One winning ticket in huge 10,000 Cr lotto jackpot
Washington, Oct 24: A single winning ticket has been identified in a massive USD 1.5 billion Mega Millions US lottery jackpot, the second largest on record, organisers said Wednesday.
The winning ticket was bought in South Carolina, but the lucky winner has not yet been identified.
Mega Millions, which initially announced a global record USD 1.6 billion jackpot, later revised the figure down to USD 1.537 billion.
The new amount makes the prize the second largest, just shy of the USD 1.586 billion jackpot for a rival Powerball lottery in January 2016, which was shared between three winning tickets.
Regardless, it's the largest single winning ticket ever and it dwarfed the previous Mega Millions record, set in March 2012 at USD 656 million.
The six winning numbers drawn on Tuesday night were five, 28, 62, 65, 70 and another five as the special "gold Mega Ball." The massive jackpot had set off a lottery frenzy across America, with people lining up at convenience stores, supermarkets and liquor stores to buy a 2 ticket that gave them a roughly one in 300 million chance of winning.
"The moment we've been waiting for finally arrived, and we couldn't be more excited," said Gordon Medenica, lead director of the Mega Millions Group and director of Maryland Lottery and Gaming.
"This is truly a historic occasion."
The winner can take 878 million in a lump sum cash payment or be paid out in annuities over 30 years.
The jackpot ballooned because no one had won since July, when a group of office workers in California shared a USD 543 million prize.
The record 2016 Powerball jackpot was split three ways by ticket holders in California, Florida and Tennessee. Each took home USD 528.8 million.
In the latest Mega Millions draw, there were 36 second prizes worth USD 1 million each. They will be paid out to ticket holders who got the first five numbers right but not the Mega Ball.
Including the jackpot and lesser prizes, there were 15.75 million tickets Tuesday night that earned bettors at least the face value of the ticket.
Unlike in many other countries, US lottery winnings are taxable at the federal level, while some states also impose local taxes.
The jackpot now resets at USD 40 million for the next drawing on Friday.
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Bengaluru: Four South African cheetahs arrive at Bannerghatta Biological Park
Bengaluru: Four cheetahs, including two females, have arrived at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) from South Africa, NDTV reported.
The animals, brought from Induna Primate and Parrot Park in South Africa, landed at Kempegowda International Airport at around 1:15 am on Saturday. The transfer was carried out in accordance with the Wild Life (Protection) Act, BBP said in a statement.
Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre received the cheetahs at the airport cargo terminal.
The Minister asked officials and veterinary teams to ensure strict quarantine protocols, a prescribed diet, and close health monitoring for 30 days to help the animals acclimate smoothly.
Highlighting that cheetahs, locally known as “Sivangi,” have disappeared from Karnataka’s forests, the minister stressed the need to raise public awareness through zoological institutions. He also instructed Dr Sunil Panwar, Member Secretary, Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK), to prioritise the safety and well-being of the animals.
The BBP officials said that before transportation, the cheetahs underwent thorough health inspections and quarantine in South Africa as per the guidelines of the Department of Animal Husbandry.
Required No Objection Certificates (NoC) were also obtained from Animal Quarantine Services prior to import.
"Upon arrival at BBP, the animals have been placed in a designated quarantine facility for post-import health checks and observation, after which they will be shifted to their enclosures for public viewing," the BBP said.
This import underscores BBP's commitment to international collaboration in wildlife conservation, scientific management of animals, and strict adherence to regulatory protocols. It further strengthens the park's role in ex-situ conservation and environmental education, official said.
