Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, Israel recently pushed deeper into Lebanon and captured the historic Beaufort Castle along with the surrounding strategic ridge. Beaufort Castle, also known as Qalaat al-Shaqif or the “Castle of the High Rock,” is a medieval fortress located near Nabatieh in southern Lebanon. The castle was originally built by Crusaders in the 12th century and later came under Muslim, Mamluk, and Ottoman control. It is considered one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the Near East and has strong defensive architecture with a high castle and a low castle.

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Shiveluch Volcano recently erupted, sending ash plumes nearly 10 km into the atmosphere and triggering red-level aviation alerts in Russia’s Far East. It is one of the largest and most active volcanoes on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. Shiveluch is a stratovolcano, formed by alternating layers of hardened lava, volcanic ash, and volcanic rocks.

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The World Bank recently approved an additional US$9 million in financing for the Republic of the Marshall Islands to address rising energy costs. The Marshall Islands is an island nation located in the central Pacific Ocean. It lies northeast of Papua New Guinea and southeast of the Federated States of Micronesia. The country consists of coral atolls and islands arranged in two chains: Ratak (Sunrise) and Ralik (Sunset).

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Geochronologists recently found that Giant’s Causeway was formed over 5.5 million years, which is 8 million years less than previously estimated. The Giant’s Causeway is located on the Antrim Plateau in Northern Ireland. The site consists of around 6 km of black basalt columns along the coast. The basalt columns resemble stepping stones and are mostly polygonal or hexagonal in shape. These pillars rise from the sea and gradually increase in height until they reach the cliff top. Its stair-like appearance is believed to be the reason behind the name “Giant’s Causeway.” The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.

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Researchers have discovered the oldest-known strains of the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis from ancient human remains found in burial sites around the Lake Baikal region. Lake Baikal is located in southern eastern Siberia in Russia, near the Mongolia border. It is the oldest freshwater lake in the world and also the deepest freshwater lake globally. It is the largest freshwater lake by volume, holding nearly one-fifth of the world’s unfrozen freshwater. The lake contains around 45 islands and islets, with Olkhon Island being the largest.

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Volcan de Fuego (“Volcano of Fire”) in Guatemala recently erupted, forcing tourists to quickly evacuate as burning rocks fell on its slopes. It is an active basaltic stratovolcano located in Guatemala and one of the most active volcanoes in Central America. The volcano overlooks the historic city of Antigua, along with two other major stratovolcanoes. Volcan de Fuego is part of the Central American Volcanic Arc, a chain of volcanoes extending from Guatemala to Panama. Guatemala is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

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Mount Erebus, the world’s southernmost active volcano, has a permanent active lava lake. It is the only known volcano that releases tiny crystals of pure gold into the atmosphere. Mount Erebus is the world’s southernmost active volcano. It is a stratovolcano located on Ross Island in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. It is an intraplate volcano belonging to the McMurdo Volcanic Group in the West Antarctic Rift System. It is the second-highest volcano in Antarctica, after Mount Sidley. Mount Erebus and Deception Island are the only two active volcanoes in Antarctica.

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Recently, a Chinese Navy destroyer, along with Russian naval vessels, conducted live-fire drills near Japan’s Okinotori Island, marking the first such disclosure by Japan. Okinotori (also called Parece Vela) is a tiny, uninhabited atoll in the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is Japan’s southernmost island and part of the Ogasawara Islands. At high tide, only two rocky outcrops remain above sea level. Japan claims an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around Okinotori, a claim disputed by China. Its location between Taiwan and Guam makes it strategically important for military and shipping routes.

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UNESCO has added Sebastia (West Bank) and five castles in Lebanon’s Mount Amel region, including Beaufort Castle, to both the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger. Sebastia, near Nablus in the West Bank, was the ancient city of Samaria, the capital of the biblical Kingdom of Israel. The Mount Amel inscription covers five historic castles in southern Lebanon, including Beaufort Castle. These castles represent a blend of Crusader, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and local architectural styles, reflecting nearly 900 years of military and cultural history.

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All 10 members of an international mountaineering expedition, including renowned climber Nirmal Purja, died after an avalanche. The accident occurred on Broad Peak, located on the Pakistan–China border. Broad Peak is the 12th-highest mountain in the world, with an elevation of 8,051 metres (26,414 feet). It lies about 8 km southeast of K2 in the Karakoram Range. Broad Peak is locally known as Falchan Kangri, meaning “Broad Mountain.”