US singer Nicki Minaj has said she will pay for some of her fans' college tuition fees if they can prove they have achieved top grades at school.
The 34-year-old agreed to donate thousands of dollars to 30 fans - and promised more in the future.
Minaj had been posting on Twitter about a competition giving fans a chance to meet her but one of her followers asked instead for help paying college fees.
The rapper tweeted: "Show me straight A's that I can verify w/ur school and I'll pay it.
"Who wants to join THAT contest?!?! Dead serious. Shld I set it up?"
Other students then joined in, detailing their financial situations, fees and grades.
One even asked for $6,000 (£4,600) to cover his classes, accommodation, food and books.
Minaj replied: "Ok, I'll pay it. If you have proof."
At the end of the Twitter session, she signed off, saying: "Ok u guys. It's been fun. Let me make those payments tmrw then see if I have any money left." She added a laughing emoji.
"I'll do some more in a month or 2," she added.
Sunday, May 7, 2017
Briefsfromshittu: Britain has more billionaires than ever before, ac...
Briefsfromshittu: Britain has more billionaires than ever before, ac...: There are more billionaires in the UK than ever, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. The wealthiest 1,000 people and families have a to...
Britain has more billionaires than ever before, according to Sunday Times Rich List
There are more billionaires in the UK than ever, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.
The wealthiest 1,000 people and families have a total wealth of £658bn, which is up 14% on last year's £575bn.
But it is no longer good enough to be a plain millionaire, with £110m now required to make the list - a sharp climb from the £15m required two decades ago.
The richest people are Sri and Gopi Hinduja, with £16.2bn.
The brothers, aged 81 and 77, are among 134 billionaires on the list and have made their fortune from investments in industries such as oil and gas, automotive, IT, energy, media, banking, property and healthcare sectors.
Their latest project is converting the Old War Office in London into a five-star hotel and luxury apartments.
Robert Watts, compiler of the list, said: "While many of us worried about the outcome of the EU referendum, many of Britain's richest people just kept calm and carried on making billions.
"We expected to see a chilling effect in the run-up to the EU referendum, but that simply did not materialise.
"A buoyant stock market usually drives the wealth of Rich Listers higher, and since last June equities have soared.
"We're seeing more and more diversity in the composition of the Rich List.
"More women, more people from ethnic backgrounds, and more from surprising walks of life, with egg farmers and pet food makers lining up with hedge fund managers and private equity barons."
Ukrainian-born American businessman Len Blavatnik is second richest with £15.982bn. His businesses include Warner Music Group.
Last year's winners were knocked down to third place this year: siblings David and Simon Reuben, 78 and 76 respectively, have a fortune of £14bn, a £900m rise in the past 12 months.
The 2017 Sunday Times Rich List:
1: Sri and Gopi Hinduja (Industry, Finance) £16.2bn
2: Len Blavatnik (Investment, Music, Media) £15.9bn
3: David and Simon Reuben (Property, Internet) £14bn
4: Lakshmi Mittal and family (Steel) £13.2bn
5: Alisher Usmanov (Mining, Investment) £11.8bn
6: Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli (Pharmaceuticals) £11.5bn
7: Guy, George and Galen Jr Weston and family (Retailing) £10.5bn
8: Kirsten and Jorn Rausing (Inheritance, Investment) £9.6bn
9: The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family (Property) £9.5bn
10: Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho (Inheritance, Brewing, Banking) £9.3bn
11: Hans Rausing and family (Packaging) £9.25bn
12: John Fredriksen and family (Shipping, Oil services) £8bn
13: Roman Abramovich (Industry, Oil) £8bn
14: Sir James Dyson and family (Household goods, Technology) £7.8bn
15: Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay (Property, Media, Internet retailing) £7.2bn
16: Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber and family (Hotels, Food, Industry) £6.7bn
17: Earl Cadogan and family (Property) £6.5bn
18: Jim Ratcliffe (Chemicals) £5.75bn
19: Nicky Oppenheimer and family (Mining, Diamonds) £5.5bn
20: Carrie and Francois Perrodo and family (Oil, Gas, Wine) £5.17bn
The wealthiest 1,000 people and families have a total wealth of £658bn, which is up 14% on last year's £575bn.
