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Canadian man wins lottery 4 times after surviving cancer battle, beating 1-in-33 million odds

Canadian man wins lottery 4 times after surviving cancer battle, beating 1-in-33 million odds

Hindustan Times2 days ago

A cancer survivor from Alberta, Canada, has managed to turn astronomical odds in his favour, not once, not twice, but four times. According to a report by Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC), David Serkin recently won $1 million in the May LOTTO 6/49 Classic draw.
This latest win marks Serkin's third lottery jackpot in just nine months, TODAY reported. He previously won $500,000 in August 2024 and $1 million in November. But his lucky streak stretches even further back: He had earlier bagged $250,000 in another lottery draw.
'I know the odds are astronomical. I don't think it'll happen again, but I still like buying tickets," Serkin said in a press release issued by the WCLC.
He's been playing LOTTO 6/49 since it launched in 1982, and his persistence appears to be paying off in a major way. The WCLC says that the odds of winning the LOTTO MAX jackpot are 1 in 33 million, making Serkin's repeated wins even more unbelievable.
'You check your ticket and if you win, you're happy. If you don't, you can always try again,' Serkin said. 'I'm a cancer survivor and I'm retired, so I am just grateful for all of it. I bought this ticket while I was getting gas. I saw the Gold Ball draw was getting close to the final ball selection and thought, 'What do I have to lose?''
Serkin says his friends and family are stunned by his lottery success. He once discovered he had won while grabbing coffee with friends, a surreal moment in an already improbable story.
He plans to use the money to make up for lost time with his wife, who supported him during his cancer battle. 'I took my wife to Hawaii with the last win, and we had a great time. Now, we're going to Newfoundland!' he said.
(Also read: Kerala man wins $1 million jackpot in Dubai lottery for the second time)

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Brian Wilson, creative force behind The Beach Boys, passes away at 82
Brian Wilson, creative force behind The Beach Boys, passes away at 82

Time of India

time13 hours ago

  • Time of India

Brian Wilson, creative force behind The Beach Boys, passes away at 82

A Californian prodigy with a sound all his own Live Events Pet Sounds: the teenage symphony that changed everything A long and troubled road Love, loss and legacy 'As long as he's alive, he'll have those' (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Brian Wilson, the songwriter, producer, and sonic architect who transformed American pop music with The Beach Boys , has died aged a statement shared on social media on Wednesday, Wilson's family wrote: 'We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away. We are at a loss for words right now. Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world. Love & Mercy.'Wilson died following a years-long struggle with mental illness and, more recently, dementia. In early 2024, shortly after the death of his wife Melinda Ledbetter, a court placed Wilson under conservatorship, stating he 'does not have the capacity to give informed consent to the administration of medications appropriate to the care and treatment of major neurocognitive disorders (including dementia).'His family appointed longtime publicist Jean Sievers and manager LeeAnn Hard as conservators. Despite his failing health, Wilson was still celebrated by his peers for his enduring creativity. In May 2024, bandmate Mike Love said on BBC Radio 4's Today: 'We got together at Paradise Cove… He was remembering things I'd forgotten about our high school days. His long-term memory is right there.'Brian Douglas Wilson was born in Inglewood, California, in 1942. He showed early signs of musical genius — he had perfect pitch and could replicate melodies as a toddler. Along with his brothers Dennis and Carl, cousin Mike Love and schoolmate Al Jardine, he formed a high school band that would later be renamed The Beach first single, Surfin', marked the beginning of a wave. Wilson wrote hit after hit: Surfer Girl, Surfin' USA, I Get Around. But he quickly outgrew the surfing by ambition and artistic hunger, he stopped touring in 1964 and retreated into the studio. What followed was nothing short of 1966, Wilson released Pet Sounds, written and produced nearly entirely by himself. It was lush, experimental, emotionally complex — a radical break from pop's formulaic past. Initially a commercial disappointment, it later became a critical benchmark. In 2004, it was added to the US Library of Congress ' National Recording described his next project, Smile, as a 'teenage symphony to God.' It collapsed under the weight of delays, drugs and internal tensions, and wasn't released in its original form until decades the setbacks, Smile and its bootlegs became legendary, and Wilson finally brought it to life with Brian Wilson Presents Smile in life was never just music. It was marked by trauma, addiction and isolation. His relationship with his father, Murry, was controlling and abusive. His mental health deteriorated in the late 1960s, with voices in his head, hospital stays, and erratic behaviour. He was later diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and manic downward spiral led to a highly controversial therapeutic arrangement with psychologist Eugene Landy, who exerted extreme control over Wilson's life — becoming his co-writer, financial manager, and even being named in his will. Legal action in the 1990s ended Landy's role after Wilson's family later years, Wilson said: 'There were times when [his mental illness] was unbearable but with doctors and medications I have been able to live a wonderful, healthy and productive life.'Wilson married twice. He had two daughters with his first wife, Marilyn Rovell. In 1995, he married Melinda Ledbetter, who became his manager and adopted five children with him. After her death in 2024, Wilson said: 'Melinda was more than my wife. She was my saviour. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career.'Despite personal turmoil, Wilson continued to release music, tour, and reunite sporadically with The Beach Boys. In 1988, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He won two Grammys and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in story inspired a memoir, a 2014 biopic Love & Mercy, and a 2021 documentary Long Promised Love, reflecting on Wilson's final year, said: 'His musical abilities, as long as he's alive he'll have those, but he does need medical supervision and care. His wife did take care of that.'Even in his final years, Wilson remained revered — not just as a Beach Boy, but as one of the most important American composers of the 20th century. His music still lingers in radio waves, soundtracks, and the voices of countless artists who followed in his Wilson is survived by his children and a towering legacy.

