Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, the Klyuchevskoy volcano erupted following a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s eastern coast on July 30, 2025. Klyuchevskoy is a stratovolcano located on the Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia. It is considered the tallest active volcano in Eurasia and a key part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Kamchatka Peninsula is home to nearly 300 volcanoes, with 29 classified as active. It is one of the most seismically active volcanic zones, known as the “land of fire and ice.”

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Recently, Kerala High Court directed the State Government and State Wetland Authority Kerala (SWAK) to set up an Ashtamudi Wetland Management Unit within two months of notification. The direction aims to conserve the Ashtamudi wetland, which is facing pollution and encroachment issues. Ashtamudi Lake is located in Kollam district, Kerala. It is the second largest lake in Kerala after Vembanad Lake. It was declared a Ramsar site in 2002 under the Ramsar Convention for wetland conservation.

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Russia recently signed a key nuclear agreement with Niger, strengthening its influence in the Sahel region of West Africa. The Sahel region is located in Africa, forming a 5,000-kilometre-long semi-arid belt. It stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the east. It lies between the Sahara Desert in the north and the humid savannas in the south. It passes through African countries like Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, and Eritrea.

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Turkey recently closed the Dardanelles Strait to shipping traffic due to nearby forest fires. The Dardanelles Strait is in northwestern Turkey, linking the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara. It separates Europe from the western tip of Asia Minor. It is named after the ancient city of Dardanus. It was once called the Hellespont, meaning “Helle’s sea.”

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Recently, the Colorado River faces a severe water crisis as its flow declines, causing disputes over future water rights. It is a major North American river, originating in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, United States. It flows 1,450 miles (2,330 kilometres) west and south into the Gulf of California, Mexico. The river passes through seven U.S. states and two Mexican states, serving over 40 million people. It drains vast arid and semi-arid regions and is called the “Lifeline of the Southwest.”

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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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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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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.