Places in News Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, researchers from the National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Cairo studied Lake Manzala in Egypt from 2015 to 2022. The study found that dredging in the lake led to higher salinity and lower nutrient levels in 2022 compared to 2015. These changes affected the lake’s water chemistry and zooplankton in the northern and middle parts of the lake. The findings were published in May 2025 in the journal Nature under the title “Evaluating the restoration of Lake Manzala after dredging using water quality parameters and zooplankton changes.” Lake Manzala, located in northern Egypt, borders the Mediterranean Sea and acts as a flood buffer for nearby coastal cities. It also supports biodiversity in the Mediterranean region and protects farmland from seawater intrusion.

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The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island recently erupted with lava fountains reaching over 1,000 feet high. Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It is a shield-type volcano located in the southeastern part of the island of Hawaii in the state of Hawaii, United States. The volcano stands at 4,190 feet or 1,227 meters above sea level. Its summit caldera has a lava lake called Halemaʻumaʻu, believed to be the home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess. Its slopes join with those of Mauna Loa volcano to the west and north. Kilauea has been erupting almost continuously since 1983. Its eruptions are mostly nonexplosive and usually remain within Halemaʻumaʻu, sometimes overflowing onto the caldera floor and sides.

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Recently, the Birch Glacier in Switzerland collapsed, causing a huge landslide that partly buried Blatten village. The landslide also affected the flow of the Lonza River, increasing local risk. Birch Glacier is located in the Lötschental valley in northern Switzerland. Experts say that climate change played a key role in this disaster. Switzerland, which has the most glaciers in Europe, has lost nearly 40% of its glacial volume since 2000. This incident highlights the urgent impact of global warming on mountain ecosystems.

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Recently, Mount Etna volcano on Sicily island in Italy erupted, drawing global attention. It is the highest mountain on a Mediterranean island and the most active stratovolcano in the world. It is also recognised as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site.

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A Chinese ship recently ran aground due to severe weather near Thitu Island, raising alert levels among Filipino soldiers in the disputed South China Sea. Thitu Island, also called Pag-asa Island in the Philippines, lies within the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The Spratly Islands are claimed entirely by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, and partially by Malaysia and the Philippines. Thitu is the second largest natural island in the Spratlys and the biggest of the nine occupied by the Philippines.

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Guatemalan authorities recently evacuated over 500 people as Fuego Volcano released gas and ash. Volcan de Fuego, meaning “Volcano of Fire” in Spanish, is located in Guatemala and is one of the most active volcanoes in Central America. Fuego Volcano has erupted over 60 times since the year 1524, showing a long history of intense volcanic activity.

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Prime Minister of India recently visited Croatia, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to do so during his 3-nation tour after the G7 Summit in Canada. Croatia is located in Central and Southeast Europe along the eastern Adriatic Sea, giving it strategic maritime importance. Its capital is Zagreb, and it shares borders with Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Italy.

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New Zealand has recently suspended millions of dollars in budget funding to the Cook Islands due to growing tensions over the island group’s closer ties with China. The Cook Islands are a group of 15 small islands spread over 2 million square kilometres in the South Pacific Ocean. They lie in the centre of the Polynesian Triangle, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. Geographically, they are east of Niue, Tonga, and Samoa; northeast of New Zealand; south of Kiribati; and west of French Polynesia.

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Recently, a tragic incident occurred at Lake Tahoe where a boat capsized, causing the death of six people and leaving two missing. Lake Tahoe is a cobalt blue freshwater lake located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the border of California and Nevada, United States. Lake Tahoe contains extremely pure water, with 99.994% purity.

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Recently, a satellite image showed Alaska’s Iliamna Volcano “ready to rumble,” following a rise in earthquakes on its slopes, drawing scientific attention. Iliamna Volcano is located in southwest Alaska, United States, within the Chigmit Mountains of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. It is a stratovolcano, known for its steep shape and occasional explosive eruptions. The volcano is made up of andesite lava flows and pyroclastic rocks over Jurassic-era granite.