Notting Hill Carnival attracts two million revellers and is the world's second-largest carnival after Rio, rooted in Caribbean heritage since 1966. Family day featured hundreds of food stalls and barbecues, while the main day brings huge crowds, parades, soca music and masquerade bands. Organisers nearly cancelled this year's event but saved it with a 1m council cash injection; funding concerns persist alongside disputes over policing, use of facial-recognition technology, and negative press after a shocking death last year. Headlines note intensified Israeli assaults on Gaza City, rising MP-targeted abuse over immigration, planned UK sentencing reforms, and US political controversy linked to Donald Trump.
Two million revellers will be drawn to the streets draped in flags and decked in jewels to enjoy the world's second largest carnival after Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. London's celebration of Caribbean heritage, arts and culture dates back to 1966. Yesterday was family day, with streets lined with hundreds of food stalls and smoke from barbecues filling the air. Today will be the bigger celebration, with huge crowds and more partying, attracting people from around the globe with parades, soca music and masquerade bands.
But this year's carnival almost didn't happen. It was saved a few weeks ago only by a 1m cash injection from the local council, but funding hasn't been the only problem: disagreements have been boiling over about policing, use of facial recognition software, and negative press after a shocking death last year. For today's newsletter, I spoke to Guardian arts and culture correspondent Lanre Bakare about the past of this iconic cultural event, and whether recent funding issues say anything about its future.
Israel-Gaza war | Israeli aircraft and tanks have pounded the eastern and northern outskirts of Gaza City, destroying buildings and homes, as Israeli leaders vowed to press on with an expanded large-scale offensive on the city. Politics | MPs have raised the alarm about a rise in abuse linked to debates around immigration, with some reporting levels of online harassment and death threats worse than during the Brexit years.
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