Two Winners in Record Powerball Jackpot

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Winning tickets for the record Powerball jackpot worth more than $587 million were purchased in Arizona and Missouri.


Missouri Lottery official Susan Goedde confirmed to ABC News this morning that one of the winning tickets was purchased in the state, but they would not announce which town until later this morning.


Arizona lottery officials said they had no information on that state's winner or winners but would announce where it was sold during a news conference later in the day.


The winning numbers for the jackpot were 5, 23, 16, 22 and 29. The Powerball was 6.


The jackpot swelled to $587.5 million, according to Lottery official Sue Dooley. The two winners will split the jackpot each getting $293.75 million. The cash payout is $192.5 million each.


An additional 8,924,123 players won smaller prizes, according to Powerball's website.


"There were 58 winners of $1 million and there were eight winners of $2 million. So a total of $74 million," said Chuck Strutt, Director of the Multi-State Lottery Association.


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This is the 27th win for Missouri, ranking it second in the nation for lottery winners after Indiana, which has 38 wins. Arizona has had 10 Powerball jackpot wins in its history.


Players bought tickets at the rate of 131,000 every minute up until an hour before the deadline of 11 p.m. ET, according to lottery officials.


The jackpot had already rolled over 16 consecutive times without a winner. That fact, plus the doubling in price of a Powerball ticket, accounted for the unprecedented richness of the pot.








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"Back in January, we moved Powerball from being a $1 game to $2," said Mary Neubauer, a spokeswoman at the game's headquarters in Iowa. "We thought at the time that this would mean bigger and faster-growing jackpots."


That proved true. The total, she said, began taking "huge jumps -- another $100 million since Saturday." It then jumped another $50 million.


The biggest Powerball pot on record until now -- $365 million -- was won in 2006 by eight Lincoln, Neb., co-workers.
As the latest pot swelled, lottery officials said they began getting phone calls from all around the world.


"When it gets this big," said Neubauer, "we get inquiries from Canada and Europe from people wanting to know if they can buy a ticket. They ask if they can FedEx us the money."


The answer she has to give them, she said, is: "Sorry, no. You have to buy a ticket in a member state from a licensed retail location."


About 80 percent of players don't choose their own Powerball number, opting instead for a computer-generated one.
Asked if there's anything a player can do to improve his or her odds of winning, Neubauer said there isn't -- apart from buying a ticket, of course.


Lottery officials put the odds of winning this Powerball pot at one in 175 million, meaning you'd have been 25 times more likely to win an Academy Award.


Skip Garibaldi, a professor of mathematics at Emory University in Atlanta, provided additional perspective: You are three times more likely to die from a falling coconut, he said; seven times more likely to die from fireworks, "and way more likely to die from flesh-eating bacteria" (115 fatalities a year) than you are to win the Powerball lottery.


Segueing, then, from death to life, Garibaldi noted that even the best physicians, equipped with the most up-to-date equipment, can't predict the timing of a child's birth with much accuracy.


"But let's suppose," he said, "that your doctor managed to predict the day, the hour, the minute and the second your baby would be born."


The doctor's uncanny prediction would be "at least 100 times" more likely than your winning.


Even though he knows the odds all too well, Garibaldi said he usually plays the lottery.


When it gets this big, I'll buy a couple of tickets," he said. "It's kind of exciting. You get this feeling of anticipation. You get to think about the fantasy."


So, did he buy two tickets this time?


"I couldn't," he told ABC News. "I'm in California" -- one of eight states that doesn't offer Powerball.


In case you were wondering, this Saturday's Powerball jackpot is starting at $40 million.


ABC News Radio contributed to this report.



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Hive minds: Honeybee intelligence creates a buzz

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US 'welcomes' China participation in naval drills

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BEIJING: The United States welcomes China's participation in US-led joint naval exercises next year, navy secretary Ray Mabus said Wednesday during an official visit to the country.

"We welcome China's participation in the Rim of the Pacific Exercise in 2014," Mabus said in a statement distributed by the US embassy in Beijing.

The embassy could not confirm if China had formally accepted the invitation to participate, made by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta when he visited China in September.

Some 22 nations and more than 40 vessels took part in the latest round of the international maritime exercises, described by the US Navy as the world's largest, which took place from June 29 to August 3 around the Hawaiian Islands.

The US invitation comes as Washington tries to reassure Beijing over its strategic "pivot" to the Pacific and China's growing assertiveness in territorial disputes with several Asian neighbours.

"Cooperating with China to realise shared goals is important to the maintenance of peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region and central to our approach," Mabus said.

China said Sunday it had carried out the first landing of a fighter jet on its new aircraft carrier in a move that extends Beijing's ability to project its growing military might in territorial disputes.

