Identify the erstwhile kingdom, which forms the backdrop of the Dev Anand and Vyjayanthimala song "Dil Pukaare" from the movie Jewel Thief. It will celebrate the Golden Jubilee of its merger with the Indian Union next year.

These ants with an alliterative name are found all over the U.S. They are known for their ability to raise their abdomens over their heads and thoraxes when they’re disturbed, similar to a type of circus act who perform gymnastic feats. What are they called?

What term (4) is used to refer to a large isolated flat-topped hill with steep sides that stands distinctly above a surrounding plain? This Spanish word meaning "table" can be found in the name of this grand feature in Colorado, the largest flat-topped mountain in the world.

Identify the US city via these images representing the sports teams based out of the city.

Identify the US city via these images representing the sports teams based out of the city.

What term (10) is used to refer to a raised mass of land that projects into a body of water, typically the ocean? While a larger form of this feature is known as a "headland", one of the most recognisable examples of this feature are the Pillars of Hercules that flank the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar.

Which kingdom established in 672 was based in what is now West Sumatra and Jambi and reigned as a vassal state of the Srivijaya for the next few centuries? The name of this kingdom eventually came to become the endonym of an ethnoreligious group, which makes up over 50% of the population in a modern-day country.

In 2007, amidst the financial crisis, Ratan Tata led an $8.3 billion takeover of which Anglo-Dutch steelmaking company via Tata Steel? Considered one of his failed investments, this company named after a Greek spirit was eventually split into two separate UK and Netherlands divisions in 2022.

Identify this film in which he goes "wow" when Gaylord 'Greg' Focker tells him about his volunteer work. Focker was attempting to impress his girlfriend's father in their initial interaction in this 2000 film, the first in a franchise.

What separation technique utilises a solvent to detach a solute from its carrier substance? It is a naturally occurring process that has been adapted to selectively preserve requisite solutes and "drain away" effluents, particularly in extractive metallurgy.

Which writer did Lipa invite for a talk as part of her Monthly Read for April 2024? She recounted how she coped with her grief for her mother through writing, which resulted in an essay titled "Love Lost in Kimchi". This served as the basis for her best-selling memoir which came about as a result of a six-year writing process during which her indie music career took-off as well.

Identify this citadel town, which formed one of the backdrops in the Dev Anand song "Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke" from the movie Nau Do Gyarah. It was briefly the capital of the Mughal Empire as it moved east from Delhi, and its massive entrance was constructed to commemorate the Mughal conquest of Gujarat.

Late business tycoon Ratan Tata was well-known for his global ambitions that involved taking over many global brands.

In 2000, Tata Consumer Products paid out $432 million to buy which English beverage manufacturer founded in Yorkshire in 1837? Named after the brothers who started it, this company is the UK and Canada's largest seller of a ubiquitous everyday drink.

Harriet Powers was born into slavery but went on to become one of America's foremost folk artists, specialising in quilting. Only two of her quilts are known to have survived: Bible Quilt (1886) and Pictorial Quilt (1898). This panel (right) from Harriet Powers' Bible Quilt depicts which tale of two brothers from the Book of Genesis?

This type of gate in a fortification is embedded between two inward-angled exterior walls, and those trying to enter it would find themselves on a sunken road and prone to attack from both sides. What is this gate called (6), named after a military manoeuvre that shares its name with a part of an arthropod that enables it to attack other creatures?

Which kingdom founded in 918, during a time of division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, unified and ruled the region until 1392? It achieved a "true national unification" and therefore serves as the basis for the name of a modern-day nation. This kingdom derives its name from another kingdom that reigned from 37 BCE to 668 CE.

Which cheese produced from sheep's milk and characterised by its hard consistency is typically eaten as is or grated over pasta or other dishes? Originating in the Lazio region, the most popular variant of this cheese has a name reflecting its ovine nature and the fact that it was a staple in the diet of legionaries in ancient Rome.

This is the finely detailed black away jersey of Manchester United from 2020. Classic Football Shirts fancied it to be inspired from the first in a band's two-album discography. It's also fitting that the band hails from Salford and that the artist of the cover designed a Manchester United kit in 2022. Name the influential 1979 post-punk album.

Yellow, pink, and black stand out in this 2024 Juventus away jersey, like they do on the cover of a seminal album, the sole studio album by its band. The album art only has the title written in bold text on a yellow background, with the band name written haphazardly over a shocking pink streak. Which 1977 album, that introduced an iconic band, is this?

What separation technique is used to agglomerate and sediment out colloidal particles from a suspension, either spontaneously or due to the addition of a clarifying agent? It is employed together with coagulation in water treatment plants, before sedimentation and filtration steps.

Identify the US city via these images representing the sports teams based out of the city.

Which writer did Lipa interview as part of her Monthly Read for July 2023? She narrated how the idea for her acclaimed epic novel came about during her time in Tokyo, when she noticed certain establishments near almost every subway stop or major shopping area. She also shot a video for Service 95 demonstrating the activity central to her book's plot.

The first and, till date, the last South African to score a triple hundred in Tests achieved it against England at the Oval in 2012. This knock of 311 came during the holy month of Ramadan, but he clarified he wasn't fasting during the innings. Who is this*?

This month-long challenge run by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation takes place in the month before Inktober. It encourages one to engage in any form of movement as long as it is equivalent to covering 10,000 ____s per day. What is its 10-letter portmanteau name, which combines the aforementioned action with the month it takes place in?