Frank O. Gehry, the Canadian-American architect whose audacious, sculptural designs liberated modern architecture and whose Guggenheim Museum Bilbao revolutionised urban planning and firmly put the post-industrial city on the global map, died on Friday, December 5, at his home in Santa Monica. He was 96. The cause was a brief respiratory illness, confirmed by his firm.

Widely considered one of the most important designers since Frank Lloyd Wright, Gehry was the most prominent voice of Deconstructivism, a style characterised by fragmented forms, non-rectilinear shapes, and a rejection of traditional cool formalism. His buildings, clad in shimmering titanium and steel, blurred the lines between architecture and sculpture, challenging both critics and the public.

The ever lasting “Bilbao Effect”

Gehry’s most impactful creation, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, opened in 1997 on the banks of the Nervión River in Spain, single-handedly placing the once-shabby, post-industrial Basque city on the global cultural map and helping the city to regain the pride it needed to put an end to separatist terrorism. The curving, seemingly chaotic titanium-clad structure was an instant international sensation, drawing upward of 1 million visitors a year and generating massive economic and cultural revitalisation.

This transformative process, coined the “Bilbao Effect“, became a global blueprint for urban renewal driven by a single piece of landmark architecture. The success was so profound that in 1997, his peer, the eminent architect Philip Johnson, proclaimed the Bilbao museum “the greatest building of our time”.

A legacy of not only curves

Gehry’s vision extended far further than Bilbao. His other unmistakable works include the sweeping curves of the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles (2003), the distinctive Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris (2014), and the bold, raw aesthetic of his own Gehry Residence in Santa Monica.

Essentially, Gehry’s practice pioneered the use of CATIA software, initially developed for the French aerospace industry, to translate his spontaneous physical models into precise, constructible blueprints. This innovation helped usher in the era of digital design in architecture. A winner of the 1989 Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honour, Gehry received global recognition eight years before the Guggenheim was even completed, making him recognised as a revolutionary long before the titanium sheen of Bilbao captured the world’s imagination.

Frank Gehry, born Frank Owen Goldberg in 1929, leaves behind a legacy defined by risk-taking and an emotional, visceral power in his buildings that revived architectural spirit after decades of restraint. He will be remembered not just for the spectacle of his forms but for irrevocably changing the way buildings are designed and how cities utilise architecture to dream again.

A Romanian motorist launched his Mercedes into the air and flew over cars – yet miraculously got up, dusted himself off and walked away, without life-threatening injuries.

Extraordinary CCTV footage filmed on December 3 captures the moment the speeding vehicle rockets into a roundabout, clips the kerb and is catapulted high above traffic, flies over a bus and two cars, almost hits the cctv camera before smashing into a roadside pole just yards from a petrol station in the Northwestern city of Oradea.

What caused the flying car incident?

Police say the driver had suffered a diabetic episode behind the wheel, lost control and careered into the junction at high speed.  In the footage, the Mercedes briefly vanishes from frame before a deafening crash rings out as it ploughs into the metal post on a grass verge. Residents in nearby apartment blocks reported hearing the impact, according to local reports. The driver, who became trapped in the wreckage, was pulled free and taken to hospital with multiple fractures. Doctors later confirmed he had fainted at the wheel due to dangerously low blood sugar.

Investigators say the Mercedes driver had entered the roundabout the wrong way, hitting the central island at speed and launching into the air. The vehicle shot past a bus and vaulted over two cars waiting to pull out, before thundering down just metres from a petrol station, narrowly avoiding a devastating explosion.  Police have since suspended his licence for 90 days and issued a 1,600-lei (€300) fine, with inquiries ongoing.

Other famous roundabout launches

March 2023, Belgium: Professional footballer Sofian Kiyine in a Mercedes-AMG flew 44 metres through the roof of a sports hall after hitting the central island at nearly 200 km/h. He broke several bones but survived.

April 2020, Poland: A Suzuki Swift launched 64 metres over an embankment near Lodz, snapped a tree in half and landed in a cemetery. The 41-year-old driver luckily walked away with minor injuries.

September 2018, Swindon, UK: A silver Citroën van became airborne for almost 20 metres after overtaking and striking the curb, landing with a spectacular crash in a “Dukes of Hazzard”-style jump. All three occupants survived.

January 2024, Chatteris, UK: A car soared over the entire roundabout, spun mid-air and nose-dived onto the exit road; the driver climbed out unharmed and simply walked away.

In a bizarre twist that surreally mixes geopolitics with global football, US President Donald Trump was awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during the eagerly awaited draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

The ceremony, held at a star-studded gala in the nation’s capital, kicked off with operatic flair from Andrea Bocelli’s rendition of “Nessun Dorma” but quickly veered into the world of the weird as Trump took centre stage—literally—to accept the honour from his close ally, FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Trump carries off his own World Cup trophy

“This award is for the exceptional effort you’re making to fight for peace. That’s what we want from a leader,” Infantino declared as Trump ascended the podium, beaming under the spotlight. “You, Mr. President, deserve it for your achievements. In your own way, but you’ve done it, and you’ll always have my support and that of the entire football community.”

Trump, never one to undersell a moment, lit up the room with self-congratulatory fervour. “This is one of the greatest honours of my life,” he proclaimed, crediting himself with averting conflicts worldwide. “We’ve saved thousands of lives—in the Congo, India, Afghanistan—we’ve stopped wars before they even started. It’s a great honour to be with you, Gianni. I want to thank my family, and I think we’re going to see something incredible, working shoulder-to-shoulder with Canada and Mexico to coordinate everything. Our relationship is exceptional. Thanks to everyone who’s made the world a safer place. A year ago, we weren’t the country we are today, thanks to my leadership.”

The accolade comes mere weeks after Trump narrowly missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize, a snub he has publicly lamented. FIFA’s new peace award, presented for the first time, appeared tailor-made for just this occasion, reveals the extent of Infantino’s longstanding rapport with the US leader. As Trump returned to his seat clutching the trophy like a schoolboy shunned from the previous school sports day, the evening shifted gears to the main event and why everyone was tuning in: unveiling the 12 groups for the expanded 48-team tournament, set to be played June 11 to July 19, 2026.

Who is playing who at the World Cup?

Hosts stole early glances of glory in the draw. Mexico landed in Group A along with South Korea, while Canada drew Switzerland in Group B.  The US, as co-host, faces Australia in Group D, promising a trans-Pacific showdown on home soil. Powerhouses like Brazil (Group C with Morocco) and Germany (Group E with Ecuador) avoided early nightmares, but the intrigue deepened elsewhere.

Spain, fresh off their Euro 2024 triumph under coach Luis de la Fuente, drew a manageable Group H: Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, and Cape Verde. “La Roja” will debut against the Uruguayans, led by Real Madrid star Federico Valverde. Yet, the real drama comes in the knockout stage: Spain could clash with Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the round of 32, depending on seeding and results from Group J (Argentina, Austria).

Other marquee clashes lit up the draw: France, commanded by Kylian Mbappé, meets Senegal in Group I while Group F pits the Netherlands against Japan, a rematch of their dramatic 2022 encounter. Belgium (Group G with Iran) and Portugal (Group K with Colombia) eye deep runs, while England faces Croatia in Group L, a nod to their epic 2018 semifinal.

Hosts Heidi Klum and Kevin Hart kept the energy electric, trading quips with Infantino, who opened the proceedings by dubbing FIFA “the official provider of happiness to humanity.” The red carpet brimmed with dignitaries, from soccer legends to Hollywood A-listers, but Trump’s prize overshadowed the proceedings and the Internet fell off its chair vowing never to drink again.