Powerball Numbers Drawn for Nearly $580M Jackpot

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5-23-16-22-29-Powerball 6: Those are the winning numbers for an estimated $579 million Powerball jackpot -- the biggest in history.


After a feverish day that saw hopeful players buying tickets at the rate of 131,000 every minute, lottery officials in Orlando, Fla., drew the winning sequence shortly after 11 p.m.


The results likely will be announced sometime after 2 a.m. Thursday morning.


Identifying the winner, however, could take days -- if there is a winner.


A prior drawing last Saturday night produced no winner. That fact, plus the doubling in price of a Powerball ticket, accounted for the unprecedented richness of the pot.


"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.


In Photos: Biggest Lotto Jackpot Winners






AP Photo/Patrick Semansky









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 the $579 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.



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Keeping the financial regulators on their toes

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When members of Congress need factual information and insights into the effectiveness of the financial laws put in place after the 2008 economic crisis, they regularly turn to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Orice Williams Brown.


Initially as director and now as managing director of the GAO’s financial markets and community investment section, Brown and her staff have issued dozens of reports examining the flaws and offering recommendations to improve the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bailout fund, the Wall Street regulatory reform law and the initiatives to prevent housing foreclosures.

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Kim Jong-Un 2012's "Sexiest Man Alive"?

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BEIJING: The Chinese Communist Party's official mouthpiece on Wednesday deleted a story that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un had been named 2012's "Sexiest Man Alive", after it fell for a spoof by US website The Onion.

The People's Daily had run the US satirical site's gushing quotes about the "Pyongyang-bred heartthrob" in both Chinese and English as world news, along with a 55-image gallery opening with Kim astride a horse and gazing into the distance.

But after gleeful Internet users pointed out the error, the English version's web address returned a "page not found" message late Wednesday morning.

A link to the story remained on the website's Korean news pages but there was no content.

The printed edition of the People's Daily did not carry the online report, which made no mention of satire.

It quoted The Onion as saying: "With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm, and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman's dream come true.

"Blessed with an air of power that masks an unmistakable cute, cuddly side, Kim made this newspaper's editorial board swoon with his impeccable fashion sense, chic short hairstyle, and, of course, that famous smile."

The People's Daily article was in line with a series of reports carried by state media backing Beijing and its allies.

During the Communist Party's 18th congress this month, Xinhua news agency published a steady stream of stories quoting "world leaders" as praising the meeting.

Many congratulations were from politicians in countries such as Samoa, Guyana, Congo or Montenegro. Obscure groups such as the "Fund of Peace of Republic of Kazakhstan" were also quoted as following Xi Jinping's elevation to party general secretary.

The People's Daily also ran a series of articles citing foreigners lauding the party's showcase event, including one headlined "Reporters highly praise Press Center of the 18th National Congress".

The newspaper's website has previously published other picture slide-shows on Kim, usually depicting the North Korean leader in a heroic pose, on horses or with army generals.

China is North Korea's sole major ally and provides the bulk of its food and fuel imports.

The People's Daily could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

- AFP/ck



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Rush at gurdwaras as Punjab celebrates Gurpurab

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CHANDIGARH: Hundreds of devotees lined up at gurdwaras across Punjab and elsewhere in the country Wednesday to celebrate Gurpurab - the birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev.

Tight security arrangements were in place outside famous gurdwaras in Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Talwandi Sabo and other places in Punjab.

There was heavy rush of devotees at the Harmandar Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, in Amritsar as people arrived to offer prayers. Devotees had started coming to the holiest of Sikh shrines Tuesday night itself.

The whole Golden Temple complex has been illuminated for the past few days.

'Langars' (community kitchens) were organised at all gurdwaras across Punjab and along major highways Tuesday.

Religious processions were taken out by the Sikh community in most cities and towns in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh Tuesday on the eve of Gurpurab.

Guru Nanak Dev was born in 1469 at Nankana Sahib (now in Pakistan's Punjab province) and founded Sikhism later.

Hundreds of devotees from India left for Pakistan this week to offer prayers at the Nankana Sahib gurdwara.

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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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Study Finds Most Pork Contaminated

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Nov 27, 2012 6:24pm








A sample of raw pork products from supermarkets around the United States found that yersinia enterocolitica, a lesser-known food-borne pathogen, was present in 69 percent of the products tested, according to a study released today by Consumer Reports.


