A Powerball player in Arkansas has won a $1.817 billion jackpot Wednesday amid the Christmas holiday. That ends the lottery game’s three-month stretch without a top-prize winner. The winning numbers were 04, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with the Powerball number being 19. Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot higher than previous expected. Organizers say that made it the second-largest in U.S. history and the largest Powerball prize of 2025. The jackpot has a lump sum cash payment option of $834.9 million.
Faithful return to Bethlehem and Pope Leo XIV celebrates his first Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter's
A Powerball player in Arkansas has won a $1.817 billion lottery jackpot.
Asian shares are mixed in thin holiday trading, with most markets in the region and elsewhere closed for Christmas. Chinese benchmarks rose while shares were nearly unchanged in Tokyo. On Wednesday, U.S. stocks drifted to more records in a holiday-shortened trading session. The S&P 500 rose 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up 0.2%. The S&P 500 is up more than 17% this year, driven by optimism about artificial intelligence and deregulatory policies. Investors' focus is on the U.S. economy's direction and Federal Reserve interest rate policy. Unemployment claims fell last week, indicating a still-healthy labor market.
EU warns of possible action after the US bars 5 Europeans accused of censorship
Christmas schedule: Cavs-Knicks, Spurs-Thunder, Mavs-Warriors, Rockets-Lakers, Wolves-Nuggets
Pro-Russian hackers claim cyberattack on French postal service
Christmas schedule: Cavs-Knicks, Spurs-Thunder, Mavs-Warriors, Rockets-Lakers, Wolves-Nuggets
Faithful return to Bethlehem and Pope Leo XIV celebrates his first Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter's
From Bethlehem to Beijing, people around the world are celebrating the Christmas season. A polar bear mascot boards an elevator during holiday…