A woman from Mallorca has collected the largest single lottery prize in European history after she won the latest roll-over prize on the Euromilliones lottery with a ticket she bought on the internet (article in Castilian, ABC). Although the draw took place last Friday, it wasn't until yesterday that she discovered her newly-rich status because she has been ill in bed with flu. Even when she found out through an e-mail, she still went to work because she was afraid of losing her job, something that, presumably, will no longer be a concern for her. The woman has been receiving advice and assistance from the organisation Serviapuestas in Madrid, who provide specialised attention for such special occurences.

A report released today has revealed that around 400 of the 6,000 bikes belonging to the semi-public rental service Bicing are stolen each year, while another 240 are vandalised (article in Castilian, La Vanguardia); of the rest, only around a third are in a good working order. The Ajuntament of Barcelona has said that it will aim to reduce the number of robberies and vandalisms, which represents more than 10 percent of the available cycles, and next Monday the Guàrdia Urbana will launch a campaign to oversee the use of the bikes and the stations where they are dropped off; anyone found causing damage or behaving inappropriately could face a fine up to €750.

The so-called 'anti-crisis car' has become one of the stars at the current Barcelona Car Fair, taking place at the Fira de Barcelona, even though it won't be available in Spain until 2011 (article in Catalan, Avui). The Tata Nano will have a price-tag of around €4,000 here, although it is presently on sale in India (where it originates from) for just €1,500—the difference is a result of the need to comply with European safety and environmental requirements.

ECONOMY
Prices in Catalunya rose by one percent in April compared to March, giving a year-to-date inflation rate of 0.4 percent. For Spain as a whole, prices went up by the same amount, but the inflation rate for 2009 so far registered another negative figure, -0.2 percent, following that of last month.  

FC Barcelona-watch
This evening, FCB will play their first final of the season, with the Copa del Rei against Athletic de Bilbao in Valencia. Kick-off is at 10pm and both the team and fans are heading to Valencia today from Catalunya; the Bilbao team has already been there for a few days, along with excited fans hoping to see their team win their first trophy for 25 years.