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If it seems like lottery jackpots topping $1 billion are more common nowadays, it's because they are DES MOINES, Iowa -- Another day, another billion dollar lottery jackpot. At least, that's how it seems ahead of Tuesday night's Mega Millions drawing for an estimated $1.05 billion top prize. It's a huge sum of money, but such giant jackpots have become far more common, with five prizes topping $1 billion since 2021 — and one jackpot reaching $2.04 billion in 2022. The massive prizes are due in part to chance, but it's not all happenstance. Rising interest rates coupled with changes to the odds of winning are also big reasons the prizes grow so large. HOW DO INTEREST RATES INCREASE JACKPOTS? Nearly all jackpot winners opt for a lump sum payout, which for Tuesday night's drawing would be an estimated $527.9 million. The lump sum is the cash that a winner has actually won. The highlighted $1.05 billion prize is for a sole winner who is paid through an annuity,...

Major fires raging in Greece and other European countries have advanced RHODES, Greece -- Deadly fires raging in Greece and other European countries advanced on Wednesday, destroying homes and threatening nature reserves during a third successive wave of extreme temperatures. The summer wildfire s have struck countries across the region, prompting the European Union to expand its support, sending two Spanish firefighting planes to Tunisia after wildfire s in neighboring Algeria left at least 34 people dead in recent days. Here’s a look at some of the major wildfire s across Europe. ___ GREECE More wildfires broke out Wednesday in the central mainland, with the most serious near the city of Volos, where outlying villages and a nearby industrial zone were ordered evacuated. The fire service said there were no immediate reports of people trapped in factory buildings. It said two people were found dead following fires in the surrounding area — an older woman burnt to death in a caravan a...

NatWest, one of Britain’s biggest banks, says its chief executive has left her job after discussing personal details of a client — the populist politician Nigel Farage — with a journalist LONDON -- The chief executive of NatWest, one of Britain's biggest banks, left her job on Wednesday after discussing personal details of a client — the populist politician Nigel Farage — with a journalist amid a furor over financial institutions' power to refuse customers for their political views. The bank said Alison Rose was leaving “by mutual consent.” The surprise early-morning statement came just hours after NatWest had expressed full confidence in the CEO, who was the first woman to head one of Britain's four big banks. "It is a sad moment," said the bank's chairman, Howard Davies. NatWest shares fell more than 3% in trading Wednesday on the London Stock Exchange. Rose's departure came after days of news stories sparked when Farage complained that his bank acco...

Adidas is releasing a second batch of high-end Yeezy sneakers after cutting ties with rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West FRANKFURT, Germany -- Adidas said Friday that it is releasing a second batch of high-end Yeezy sneakers after cutting ties with rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, as the German Sports wear brand seeks to unload the unsold shoes while donating to groups fighting antisemitism. The online sale, to start Wednesday through Adidas smartphone apps and its website, follows an earlier set of sales in May. Models that will be available include the Yeezy Boost 350 V2, 500, and 700 as well as the Yeezy Slide and Foam RNR. The company cut ties with Ye in October after he made antisemitic and other offensive remarks online and in interviews. That left Adidas holding 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) worth of unsold Yeezys and searching for a responsible way to dispose of them. Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden said in May that selling the popular sneakers and donating some of t...

The coastal Chinese city of Shantou has joined parts of Taiwan in shutting down schools and offices as Typhoon Doksuri brings heavy wind and rain to the Taiwan Strait BEIJING -- The coastal Chinese city of Shantou on Thursday joined parts of Taiwan in shutting down schools and offices as Typhoon Doksuri brings heavy wind and rain to the Taiwan Strait and surrounding areas. Doksuri weakened further on Thursday, with sustained winds of 155 kph (96 mph) and gusts of up to 190 kph (118 mph), according to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau. The typhoon’s center won't hit Taiwan’s mainland, but its outlying bands will still bring stronger winds and rains on Thursday afternoon. Shantou, which lies on the border between Guangdong and Fujian provinces, will remain largely shut through the end of Friday, the local government said on social media. Images from the area on public news broadcasts showed fishing ships tied up in port as heavy waves broke along the seawall. Apart from an occ...

Typhoon Doksuri has blown ashore in a cluster of islands and lashed northern Philippine provinces with ferocious wind and rain, leaving at least two villagers dead and displacing nearly 16,000 villagers as it blows tin roofs off rural houses, floods lo... MANILA, Philippines -- Typhoon Doksuri blew ashore in a cluster of islands and lashed northern Philippine provinces with ferocious wind and rain Wednesday, leaving at least two people dead and displacing thousands of others as it blew roofs off rural houses, flooded low-lying villages and toppled trees, officials said. The typhoon slammed into Fuga Island before dawn and later hit another island in Cagayan province, where nearly 16,000 people were evacuated from high-risk coastal villages and schools and workplaces were shut down as a precaution as Doksuri approached. They were among tens of thousands of people in northern provinces who were affected by flooding and other problems caused by the typhoon, which has a 700-kilometer-wid...

The U.N. atomic watchdog says its staff at Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant report seeing anti-personnel mines around the site KYIV, Ukraine -- The U.N. atomic watchdog says its staff at Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant report seeing anti-personnel mines around the site as Kyiv pursues a counteroffensive against the Kremlin’s entrenched forces after 17 months of war. “Having such explosives on the site is inconsistent with the IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance and creates additional psychological pressure on plant staff,” International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a statement late Monday. However, any detonation of the mines, located between the site’s internal and external perimeter barriers, “should not affect the site’s nuclear safety and security systems,” the statement said. The IAEA has repeatedly expressed concern about the facility, which is one of the 10 biggest in...

