serving as a strategic and historic gateway to the Himalayan region. It was the first Indian border post opened for trade with China, later followed by Shipki La Pass (Himachal Pradesh) and Nathu La Pass (Sikkim).

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Recently, Israeli airstrikes destroyed Qasmiyeh Bridge over Litani River in Lebanon’s southern coastal highway. Litani River is the longest and major river of Lebanon. It originates west of Baalbek and flows southwest through Bekaa Valley between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountains. It finally drains into the Mediterranean Sea.