Cruise Ship Coral Adventurer Runs Aground in PNG Amid Ongoing Fatality Probe
The Coral Adventurer cruise ship has run aground near Lae, Papua New Guinea. This is the vessel’s first voyage since a passenger died on Lizard Island in October.
LITTLE ROCK : The $1.817 billion Powerball jackpot won this Christmas Eve isn’t just a holiday story—it’s a record-breaking financial event. Surpassing nearly every other draw in the game’s history, this win now sits as the second-largest US lottery jackpot ever, trailing only the $2.04 billion world record set in 2022.
The Winner’s Choice The anonymous winner in Arkansas now faces a life-altering financial decision. They can choose between:
A one-time cash payment of $834.9 million ($1.2 billion AUD).
The full $1.817 billion paid out over 29 years in 30 installments, with each payment increasing by 5% to account for interest and inflation.
While the annuity offers the full “billionaire” status, historical data shows that the vast majority of winners opt for the immediate lump sum.
Breaking the Holiday Curse While jackpots have been won on Christmas before (most recently in 2013), none have ever reached the billion-dollar mark during the festive period. This win also marks the first time a Christmas Eve draw has produced a jackpot winner since 2011.
Top 3 All-Time Powerball Jackpots:
$2.04 Billion (November 2022) – Single ticket, California.
$1.817 Billion (December 2025) – Single ticket, Arkansas.
$1.787 Billion (September 2025) – Shared, Missouri and Texas.
As the prize resets to $20 million, the Arkansas winner now enters the history books alongside some of the wealthiest lottery players in global history.
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