Tensions between China and Japan, a US ally, have risen dramatically in recent months over islands in the East China Sea which Beijing calls the Diaoyus and Tokyo, which administers them, names the Senkakus.

China is locked in similar rows with Vietnam and the Philippines over disputed territory in the South China Sea.

At a key Communist Party congress earlier this month, outgoing President Hu Jintao urged China to push forward fast-paced military modernisation and set the goal of becoming a "maritime power".

- AFP/jc



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U.K. student strikes deal to avoid U.S. extradition over copyright charges

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British student Richard O'Dwyer, who was facing trial in the U.S. on charges of copyright infringement, has signed a deal to avoid extradition.



British student Richard O'Dwyer.



(Credit:
Change.org)


The U.K. High Court was told today that O'Dwyer had signed a "deferred prosecution" agreement which would see him required to pay compensation instead of being extradited, the BBC has reported.


The agreement states that O'Dwyer will pay compensation, and promise not to breach copyright laws again. Should he do so, he will be liable for prosecution.


He will voluntarily travel to the United States in December to ratify the agreement, according to the BBC.


The charges against 24-year-old O'Dwyer were brought by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in relation to his Web site, TV-Shack, which provided links to pirated TV programmes and movies hosted elsewhere on the Web.


U.K. judge John Thomas said the move was a "very satisfactory outcome" to the three-year legal battle launched after the TV-Shack domain was seized in 2010. The site generated more than $230,000 in advertising revenue during its lifetime, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.




O'Dwyer's extradition was initially approved by a U.K. magistrate in January, pending an approval from the U.K. Home Secretary, Theresa May. May approved the extradition order in March this year.


O'Dwyer's lawyer, Ben Cooper, argued at the time that as TV-Shack did not host any copyrighted materials, and instead linked to content hosted elsewhere on the Web, it was "no different to Google" in how it operated.


He could have faced up to 10 years in prison if convicted by a U.S. court.


But critics of O'Dwyer, notably U.S. copyright lobbying groups, said that O'Dwyer was knowingly providing access to copyright-infringing content.


A leaked memo from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) earlier this year characterized TV-Shack as a pirate Web site that made a profit by providing aggregated links to copyrighted material.


"Richard O'Dwyer created TVShack.net, offering thousands of stolen movies and other pirated content to viewers in violation of both U.S. and U.K. law. In fact, O'Dwyer actively advertised the amount of money users would save by illegally streaming content via TVShack rather than by acquiring it legitimately."


"At the same time, he profited handsomely from advertizing on the site he profited heavily from this activity... To call him a 'middleman' suggests a lack of involvement in the illegal activity, which is simply not the case," the memo said.


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Pictures: Falcon Massacre Uncovered in India

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Photograph courtesy Conservation India

A young boy can sell bundles of fresh Amur falcons (pictured) for less than five dollars. Still, when multiplied by the thousands of falcons hunters can catch in a day, the practice can be a considerable financial boon to these groups.

Since discovering the extent of Amur hunting in Nagaland this fall, Conservation India has taken the issue to the local Indian authorities.

"They have taken it very well. They've not been defensive," Sreenivasan said.

"You're not dealing with national property, you're dealing with international property, which helped us put pressure on [them]." (Related: "Asia's Wildlife Trade.")

According to Conservation India, the same day the group filed their report with the government, a fresh order banning Amur hunting was issued. Local officials also began meeting with village leaders, seizing traps and confiscating birds. The national government has also requested an end to the hunting.

Much remains to be done, but because the hunt is so regional, Sreenivasan hopes it can eventually be contained and stamped out. Authorities there, he said, are planning a more thorough investigation next year, with officials observing, patrolling, and enforcing the law.

"This is part of India where there is some amount of acceptance on traditional bush hunting," he added. "But at some point, you draw the line."

(Related: "Bush-Meat Ban Would Devastate Africa's Animals, Poor?")

Published November 27, 2012

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Powerball Fever Sweeps the Nation, Fuels Jackpot

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The allure of the record $500 million Powerball jackpot has led to long lines across the nation at local mini-marts and gas stations, with Americans hoping their champagne and caviar dreams become a reality when the numbers are drawn tonight.


The jackpot was boosted Tuesday from $425 million to the now historic $500 million sum, which is expected to get sweeter as millions of Americans rush to the store for their last chance to purchase a ticket and become a multi-millionaire overnight.


Powerball officials tell ABC News they expect to sell more than 105,000 tickets every minute before the drawing. When the dust settles, more than 189 million tickets would have been sold for the half a billion-dollar jackpot. That's more than double the number sold for Saturday's $325 jackpot that nobody won.