Want to get your face insured? You might not even stand a chance
Want to get your face insured? You might not even stand a chance

India Today

time2 days ago

  • India Today

Want to get your face insured? You might not even stand a chance

Just a couple of days back, rumours were rife that Karan Johar had made multiple visits to South Korea to get his face insured (yes, that's a thing).Now, while the rumours went crazy viral, thanks to a Reddit thread, there has been no statement or confirmation from his side yet that could substantiate these claims. He, in fact, shared a cryptic post amidst all the hullabaloo around his so-called face insurance. The Reddit thread that went viral. While there is doubt looming over the authenticity of this update, there is also a lot of curiosity surrounding the concept of face Today spoke to cosmetologists to understand things better, and this is what we fuss about face insuranceYou can get an insurance policy for almost anything valuable – your house, car, jewellery. But it turns out there are more things (or body parts) that can be insured than what just meets the insurance refers to a type of insurance policy that protects a person's facial appearance, typically taken out by celebrities, models, actors, or public figures whose face is directly tied to their is not your conventional insurance product, available to everyone off the shelf. Rather, it's a customised policy often created under body part insurance or celebrity insurance offered by specialised underwriters (Lloyd's of London).Dr Debraj Shome, co-founder and director, The Esthetic Clinics, says, "This type of insurance provides monetary compensation in the event of facial trauma, disfigurement, burns, or complications from reconstructive procedures that may result in loss of income or career disruption. While relatively rare, face insurance has gained attention in Western countries through high-profile examples such as actors and athletes insuring body parts critical to their professions."Why would someone insure their face?Well, the idea is simple: if your face is your brand (in case you are a movie star, model, or beauty influencer), any damage done to your it, like permanent scars, disfigurement, etc, it could lead to a loss of income or career opportunities. This insurance will make sure to cover any loss that you incur, just in case something untoward Akanksha Singh, Senior Cosmetologist, SENS Clinic, also adds that since facial appearance is an important differentiator and a critical determinant of commercial value for actors, models and influencers, it makes for an important asset that is worth evaluations are essential to policy underwriting. 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Medical practitioners with expertise in facial aesthetics and reconstructive surgery are best positioned to conduct these clinical documentation is submitted, the insurer conducts risk analysis based on the applicant's profession, exposure to facial risk, and previous medical or cosmetic terms are then tailored to the individual, with coverage potentially including trauma, burns, medically indicated surgery, and career-impacting reassessments are often required to ensure policy accuracy. These reassessments are supported by consistent documentation from medical centres that maintain standardised photographic and diagnostic protocol ensures transparency, minimises claims disputes, and anchors the insurance policy in medical then, there is body part insurance tooJust like you can insure your face, you can also insure any part of your body. However, you need to prove it's a real asset and not an appendage. 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Canadian man wins lottery 4 times after surviving cancer battle, beating 1-in-33 million odds
Canadian man wins lottery 4 times after surviving cancer battle, beating 1-in-33 million odds

Hindustan Times

time2 days ago

  • Hindustan Times

Canadian man wins lottery 4 times after surviving cancer battle, beating 1-in-33 million odds

A cancer survivor from Alberta, Canada, has managed to turn astronomical odds in his favour, not once, not twice, but four times. According to a report by Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC), David Serkin recently won $1 million in the May LOTTO 6/49 Classic draw. This latest win marks Serkin's third lottery jackpot in just nine months, TODAY reported. He previously won $500,000 in August 2024 and $1 million in November. But his lucky streak stretches even further back: He had earlier bagged $250,000 in another lottery draw. 'I know the odds are astronomical. I don't think it'll happen again, but I still like buying tickets," Serkin said in a press release issued by the WCLC. He's been playing LOTTO 6/49 since it launched in 1982, and his persistence appears to be paying off in a major way. The WCLC says that the odds of winning the LOTTO MAX jackpot are 1 in 33 million, making Serkin's repeated wins even more unbelievable. 'You check your ticket and if you win, you're happy. If you don't, you can always try again,' Serkin said. 'I'm a cancer survivor and I'm retired, so I am just grateful for all of it. I bought this ticket while I was getting gas. I saw the Gold Ball draw was getting close to the final ball selection and thought, 'What do I have to lose?'' Serkin says his friends and family are stunned by his lottery success. He once discovered he had won while grabbing coffee with friends, a surreal moment in an already improbable story. He plans to use the money to make up for lost time with his wife, who supported him during his cancer battle. 'I took my wife to Hawaii with the last win, and we had a great time. Now, we're going to Newfoundland!' he said. (Also read: Kerala man wins $1 million jackpot in Dubai lottery for the second time)

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