But it is no longer good enough to be a plain millionaire, with £110m now required to make the list - a sharp climb from the £15m required two decades ago.
The richest people are Sri and Gopi Hinduja, with £16.2bn.
The brothers, aged 81 and 77, are among 134 billionaires on the list and have made their fortune from investments in industries such as oil and gas, automotive, IT, energy, media, banking, property and healthcare sectors.
Their latest project is converting the Old War Office in London into a five-star hotel and luxury apartments.
Robert Watts, compiler of the list, said: "While many of us worried about the outcome of the EU referendum, many of Britain's richest people just kept calm and carried on making billions.
"We expected to see a chilling effect in the run-up to the EU referendum, but that simply did not materialise.
"A buoyant stock market usually drives the wealth of Rich Listers higher, and since last June equities have soared.
"We're seeing more and more diversity in the composition of the Rich List.
"More women, more people from ethnic backgrounds, and more from surprising walks of life, with egg farmers and pet food makers lining up with hedge fund managers and private equity barons."
Ukrainian-born American businessman Len Blavatnik is second richest with £15.982bn. His businesses include Warner Music Group.
Last year's winners were knocked down to third place this year: siblings David and Simon Reuben, 78 and 76 respectively, have a fortune of £14bn, a £900m rise in the past 12 months.
The 2017 Sunday Times Rich List:
1: Sri and Gopi Hinduja (Industry, Finance) £16.2bn
2: Len Blavatnik (Investment, Music, Media) £15.9bn
3: David and Simon Reuben (Property, Internet) £14bn
4: Lakshmi Mittal and family (Steel) £13.2bn
5: Alisher Usmanov (Mining, Investment) £11.8bn
6: Ernesto and Kirsty Bertarelli (Pharmaceuticals) £11.5bn
7: Guy, George and Galen Jr Weston and family (Retailing) £10.5bn
8: Kirsten and Jorn Rausing (Inheritance, Investment) £9.6bn
9: The Duke of Westminster and the Grosvenor family (Property) £9.5bn
10: Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken and Michel de Carvalho (Inheritance, Brewing, Banking) £9.3bn
11: Hans Rausing and family (Packaging) £9.25bn
12: John Fredriksen and family (Shipping, Oil services) £8bn
13: Roman Abramovich (Industry, Oil) £8bn
14: Sir James Dyson and family (Household goods, Technology) £7.8bn
15: Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay (Property, Media, Internet retailing) £7.2bn
16: Mohamed Bin Issa Al Jaber and family (Hotels, Food, Industry) £6.7bn
17: Earl Cadogan and family (Property) £6.5bn
18: Jim Ratcliffe (Chemicals) £5.75bn
19: Nicky Oppenheimer and family (Mining, Diamonds) £5.5bn
20: Carrie and Francois Perrodo and family (Oil, Gas, Wine) £5.17bn
Head of Islamic State in Afghanistan Abdul Hasib killed
The head of Islamic State in Afghanistan, Abdul Hasib, has been killed, the government has said.
Hasib was killed in an operation led by Afghan special forces in the eastern province of Nangarhar, President Ashraf Ghani announced.
He was appointed last year after his predecessor Hafiz Saeed Khan died in a US drone strike and is understood to have ordered a series of high profile attacks.
One was on the main military hospital in Kabul in March by a group of militants dressed as doctors.
The US and Afghan forces, backed by drone strikes and other air support, have mounted a number of operations against IS this year in which dozens of fighters, mainly in Nangarhar on the Pakistan border.
Defeating IS in Afghanistan remains a top priority for the US which in April dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on a network of caves and tunnels killing 94 fighters, including four commanders.
Hasib was killed in an operation led by Afghan special forces in the eastern province of Nangarhar, President Ashraf Ghani announced.
