Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, the Sea of Galilee in Israel turned red due to the bloom of Botryococcus braunii algae. The Sea of Galilee is a large freshwater lake located in northeastern Israel. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, mainly fed by the Jordan River and some underground springs. Known by names like Sea of Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, and Lake of Tiberias, it is bordered by plains in the north and hills of Lower Galilee in the west and southwest. Botryococcus braunii is a single-celled green algae found in freshwater or brackish lakes, known for producing hydrocarbons and forming protective biofilm structures.

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Scientists recently warned of faster melting in Argentina’s Perito Moreno Glacier due to rising temperatures. Perito Moreno Glacier, also called the ‘White Giant,’ is located near El Calafate in Santa Cruz province, Argentina. It is part of Los Glaciares National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The glacier is 30 km long and lies in the Andes mountain range. It formed around 18,000 years ago during the last Ice Age.

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An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 recently struck Sulawesi in Indonesia. Sulawesi, earlier called Celebes, is a large island in Southeast Asia and part of the Indonesian archipelago. It belongs to the Greater Sunda Islands and is the 11th largest island in the world with an area of 180,680.7 square kilometers. The island has four interconnecting peninsulas and is surrounded by Borneo, Philippines, Maluku Islands, Flores, and Timor. It is mountainous with active volcanoes and rich rainforests, though much deforested.

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Kabak Yano, a mountaineer from Arunachal Pradesh, successfully climbed Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe. Mount Elbrus is located in southwest Russia and is part of the Caucasus Mountains. The Caucasus Mountains were formed by the northward collision of the Arabian Plate with the Eurasian Plate. Mount Elbrus was formed over 2.5 million years ago and was most active during the Holocene Epoch.

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Three of six reactors at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France were shut down. The shutdown was caused by a massive swarm of jellyfish clogging the cooling system. The plant is operated by Électricité de France (EDF). Jellyfish are gelatinous zooplankton belonging to the phylum Cnidaria. They are simple invertebrates with stinging tentacles and jet propulsion movement. They lack brains, blood, or hearts and are made of epidermis, mesoglea, and inner layer. Jellyfish blooms disrupt ecosystems by reducing biodiversity and collapsing fish populations.

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A Ukrainian drone attack recently caused a short-lived fire at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant in Russia. Kursk region is located in the European part of Russia, bordering Ukraine to the west. It is historically famous for the Battle of Kursk in 1943, the largest tank battle in history and a turning point in World War II. The region lies within the basins of the Dnieper and Don rivers. Kursk hosts the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly, the world’s largest magnetic anomaly and one of the richest iron ore deposits. The incident raised concerns over nuclear safety in a strategically important region.

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Ethiopia inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Africa’s largest hydroelectric project, calling it a “great achievement.” GERD is a megadam built for power generation and regional energy trade. It is constructed on the Blue Nile River, about 30 km upstream from Sudan in Guba, Ethiopia. The Blue Nile provides approximately 85% of Nile waters, making the dam geopolitically sensitive. Initiated in 2011, GERD symbolizes Ethiopia’s self-reliance, development, and regional influence.

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Recently, Tanzania stopped a large-scale soda ash mining project at Lake Natron to protect its ecosystem. Lake Natron is a salt lake on the Tanzania–Kenya border, part of the Great Rift Valley. It was designated as a Ramsar Site of International Importance in 2001. It is the only reliable breeding ground for Lesser Flamingos in Africa, hosting 75% of the world’s population. The proposed mining project by Ngaresero Valley Company threatened flamingos, fragile hydrology, and the livelihoods of 65,000 Maasai pastoralists. Government allowed only small-scale traditional soda ash collection and emphasized sustainable ecotourism as the future.

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At least 900 tourists were stranded near Machu Picchu, Peru’s ancient Inca citadel. The disruption occurred after passenger train services were suspended due to a protest in the Cusco region. PeruRail reported the route was blocked by rocks of various sizes and that “third parties” had excavated part of the rail line, affecting track stability. Protesters demanded transparency and fairness in replacing the tourist bus operator Consettur, whose concession had expired. Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca site located 80 km northwest of Cuzco, Peru, in the Cordillera de Vilcabamba of the Andes Mountains.

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Minor volcanic eruptions occurred twice on September 13 and 20, 2025, at Barren Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Barren Island is India’s only active volcano and located in the Andaman Sea. It lies above the subduction zone of the Indian and Burmese tectonic plates. Past eruptions were recorded in 1787, 1991, 2005, 2017, and 2022.