Rapper Meek Mill has set a deal with Amazon and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation for a documentary series examining his odyssey through the criminal justice system during the past decade. The six-part docu series is targeted to premiere in 2019. Philadelphia-based rapper Robert Rihmeek Williams was released from jail last month after serving nearly five months for a probation violation — for popping a wheelie in an Instagram video without wearing a helmet. The docu series will chronicle Mill’s rise to fame and his 10-year battle with Philadelphia judge Genece Brinkley, as well as the larger issue of high incarceration rates for people of color. Roc Nation is producing the untitled project with the Intellectual Property Group and docu filmmaker Isaac Solotaroff. “I’m grateful for this unique opportunity to share my story and I look forward to collaborating with Amazon Prime Video, Roc Nation and the Intellectual Property Corporation on this incredible series,” Mill said. “Not only will this documentary give viewers an unprecedented look at my life, but it will also allow me to use my public platform to highlight the need for criminal justice reform.” Mill, Solotaroff, Shawn Carter, IPC’s Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman and Paul Solotaroff are executive producers of the series, which will feature original music from Mill. “We’re thrilled to be working with such a talented group of producers to bring Meek’s life story to light,” said Heather Schuster, Amazon’s head of unscripted. “Meek’s story of being incarcerated needs to be told and we will have incredible access that takes Prime members beyond the headlines and into his world.”

Netflix has at long last confirmed that Helena Bonham Carter will join “The Crown” Season 3, with the streaming giant also announcing that Jason Watkins is also joining the critically acclaimed series. As Variety reported back in January, Bonham Carter will play Princess Margaret, taking over the role played for the first two seasons by Vanessa Kirby. “I’m not sure which I’m more terrified about — doing justice to the real Princess Margaret or following in the shoes of Vanessa Kirby’s Princess Margaret,” the actress said. “The only thing I can guarantee is that I’ll be shorter [than Vanessa].” She will next be seen in the film “Ocean’s 8.” Bonham Carter is known for her role as Bellatrix Lestrange in the “Harry Potter” franchise, as well as several collaborations with Tim Burton. She is repped by WME and Conway van Gelder Grant. Watkins, meanwhile, will play Harold Wilson. Wilson was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1964 to 1970 and again from 1974 to 1976. “I am delighted to become part of this exceptional show,” Watkins said. “And so thrilled to be working once again with Peter Morgan. Harold Wilson is a significant and fascinating character in our history. So looking forward to bringing him to life, through a decade that transformed us culturally and politically. And excited to be working so closely with Olivia; and the whole team.” Watkins is a BAFTA Award winner known for his work on British television shows like “Being Human,” “Trollied,” and the two-part drama “The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies.” He also recently appeared in the Tom Hardy-led drama series “Taboo” and will also appear in Terry Gilliam’s film “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.” He is repped by United Agents. The pair joins previously announced Season 3 cast members Olivia Colman, who will take over the role of Elizabeth from Claire Foy, and Tobias Menzies, who has been cast as Prince Philip after Matt Smith played the character in Seasons 1 and 2. “The Crown” Season 3 is slated to debut in 2019. The series was created by Morgan and is produced by Left Bank Pictures. The series recently found itself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons when it was revealed that Foy had been paid less for her work in the show than Smith. Left Bank revealed at a talk in Jerusalem on March 13 that Smith had received a higher pay cut, but added that going forward, “no one gets paid more than the Queen.” The company later issued a formal apology for the pay gap.

“Empire” celebrated its Season 5 renewal by topping all of its broadcast competition in the key demo once again on Wednesday night. Airing at 8 p.m. on Fox, “Empire” averaged a 1.7 rating in adults 18-49 and 5.3 million viewers, approximately even with its performance last week. Later on Fox, “Star” (1.2, 3.9 million) was also steady. “Survivor” (1.5, 7.8 million) finished just behind “Empire” in the demo but was also the most-watched show of the night. A new episode of “SEAL Team” (0.9, 5.9 million) was up slightly in the demo, while “Code Black” (0.7, 5.1 million) held steady. On ABC, “The Goldbergs” (1.2, 4.9 million) is currently at a new low. “Alex Inc.” (0.8, 3.2 million) was up in both measures, while “Modern Family” (1.3, 4.7 million) was approximately even. “American Housewife” (0.9, 3.8 million) dipped to a new low. “Designated Survivor” (0.6, 3.6 million) was up in the demo. “The Blacklist” (0.8, 5.5 million) was even on NBC. “Law & Order: SVU” (1.2, 6.3 million) dipped in the demo. “Chicago PD” (1.2, 6.1 million) was even. On The CW, “Riverdale” (0.4, 1.1 million) and “The Originals” (0.4, 0.93 million) were even. Fox won the night in the demo with 1.4 but finished third in viewers with 4.6 million. NBC and CBS tied for second in the demo with a 1.1 each. CBS was first in viewers with 6.3 million. NBC was second with 5.9 million. ABC was fourth overall with a 0.9 and 4 million. The CW averaged a 0.4 an 1 million viewers.

Netflix supremo recognizes streaming giant might have made a few mistakes about Cannes It wasn’t just what Netflix chairman-CEO Reed Hastings said at Lille Transatlantic Dialogues on Thursday but his conciliatory tone. Appearing on the same platform as not only big European company heads such as Endemol Shine’s Sophie Turner Laing but European Commission Vice president Andrus Ansip, Hastings drilled down on Netflix reaction to impending quotas to be imposed on Netflix and other OTT platforms by the Audiovisual Media and Services directive. Its 30% European content stipulation is “a little tough” to meet for Netflix at the moment, Hastings said. “But we have three years. We’re building rapidly towards that,” he added. “Regulation is critical to order. There is great regulation that is very useful. It’s up to us in every country to participate, and follow those regulations,” Hastings said. He added: “I know we have a reputation as a disruptor, sometimes we make mistakes. We got into a bigger situation with Cannes than we meant to.” “We will focus now on series,” he continued. “Standup, docuseries; there is so much we can do without being a distruptor on the movie side.” Drawn on his position on Cannes Festival, Hastings commented that the “We love Cannes. We’ve been many years and have buyers going this year. They are very sincere at finding a model that works for them and us.” When asked about rumors that Netflix may be looking to acquire Luc Besson’s Europacor, Hastings left the door open saying, “We do love Luc Besson, but I can’t comment on that.” Hastings comments come two-and-a-half weeks after he announced a slew of new European series in Rome and promised over $1 billion in in investment in local production in Europe this year. They also come a fortnight after Netflix acknowledged in its first quarter results that Spain’s “La Casa de Papel” was the most-watched foreign-language show ever on Netflix. “La Casa” and “End of the F***ing World” were “as big as our Hollywood hits,” he revealed.

