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A woman is in a life-threatening condition after being stabbed at the Notting Hill Carnival, the Metropolitan Police have said.

The 32-year-old woman was one of three people who were stabbed on Sunday, along with a 29-year-old man who is in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and a 24-year-old man, who police say they are waiting for an update on.

Police have so far made 90 arrests across the carnival and 18 of them have been for possession of an offensive weapon.

“Hundreds of thousands of people came to Notting Hill Carnival today to enjoy a fantastic celebration,” the force said in an update on Sunday night.

“Our officers have been on duty working to keep them safe as part of a very carefully planned policing operation.

“Regrettably, a minority came to commit crime and engage in violence.”

They added 15 officers have been assaulted during the carnival so far.

A Section 60 order was issued on Sunday night, giving officers the power to demand the removal of face coverings being used to conceal a person’s identity and anyone refusing can be arrested.

Around 7,000 officers are on duty for the bank holiday weekend event after the force said there would be a “very significant policing presence” this year.

Around a million people are expected to attend Carnival, with Sunday kicking off proceedings in earnest with Children and Families’ Day.

Carnival is billed by its organisers as “the greatest community-led event on the planet”, and began in the 1960s to unite London’s diverse communities.

It is one of the longest-running street parties in the UK and is free to all, celebrating Caribbean culture with vividly costumed performers in a parade through the streets with dancing and music.

Matthew Phillip, chief executive of the Notting Hill Carnival, said ahead of this year’s festivities that the rioting and violent disorder in the wake of the Southport stabbings earlier this month “highlights why Carnival is set up in the first place”.

He said: “Carnival is the biggest celebration of inclusion, and social cohesion that there is in the UK.

“It was set up to bring communities from diverse backgrounds together and it’s still doing that almost 60 years later.”

Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

Participants taking part in the Children's Day Parade, part of the Notting Hill Carnival celebration in west London. Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

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Earlier on Sunday, the streets of west London came alive with colour, costumes, dancing and music and thousands of revellers enjoyed the celebrations.

Youngsters were dancing in the streets along the parade route wearing bright and intricate costumes.

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‘Sum up Notting Hill Carnival in one word’

The Children's Day Parade, part of the Notting Hill Carnival
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Pic: PA

Children's Day Parade, Notting Hill Carnival. Pic: PA
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Pic: PA

Members of Mangrove Steelband performing during Notting Hill Carnival's Panorama evening. Pic: PA
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Members of Mangrove Steelband performing during Notting Hill Carnival’s Panorama evening. Pic: PA

The Children's Day Parade, part of the Notting Hill Carnival. Pic: PA
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The Children’s Day Parade, part of the Notting Hill Carnival. Pic: PA

The annual celebration of Caribbean heritage, arts and culture has been running for more than 50 years.

The main parade is held on Monday, described by organisers as the climax of the carnival with “party vibes”.

In the past two years, there have been more than 500 arrests at the Notting Hill Carnival as well as 15 stabbings including one death, and more than 125 police officers have been assaulted.

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Teenage girl killed on M5 in Somerset after getting out of police car named

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Teenage girl killed on M5 in Somerset after getting out of police car named

A teenage girl who was killed after getting out of a police car on the M5 in Somerset has been named.

Tamzin Hall, 17 and from Wellington, was hit by a vehicle that was travelling southbound between junction 24 for Bridgwater and junction 25 for Taunton shortly after 11pm on Monday.

She had exited a police vehicle that had stopped on the northbound side of the motorway while transporting her.

A mandatory referral was made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is now carrying out its own investigation into what happened.

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Avon and Somerset Police said: “Our thoughts and sympathies go out to Tamzin’s family for their devastating loss.

“A specially-trained family liaison officer remains in contact with them to keep them updated and to provide support.

“The family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.”

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The police watchdog, the IOPC, has been asked to investigate.

In a statement, director David Ford, said: “This was a truly tragic incident and my thoughts are with Tamzin’s family and friends and everyone affected by the events of that evening.

“We are contacting her family to express our sympathies, explain our role, and set out how our investigation will progress. We will keep them fully updated as our investigation continues.”

Paramedics attended the motorway within minutes of the girl being hit but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The motorway was closed in both directions while investigations took place. It was fully reopened shortly after 11am on Tuesday, Nationals Highways said.

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Mohamed al Fayed’s brother Salah also abused women, say female Harrods employees

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Mohamed al Fayed's brother Salah also abused women, say female Harrods employees

A survivors group advocating for women allegedly assaulted by Mohamed al Fayed has said it is “grateful another abuser has been unmasked”, after allegations his brother Salah also participated in the abuse.

Justice for Harrods Survivors says it has “credible evidence” suggesting the sexual abuse allegedly perpetrated at Harrods and the billionaire’s properties “was not limited to Mr al Fayed himself”.

The group’s statement comes after three women told BBC News they were sexually assaulted by al Fayed’s brother, Salah.

One woman said she was raped by Mohamed al Fayed while working at Harrods.

Helen, who has waived her right to anonymity, said she then took a job working for his brother as an escape. She alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted while working at Salah’s home on Park Lane, London.

Two other women have told the BBC they were taken to Monaco and the South of France, where Salah sexually abused them.

Mohamed al Fayed. Pic: AP
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Mohamed al Fayed. Pic: AP

The Justice for Harrod Survivors representatives said: “We are proud to support the survivors of Salah Fayed’s abuse and are committed to achieving justice for them, no matter what it takes.”

The group added it “looks forward to the others on whom we have credible evidence – whether abusers themselves or enablers facilitating that abuse – being exposed in due course”.

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Ex-Fulham captain makes Al Fayed allegation
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Salah was one of the three Fayed brothers who co-owned Harrods.

The business, which was sold to Qatar Holdings when Mohamed al Fayed retired in 2010, has said it “supports the bravery of these women in coming forward”.

A statement issued by the famous store on Thursday evening continued: “We encourage these survivors to come forward and make their claims to the Harrods scheme, where they can apply for compensation, as well as support from a counselling perspective and through an independent survivor advocate.

“We also hope that they are looking at every appropriate avenue to them in their pursuit of justice, whether that be Harrods, the police or the Fayed family and estate.”

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Bianca Gascoigne speaks about Al Fayed abuse

The Justice for Harrods Survivors group previously said more than 400 people had contacted them regarding accusations about Mohamed al Fayed, who died last year.

One of those alleged to have been abused is Bianca Gascoigne, the daughter of former England player Paul.

Speaking to Sky News in October, Gascoigne said she was groomed and sexually assaulted by al Fayed when she worked at Harrods as a teenager.

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Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman

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Wes Streeting 'crossed the line' by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman

Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.

Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.

MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.

But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.

He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.

Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.

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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.

“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.

“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.

“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”

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Review into assisted dying costs

Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.

She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.

“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.

Read more on this story:
‘Fix care before assisted dying legislation’
Why assisted dying is controversial – and where it’s already legal

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.

The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.

Britain's Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband walks on Downing Street on the day of the budget announcement, in London, Britain October 30, 2024. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska
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Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters

Shabana Mahmood arrives 10 Downing Street.
Pic: Reuters
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Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters

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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.

Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.

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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill

The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.

MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.

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