Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city and a key economic hub in East Africa, faces severe water shortages due to aging infrastructure, rapid urbanization, and inadequate government response. Located along the Indian Ocean, the city’s growing population and outdated water systems exacerbate the crisis, impacting residents’ daily lives and regional economic activities.

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Russia’s Defence Ministry reported that Russian warplanes intercepted two U.S. strategic bombers over the Barents Sea, preventing a border violation. The Barents Sea, a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, covers 1.4 million sq. km and borders Norway and Russia. Named after Dutch explorer Willem Barents, it was known to Vikings as the Murmean Sea. It is bounded by several archipelagos and seas, including the Svalbard and Novaya Zemlya archipelagos.

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China and the Philippines have agreed to defuse tensions over the contested Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin) in the South China Sea. This submerged reef, part of the Spratly Islands, was claimed by the Philippines in 1999. China asserts sovereignty based on the Nine-dash line, conflicting with the EEZs of several countries. The Philippines won a 2016 ruling against China’s claims, but China rejected the judgment.

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A group of senators in Liberia, located along the coast of western Africa, has proposed relocating the capital city, Monrovia, due to recurring flash floods. Liberia is Africa’s oldest republic and the only African state never subjected to colonial rule. Bounded by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and the Atlantic Ocean, Liberia features notable elevations like Cape Mount, Cape Mesurado, and Cape Palmas. Major rivers include the Mano, Morro, and Cavalla, which form parts of its boundaries. Liberia is rich in natural resources such as iron, diamonds, gold, lead, manganese, graphite, and cyanite.

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A deadly strike on a playing field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights has heightened concerns about a possible new conflict. The Golan Heights is a rocky plateau in southwestern Syria, about 60 km from Damascus. It covers 1,000 sq km and is surrounded by the Jordan River, the Sea of Galilee, Mount Hermon, the Wadi Al-Ruqqad River, and the Yarmuk River. It is considered occupied territory under international law.

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India resumed importing Tur dal from Mozambique’s Nacala Port after a disruption. Mozambique is a Southeast African country with a long Indian Ocean coastline, separated from Madagascar by the Mozambique Channel. It borders Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Eswatini. Major rivers include the Zambezi and Limpopo, and its highest peak is Mount Binga. Mozambique is rich in resources like gold, emeralds, copper, iron ore, and bauxite.

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A state of emergency was declared in Kursk, Russia, after a Ukrainian incursion. Kursk is a city in southwestern Russia, near the Ukrainian border, located along the Seym River, 450 km south of Moscow. It’s known for its fertile soil and moderately continental climate. Kursk is one of Russia’s oldest cities, first mentioned in 1032, and was rebuilt in 1586 as a military outpost. It was the site of the largest tank battle in WWII, the Battle of Kursk, in 1943. Today, Kursk is known for its industries, including machine building, food processing, and a nuclear power station.

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The Panama Canal is working to regain trade in liquefied natural gas and food commodities after a historic drought disrupted traffic last year. It connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Isthmus of Panama, serving as a key maritime trade route. Construction began in 1881 by France but failed due to financial and health issues. The U.S. completed the canal in 1914 and managed it until 1999, when Panama took full control under the Torrijos-Carter Treaties.

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Russian forces attacked port infrastructure in Odessa, injuring two people, including a port employee and a grain carrier driver. The attack involved a ballistic missile. Ukraine’s port infrastructure has faced frequent Russian attacks since Russia withdrew from a U.N.-brokered grain shipment deal. Kyiv has since created its own maritime corridor for shipments.

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A British man set a new Guinness World Record for the highest altitude ski BASE jump, leaping from 18,753 feet on Mera Peak in Nepal. Mera Peak is located in the Khumbu region of Nepal, standing at 6,476m above sea level, making it the highest trekking peak in the country. The peak dominates the area between the Hinku and Hongu Drangkas valleys and is considered the gateway to Everest. Trekkers usually climb Mera Central, although Mera North Peak is the highest. Mera Peak was first climbed in 1953 by Col. Jimmy Roberts and Sen Tenzing.