Early tracking projections have placed Disney and Lucasfilm’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story” in the $170 million range for its four-day opening over Memorial Day weekend. The first tracking estimates for the “Star Wars” origins story were released Thursday in the $165 million to $175 million range. Tracking measures were all elevated with unaided awareness at 28%, total awareness at 90%, definite interest at 55% and first choice at 13%. Disney did not release any numbers. The tentpole stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian along with Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. “Solo” follows on a young Han Solo and his early adventures with Wookiee companion Chewbacca, including their encounter with Lando Calrissian. The film will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 15 and will open 10 days later on May 25 in North America and most other markets. Ron Howard directed “Solo: A Star Wars Story” from a screenplay by Jonathan and Lawrence Kasdan. “Solo” is the second spinoff “Star Wars” movie after 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Howard replaced the team of Phil Lord and Chris Miller a year ago. The current Memorial Day weekend record-holder is Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” which debuted domestically in 2007 with $139.8 million. Disney and Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” opened in December and grossed $620 million domestically, the seventh-highest total of all time, and totaled $1.3 billion worldwide.

“Black Panther” and “Stranger Things” have earned the most nominations for the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards, the cable network announced Thursday. “Black Panther,” one of the top 10 highest-grossing movies of all time worldwide, leads with seven nominations. It received nods in categories including best movie and best on-screen team, while Chadwick Boseman was nominated for both best performance in a movie and best hero. Additionally, Letitia Wright was nominated in the scene stealer category for her role as Shuri and Michael B. Jordan was nominated in the best villain category for his portrayal of N’Jadaka/Erik Killmonger. Other movies to earn multiple nominations include “It,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” and “Wonder Woman.” “Stranger Things” scored a total of six nominations, including best show and best on-screen team. Millie Bobby Brown was nominated for best performance in a show for her portrayal of Eleven and Dacre Montgomery scored a nomination for his role as Billy Hargrove in the scene stealer category. “Riverdale,” “Game of Thrones,” and “13 Reasons Why” were also among the shows nominated for multiple awards. The show will once again feature non-gendered categories. Tiffany Haddish will host the ceremony, which airs June 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT from the Barker Hangar in Los Angeles. Emmy Award-winning producer and director Joel Gallen will executive produce and direct the show. Read the full list of nominations below. BEST MOVIE Avengers: Infinity War (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) Black Panther (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) Girls Trip (Universal Pictures) IT (New Line Cinema) Wonder Woman (Warner Bros. Pictures) BEST SHOW 13 Reasons Why (Netflix) Game of Thrones (HBO) grown-ish (Freeform) Riverdale (The CW) Stranger Things (Netflix) BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE Chadwick Boseman – Black Panther Timothée Chalamet – Call Me by Your Name Ansel Elgort – Baby Driver Daisy Ridley – Star Wars: The Last Jedi Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SHOW Millie Bobby Brown – Stranger Things Darren Criss – The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story Katherine Langford – 13 Reasons Why Issa Rae – Insecure Maisie Williams – Game of Thrones BEST HERO Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa/Black Panther) – Black Panther Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) – Game of Thrones Gal Gadot (Diana Prince/Wonder Woman) – Wonder Woman Grant Gustin (Barry Allen/The Flash) – The Flash Daisy Ridley (Rey) – Star Wars: The Last Jedi BEST VILLAIN Josh Brolin (Thanos) – Avengers: Infinity War Adam Driver (Kylo Ren) – Star Wars: The Last Jedi Michael B. Jordan (N’Jadaka/Erik Killmonger) – Black Panther Aubrey Plaza (Lenny Busker) – Legion Bill Skarsgard (Pennywise) – IT BEST KISS Jane the Virgin – Gina Rodriguez (Jane) and Justin Baldoni (Rafael) Love, Simon – Nick Robinson (Simon) and Keiynan Lonsdale (Bram) Ready Player One – Olivia Cooke (Sam) and Tye Sheridan (Wade) Riverdale – KJ Apa (Archie) and Camila Mendes (Veronica) Stranger Things – Finn Wolfhard (Mike) and Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) MOST FRIGHTENED PERFORMANCE Talitha Bateman (Janice) – Annabelle: Creation Emily Blunt (Evelyn Abbott) – A Quiet Place Sophia Lillis (Beverly Marsh) – IT Cristin Milioti (Nanette Cole) – Black Mirror Noah Schnapp (Will Byers) – Stranger Things BEST ON-SCREEN TEAM Black Panther – Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa/ Black Panther), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Letitia Wright (Shuri) IT – Finn Wolfhard (Richie), Sophia Lillis (Beverly), Jaeden Lieberher (Bill), Jack Dylan Grazer (Eddie), Wyatt Oleff (Stanley), Jeremy Ray Taylor (Ben), Chosen Jacobs (Mike) Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle – Dwayne Johnson (Smolder), Kevin Hart (Mouse), Jack Black (Shelly), Karen Gillan (Ruby), Nick Jonas (Seaplane) Ready Player One – Tye Sheridan (Wade), Olivia Cooke (Samantha), Philip Zhao (Sho), Win Morisaki (Daito), Lena Waithe (Aech) Stranger Things – Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Noah Schnapp (Will), Sadie Sink (Max) BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE Jack Black – Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Tiffany Haddish – Girls Trip Dan Levy – Schitt’s Creek Kate McKinnon – SNL Amy Schumer – I Feel Pretty SCENE STEALER Tiffany Haddish (Dina) – Girls Trip Dacre Montgomery (Billy Hargrove) – Stranger Things Madelaine Petsch (Cheryl Blossom) – Riverdale Taika Waititi (Korg) – Thor: Ragnarok Letitia Wright (Shuri) – Black Panther BEST FIGHT Atomic Blonde – Charlize Theron (Lorraine) vs. Daniel Hargrave (Sniper), Greg Rementer (Spotter) Avengers: Infinity War – Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch) vs. Carrie Coon (Proxima Midnight) Black Panther – Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) vs. Winston Duke (M’Baku) Thor: Ragnarok – Mark Ruffalo (Hulk) vs. Chris Hemsworth (Thor) Wonder Woman – Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) vs. German Soldiers BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A Bad Boy Story Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated Gaga: Five Foot Two Jay-Z’s “Footnotes for 4:44” The Defiant Ones BEST REALITY SERIES The Kardashians Love & Hip Hop Real Housewives RuPaul’s Drag Race Vanderpump Rules

