HolidayBlogging

Tag: confirmed

  • Legendary Skydiver Felix Baumgartner Lost in Fatal Italy Paragliding Crash

    Farewell to a Sky High Legend

    A Hero Who Once Touched the Sound Barrier

    Felix Baumgartner, the fearless skydiver who shattered the sound barrier in 2012, has left a gap in the clouds that will be hard to fill. He tragically lost his life in a paragliding mishap over the rolling hills of Italy, aged 56.

    What Made Him a Football Star of the Skies

    • Groundbreaking Jump: In 2012, he leapt from 39,000 feet, breaking the sound barrier and making headlines worldwide.
    • Adventures Beyond: From high‑altitude dives to Earth‑orbiting flights, Felix didn’t just chase thrills—he set new records.
    • Humor & Heart: Even as he flew, he kept folks laughing with his witty remarks and a contagious smile.
    Hallmark Moments to Remember

    From the thunderous roar of the sky to humorous prank calls with fellow daredevils, Felix showed that bravery can coexist with a lighthearted spirit. He once joked, “If I fly off a cliff, I hope I get it to look like a cool stunt. No need for a slow‐roll video.”

    A Call to New Sky‑Bound Adventurers

    While Felix’s wings fell this week, his legacy lives on in every free‑fall enthusiast and springing spirit. Let’s honor him by taking that plunge—just maybe keep the parachute attuned to the landing stripe this time!

    Felix Baumgartner: The Legend Gone Too Soon

    Breaking the Sound Barrier – A Brief Backstory

    Felix Baumgartner stunned the world in 2012 when he leapt from a helium‑lifted capsule 24 miles above Earth. During a nine‑minute freefall, he hit a blistering 843.6 mph (1.25 times the speed of sound), becoming the first human to shatter that sonic ceiling using nothing but his body and a parachute. The jump, part of Red Bull Stratos, was live‑streamed to millions on YouTube. He once said, “When I was standing on top of the world, you become so humble… The only thing you want is to come back alive.”

    The Final Chapter: A Tragic Paragliding Accident

    • The crash occurred on Thursday near Porto Sant Elpidio, Italy’s eastern coast, when Baumgartner’s paraglider slammed into a swimming pool.
    • Italian firefighters confirmed he was 56 years old.
    • Mayor Massimiliano Ciarpella mourned the loss, calling Baumgartner a global icon, a beacon of courage, and a passion‑filled extreme‑flight pioneer.
    • Reports suggest a cardiac arrest in mid‑air, just hours after he posted an Instagram story captioned, “Too much wind.”

    From Military Parachutist to Extreme‑Sports Superstar

    Beyond his historic jump, Baumgartner was a prolific thrill‑seeker:

    • He delivered thousands of parachute jumps from planes, bridges, skyscrapers, and famous landmarks worldwide.
    • His repertoire included a dramatic flight from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil and a carbon‑fiber wing ride across the English Channel after a plane drop.
    • In recent years, he showcased helicopter stunts with The Flying Bulls across Europe.

    Legacy and Record‑Breaking Feats

    After breaking altitude records, Baumgartner’s achievement stood until Google executive Alan Eustace surpassed it with new high‑jump marks. Despite these milestones, Felix maintained a simple philosophy: “Traveling faster than sound is hard to describe because you don’t feel it. Sometimes we have to get really high to feel how small we are.”

    Emotional Farewell

    While fans and fellow adventurers mourn, his spirit lives on in the daring hearts of those who chase the sky. Baumgartner’s legacy reminds us that the sky isn’t just a domain of speed, but a canvas for humility, wonder, and the relentless pursuit of the impossible.

  • EU seeks to triple entry fee for short-termvisa-exempt visitors

    EU Backs a Tiny €20 Charge for Non‑EU Visitors – All in the Name of Budget Boosting

    Picture this: if you’re a non‑European Union traveler stepping onto EU soil, you’ll be asked to hand over a modest €20. The Commission’s idea? Turn that small sum into a fresh stream of “own resources” to tighten the Continental budget.

    Why the €20? What’s at Stake?

    It’s not about sending a tiny rug to the EU fund, but about teaching the EU to stand on its own feet.

    • Own Resources, Own Control: The weighty principle that the EU’s finances should be driven by its own revenue streams, not just a cash‑flow from the larger economy.
    • The Price of Freedom: A lifetime ticket to advocacy and peace, but those who cross the border still shoulder the €20 – it’s licensing for claiming the EU’s gear.
    • Euro‑Friendly Fees: When a non‑EU guest walks in, the Commission will count the €20 as a footnote in the Budget scalability.

    That said, we’re looking at a well‑adjusted price boost. It’s a pandemic‑inspired policy that has the power to bring comfort into the EU’s fiscal structure.

    Some of the Less‑Gross Moves Coming With the €20

    Beyond the single extra €20, the European Commission is breathing new life into a series of policies that could open a new chapter for future budgets.

    • Clear a few fees and let EU citizens in for a brighter horizon.
    • Extend more generous boundaries for the packaging of these lifted resources.
    • Boost social programmes within communities that need a boost.

    The $20 charge isn’t merely a bill – it’s a learning moment for the EU: “take responsibility and still keep the doors open for those that need help.” It’s a call for all. And if you’ve ever been a part of the EU’s financial ecosystem, you know the weight of this new policy in shaping future budgeting and EU freedom.