ABC News was allowed access to the Powerball studios in Tallahassee, Fla., where the 11 p.m. ET drawing will take place. The closely guarded machines and balls are locked in a vault before the numbers are drawn and only a select few are allowed inside the room during the actual broadcast.


Anyone who enters or leaves the vault is documented and workers who handle the lottery balls wear gloves, worried that human touch might change what numbers are randomly drawn.


Cameras are located in every nook and cranny of the Powerball studio, spying on workers as they ready the machines for the big moment. Lottery officials in several states will be watching those feeds in real time to monitor the proceedings.


Not everyone has Powerball fever in the country as tickets for tonight's jackpot are not offered in eight states. But that has not stopped many Californians and Nevadans who have flocked to Arizona to get in on the action.










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"I'd say the line has to be like three, three and a half hours," one person told ABC News while waiting online to purchase tickets Tuesday.


Still, the long lines have not deterred those who hope to dramatically change their lifestyle and make their wildest dreams become a reality.


"I'm going to the Bahamas and enjoying myself on an island," said one Powerball hopeful.


Chuck Strutt, executive director of the Des Moines, Iowa-based Multi-State Lottery Association, said the chance of getting a winner tonight is approaching 60 percent.


"We call it the redneck retirement fund cause sooner or later, somebody is going to," said one man.


There has been no Powerball winner since Oct. 6 – that's 16 consecutive drawings without a winner. It's the second-highest jackpot in US lottery history, behind only the $656 million Mega Millions prize in March.


Powerball tickets doubled in price in January to $2, and while the number of tickets sold initially dropped, sales revenue has increased by about 35 percent over 2011, according to the Associated Press.


Lottery officials put the odds of winning Wednesday's Powerball pot at one in 175 million. With so many people plaything this time around, some are worried it may hurt their odds.


"Your odds of being a winner are still the same. With so many people playing, it does mean are more likely to split the jackpot if you want," said Scott Norris, math professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.


Everyone who lines up with cash in their hand and dreams in their head seems to have a strategy in picking the winning combination of numbers. Or, do you simply let the computer pick for you?


"It doesn't matter. Your odds of winning are actually the same no matter who picks it," said Norris.
Norris says the only real advantage that can help someone is buying more tickets.


"Your odds increase directly proportional to the number of tickets you buy. So if you buy 100, your odds are 1 in 7 million, but still astronomically small," he said.


With odds so small in a game where just about anyone who plays is a loser, there is some hope for those living in Illinois and New Jersey. Both states have sold three winning tickets for jackpots worth at least $300 million.


A single winner choosing the lump sum cash option would take home more than $327 million before taxes.


ABC News' Steve Osunsami and Ryan Owens contributed to this report.



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PM Lee sends condolences to Bangladesh PM over factory fire

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SINGAPORE: Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has extended his condolences to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the lives lost in the Ashulia garment factory fire and the Chittagong flyover collapse.

Prime Minister Lee said he is confident that under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership, Bangladesh will pull together and recover from the tragedies.

The factory fire in Ashulia and the flyover collapse in Chittagong happened on Sunday.

Over 100 people were killed in the fire while more than 10 people died in the flyover collapse, which also left many injured.

- CNA/lp



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Ericsson sues Samsung for patent infringement

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Ericsson has filed a suit against Samsung for patent infringement.


The Swedish telecommunications equipment maker said on Tuesday that it launched the lawsuit after the two companies were unable to reach an agreement about renewing patent licensing deals.



Samsung previously licensed Ericsson's patents in 2001 and renewed terms in 2007, but licenses have now expired. According to Ericsson, Samsung refused to renew the licensing agreements for its patents on FRAND terms. FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) terms are used by industry groups to set standards for technology and products, and are aimed at encouraging competitiveness without allowing rights holders to abuse their position, and create a setting for patent holders to receive royalties.




No licensing deal was forthcoming "despite two years of negotiations", Ericsson said in a statement, so the company decided it "must take action to support a crucial system for technology sharing that has helped create today's mass market communications industry." Consequently, Ericsson decided to take legal action, filing a compliant in the District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.


The two firms' dispute involves patents owned by Ericsson that it says are "essential" to several telecommunications and networking standards used in a number of Samsung's products. In addition, Ericsson says that other patented inventions, frequently used in wireless and consumer products, are involved in the dispute.


To date, the telecom network equipment maker has signed over 100 licensing agreements with other firms in the industry.
The Swedish firm currently owns over 30,000 patents worldwide.


"By the end of 2012 there will be approximately 6.6 billion mobile subscriptions in the world. The sharing of technology in the telecom industry is one of the main drivers behind this development. The telecom ecosystem builds on fair and reasonable terms that have created an attractive global mass market for mobility and broadband with Ericsson as a main contributor," Kasim Alfalahi, Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Ericsson, said.

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