He was appointed last year after his predecessor Hafiz Saeed Khan died in a US drone strike and is understood to have ordered a series of high profile attacks.
One was on the main military hospital in Kabul in March by a group of militants dressed as doctors.
The US and Afghan forces, backed by drone strikes and other air support, have mounted a number of operations against IS this year in which dozens of fighters, mainly in Nangarhar on the Pakistan border.
Defeating IS in Afghanistan remains a top priority for the US which in April dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on a network of caves and tunnels killing 94 fighters, including four commanders.
Security front and centre at French elections
French presidential candidates Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have cast their votes as millions of French citizens head to the polls in the most volatile election for a generation.
And while the party leaders cast their ballots, French police were taking no chances as they attended to a security threat at the the Louvre in Paris, evacuating much of the outside courtyard area.
The museum is set to be the venue for the En Marche! victory party if Emmanuel Macron triumphs in today's vote.
The centrist candidate voted in his home town of Le Touquet in northern France, alongside his wife Brigitte.
Marine Le Pen cast her vote in the former coalmining town - and National Front stronghold - of Henin-Beaumont, also in the north of France.
Outgoing president Francois Hollande, who cast his vote in the central town of Tulle, said: "Today is an important day because it is about not taking the wrong road."
The turnout for the election was confirmed to be just over 28 percent by midday.
Amid increased security people will make their choices after a second round campaign which pitted far-right Ms Le Pen against centrist newcomer Mr Macron with radically different visions on Europe, the economy, immigration and identity in France.
Many in France have seen this election as a test of voters' anger with the political establishment.
The choice on the ballot paper will be between Mr Macron's business and EU friendly vision and Ms Le Pen's "France First", anti-immigration strategy.
The final day before voting was overshadowed by revelations that Mr Macron's En Marche! party had suffered a "massive and coordinated" hacking attack.
Campaign documents, financial, professional and personal information were made public. En Marche! called it an attempt at a "democratic destabilisation" designed to undermine Mr Macron's chances.
The French election watchdog is investigating but also responding to claims from Marine Le Pen's National Front that ballot papers had been tampered with to try and aid her opponent.
Those last-minute developments added to what has already been a confusing and difficult election for many voters.
Traditional centre-right and centre-left parties fell at the first round, leaving Mr Macron and Ms Le Pen to fight to the finish.
The economy and jobs have been the dominant issues of the election but security was thrust to the fore mid-campaign after an armed gunman brought chaos to the Champs-Elysees in Paris, shooting dead a police officer and injuring others.
Security is expected to be tight around polling stations with extra police and soldiers deployed to ensure the selection of the next French president goes ahead without any problems.
:: What you need to know about the French elections
Close to 47 million people are eligible to vote in the election, with 1.3 million of them living abroad.
The result will be as keenly watched internationally as in France to see what extent the populist tide which delivered Brexit to the UK and Donald Trump to America is still at play.
Polls opened at 8am in France (7am UK time) and remain open until 7pm in most areas and 8pm in some major cities, including Paris.
Some French mayors have struggled to find enough people to tally votes.
Counters usually come from the major parties in France - the Socialists and Republicans - but with both parties knocked out of the race, in some areas city officials have had to be hired to do the job.
Surveys suggest many voters plan to abstain, not finding either remaining candidate acceptable after their party was ejected from the race.
Abstentions are expected to hit a record level for a presidential contest which usually attracts high turnout in France.
Many who plan to vote have said they are choosing between the "lesser of two evils".
About 60,000 polling stations will be open across the country with exit polls expected very soon after they close.
And while the party leaders cast their ballots, French police were taking no chances as they attended to a security threat at the the Louvre in Paris, evacuating much of the outside courtyard area.
The museum is set to be the venue for the En Marche! victory party if Emmanuel Macron triumphs in today's vote.
The centrist candidate voted in his home town of Le Touquet in northern France, alongside his wife Brigitte.
Marine Le Pen cast her vote in the former coalmining town - and National Front stronghold - of Henin-Beaumont, also in the north of France.
