Christmas lottery puts Spain in joyous mood — again

BARCELONA, Spain — Those holding ticket number 03347 struck it rich Saturday when they won the top prize in Spain's famous Christmas lottery.

The lottery, known as El Gordo, or “The Fat One,” dished out $2.7 billion in prize money this year. The top prize for a winning ticket was $455,000, but there were many smaller prizes.

Other lotteries have bigger individual top prizes but El Gordo, held each Dec. 22, is ranked as the world's biggest in terms of total prize money. Multiple people picked the top number across Spain, spreading $773 million distributed for it to 46 of the country's 50 provinces. Individuals or groups buy the El Gordo tickets, which cost $23 each, months in advance.

Spain established its national lottery as a charity in 1763 during the reign of King Carlos III.

The Foreign Ministry gave permission Saturday to an aid boat carrying 311 migrants to set course for Spain after France, Italy, Libya and Tunisia did not answer its request to dock. The boat belonging to a Spanish aid group saved 313 migrants Friday in waters near Libya. Malta denied the boat permission to dock.

Yellow vest protesters, who have brought chaos to Paris for weeks with their economic demands, turned out in reduced numbers Saturday at the start of the holidays. Paris police said 2,000 protesters took to the streets, compared to 4,000 a week before and 10,000 the prior week. Police arrested 142 people.