The domain name of a popular Popcorn Time fork, that was shut down by the MPAA a few years ago, is unexpectedly showing signs of life. While PopcornTime.io is still registered to Hollywood's anti-piracy group, it now redirects to the pirate streaming site Stream.cr. Four years ago Popcorn Time took the Internet by storm. The software amassed millions of users by offering BitTorrent-powered streaming in an easy-to-use Netflix-style interface. While the original developers shut down their project after a few months, following pressure from Hollywood, others forked the application and took over. PopcornTime.io swiftly became the main Popcorn Time fork. The spin-off soon had millions of users and updates were pushed out on a regular basis. At the end of 2015, however, this fork also disappeared from the web. The MPAA took credit for the fall announcing that it had filed a lawsuit against several people in Canada. In response to these legal threats, several key developers backed out. Soon after, the MPAA also assumed control of the main domain name, ensuring that it could not fall into the wrong hands. This worked well, initially, but this week we noticed that PopcornTime.io is active again. The domain now links to the pirate streaming site Stream.cr, which welcomes its new visitors with a special message. Redirection landing page “Notice: If you’re looking for Popcorn Time(App) for it’s P2P torrent streaming, it’s over at popcorntime.sh. Otherwise, if you’re looking for streaming. Welcome to StreamCR!” a message on the site reads. This is odd, considering that the PopcornTime.io domain name is still registered to the MPAA. Popcorntime.io Whois Adding to the intrigue is the fact that the PopcornTime.io domain registrar is listed as MarkMonitor, which is a well-known brand protection company, often used to prevent domain troubles. “Protect your critical assets by partnering with a corporate-only domain registrar who has a strong security culture and is committed to providing the most secure and reliable solution in the industry,” MarkMonitor writes However, since PopcornTime.io now links to a pirate site, something clearly went wrong. It’s hard to say with certainty what happened. A likely option is that the domain’s nameservers, which point to DNS Made Easy, were not configured properly and that the people behind Stream.cr used that oversight to redirect the domain to their own site. TorrentFreak spoke to a source unrelated to this case who says he was previously able to redirect traffic from a domain that was seized by the MPAA, simply by adding it to his own DNS Made Easy account. That worked, until the nameservers were updated to MarkMonitor’s DNS servers. Whether the fault, in this instance, lies with the MPAA, MarkMonitor, or another party is hard to say without further details. In any case, the MPAA is not going to be happy with the end result, and neither is MarkMonitor. The Stream.cr operators, meanwhile, are probably celebrating and they can enjoy the free traffic while it lasts.

Marvel has had an amazing year so far in 2018, but it's only happening because 2017 was a shockingly chaotic 12 months of production. Not only were both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 filming back to back, but that time also saw the beginning and endings of filming for Black Panther, Ant-Man & The Wasp, and reshoots for Thor: Ragnarok. That's a whole lot of films within the same continuity to be filming at the same time, and as I learned from Avengers directors Anthony and Joe Russo recently, coordination was key. Said Anthony Russo, Here's where it generally needs to be coordinated, is when movies are being executed concurrently. So in this case that was Ant-Man And The Wasp, [Thor:] Ragnarok, Black Panther. And so there were examples with Ant-Man And The Wasp that I don't know if we can go into because they're spoiler details for both movies, where we did have to sync up a little bit on a couple issues. That last bit is a mystery that we'll get to chew on for the next few months while we wait for Ant-Man & The Wasp, but it was just the start of the discussion I had with Joe and Anthony Russo about their movie's effect on Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. During our interview at the Avengers: Infinity War press junket, they told me that they didn't really have any influence on the creative direction for most of the preceding MCU blockbusters (for example, having the Time Stone in Doctor Strange wasn't their call), but that communication was key when three different projects were being made at the same time. Continuing his brother's point, Joe Russo brought up Thor: Ragnarok and working with director Taika Waititi. With the third God of Thunder film, the creative team essentially reinvented one of the starring characters of Avengers: Infinity War, and that made it very important for all of the directors to sit down and talk about their visions. Thor couldn't go from being a one-liner generator back to a stoic warrior, so changes needed to be made. Joe Russo explained, It was also Taika [Waititi] retconning. Obviously it's important for us to be in contact with Taika, seeing footage, talking to him. Taika flew down to Atlanta to sit with us for a day in the writers' room to talk through what he was doing with the character. We had Hemsworth come in with him. Fortunately, working with the production of Black Panther was a bit easier for the Russo brothers. While Thor: Ragnarok was primarily filmed in Brisbane, Australia, both Ryan Coogler's movie and Avengers: Infinity War used Atlanta, Georgia as their respective home bases. As a result Joe and Anthony Russo were able to not only visit the Wakanda sets, but utilize them: Joe Russo: [Ryan] Coogler, we were probably over to his set two or three times, we shared sets with him. Anthony Russo: He looked at a lot of our stuff. Joe Russo: We sat with him and his whole production team for a day, and he explained how he was building out at the universe of Wakanda. So that kind of information is important - if something's pre-existing, we already understand what that universe is. Of course, these overlapping productions not only had an effect on the various directors of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the stars as well. When I sat down with Danai Gurira, Chadwick Boseman, and Mark Ruffalo during the Avengers: Infinity War press day, we also talked about the insane year of production that was 2017, and how there was a lot of running back and forth involved: The great news is that it's all paying off. Thor: Ragnarok was a massive hit when it was released last fall; Black Panther has made over a billion dollars; and Avengers: Infinity War just had the biggest opening weekend of all time. It may have been crazy working on all of these projects simultaneously, but it definitely appears that the folks at Marvel Studios made the situation work.

