Powerball jackpot climbs up to estimated $1.2 billion

DES MOINES, Iowa • Think you’re a sure bet for Wednesday night’s estimated $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot?

If so, you need to decide whether to take cash, which would actually pay out $596.7 million, or choose the $1.2 billion annuity option that is twice as large but is paid out over 29 years.

Winners of giant jackpots nearly always take the cash, and financial advisers say that might be a mistake.

Nicholas Bunio, a certified financial planner from Downingtown, Pennsylvania, said even with his expertise, he would take an annuity because it would so dramatically reduce his risk of making poor investment decisions.

“It allows you to make a mistake here and there,” Bunio said. “People don’t understand there is a potential for loss. They only focus on the potential for gain.”

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Belgian climate activists sentenced to prison

THE HAGUE, Netherlands • Two Belgian activists who targeted Johannes Vermeer’s iconic “Girl with a Pearl Earring” painting in a climate protest last week were sentenced Wednesday to two months in prison, with prosecutors saying their action “crossed a line” of acceptable protest.

Half of the sentence was suspended by a judge in The Hague, meaning the men will serve one month. A third suspect is due in court Friday. Their identities were not released, in line with Dutch privacy rules.

One man glued his head to glass protecting the 17th-century masterpiece at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague while another poured a can of thickened tomato soup over his head. The second man, wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “Just Stop Oil,” then glued his hand to the wall next to the painting. A third man filmed the protest.

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Ethiopia, Tigray agree to permanently end fighting

PRETORIA, South Africa • Ethiopia’s warring sides have formally agreed during talks in South Africa to a permanent cessation of hostilities in a 2-year conflict whose victims could be counted in the hundreds of thousands.

Enormous challenges lie ahead, including getting all parties to lay down arms or withdraw. African Union envoy Olusegun Obasanjo says Ethiopia’s government and Tigray authorities have agreed on “orderly, smooth and coordinated disarmament.” Other key points include “restoration of services” and “unhindered access to humanitarian supplies.”

The war, which marks two years on Friday, saw abuses documented on both sides. Eritrea, which has fought alongside neighboring Ethiopia, was notably not part of the talks.

Denver gazette wire services