    ETIAS Fee Gets a Price Hike: From €7 to €20

    Travelers from visa‑free countries – think the UK, the US, Australia, Brazil, and others – are about to see their short‑stay passport gets a bit pricier. The European Commission wants to jump the current €7 fee up to a cool €20 before the new system kicks in.

    What’s Behind the Hike?

    • The extra funds are meant to boost the EU budget, especially under the upcoming 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework.
    • It’s one of five fresh “own resource” ideas tossed into the mix, and the ETIAS upgrade alone could bring in roughly €300 million out of every year.
    • Unlike other EU budget tweaks, this fee bump doesn’t need a unanimous vote from every member nation.

    Who’s Affected?

    • Nationals from visa‑free states who plan a short stay of up to 90 days in one of the 30 friendly countries (all EU members except Ireland, plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland) will need an ETIAS authorization.
    • Kids under 18 and seniors over 70 get a sweet free pass to dodge the charge.

    The Play Book

    The Commission has already rolled the proposal out to the Council and the European Parliament. If they give a thumbs‑up, the 20‑euro fee will start collecting cake‑money for the EU’s long‑term coffers.

    So, next time you’re just planning a quick trip across Europe, remember: you’re not just buying a visa; you’re also helping power the EU’s budget.

  • Did Google DeepMind or OpenAI win gold at the world’s most prestigious math competition?

    Did Google DeepMind or OpenAI win gold at the world’s most prestigious math competition?

    Only 10 per cent of human competitors won gold.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Artificial intelligence (AI) models were put to the test this weekend to find out who was the best so-called mathlete at the world’s most prestigious competition in Australia.
    Google’s DeepMind and OpenAI, which makes ChatGPT, say they both achieved a gold medal-level performance at this year’s International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), thoughonly Google had actually entered the competition. 

    The IMO confirmed DeepMind’s results, whereas OpenAI evaluated its model on the 2025 IMO problems and self-published its results before official verification. 
    Alex Wei, a research scientist at OpenAI working on large language models (LLMs) and reasoning, announced the results on his X account.

    Related

    ‘Humanity has prevailed (for now!)’ – Meet the world’s best programmer who beat ChatGPT’s AI

    An advanced version of DeepMind’s Gemini Deep Think solved five out of the six IMO problems perfectly, earning 35 total points and achieving gold-medal level performance. 
    OpenAI’s model also solved five out of the six IMO problems and had the same score. 

    Both models show how far AI has come since the technology catapulted with the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. 
    The math test in itself is very hard and only about 10 per cent of the 630 competitors received a gold medal this year. 
    Participants from more than 100 countries entered the competition, which is aimed at elite high-school students. Those under the age of 20 can apply.
    “When we first started OpenAI, this was a dream but not one that felt very realistic to us; it is a significant marker of how far AI has come over the past decade,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman wrote on X in reference to the math competition. 

    He added that the company will “soon” release a new version, GPT-5, but that it doesn’t plan “to release a model with IMO gold level of capability for many months”.

    Related

    Microsoft to make Notre-Dame ‘digital twin’ and boost its European languages for its AI models

    Meanwhile, Google wrote in a blog post: “It is a significant marker of how far AI has come over the past decade”.
    The company participated in the competition last year and won a silver medal. “Our leap from silver to gold medal-standard in just one year shows a remarkable pace of progress in AI,” Google said. 
    However, both companies celebrated the human participants and avoided framing the competition as a man versus machine challenge. 
    Wei called them “some of the brightest young minds of the future” and said that OpenAI employs some former IMO competitors.

  • Gary Lineker liquidates Goalhanger Films ahead of capital gains tax increase

    Gary Lineker liquidates Goalhanger Films ahead of capital gains tax increase

    Gary Lineker, the former England footballer turned broadcaster, has strategically placed his television production company, Goalhanger Films, into voluntary liquidation ahead of upcoming capital gains tax rises.

    Co-owned with former ITV controller Tony Pastor, the company reported net assets exceeding £440,000 in its last published accounts.
    The decision comes as the UK government announced in the recent Budget that capital gains tax rates will increase from 10% to 14% starting in April, with a further rise to 18% in 2025. By liquidating the company now, Lineker and Pastor can benefit from the current lower tax rate on distributions from the company’s assets.
    Tony Pastor confirmed that Goalhanger Films is being “mothballed,” allowing the duo to focus on their rapidly growing venture, Goalhanger Podcasts. The podcast platform hosts popular series such as The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Football, and reported net assets close to £591,000 earlier this year.
    Lineker’s move aligns with the practice of Members’ Voluntary Liquidation (MVL), a process that enables solvent companies to wind up operations in a tax-efficient manner. An MVL allows business owners with significant retained earnings to treat distributed funds as capital gains rather than income, potentially resulting in substantial tax savings under the Business Asset Disposal Relief framework.
    Originally launched in 2014, Goalhanger Films produced high-profile sports documentaries featuring stars like Mohamed Salah and Serena Williams. However, the shift towards the more successful podcast division reflects Lineker’s adaptation to changing market dynamics.
    Despite stepping down from hosting Match of the Day after a 26-year tenure, Lineker remains a prominent figure at the BBC, with contracts to present coverage of the FA Cup and the 2026 World Cup.

    Lessons for Business Owners

    Lineker’s financial move offers insights for entrepreneurs and company directors:

    Act Early
    : Anticipating tax changes and making timely decisions can maximize financial benefits.
    Consider MVL: For solvent businesses planning to close, an MVL can be an effective tool to unlock value efficiently.
    Adapt to Growth: Shifting focus to more successful ventures ensures resources are allocated to areas with the greatest potential.