Lesley Manville, Tim Roth and Frank Dillane co-star in Mary Harron's biopic, which Bankside Films is selling worldwide. Oscar winner Ben Kingsley has signed on to play surrealist painter Salvador Dali in Mary Harron's Dali Land. Lesley Manville will play Dali's domineering wife and muse, Gala, in the biopic. Tim Roth and Frank Dillane co-star. Bankside Films is handling worldwide sales on the film and will present it to buyers in Cannes next week. Harron, who co-wrote the screenplay to Dali Land with John C Walsh, is fresh off helming Netflix's award-winning drama Alias Grace and recently wrapped Charlie Says, starring Matt Smith, a feature about the Manson family women. The Canadian director is perhaps best known for American Psycho and I Shot Andy Warhol. Dali Land was developed by Edward R. Pressman of Pressman Film, a producer on American Psycho, and entrepreneur David O. Sacks, who previously partnered on Jason Reitman’s Thank You For Smoking. Dali Land is set to shoot in Canada and Spain in November/December 2018. Christina Piovesan in Toronto and Charlotte and Philip Colbert of Popcorn Films in London will serve as producers, with Pressman, Sacks, Daniel Brunt, Jon Katz, Hannah Leader, Michael R. Newman, and Sam Pressman executive producing.

A biohacker who became infamous after apparently injecting himself with an untested herpes drug in front of an audience has been found dead. Aaron Traywick's body had been discovered in a spa room in Washington DC on Sunday, local police said. Vice News reported that Traywick had been using a flotation therapy tank. The 28-year-old was chief executive of Ascendance Biomedical. He had skirted the law by self-medicating as well as encouraging others to do likewise. A police spokeswoman has said no evidence has been found to suggest foul play. Traywick had claimed his biohacking company had developed a DIY "research compound" that could cure HIV, Aids and herpes, but had no independent proof to back this up. Biohacking refers to people's efforts to alter their own biology by a variety of means including lifestyle and diet changes, surgery and the use of unlicensed therapies. The BBC challenged Traywick over his behaviour when it interviewed him at the BodyHacking Con in Austin, Texas, in February. Traywick, who had herpes, had performed a stunt at the event, apparently injecting his company's unregulated product into his leg. On stage, he had referred to the product as a "research compound". But in conversation with the BBC he described it as a "treatment" - a claim that had the potential to attract the attention of the US Food and Drug Administration. Traywick told the BBC he had plans to take his work to Venezuela. When questioned whether it was ethical to encourage sick people to effectively act as guinea pigs, Traywick responded: "The best we can do is we can say to these people, 'We know you don't have access to this medication.' "They don't have any other options. "All we know is that if it works they don't die." Traywick's work had also caused concern among other members of the body-hacking community. An autopsy was scheduled to be carried out on Traywick's body, but the results have yet to be disclosed.

The parents of a mentally ill ex-soldier warned a health trust he was collecting knives before he murdered an 83-year-old dog walker. Alexander Palmer, 24, stabbed Peter Wrighton 45 times in woodland near East Harling, Norfolk, in August. A letter from a Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust psychiatrist said Palmer was told to "get rid" of the weapons and would "hopefully" comply. The trust said an internal review into the case was under way. Palmer was described as "dangerous" when he was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Mr Wrighton, whose injuries were so severe police initially thought he had been killed by an animal. Palmer's parents said their warnings that their son was not taking his medication were ignored because health workers said they could only "believe the patient". His mother and stepfather - who do not want to be named - told BBC Look East he had been documented as saying it was "inevitable" he would kill. The parents said they also told mental health professionals Palmer had knives and added the "severity" of his illness was not appreciated. "Alex was purchasing knives. Once he knew I knew that he'd got them, he became more secretive," his mother said. In January 2017, Palmer, who lived in Cringleford near Norwich, told his GP he was experiencing more voices telling him to hurt people and had bought a hunting knife and a machete. Palmer, 24, subsequently visited a specialist at the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, who wrote to the GP. "It is in his best interests to get rid of such weapons. Alex is aware of this and understands this and hopefully will act accordingly," the specialist wrote. The letter goes on to say that Palmer did not feel driven to act on his violent fantasies. Palmer had served in an Army commando regiment but was discharged in November 2015 after his head was "crushed" in a violent attack, his parents said. They said he returned home a "different" person but received multiple diagnoses from a string of professionals. His mother added: "It says in the letter 'mum was concerned about what Alex was going to do with those knives'. There was no 'this is a mental health patient with a machete'." His stepfather said: "They were talking to him like he was a teenager as opposed to a trained soldier." His mother said it had been noted in two reports that her son "said he is going to kill somebody, how he is going to kill somebody and he's said it's inevitable". "They thought we were busybodies, interfering in Alex's mental health and care, because they were the experts," she added. Correspondence sent by mental health professionals over a two-year period before the murder documented Palmer's violent fantasies and the voices telling him to harm others. After he was sectioned in 2015 in Peterborough, medical notes said he wanted to "get rid" of people in the street by "stringing them up and cutting them open". A psychologist who treated Palmer at RAF Marham contacted police after reading press reports about Mr Wrighton's murder, saying she thought he could be responsible. His mother said Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust had "missed chances" to prevent the killing. "I am not going to blame them solely, maybe we should have done more, but the amount of times we were treated like we were interfering, it didn't matter how desperate I was," she said. Palmer's stepfather added: "Peter Wrighton paid the price and his family continues to do so." In a statement, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust said its independently-chaired internal review was due to finish this summer. It said it would "incorporate information from all involved, including the families, carers and, of course, clinicians, along with any external parties who may have any relevant information". "The trust wishes to offer its continued support to the victim's family and to others who have been affected by these tragic violent events," it added. "It would be inappropriate to pre-judge the findings of any review or to comment any further at this point." 'Let down' His parents said their concerns about medical treatment for their son were continuing. Before Palmer was convicted, he was held at Rampton Secure Hospital but he is now serving his sentence in the general prison population at Wakefield jail, West Yorkshire. His mother said within two weeks he had carved the word 'help' into his arm and lost two stones. She believed he needed to be transferred to a psychiatric hospital. "We are aware Alex has committed a horrendous crime... but we both believe he was let down... even now he is not getting any support in prison," she told the BBC's Today programme. "He still is an ill person." The Ministry of Justice said it would not comment on individual cases.

