Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Taal Volcano in the Philippines recently experienced a brief phreatomagmatic eruption, caused by interaction between magma and water. It is a stratovolcano located in Batangas Province, about 70 km south of Manila, Philippines. It is classified as a complex volcano by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS). The volcano consists of multiple stratovolcanoes, craters, and volcanic cones, rather than a single cone. It is one of the active volcanoes in the Philippines and lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire. It has a large caldera containing Taal Lake, within which lies Vulcan Point.

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Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports conducted a 22-member mountaineering expedition to the Mt Khyam Tso Massif in the Rumtse Phu region of Ladakh. The expedition was flagged off on 26 June 2026 under the leadership of Hem Chandra Singh. Mt Khyam Tso Massif is a rugged, high-altitude mountain range located in the remote Rumtse Phu region of Ladakh. The massif consists of technically challenging peaks, many of which rise to over 6,000 metres above sea level. It is known for its difficult terrain and extreme weather conditions, making it a demanding destination for mountaineering expeditions.

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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.”

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Oman is tackling an oil spill from a grounded tanker near the Hallaniyat Islands in the Arabian Sea. The Hallaniyat Islands, formerly known as the Kuria Muria Islands, are a five-island archipelago located in the Arabian Sea, off the southern coast of Oman. The islands are a protected nature reserve known for coral reefs, turtle nesting beaches and rich marine biodiversity. They provide habitat to Arabian Sea humpback whales, whale sharks, dolphins and diverse fish species.

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Recently, the Indian Army’s Red Shield Division conducted a 14-day joint security and counter-drone training programme for CISF personnel at the Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport. Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport is located in Agartala, Tripura. It is named after Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya, the former ruler of Tripura. The airport is an important centre for regional connectivity and logistics in Northeast India. Its location near the India-Bangladesh international border gives it strategic importance.

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A German-Turkish research team conducted the first scientific survey of Mount Ararat’s glacier in eastern Turkey in July 2026. The researchers worked at an altitude of over 5,000 metres, facing extreme cold, strong winds and very low oxygen levels. Mount Ararat is a snow-covered dormant/inactive compound stratovolcano in eastern Turkey, near the borders of Armenia and Iran. It has two main peaks: Greater Ararat (5,137 m) and Lesser Ararat (3,896 m). Greater Ararat is the highest mountain in Turkey, standing at 5,137 metres. Mount Ararat is traditionally associated with the resting place of Noah’s Ark and holds significant cultural importance, particularly for Armenians.

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On August 15, 2026, the Gujarat Forest Department released 20 blackbucks into the Banni Grasslands of Kutch as part of a wildlife rewilding initiative. Banni grassland is located in Gujarat’s Kutch district and is home to 22 ethnic groups, mainly pastoralists. It has rich biodiversity with 37 grass species, 275 bird species, and domesticated animals like buffalo, sheep, and camel. The Banni Grasslands include the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary and Chhari Dhand Conservation Reserve.

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SpaceX recovered its Starship spacecraft nearly 24 days after its controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. The spacecraft was towed near Christmas Island for inspection and assessment. Christmas Island is an external territory of Australia located in the eastern Indian Ocean. It is situated about 350 km south of Java and Sumatra and around 1,550 km northwest of mainland Australia.

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Crete is the largest island of Greece and the fifth-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located in the southern Aegean Sea, which is part of the Mediterranean Sea. The island is surrounded by the Sea of Crete to the north and the Libyan Sea to the south. Crete has a rugged mountainous landscape, with mountains extending broadly from west to east. Mount Ida (Psiloritis) is the highest point of the island. Its economy is largely based on tourism, agriculture and shipping. The island recently came into the news after more than 300 migrants were reportedly rescued off the coast of Crete.

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US President Donald Trump has ordered US authorities to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America” in official US geographic naming. The change applies to US government usage only; the US cannot compel Canada to adopt the new name. Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes and is shared by the United States and Canada. The international border runs through Lake Ontario, with New York to the south and Ontario, Canada to the north. The name Ontario has Indigenous origins and is associated with the Huron word oniatarí, referring to a “lake of shining waters.”