Outgoing president Francois Hollande, who cast his vote in the central town of Tulle, said: "Today is an important day because it is about not taking the wrong road."
The turnout for the election was confirmed to be just over 28 percent by midday.
Amid increased security people will make their choices after a second round campaign which pitted far-right Ms Le Pen against centrist newcomer Mr Macron with radically different visions on Europe, the economy, immigration and identity in France.
Many in France have seen this election as a test of voters' anger with the political establishment.
The choice on the ballot paper will be between Mr Macron's business and EU friendly vision and Ms Le Pen's "France First", anti-immigration strategy.
The final day before voting was overshadowed by revelations that Mr Macron's En Marche! party had suffered a "massive and coordinated" hacking attack.
Campaign documents, financial, professional and personal information were made public. En Marche! called it an attempt at a "democratic destabilisation" designed to undermine Mr Macron's chances.
The French election watchdog is investigating but also responding to claims from Marine Le Pen's National Front that ballot papers had been tampered with to try and aid her opponent.
Those last-minute developments added to what has already been a confusing and difficult election for many voters.
Traditional centre-right and centre-left parties fell at the first round, leaving Mr Macron and Ms Le Pen to fight to the finish.
The economy and jobs have been the dominant issues of the election but security was thrust to the fore mid-campaign after an armed gunman brought chaos to the Champs-Elysees in Paris, shooting dead a police officer and injuring others.
Security is expected to be tight around polling stations with extra police and soldiers deployed to ensure the selection of the next French president goes ahead without any problems.
:: What you need to know about the French elections
Close to 47 million people are eligible to vote in the election, with 1.3 million of them living abroad.
The result will be as keenly watched internationally as in France to see what extent the populist tide which delivered Brexit to the UK and Donald Trump to America is still at play.
Polls opened at 8am in France (7am UK time) and remain open until 7pm in most areas and 8pm in some major cities, including Paris.
Some French mayors have struggled to find enough people to tally votes.
Counters usually come from the major parties in France - the Socialists and Republicans - but with both parties knocked out of the race, in some areas city officials have had to be hired to do the job.
Surveys suggest many voters plan to abstain, not finding either remaining candidate acceptable after their party was ejected from the race.
Abstentions are expected to hit a record level for a presidential contest which usually attracts high turnout in France.
Many who plan to vote have said they are choosing between the "lesser of two evils".
About 60,000 polling stations will be open across the country with exit polls expected very soon after they close.
City of Hannover evacuated after five unexploded WWII bombs found
At least 50,000 people are being forced out of the centre of Hannover after five unexploded World War II bombs were discovered.
People living in the city, as well as businesses, have been told to ensure their water, electricity and gas supplies are turned off before they leave.
It is one of the biggest post-war operations to diffuse devices, mostly dropped in aerial attacks by Allied forces.
Bomb disposal expert Chris Hunter described the find as "quite a significant incident", telling Sky News: "We don't tend to see five at once."
Among the people moving out of a densely populated area are elderly residents of retirement and nursing homes. Transport throughout the city is also being disrupted.
For those affected, authorities have laid on a range of sports, cultural and leisure activities, including trips to museums and film screenings.
Mr Hunter explained that a property boom and construction work are among the reasons for an increase in the discovery of WWII bombs, as well as people spending more time outdoors as the weather gets warmer.
He said that high-explosives lying dormant for years, on devices that often have booby-trap mechanisms, can be ready to detonate any second.
"It's inherently dangerous," he said.
The evacuation of Hannover is the biggest of its type since Christmas, when an unexploded British bomb forced 54,000 people out of the southern city of Augsberg.
People living in the city, as well as businesses, have been told to ensure their water, electricity and gas supplies are turned off before they leave.
It is one of the biggest post-war operations to diffuse devices, mostly dropped in aerial attacks by Allied forces.
Bomb disposal expert Chris Hunter described the find as "quite a significant incident", telling Sky News: "We don't tend to see five at once."
Among the people moving out of a densely populated area are elderly residents of retirement and nursing homes. Transport throughout the city is also being disrupted.