With summer fast approaching, a new swimwear line is nothing new. But Ashley Graham's new collection for Swimsuits for All, which is being promoted with untouched, unedited photos of the plus-size model, seems quite different. Retouched images are used as standard by the fashion industry and in the media, and fans have said they wish more models would follow Ashley's lead. Ashley said the photos were a reminder that "being authentic is beautiful." The model, who has 6.7 million followers, was the first size 14 model to feature on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine and backs the #BeautyBeyondSize campaign. She has worked with Swimsuits For All on a swimwear collection for women up to size 34. The "Power of Paparazzi" campaign appears to reflect a desire for more transparency around touching up and editing fashion images, as well as a demand for broader definitions of beauty. In an Instagram post, the retailer said: "Looking at the #unretouched photos from our #Summer2018 shoot with @theashleygraham, we thought 'why not use these as the campaign images?'" Swimsuits for All said the collection was inspired by the 1920s - specifically "that generation's strong, female pioneers". Ashley added in a statement: "I'm not ashamed of a few lumps, bumps or cellulite… and you shouldn't be either." The model's followers welcomed the untouched photos. Suskimo89 said: "Thank you for using unedited images! It's so nice to see real bodies in ads!" Another follower added: "Oh my goodness this makes me feel okay about my cellulite. I wish more models would do this. #lovetheskinyourein." But the comments aren't always so positive. In October 2017, videos that Ashley shared of her workouts attracted trolls, with some people saying she shouldn't bother trying to lose weight. Instagram has seen a big rise in users posting unfiltered photos of their acne - or faces with no make-up - as a response to the doctored images of themselves people are sometimes encouraged to promote online. Actress and presenter Jameela Jamil launched her "I Weigh" campaign in response to what she's described as an "epidemic of low self-esteem" for girls and women because of social media. It encourages women to share the things in their life that they are proud of - from work achievements to children - rather than focus on body image.

A man who stabbed his boss to death and wrote "bully" on her forehead has been jailed for life and ordered to serve at least 28 years. David Browning, 52, of Seaford, was found guilty of murder at Hove Crown Court on Wednesday. He stabbed Jillian Howell in the chest, neck and abdomen, leaving her with 15 stab and slash wounds in October. Browning had formed an intense attachment to the 46-year-old Brighton university payroll boss, jurors heard. The court was told he had gone to her house for dinner and reacted with anger when she rejected him. 'Defiled' body Sentencing, Judge Christine Laing QC said the way in which Browning murdered her was "savage", adding: "This was a sustained attack and the terror and trauma for her in the final few minutes of her life is unimaginable." The judge said Ms Howell, in her final moments, "desperately tried to defend herself". She said Browning "defiled" her body by writing the world "bully" on her forehead but said: "Nothing was further from the truth." She said: "The reality of Jillian Howell is that she was a compassionate woman, a quality that cost her her life." 'Cocktail of emotions' Ms Laing said Browning had developed a crush on the woman that turned into an obsession. She told him: "I am quite satisfied that what led to you killing her was a very ordinary cocktail of human emotions, desire, jealously, frustration and anger. "Jillian did more than most people would have done to support you as a concerned colleague and friend but it is plain you wanted to be more important or special to her than that. "I have watched you closely during this trial and you have shown no emotion and little remorse other than for your own situation." After the hearing, Alison Pratt, director of Brighton and Hove Samaritans, said: "We know that it will continue to be very difficult for Jill's family and friends, and our thoughts are with them." Describing Ms Howell as a dedicated volunteer, she said she supported people in distress and played a vital role in recruiting and training. "We will remember her as a warm, compassionate and committed member of the team," she said.

A South Korean cleaner may miss out on a fortune in gold after an unexpected find in a rubbish bin, it's reported. According to The Korea Times, a cleaner found seven gold bars worth a total 350 million won (£240,000; $330,000) whilst emptying a rubbish bin at Incheon International Airport on 26 April. The bars, each weighing 1kg (2.2 lbs), were wrapped in newspapers, and police suspect that their original owner threw them away in a hurry because he risked being caught. Currently, there is no proof that the gold is connected to criminal activity. It was originally thought that the cleaner, who has not been named by the media, would be able to make a substantial claim on the goods. However, the airport has said that the cleaner won't be able to receive any reward because they were "working as airport staff and it is a part of the cleaner's job to find lost things". Finders Keepers law South Korea operates a "Finders Keepers" law on goods that are recovered when there is no known owner. According to its Lost Articles Act legislation, if an owner doesn't come forward to claim found property within six months, the finder will be able to take ownership. However, this doesn't apply to employees on company property. Ironically, if the finder had not been an airport employee, they would have been eligible to claim between 5-20% of the gold's total price, a maximum of 70 million won (£48,000; $65,000) under the law. It's not clear who will take ownership of the gold at the end of the six month waiting period.

