Author: Steven Sahiounie

Explorers have scaled the planet’s highest peak and trawled its deepest ocean trench, yet Earth is still teeming with secrets waiting to be discovered. Every year, scientists chip away at the mystery hidden in the third rock from the sun, and this year was no exception. From a hidden network of under-ice rivers in Antarctica to disturbing new findings about the San Andreas Fault, here are some of the most surprising secrets we learned about our home planet in 2022.1. An under-ice Antarctic river 300 miles longThis year, scientists discovered a river coursing beneath the Antarctic ice sheet that was as…

Live sport dominated Virgin Media Television’s top 20 most watched programmes of 2022, with the broadcaster garnering 17% share of viewing across the 15–44 demographic, a new high for the company.The most watched programme of 2022 was on 12th February when Ireland played France in their opening game in the Guinness Six Nations.Thirteen out of the top 20 most watched programmes across Virgin Media Television in 2022 were live sporting events, including four Guinness Six Nations games and three Autumn International Series games.The Ireland v South Africa match was VMTV’s third most watched programme of the year as Ireland beat the Springboks 19-16 in…

Brazil legend Pele, who has died aged 82, is widely regarded as the greatest footballer of all time, the iconic sporting figure for a country that regards itself as the game’s spiritual home.Pele’s greatness can be measured by the simple fact that he could make football a spectacle of natural grace and beauty when he missed as much as when he scored.One of the game’s first global personalities, he scored a world record 1,281 goals in 1,363 games and layered his brilliance across a career spanning from his start as a teenager with Santos to a finish as a money-spinner…

Lionel Messi bagged his maiden FIFA World Cup title with Argentina as his team defeated France in the final on penalties.It was Argentina who won the FIFA World Cup in Qatar by defeating France in the final on penalties but the echoes of the South American team’s triumph were heard all across the globe. People in different parts of the world celebrated Argentina’s win as if it was their own. The legendary Ronaldo Nazario also took to Twitter to hail Argentina and Lionel Messi’s accomplishment, highlighting how grand the victory was La Albiceleste. Though Brazil and Argentina are among the most fierce rivals…

ABU DHABI, 29th December, 2022 (WAM) — The year 2022 has undoubtedly been an active year for the UAE, which was the stage for a series of key events, resolutions and distinguished achievements, further driving the country’s sustainable development march.With the new year just around the corner, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) produced a report highlighting the UAE’s major achievement in 2022.January saw two major milestones: the implementation of the new weekend in the UAE, and the establishment of the first space economic zone in Masdar City.In February, the UAE announced the gradual relaxation of operational capacity restrictions on activities…

Users are still seeking to move their funds away from centralized exchanges, paving the way for blockchain-based alternatives to thrive.Cryptocurrency had its Lehman moment with FTX — or, perhaps, another Lehman moment. The macroeconomic downturn has not spared crypto, and as November rolled around, nobody knew that we were in for the collapse of an empire worth billions of dollars.As the rumors of bankruptcy began to take hold, a bank run was inevitable. Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried, the once effective altruist now under house arrest, continued to claim that assets were “fine.” Of course, they were not. From Genesis to Gemini, most major…

There’s an expression crypto enthusiasts use, with fingers crossed, in the hopes a particular digital currency’s value will blast off: “To the moon!”Much of crypto did graze the stratosphere at the start of 2022, when enthusiasm was astronomically high, but a few months later it all came crashing back down to Earth.Bitcoin’s value is roughly a fourth of what it was a year ago, and the industry is just starting to grapple with the fallout from the catastrophic implosion of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX.In the future, 2022 may be regarded as a turning point for the world of virtual currencies,…

The global crypto market fell 0.30 per cent to $797.77 billion in the last 24 hours to Thursday evening, as cryptocurrencies saw subdued gains amid volatile trading.The cryptocurrency prices moved up and down amid volatile trading on Thursday, December 29. Bitcoin (BTC) plunged nearly 3 per cent, while Ethereum (ETH) and Binance (BNB) saw marginal gains.The broader market fell 0.30 per cent to $797.77 billion. The trading volume also decreased by 2.15 per cent to $29.02 billion in the last 24 hours, according to Coinmarketcap.com at 5:30 pm.BitDAO (BIT) was the top gainer with an increase of 19.50 per cent,…

Test awaits in 2023 as inflation-fighting rate hikes put focus on mortgage servicingA coastal Sydney suburb. Australia’s AU$9.4 trillion housing stock is worth more than four times the size of its gross domestic product.   © ReutersPRASHANT MEHRA, Contributing writerDecember 12, 2022 11:32 JSTSYDNEY — Australia’s pivotal housing sector is turning into a double-edged sword for its central bank, which has repeatedly talked about a narrow path toward achieving a “soft landing” for the economy in its battle against inflation.A key to that goal is how households, which hold nearly 2 trillion Australian dollars ($1.35 trillion) of housing debt, respond to a succession…

Companies say they can no longer provide coverage to clients because reinsurers are exiting the region amid the conflictA group of companies known as P&I (protection and indemnity) clubs that offer insurance for the majority of the world’s ocean-going ships will stop providing war risk coverage in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus from January 1, according to notices on the groups’ websites.The notices said the insurers will no longer cover any loss, damage, liability, cost or expense “caused by or arising from or in connection with any Russia-Ukraine conflict and/or any expansion of such conflict.” At least 12 of the 13…