Last year, a mega-jackpot was won in Italy: almost 150 million euros, a European record. But the residents of Bagnone still don't know who the winner is.
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Germany/Turkey: Back to the Roots
Many young Turks who grew up in Germany are moving to their parents' homeland. They hope for better career opportunities in Turkey. But getting started is difficult.
About 40 percent of young German-born ethnic Turks consider moving to Turkey. They see better opportunities in booming Istanbul than in Germany. But without contacts and networks, it is tough to get a foothold. Many German Turks suddenly realize how great the difference in mentality is between themselves and the local residents.
Village Scenes - Tales of Rural Life in Europe: Italy - Bagnone
Bagnone is the village with an unidentified lottery millionaire: A year ago, a resident of the village of Bagnone won 148 million euros in the lottery. Since then, the villagers have been wondering who the lucky person is.
A lottery ticket was submitted with all six numbers correct. The barman said he saw the winner was a single man around 40. There aren't many such people in Bagnone, and they've all denied having won. The mayor is hoping for a big donation for a new community center. But the winner isn't coming forward.
France: Property on Corsica
More and more hotels and vacation homes are being built on the coast of Corsica -- often without building permits. The Corsican separatists oppose sales to non-Corsicans -- and are setting off bombs in protest.
There have been two dozen bombings already this year. The targets are mainland French and foreigners. But there are also environmentalists battling against what they view as the destruction of the coast. They file suit against construction plans and dubious construction permits. Their anger is understandable: to have a good view of the sea, villas are often placed in breathtaking spots in previously unspoiled nature. And when a golf course is built, hiking paths have to take detours inland.
Britain: Slim through Samba
Many British don't get enough exercise and are overweight. The government wants to combat that with dance courses.
Many British would rather munch sweets and fried food in front of the TV than get exercise. And they have girths that show it. Now the Health MInister wants to launch a 10-year plan to turn them all into athletes. He's asked them to dance. The background seems to be the popular television series "Strictly come dancing", in which stars pair off for fox trots, tangos, and waltzes with professional dancers.
Onslaught on Russia's Green Lung
Raging fires have devastated huge forest areas in Russia, a country that provides a fifth of the world forest resources. Estimates suggest that at least 200,000 hectares have so far gone up in smoke.
One key reason, say critics, is unrestricted logging and and the removal of Soviet-era rangers who chronicled any incidents, and extinguished small blazes at once. Nowadays, firefighting units often arrive too late. The fires are often caused by dangerous slash-and-burn efforts to turn forestland into building sites, often close to urban areas. The IMF says that well over 10 million cubic meters of timber are lost every year due to illegal logging.