A criminal investigation has been launched into Vauxhall Zafira fires, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed. A Transport Committee report last year said the carmaker was too slow to begin a full investigation into fires affecting Zafira B models. The DVSA has teamed up with Luton Borough Council's trading standards officers to investigate Vauxhall. Vauxhall is understood to be complying with the investigation. The carmaker - which has its headquarters in Luton - says 92% of the affected models have been recalled. Multiple recalls In a statement, the government agency said: "DVSA's priority is to protect you from unsafe drivers and vehicles. "We have made it clear to manufacturers that to protect consumers, they should swiftly rectify problems and meet their obligations under the code of practice. "DVSA will take the necessary action against any manufacturers who fail to comply with their obligations." The first reported incident of a Zafira catching fire was noted by Vauxhall in 2009, but it took until August 2015 for the carmaker to launch an investigation, after recording 161 reports of fires. In some cases, the fires were serious enough to destroy the entire vehicle, and victims were left with mere seconds to escape. To date, no one has been seriously injured in one of the vehicle fires, In November 2015, Vauxhall issued a recall for 200,000 Zafira B cars, and then a second recall for 234,000 cars of the same model in May 2016. The carmaker said the fires were caused by "unauthorised repair" of the thermal fuse in the vehicle's blower resistor. MPs in the Transport Committee concluded in their report that Vauxhall had shown "a reckless disregard for safety" of drivers.

BBC Radio 2 presenter Chris Evans has paid tribute to his "incredible" mother Minnie, after finding out she had died aged 92, just before he went on air. Sports reporter Vassos Alexander stepped in to host Evans' breakfast show on Thursday, reading a statement to explain the presenter's absence. "I needed to go straight back home to be with the family," Evans said. "But it's all OK, in fact it's very OK. Mum needed to be at peace," said Evans, who promised to return on Friday. "She was an incredible woman, anyone who's ever met her will tell you that. And ultimately there was no battle lost, only a life won every single day," he continued. "If Mum had the first idea I might not have shown up today because of her, she would have been furious." At the end of the breakfast show, Alexander thanked the "thousands of" listeners who had sent Evans well wishes. "We will of course pass them on to Chris and his family," he said as he handed over to Ken Bruce at 08:30 BST. Bruce, who began his morning show an hour earlier than usual, praised Alexander for filling in at short notice. "Dear old Chris has suffered a bereavement in his family," he told his listeners. "We're all wishing him the very best." Listeners to Evans' breakfast show were often kept abreast of his mother's activities. Last year, the DJ revealed on Twitter she had tried pizza for the first time at the age of 91, after undergoing an eye operation. Also last year, Evans said he had sought his mother's advice when it was disclosed he was the BBC's highest-paid presenter. He said she had told him to "earn what you can, when you can, while you can" doing a job he loved. In his memoir It's Not What You Think, Evans described his mother as "one of the original night nurses" who he had "never heard complain once". "In fact, she only ever laughed about the crazy episodes her and her colleagues came across while the rest of us were in the land of nod." In the same book, he also revealed the "top 10 best things about Mrs Evans senior". Among them he listed "her rapier wit", "her vivid imagination" and "her wicked laugh" along with her "magic hotpot from the war recipe, hardly any meat but oh so meaty!". The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, was among many to offer condolences to the broadcaster on social media.

Two black men who were arrested at a Starbucks cafe by Philadelphia police last month have reached a financial settlement with the city. Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson will each receive a symbolic $1 and a promise from officials to set up a programme for young entrepreneurs. The arrest of the men, who had not yet ordered and were waiting for a friend, kicked off a row over racial profiling. Starbucks announced days later it would require employee anti-bias training. The settlement, which was confirmed to BBC News by a spokesman for Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenny, includes a vow from the city to contribute $200,000 (£147,000) to the new programme. The grant money will go towards creating a pilot programme "for city public high school students with aspirations of becoming entrepreneurs, as envisioned by Robinson and Nelson, who will not receive any money from the grant", the city announced in a press release. The 12 April arrest led to protests at Starbucks cafes around the country, while other customers shared claims of racial profiling by company staff. The arrest was captured on mobile phone video and showed the men being led away in handcuffs after a manager had accused them of trespassing and causing a disturbance. The two longtime friends, both 23, had just sat down at the coffee chain's downtown location for a meeting to discuss a possible real estate deal. After spending hours in jail, they were released and no charges were filed. The Philadelphia chief of police later apologised for his handling of the arrest. Mayor Kenney said in a statement that he was "pleased to have resolved the potential claims against the city in this productive manner". "This was an incident that evoked a lot of pain in our city," he continued. "Rather than spending time, money, and resources to engage in a potentially adversarial process, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson approached the city and invited us to partner with them in an attempt to make something positive come of this. "This agreement is the result of those conversations, and I look forward to seeing the fruits of this effort in the coming months and years." Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson came to Philadelphia to personally apologise to the two men. In a joint statement with Mr Nelson and Mr Robinson, Starbucks announced that it had reached a separate financial settlement with the men earlier this week. That confidential settlement "will allow both sides to move forward and continue to talk and explore means of preventing similar occurrences at any Starbucks locations", the statement said. Mr Johnson added that he wishes to "thank Donte and Rashon for their willingness to reconcile". Mr Nelson and Mr Robinson jointly said they appreciate the effort to foster communication, and add "we will be measured by our action not words". As part of the settlement both men have been offered university scholarships by Starbucks, and the opportunity to meet former US Attorney Eric Holder, who has been hired "as part of the company's long-term diversity and equity efforts". The company plans to close more than 8,000 stores in the US on 29 May for anti-bias training.

Canadian police have ruled out foul play after a man's body was found behind the wall of a women's public toilet in the province of Alberta. Authorities say the man was alone when he entered the restroom in a Calgary city centre shopping mall last week. They believe he climbed behind a short wall through the vent shaft, got stuck, and died on the evening of Friday 27 April. His motivation for crawling behind the wall remains a mystery. The body of the man, who was in his 20s, was discovered by a maintenance worker on Monday. The worker removed a wall panel in order to repair a toilet that would not flush and found the remains. "It is believed that [the victim] climbed on top of a pony [short] wall which was directly behind the toilets and removed a vent cover, which was located on top of the wall," police said in a release. "The pony wall, used to hide utilities, is approximately 7ft tall and is not connected to the ceiling and has no other access points." Based on evidence police say they believe the man climbed inside the wall through the vent. His identity was not released and police say they will not send out any further information because the death is considered accidental.