For those affected, authorities have laid on a range of sports, cultural and leisure activities, including trips to museums and film screenings.
Mr Hunter explained that a property boom and construction work are among the reasons for an increase in the discovery of WWII bombs, as well as people spending more time outdoors as the weather gets warmer.
He said that high-explosives lying dormant for years, on devices that often have booby-trap mechanisms, can be ready to detonate any second.
"It's inherently dangerous," he said.
The evacuation of Hannover is the biggest of its type since Christmas, when an unexploded British bomb forced 54,000 people out of the southern city of Augsberg.
'Don't ask about my future - I'm fighting to win,' says Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn says he is "fighting to win" the General Election, refusing to address questions about what would happen if he was defeated on 8 June on the scale of the recent local elections.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Mr Corbyn was asked whether he would stand down as Labour leader in those circumstances.
He said: "I've been elected to lead this party and I'm very proud to do so. I'm very proud of the increased membership and the increase in our party activity.
"Obviously I am disappointed in the election results on Thursday.
"We're going all out to elect Labour MPs on 8 June. After that, we'll see what the result is."
:: Analysis: Why it might be worth a punt on a Corbyn win
Pressed about whether he would cling on, Mr Corbyn said: "I'm not answering any of those questions because we are fighting to win this election to get a Labour government that will deliver for the people of this country."
Mr Corbyn says the local election results were partly to do with UKIP's decline rather than Labour's and he urged voters leaving UKIP not to instinctively switch to the Conservatives.
He said: "I think a lot of UKIP voters probably voted Conservative and I would urge them to think very carefully about what they are voting for.
"Do they want to live in a society where the health service is underfunded, where schools have to have collections from the parents to pay for the teachers and there is a growing housing crisis, or do they want a Labour alternative which is fair taxation for those who can afford to pay it."
Mr Corbyn has been backed by his shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who has dampened down his earlier suggestion that losing the election would mean "inevitable" resignation.
"I think that we're in there with a real fight. We know how tough it is," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr.
"I think we're going to win this election. Full stop. I'm fighting to win this election," he said, adding: "We're not contemplating any loss. We're gonna win the votes and we're gonna win this election. Why? Because our country needs us."
And former shadow chancellor Alan Johnson told Sky News that talk of a Tory landslide was only built on "wishful thinking in some aspects of the print media".
Asked whether he thought this General Election was a battle for the very existence of the Labour Party he told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday: "Yes. It is.
"Because, you lose two elections and that's bad enough. To lose three elections on the trot at such a difficult period for our country...
"That's why Jeremy Corbyn's got to step up to the plate. That's why he's got to show that he can do all the things that his supporters believe that he can do. It is an existential threat to the party."
Moving to the subject of Brexit negotiations, Jeremy Corbyn explained to Sky News how he would do things differently to Theresa May.
He said: "I wouldn't accuse them (EU officials) of interfering with this country's elections when there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever to suggest they are doing that.
"I wouldn't start negotiations by threatening I might walk away and set up some kind of low tax enterprise on the shores of Europe.
"I would point out to them that we had a referendum, that we've had a decision, that we want to maintain good serious trading relationship with Europe with tariff-free access to the European market."
Mr Corbyn disagreed with the Conservative negotiating position preferring no deal to a bad deal, saying: "To me the deal is fundamentally about trade access."
He added: "If you want World Trade Organisation rules you immediately impose tariffs on yourself.
"What they (the Conservatives) are saying is they don't care about jobs in Sunderland. They don't care about jobs in Birmingham. They don't care about jobs in Swindon. They don't care about jobs in Oxford.
"They don't care about the future of Airbus and its integrated production.
"Surely they need to be a bit more sensible and serious about it."
The Labour leader denied suggestions that his stance might lead to a second referendum.
He said: "We would negotiate sensibly and seriously and respectfully with them and recognise that we all have an interest in reaching a decent agreement."