The  bacteria  infects more than 100,000 Americans a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but  for every case that is confirmed with a laboratory test, about 120 more cases escape diagnosis. Symptoms can include fever, cramps and bloody diarrhea.


For its sample, Consumer Reports included the same pork products millions of Americans buy every day at their supermarkets. The study included 148 pork chops and 50 ground pork samples from around the United States.


In the samples tested, 69 percent tested positive for yersinia and 11 percent for enterococcus, which can indicate fecal contamination that can lead to urinary-tract infections. Salmonella and listeria, the more well-known bacterium, registered at 4 percent and 3 percent, respectively.


“The results were concerning,”  Urvashi Rangan, one of the authors of the report, told ABCNews.com. “It’s hard to say that there was no problem.  It shows that there needs to be better hygiene at animal plants. Yersinia wasn’t even being monitored for.”


In a written statement, the Pork Producer’s Council questioned the methods used by Consumer Reports, saying the number of samples tested, 198, did  ”not provide a nationally informative estimate of the true prevalence of the cited bacteria on meat.”


Despite the findings, Rangan said  it’s good to know that the bacteria can be killed by cooking the pork properly and by being vigilant about cross-contamination.


Pork cuts should be cooked to 145 degrees, while ground pork needs to reach a temperature of 160 degrees to kill the bacteria.


“Anything that touches raw meat should go into the dishwasher before touching anything else,” Rangan said. ”Juices from raw meat that touch the counter should be washed with hot soapy water.”


The U.S. Department of Agriculture  said the findings “affirm that companies are meeting the established guidelines for protecting the public’s health.


“USDA will remain vigilant against emerging and evolving threats to the safety of America’s supply of meat, poultry and processed egg products, and we will continue to work with the industry to ensure companies are following food safety procedures in addition to looking for new ways to strengthen the protection of public health,” the department said in a statement.


ABC News’ Dr. Anita Chu contributed reporting. 



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Keeping the financial regulators on their toes

Label:

When members of Congress need factual information and insights into the effectiveness of the financial laws put in place after the 2008 economic crisis, they regularly turn to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Orice Williams Brown.


Initially as director and now as managing director of the GAO’s financial markets and community investment section, Brown and her staff have issued dozens of reports examining the flaws and offering recommendations to improve the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bailout fund, the Wall Street regulatory reform law and the initiatives to prevent housing foreclosures.

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My Waterway@Punggol wins another award

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SINGAPORE: HDB's My Waterway@Punggol project has won an international gold award.

It clinched the honour under the Project Built section in the 2012 International Award for Liveable Communities conferred by the LivCom Management Company.

The award recognizes International Best Practices in the management of the local environment and is endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

My Waterway@Punggol was chosen as the winner by an independent panel of environmental and landscape management experts.

All project entries were judged based on the following criteria: Enhancement of the natural and Built Landscape, arts, culture and heritage, environmental best practices, community participation and empowerment, healthy lifestyle and strategic planning.

The Livcom Awards are given out annually since 1997 and over 50 countries have been represented at the Awards.

Besides winning the LivCom Awards 2012, My Waterway@Punggol's most recent accolades include the FIABCI Singapore Property Award in October 2012 and the Global Superior Achievement Award by the International Water Association in August 2012.

The LivCom Awards 2012 winners were announced at the award ceremony held in Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates on Monday.

- CNA/ir



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Parliament again disrupted over retail FDI

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NEW DELHI: Parliament was disrupted for the fourth day on Tuesday as the opposition continued its protests against the government's policy on allowing foreign investment in multi-brand retail.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha could not carry on with question hour as members of the opposition raised a din inside the two houses over the foreign direct investment (FDI) policy that they claim will hit small traders.

Within minutes of proceedings beginning, opposition MPs were on their feet raising slogans against the FDI policy.

In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Meira Kumar said, "The first question is on crime against women and you are not allowing it."

Despite her request to take their seats, the MPs continued with their sloganeering, resulting in Meira Kumar adjourning the house till 12 noon.

Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha with Hamid Ansari asking the MPs, who trooped near his podium carrying placards that had slogans against the FDI policy, to return to their seats.

As the MPs continued to raise slogans, Ansari adjourned the house till 12 noon.

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Space Pictures This Week: Space "Horse," Mars Rover, More

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