Nine people are feared dead after a military cargo plane crashed in the US state of Georgia, officials say. They were aboard the C-130 plane when it came down beside a highway intersection near the local airport in the coastal city of Savannah. The plane belonged to Puerto Rico Air National Guard and was on a training flight, the National Guard said. Images shared on social media showed wreckage engulfed in flames and black smoke spewing into the sky. "We've confirmed nine people, consisting of five crew members and four additional passengers" were on board the plane, Puerto Rico National Guard spokesman Maj Paul Dahlen said. Officials previously said at least five people were thought to have died on board. Georgia Air National Guard Capt Jeffrey Bezore said the deceased would be named upon notification of their next of kin. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello said that his thoughts were with the families of those involved while he waited for more information. "They will receive our support and that of the National Guard of Puerto Rico in this process," he added. In a tweet, US President Donald Trump said he was monitoring the situation. "Please join me in thoughts and prayers for the victims, their families and the great men and women of the National Guard," he wrote. One Instagram user, pilotgabe, posted a picture of the scene from the Hilton Head International Airport. Firefighters were on the scene, tweeted the Savannah Professional Firefighters Association. The local emergency management agency told drivers to avoid the area of the crash.

US border patrol agents found a tiger cub in a bag abandoned by individuals trying to illegally enter the country at the Texas border, officials say. The male tiger cub was unconscious inside a black duffel bag, according to a statement from the US Customs and Border Protection. When the individuals realised agents were nearby, they fled back to Mexico, leaving the cub behind in their escape. The cub, only several months old, is now in the care of a local zoo. Brownsville, Texas border officials had been ready to intercept the group, but discovered the young tiger instead. "Not an average day in the field," tweeted Irma Chapa, communications director for Rio Grande Valley border patrol. The cub is currently at Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, CBS News reports. The zoo specialises in handling endangered animals. Ms Chapa later tweeted that the rescued cub, now appearing awake and alert, is expected to make a full recovery. The cub is one of many exotic animals smugglers attempt to sneak across the US-Mexico border. It has become quite a lucrative industry in Mexico, and drug traffickers often keep imported animals on their ranches. Earlier this year, a US teenager was sentenced to six months in prison for trying to smuggle a six-week-old Bengal tiger cub from Mexico. The US has one of the world's highest demands for trafficked wildlife, according to a 2015 report by US-based conservation group Defenders of Wildlife. Around the world, the illegal animal industry generates between $7bn (£5bn ) and $23bn (£17bn ) the report states. Defenders of Wildlife senior international counsel Alejandra Goyenecha told the Washington Post that a quarter of the 50,000 animals seized in the US between 2005 and 2014 came from Latin America. Smugglers typically use the same US-Mexico routes as drug, weapon and human traffickers, Ms Goyenecha said. Many animals are transported in containers or luggage, like the tiger cub discovered on Tuesday. And many, according to Ms Goyenecha, do not survive the journey across the border, dying from suffocation or hunger. In 2014, the World Wildlife Fund reported that there were more tigers in captivity in the US than in the wild. During the Obama administration, the US announced a national strategy for combating wildlife trafficking in an effort to reduce demand for illegal wildlife in the US and abroad.

A German nurse working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was kidnapped in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, the aid group said. She was seized by unknown armed men from inside the ICRC compound at 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Wednesday. Police told Reuters they are searching for her. No-one has claimed responsibility for the abduction. It comes a day after gunmen shot dead a Somali woman who worked for the World Health Organization, also in Mogadishu. The unidentified attackers escaped and their motive remains unknown. Decades of conflict have made Somalia one of the world's most dangerous countries for aid workers. The targeting of foreign workers, however, has become far less frequent as security has improved in the Horn of Africa country in recent years. "We are deeply concerned about the safety of our colleague," said Daniel O'Malley, the ICRC's deputy head of delegation for Somalia, in a statement. "She is a nurse who was working every day to save lives and improve the health of some of Somalia's most vulnerable people." Staff believe the kidnappers took their colleague out through a back door, avoiding security guards stationed at the main entrance of the ICRC compound, Reuters reported. The Swiss-based agency, which has provided humanitarian aid in Somalia for years, would not provide further details except to say it was working with various authorities to secure their employee's release. Somalia collapsed into anarchy in 1991 when war lords overthrew a military regime. Major armed conflict has since subsided, which allowed for parliamentary and presidential elections to take place in 2012. However, al Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants still regularly launch attacks in the capital and elsewhere in the country.

Russia welcomes Donald Trump’s desire to engage with Moscow regarding an arms race and other global challenges, but the US leader’s deeds must match his words, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. “We have repeatedly stated that we positively assess President Donald Trump’s desire to establish normal dialogue between our countries,” Lavrov told Italy’s Panorama magazine on Thursday. He added, however, that US desire for dialogue would be judged on its “practical steps.” The top diplomat noted that relations between the US and Russia are continuing to deteriorate at present. “Even if there is some positive input from the president, it is being reversed by Russophobic sentiments soaring in the US establishment,” Lavrov said. In the meantime, the two leaders have managed to establish personal contact. Lavrov said that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone in early March, when the American leader proposing holding “a high-level meeting very soon.” Apart from inviting Putin to the White House, Trump spoke about “his desire to establish coordination of efforts in the international arena, to jointly curb the arms race.” Lavrov said that the dire state of US-Russia relations has had a negative impact on moves to address pressing international challenges, which required shared efforts by the two powers. He expressed hope that “common sense” would prevail in Washington. However, while Russia “would like to establish decent, predictable, and, if you wish, friendly relations with the US,” it will never compromise its principles and national interests, he added.

