Silver lining? Canadian finds million-dollar ticket in old coat
Montreal: A Montreal man cleaning out a closet at his sister’s insistence received a shock when he found, in the lining of a jacket, a lottery ticket purchased 10 months earlier.
The sisterly advice proved most profitable: The man, named as Gregorio De Santis, on Friday pocketed winnings of 1.75 million Canadian dollars (USD 1.35 million).
“When he went to have the ticket validated, he thought the number on the display screen was 1,750 Canadian dollars,” Loto-Quebec said in a statement about De Santis’s big day.
“When he realized how much he had won, he says his heart almost stopped!” De Santis’s sister had told him it was time to sift through his bulging closet and donate unused old clothing to a charity. That’s when he stumbled upon the lottery ticket, which he had originally purchased in December, 2017.
“I would never have looked in that closet without her!” he said, according to Loto-Quebec. De Santis, who has played the lottery since the 1970s, scored a smaller win of 4,000 Canadian dollars in the early 2000s.
He plans to use his new winnings to bolster his retirement account. Being Canadian, he said he might also take his nephew to some hockey games. Perhaps it was the excitement of the moment, but De Santis made no reported mention of any thank-you gift for his clever sister. (AFP)
Prisoners busted for smuggling using footballs
Sydney: Australian prisoners have been caught trying to smuggle tobacco, mobile phones and other contraband items into their prison hidden inside footballs, authorities said on Sunday.
Guards at the correctional facility at Windsor near Sydney intercepted the balls being thrown over the fence onto the premises, reports Xinhua news agency.
“These officers are well-trained to detect contraband and have done a great job of staying one step ahead of the inmates in this instance by identifying the soccer balls as a potential risk and successfully intercepting the contraband,” a senior official said. (IANS)
Piano event in China creates new Guinness World Record
Beijing: A piano ensemble charity event in China has created a new Guinness World Record.
A total of 666 pianos were played simultaneously by 639 participants in Wuqiang county of Hebei province on Saturday, setting a new world record, reports Xinhua news agency.
Pianists from eight countries and regions joined blind children, as well as teachers, students and music enthusiasts from around China.
On the main stage, 40 pianos were placed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up this year, while the rest of the pianos were placed in a local square.
The pianos have a combined worth of more than 50 million yuan ($7 million).
The event broke the record of 555 pianos playing simultaneously in Inchon, South Korea in 2007, according to Luo Qiong, the Guinness certification officer. (IANS)