Elon Musk plans to change the logo of Twitter to an “X” from the bird, marking what would be the latest big change since he bought the social media platform for $44 billion last year NEW YORK -- Elon Musk said Sunday that he plans to change the logo of Twitter to an “X” from the bird, marking what would be the latest big change since he bought the social media platform for $44 billion last year. In a series of posts on his Twitter account starting just after 12 a.m. ET, Twitter's owner said that he's looking to make the change worldwide as soon as Monday. “And soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds,” Musk wrote on his account. Earlier this month, the billionaire Tesla CEO put new curfews on his digital town square, a move that met with sharp criticism that it could drive away more advertisers and undermine its cultural i NFL uence as a trendsetter. The higher tweet-viewing threshold is part of an $8-per-month subscription service that Mus...

Those who know him in Spain say that Alberto Núñez Feijóo doesn't enter a political battle unless he has almost every chance of winning BARCELONA, Spain -- BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the conservative politician who polls suggest is poised to become Spain’s next prime minister, likes to recall that at heart, he is just a mild-mannered “village boy” from the country’s rural northwest. A humble, forthright, even boring guy, as he likes to describe himself. The conservative Popular Party candidate for Sunday's general election is mostly unknown outside Spain, but he has been the country's most solid regional leader so far this century and has never lost an election . Feijóo was a political steamroller during the 13 years in which he governed Spain’s northwestern Galicia region, the homeland of 20th-century dictator Francisco Franco and of former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who ran Spain from 2011-2018 as PP's leader. Feijóo took power as Galicia...

Dollar General violated federal labor law and “clearly intended to interfere” with worker rights in efforts to quell unionization at a Connecticut store, a National Labor Relations Board judge said Monday NEW YORK -- NEW YORK (AP) — Dollar General violated federal labor law and “clearly intended to interfere” with worker rights in efforts to quell unionization at a Connecticut store, a National Labor Relations Board judge said Monday. Violations from the Dolgen Corp., which operates Dollar General stores, included wrongfully firing an employee and making an implied threat to close the location in Barkhamsted, the NLRB decision read — adding that the company also sent corporate officials to the store and other locations across Connecticut in response to a 2021 union drive. “The unfair labor practices herein involve individuals at the highest levels of Dolgen management," judge Arthur J. Amchan wrote. “They were also committed pursuant to a corporate policy as to how to deal with or...

Authorities say one man has been killed and at least 48 people are injured, some of them seriously, after a suspected underground gas explosion ripped open roads and flipped vehicles in the heart of South Africa’s biggest city JOHANNESBURG -- One man died and at least 48 people were injured after a suspected underground gas explosion ripped open roads and flipped vehicles in the heart of South Africa's biggest city, authorities and emergency services said Thursday. Firefighters found the man's body found under a vehicle. The cause of the blast at evening rush hour Wednesday in downtown Johannesburg remained unclear. The company that supplies gas to that part of the city said it did not believe its underground pipelines were responsible, as authorities first thought. An investigation was underway as city authorities brought in specialists to determine what other underground pipes or cables there were in the area and if there was a threat of another explosion or gas leak. “We...

Computer chip and software maker Broadcom’s $61 billion plan to buy cloud technology company VMware has cleared another hurdle after Britain’s competition regulator gave the deal provisional clearance LONDON -- Computer chip and software maker Broadcom’s $61 billion plan to buy cloud Technology company VMware cleared another hurdle Wednesday after Britain's com Pet ition regulator gave the deal provisional clearance. The Com Pet ition and Markets Authority said its investigation found the deal “would not substantially reduce com Pet ition” in the supply of hardware components for computer servers in the U.K. The deal also would be unlikely to harm innovation, the regulator said. Thousands of British businesses and public bodies, including major banks, big retailers, telecom operators and government departments rely on Broadcom gear and VMware software, the regulator said. Both companies are based in California. The CMA will now seek feedback before issuing its final report Sept. ...

The Biden administration and major consumer tech players are launching an effort to put a nationwide cybersecurity certification and labeling program in place WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration and major consumer technology players on Tuesday launched an effort to put a nationwide cybersecurity certification and labeling program in place to help consumers choose smart devices that are less vulnerable to hacking. Officials likened the new U.S. Cyber Trust Mark initiative — to be overseen by the Federal Communications Commission, with industry participation voluntary — to the Energy Star program, which rates appliances’ energy efficiency. “It will allow Americans to confidently identify which internet- and Bluetooth-connected devices are cybersecure,” deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger told reporters in a pre-announcement briefing. Amazon, Best Buy, Google, LG Electronics USA, Logitech and Samsung are among industry participants. Devices including baby monitors, home sec...

China’s economic growth missed forecasts in the second quarter of the year amid a slowdown in consumer spending and weakening global demand HONG KONG -- China's economic growth missed forecasts in the second quarter of the year, adding to worries over surging youth unemployment and a weak property sector and raising the likelihood the government will double down on support for the faltering post COVID-19 recovery. The world's second largest economy grew at a 6.3% annual pace in the April-June quarter, much slower than the 7% plus growth analysts had forecast given the anemic pace of activity the year before. Unemployment of youths aged 16 to 24 rose to a record 21.3% in June, up from 20.8% the month before. Investment in property development, a vital driver of both industrial and consumer demand, sank 7.9% in the first half of the year compared to a year earlier in a troubling sign of persisting weakness in an industry that slowed even before the pandemic as the government ...