The US Air Force is boasting of progress in upgrading and testing of its atomic arsenal, under the new aggressive posture that lowers the threshold for use of nuclear weapons and sets Washington on a collision course with Russia. Plans to spend over $1 trillion to modernize the US “nuclear triad” – nuclear bombers and missiles launched from land-based silos and submarines – have received a boost, in the form of the new Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) and increased military budgets under the Trump administration. “We've already conducted 26 engineering, development and guided flight tests” of the B61-12 gravity bomb, Lieutenant General Jack Weinstein told the Air Force Association breakfast on Tuesday. “The program's doing extremely well.” Weinstein is the deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration at the USAF headquarters in Washington, DC. The newest version of the B61, which has been in development for at least seven years, should be three times more accurate than its predecessors and have underground penetration capability. The gravity bomb’s original design dates back to 1963. The modernized bomb is intended for arming the handful of B-2 Spirit bombers currently in service, as well as the upcoming B-21 Raider, which is still on the drawing board. The F-15 and F-16 legacy fighter jets should also be capable of carrying the upgraded bomb. Washington’s updated nuclear posture review, unveiled in early February, envisions the possibility of atomic weapons responses to certain conventional attacks as well as the use of low-yield weapons. The B61’s yield ranges from 0.3 to 50 kilotons. The first nuclear bomb ever used, against the Japanese city of Hiroshima, had a 15-kiloton yield. The Russia-obsessed NPR prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to warn the US in March that “any use of nuclear weapons against Russia or its allies, be it small-scale, medium-scale or any other scale, will be treated as a nuclear attack on our country” and met with an “instant” and appropriate response. Deploying more B61 bombs to NATO bases in Europe would also violate the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, Russia has warned. With the B-21 still years away, the NPR has called for making the F-35 Lightning II fighter jets capable of carrying the B61. As the F-35 program is beset by a series of its own problems, this is not expected to happen until sometime in the next decade, however. The Air Force is also hoping to extend the life of its B-52 Stratofortress bombers, first introduced in the 1950s, into the mid-21st century. To do so, however, the B-52s need new engines, and that won’t be cheap, Weinstein said. “Am I going to sit here and say we're not going to have a problem with the re-engining? I'm not going to say that,” the general said, according to Military.com. The Air Force is asking for $1.5 billion or so in the 2019 budget to start the effort to get new engines for the B-52 fleet. That program is expected to have a lifetime cost of up to $8 billion.

Last week, the OECD released the latest edition of its "Taxing Wages" report which focuses on the net personal average tax rate in different nations. As Statista's Niall McCarthy points out, it takes into account income tax and social security contributions paid by employees without family benefits as a share of gross wages. Last year, the average share of gross wages paid in tax across the OECD was 25.5 percent. There is a considerable difference in tax rates between countries and they are heavily dependent on earnings and family status... Where workers pay the highest income tax Despite that, Germans do get something back such as health insurance, pensions, old-age care and unemployment benefits. In Italy, the break down is 21.7 percent for income tax and 9.5 percent for social security, adding up to 31.2 percent in total. The U.S. trails with 18.4 percent for income tax and 7.7 percent for social security making for 26.1 percent of gross earnings in total.

Migrants 'issue ultimatum & forcefully prevent' German police from deporting failed asylum seeker German police have been forced to release a failed asylum seeker they were due to deport after being confronted by an angry mob of migrants. The officers caved in to the crowd's demands and fled to avoid a "dangerous escalation." The incident took place in the town of Ellwangen in southern Germany overnight into Monday when a group of police officers arrived at a local refugee reception center. They were due to find and deport a Togolese man, 23, the Aalen police department said in a statement on Wednesday. The officers had already detained the man and put him into a police car, when a crowd of about 50 people, who were living in the reception center, demanded the Togolese national be released "in an aggressive and threatening manner." Following what the statement described as an "extremely aggressive” confrontation that could allegedly “spiral into violence at any moment," police had to release the man, who was already in police custody, in order to "avoid drastic escalation of the situation that could occur otherwise." The police also said that, at some point, the mob grew from 50 to some 150 people. The refugees and migrants allegedly encircled the two police cars that were present at the scene and started harassing the officers, the German dpa news agency reported. "They were very aggressive and threatened us in such an increasingly explicit manner that we had to leave the man [in the car] … and retreat to the reception center ward," a police officer, who took part in the operation, told the news agency. Police only confirmed in its statement that a police car was damaged as a result of the confrontation. The dpa further reported that the migrants then sent a center security guard as a messenger to the police officers, who had barricaded themselves in the ward. "Their message was an ultimatum: either the police officers remove the handcuffs from the Togolese within two minutes or they [the migrants] storm the gates [of the ward]," the DPA reported. The officers then handed over the key to the handcuffs to the security guard, who supposedly gave it to the migrants. The Togolese man, who was due to be deported, disappeared following the incident, the German media report. The deputy head of the Aalen police department, Bernhard Weber, praised the actions of the officers "under such exceptional" circumstances. "I can only show great respect for my colleagues," who were able to "keep a cool head" in such a situation, he said in a statement, apparently implying that, even though a massive breach of public order would justify the use of force by the police, it was not really necessary. At the same time, he seemed to seek to downplay the incident. "We believe that those who confronted [the police], were also in an extremely tense situation," Weber said, adding that the migrants apparently "got carried away" by some sort of a corporate feeling and took the actions "they would have probably never taken following a thorough consideration." The police chief admitted, though, that "it is clear that a state governed by the rule of law should not let itself be barred from enforcing this rule of law by an aggressive mob." The police emphasized that it has launched a probe into the incident over the unlawful release of a detainee and a breach of public order. The incident, however, provoked concerns among local politicians. "Attacks on police officers are unacceptable," Uli Sckerl, a member of the regional parliament from the Green Party, told journalists. He also said that such behavior should be followed by legal consequences. "Frustration does not justify crimes," he added. The faction leader of the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany party in the regional parliament, Bernd Goedel, condemned the incident by calling it the "state's failure." "If the authorities show that they can yield to pressure even once, then one will see the same situations in the future," he warned. The leader of the regional parliament's faction of the Free Democrats, Hans-Ulrich Ruelke, also described the incident as an "alarming situation." More than a million migrants from predominantly Muslim countries have entered Germany since the refugee crisis erupted in 2015 – fueling strong anti-migrant sentiments and protests against Merkel's open-door policy. Germany also faced a number of terrorist attacks involving refugees as well as sexual harassment incidents like the notorious ones during the 2015 New Year's Eve celebrations in Cologne and other cities. Facing increased public pressure, Merkel eventually partially changed her stance on immigration. Even though she never admitted that her open-door policy was wrong, her Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian allies, the Christian Social Union agreed to cap the number of asylum seekers at 200,000 a year. However, recently Merkel also announced that Germany will take in some 10,000 new migrants, who were selected by the UN's refugee agency.