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Identify the town that is being developed as a "Mindfulness City" and is the terminus for one of India's first cross-border railway links with Bhutan.
Gelephu Gelephu is a key export-import hub on the India-Bhutan border, which is set to be connected to Kokrajhar (Assam) via a new railway link. The Bhutanese government is notably developing Gelephu as a "Mindfulness City." This rail link will also allow Bhutan to utilize the Jogighopha Inland Waterways Terminal in India.
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Locate the large tropical rainforest spanning 6 million sq. km in South America where a recent study found trees are growing larger due to the 'carbon fertilisation effect'.
Amazon Rainforest A study in Nature revealed that rising $CO_2$ levels are enhancing photosynthesis and plant growth in the Amazon Rainforest. Spanning 6 million sq. km across South America (60% in Brazil), it is known as the "Lungs of the Earth" and is bounded by the Guiana Highlands, Andes, Brazilian Plateau, and the Atlantic.
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Locate the lake, one of the Finger Lakes, where scientists are investigating newly discovered bottom craters as a possible source for the mysterious "Seneca Guns" booming sounds.
Seneca Lake Seneca Lake, one of New York’s 11 long, narrow Finger Lakes, is famous for mysterious sounds called "Seneca Guns." Scientists are now studying new craters at the lake's bottom to determine if they release gases causing the sounds. The Finger Lakes, including Seneca and Cayuga (the deepest), were formed in U-shaped troughs carved by glaciers during the Pleistocene ice age.
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Identify the city, located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, that recently hosted the 'Summit for Peace' to address the Gaza conflict.
Sharm el-Sheikh World leaders convened in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for a 'Summit for Peace' regarding the Gaza conflict. The city, which overlooks the Strait of Tiran, was occupied by Israel in 1967 and returned to Egypt in 1982. It is a major diplomatic hub, having also hosted COP27 in 2022.
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Identify the island nation in the Indian Ocean, the 4th-largest island globally, which recently experienced a military ouster of its president following a Gen Z-led rebellion.
Madagascar Madagascar's armed forces ousted the incumbent president after widespread protests over economic crises and governance failures. The island nation, located in the Indian Ocean near the Mozambique Channel, is famed for its unique biodiversity, with ~90% endemic species like lemurs, giant leaf-tailed geckos, and the Baobab national tree.