Mr Corbyn was also quizzed over why Andy Burnham didn't appear by his side when the Labour leader celebrated his mayoral victory in Manchester. He insisted Mr Burnham's absence was "not a problem" and that he and the new Mayor of Greater Manchester were in regular contact.
He said reports that the celebrations were organised by Momentum and therefore excluded Labour Party HQ were inaccurate, insisting that all his events were organised by the Labour Party and all his campaign staff were also party members.
In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Mr Corbyn was asked whether he would stand down as Labour leader in those circumstances.
He said: "I've been elected to lead this party and I'm very proud to do so. I'm very proud of the increased membership and the increase in our party activity.
"Obviously I am disappointed in the election results on Thursday.
"We're going all out to elect Labour MPs on 8 June. After that, we'll see what the result is."
:: Analysis: Why it might be worth a punt on a Corbyn win
Pressed about whether he would cling on, Mr Corbyn said: "I'm not answering any of those questions because we are fighting to win this election to get a Labour government that will deliver for the people of this country."
Mr Corbyn says the local election results were partly to do with UKIP's decline rather than Labour's and he urged voters leaving UKIP not to instinctively switch to the Conservatives.
He said: "I think a lot of UKIP voters probably voted Conservative and I would urge them to think very carefully about what they are voting for.
"Do they want to live in a society where the health service is underfunded, where schools have to have collections from the parents to pay for the teachers and there is a growing housing crisis, or do they want a Labour alternative which is fair taxation for those who can afford to pay it."
Mr Corbyn has been backed by his shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who has dampened down his earlier suggestion that losing the election would mean "inevitable" resignation.
"I think that we're in there with a real fight. We know how tough it is," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr.
"I think we're going to win this election. Full stop. I'm fighting to win this election," he said, adding: "We're not contemplating any loss. We're gonna win the votes and we're gonna win this election. Why? Because our country needs us."
And former shadow chancellor Alan Johnson told Sky News that talk of a Tory landslide was only built on "wishful thinking in some aspects of the print media".
Asked whether he thought this General Election was a battle for the very existence of the Labour Party he told Sky's Sophy Ridge On Sunday: "Yes. It is.
"Because, you lose two elections and that's bad enough. To lose three elections on the trot at such a difficult period for our country...
"That's why Jeremy Corbyn's got to step up to the plate. That's why he's got to show that he can do all the things that his supporters believe that he can do. It is an existential threat to the party."
Moving to the subject of Brexit negotiations, Jeremy Corbyn explained to Sky News how he would do things differently to Theresa May.
He said: "I wouldn't accuse them (EU officials) of interfering with this country's elections when there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever to suggest they are doing that.
"I wouldn't start negotiations by threatening I might walk away and set up some kind of low tax enterprise on the shores of Europe.
"I would point out to them that we had a referendum, that we've had a decision, that we want to maintain good serious trading relationship with Europe with tariff-free access to the European market."
Mr Corbyn disagreed with the Conservative negotiating position preferring no deal to a bad deal, saying: "To me the deal is fundamentally about trade access."
He added: "If you want World Trade Organisation rules you immediately impose tariffs on yourself.
"What they (the Conservatives) are saying is they don't care about jobs in Sunderland. They don't care about jobs in Birmingham. They don't care about jobs in Swindon. They don't care about jobs in Oxford.
"They don't care about the future of Airbus and its integrated production.
"Surely they need to be a bit more sensible and serious about it."
The Labour leader denied suggestions that his stance might lead to a second referendum.
He said: "We would negotiate sensibly and seriously and respectfully with them and recognise that we all have an interest in reaching a decent agreement."
Mr Corbyn was also quizzed over why Andy Burnham didn't appear by his side when the Labour leader celebrated his mayoral victory in Manchester. He insisted Mr Burnham's absence was "not a problem" and that he and the new Mayor of Greater Manchester were in regular contact.
He said reports that the celebrations were organised by Momentum and therefore excluded Labour Party HQ were inaccurate, insisting that all his events were organised by the Labour Party and all his campaign staff were also party members.
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