Powerball jackpot climbs to $290M as no one wins top prize

The Powerball jackpot keeps growing. It's now up to $290 million with a cash option of $168.4 million after no tickets sold for Wednesday's drawing matched all the winning numbers, according to the Powerball website.
The winning numbers are: 8, 24, 39, 49 and 59. The Powerball drawn was 5.

Tickets that matched five numbers but not the Powerball were bought in each of California, Connecticut, Florida, New York, Oregon, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

New Jersey Lottery Powerball Winning Numbers

POWERBALL PRIZE PAYOUTS FOR WEDNESDAY JULY 31, 2013

ESTIMATED GRAND PRIZE: $235,000,000.00

POWERBALL WINNING NUMBERS: 

08 - 24 - 39 - 49 - 59 AND THE POWER BALL NUMBER IS 05

PLAYERS MATCHING 5 OF 5 NUMBERS
AND THE POWERBALL 0

EACH PLAYER WILL RECEIVE $0.00

PLAYERS MATCHING 5 OF 5 NUMBERS 0
EACH PLAYER WILL RECEIVE $1,000,000.00

PLAYERS MATCHING 4 OF 5 NUMBERS
AND THE POWERBALL 3
EACH PLAYER WILL RECEIVE $10,000.00

PLAYERS MATCHING 4 OF 5 NUMBERS 76
EACH PLAYER WILL RECEIVE $100.00

PLAYERS MATCHING 3 OF 5 NUMBERS
AND THE POWERBALL 116
EACH PLAYER WILL RECEIVE $100.00

PLAYERS MATCHING 3 OF 5 NUMBERS 3,610
EACH PLAYER WILL RECEIVE $7.00

PLAYERS MATCHING 2 OF 5 NUMBERS
AND THE POWERBALL 1,995
EACH PLAYER WILL RECEIVE $7.00

PLAYERS MATCHING 1 OF 5 NUMBERS
AND THE POWERBALL 12,701
EACH PLAYER WILL RECEIVE $4.00

PLAYERS MATCHING 0 OF 5 NUMBERS
AND THE POWERBALL 26,239
EACH PLAYER WILL RECEIVE $4.00

US kidnapper Ariel Castro caged for life

Who is Ariel Castro?:
The Cleveland bus driver who abducted, imprisoned and repeatedly raped three women was sentenced on Thursday to life in prison without parole, after one of his victims confronted him and said he had put her through 11 years of hell.

"I am not a monster. I was sick," Castro said, insisting he was addicted to sex and pornography.
He also insisted the women were lying when they said he beat them, declaring "I am not a violent person."

Ariel Castro, 53, apologized to his victims, but was mostly defiant at a court hearing during which he verbally sparred with the judge and blamed his actions on abuse as a child and a sexual obsession.

Ariel Castro's vain pleas that he was not a violent man fell on deaf ears, as Judge Michael Russo accepted a plea deal that saw him convicted on 977 criminal counts.

"If you asked my daughter she would say, my dad is the best dad in the world," Castro said.

"We stand before you and promise you that our beloved family member thrives," said Sylvia Colon, DeJesus' cousin. "She laughs, swims, dances, and more importantly, she loves and is loved. We are comforted in knowing that she will continue to flourish."
The women have begun emerging from the privacy they had sought after they escaped to freedom.
Berry made a surprise onstage appearance at a rap concert last weekend, and DeJesus made a few televised comments as a privacy fence was being erected around her house.

Budget fashion chain H&M opens US online store

Hi latest news for US People. H&M opens US online store finally after two and half years. After several delays, Swedish budget fashion chain Hennes & Mauritz says it has launched its online sales operations in the United States.
H&M opened its U.S. online store today, saying it will sell everything available in its high street stores.
The online store, which was initially planned to open in 2012, will also feature some exclusive clothes that aren't available elsewhere and the company's home decor collection H&M Home.
H&M first put U.S. customers on notice of its exciting online expansion in a January 2011 message on Twitter: “Good morning is an understatement! H&M has decided to have online shopping in the U.S. at the turn of the year 2011/2012! Stay tuned for more.”

H&M said everything that is available in its high street stores - that's Main Street to U.S. shoppers - will also be sold online.Budget fashion chain H&M opens US online store

The online store, which was initially planned to open in 2012, will also feature some clothes that are exclusive to Internet customers and the company's home decor collection H&M Home.

Daniel Kulle, U.S. President for H&M, said he was "thrilled to launch online shopping in the U.S."

"This significant milestone fully rounds out H&M's multi channel offering," he said.

H&M's 268 stores in the U.S. brought in revenues of 3.3 billion Swedish kronor ($503 million) in the second quarter, an increase of 2 percent compared to the same quarter a year ago.Budget fashion chain H&M opens US online store.

H&M's 268 stores in the U.S. brought in revenues of 3.3 billion Swedish kronor ($503 million) in the second quarter, an increase of 2 percent compared to the same quarter a year ago.