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World Records That Tumbled In 2022

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A Ukrainian woman who fled the war in her country takes refuge in the main hall of an athletic complex in the Moldovan capital Kishinev.

From roasting temperatures to rocketing energy prices and millions of refugees fleeing Ukraine, 2022 was a year of extremes.

AFP looks back at some of the records smashed:

Food and energy prices

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Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February caused a massive jump in energy and food costs, with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Food Price Index hitting a historic peak in March and the cost of gas in Europe reaching record highs.

The eurozone annual inflation climbed steadily to 10.6 percent in October, the biggest increase since the index began in 1997.

READ ALSO: Buhari Leaving Nigerians More Vulnerable Than When He Came 2015 – Kukah

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Refugees

The war also triggered the biggest wave of refugees in Europe since the end of World War II. More than 7 million Ukrainians fled to other European countries and a further 6.9 million were displaced internally, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

Globally, the number of displaced people exceeded 100 million for the first time.

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Burning up

Europe sweated through its hottest summer on record, with records tumbling in many countries, including England where the mercury topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time. Forest fires linked to the hotter, drier conditions also guzzled more land than ever before in Europe — over 600,000 hectares.

Hail of missiles

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North Korea fired a record number of missiles into the Sea of Japan in response to large-scale joint military exercises staged by South Korea and the United States.

A particularly intense peak saw 23 missiles fired in 24 hours on November 2.

Farewell Queen

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After 70 years on the throne, Britain’s longest-serving monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, passed away on September 8, aged 96.

Before her massive state funeral, an estimated quarter of a million people queued round the clock to view the coffin as it lay in state.

READ ALSO: Three Foreign NGOs Stop Work In Afghanistan After Taliban Ban On Women Staff

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Musk mayhem

It was a big year for Elon Musk, the world’s richest man whose fortune was estimated by Forbes at close to $200 billion at the start of December.

The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX added Twitter to his portfolio for $44 billion and swiftly caused controversy, by firing half the staff and unbanning people who had been thrown off the platform, including Donald Trump.

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New artistic heights

The art collection of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, which included works by Cezanne, Klimt and Van Gogh, was sold by Christie’s for $1.62 billion, the biggest amount ever for an art auction.

Marilyn Monroe was a big hitter too, with one of her photo portraits by Andy Warhol selling for $195 million, making it the most expensive 20th century artwork.

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Tennis titans

When Rafael Nadal won the French Open for the 14th time, the Spanish ace raised his own record of Grand Slam titles to 22, ahead of Novak Djokovic (21) and Roger Federer (20).

It was also a year of farewells with two of the sport’s greatest players calling time on their glittering careers: Federer and Serena Williams, who has 23 Grand Slams to her name.

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Jet-setting Swift

The 10th album by the US megastar, “Midnights”, caused such a frenzy that Spotify broke down as more fans sought to listen to it over a single day than any other album.

Ten of its tracks were listed in the top ten Billboard Hot 100, also a first.

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Less glorious for Swift was her topping the list for the “worst private jet CO2 emission offenders” among celebrities for her extensive private jet use.

READ ALSO: 2023: Why I Shut Down Atiku’s Campaign Office In Port Harcourt – Wike

In August when she was awarded the unenviable prize, she had already clocked up 170 flights in her private jet.

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Eight billion humans

In November the world’s population — which numbered 2.5 billion in 1950 — exceeded eight billion, according to the UN.

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Six-year-old Nigerian Girl Dies After Fall From Apartment In Canada

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A six-year-old Nigerian girl has died after falling from a high-rise residential building in Toronto, Canada, in a tragic incident that has left the community in shock.

Reports indicate that her mother was in Nigeria at the time of the incident.

The incident occurred at an apartment complex on Chalkfarm Drive in North York, close to Jane Street, at about 8:15 p.m.

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Toronto Police Service said officers responded to a report described as “unknown trouble” and later found the child unresponsive on the ground outside the building.

Residents of the building described the girl as cheerful and familiar within the community, saying her death had deeply unsettled neighbours.

READ ALSO:Man With Lengthy Criminal Record Shoots Nigerian To Death Inside Bus In Canada

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One resident told CP24 that the child was regularly seen playing around the premises.

She used to come here all the time and play… she was a lively kid. It’s very, very sad,” the neighbour said.

Another resident said the news had been devastating for people living in the building, adding that the girl was a familiar face during daily routines such as school runs.

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It’s crazy that I will never see this child again. I see her every morning. It’s heartbreaking,” the resident said.

According to neighbours, the girl had been staying with a family friend who lives on the top floor of the building while her mother was away in Nigeria.

READ ALSO:Man With Lengthy Criminal Record Shoots Nigerian To Death Inside Bus In Canada

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Some residents also questioned how the incident occurred, noting that the building is fitted with window safety features designed to prevent full opening.

To be fair, they do have precautions on these windows to make sure these things don’t happen,” one resident said.

Another added that the windows are secured and cannot be fully opened, further adding to uncertainty surrounding the circumstances.

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The property management company, Greenwin, which manages the building at 200 Chalkfarm Drive, described the incident as “deeply saddening,” adding that its thoughts are with the child’s family.

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The company confirmed that emergency responders attended the scene promptly and said it is fully cooperating with investigators.

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It declined to comment on the condition or inspection history of the windows, citing an ongoing investigation.

Police in Toronto said the case is not being treated as suspicious at this stage, though investigations are continuing pending autopsy results.

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US Govt Finally Releases Files On UFOs, Alien Life

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President Donald Trump’s administration has released a batch of previously unseen files, videos and photographs on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, UAP.

The government described the development as part of a push for greater transparency on government-held information about extraterrestrial-related sightings.

According to Fox News, the White House said the materials, drawn from across multiple government agencies, have been made publicly accessible without security clearance requirements.

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Officials said the release is intended to allow the public to review the information and draw their own conclusions.

READ ALSO:Trump Bows To Pressure, Deletes Post Depicting Self As Jesus

“The latest UAP videos, photos, and original source documents from across the entire United States government are all in one place,” the White House said, adding that past administrations had sought to limit public disclosure.

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The release is part of a programme identified as the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters, PURSUE, which officials say will continue with further disclosures.

Among the initial materials are images reportedly linked to Apollo 12 and Apollo 17 space missions, including a photograph from the lunar surface showing three small dots in the sky.

The release also includes transcripts of communications from Apollo 17, in which crew members described observing bright, fast-moving particles or fragments outside their spacecraft.

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READ ALSO:Trump Tired Of War In Iran – Shehu Sani

In one exchange, astronauts described seeing “very bright particles” and “jagged, angular fragments” while in orbit, comparing the appearance to fireworks.

Trump previously said he would support declassifying government files related to UFOs and UAPs, following renewed public interest in the subject.

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He had earlier directed federal agencies to begin identifying and releasing relevant documents.

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Strait Of Hormuz: Pakistan Thanks Trump For Pausing ‘Project Freedom’

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Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday expressed gratitude to United States President Donald Trump for temporarily pausing ‘Project Freedom’, an initiative to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement posted on X, Sharif thanked Trump for pausing the “Project Freedom” mission, praising him for his courageous leadership and timely announcement.

According to him, Trump’s decision was made in response to requests from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other brotherly countries.

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READ ALSO: Oil Prices Drop After Iran Reopens Strait Of Hormuz

He added that the pause would go a long way towards advancing regional peace, stability and reconciliation during the sensitive period.

“Pakistan remains firmly committed to supporting all efforts that promote restraint and a peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy.

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“We are very hopeful that the current momentum will lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the region and beyond,” Sharif said.

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