In Latino exile communities across the country, a question is being asked: is Kamala Harris really a communist?
The vice-president has been the subject of numerous misleading claims that she is a socialist or communist since becoming the Democratic candidate for president, according to the US’s largest Spanish-language fact-checker Factchequeado.
Experts say these claims capitalise on “genuine fears” held by some voters who fled repression in countries like Cuba and Venezuela.
In one viral video, Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz appear to pose for a selfie in front of a sign for Revolutionary Communists of America, a far-left group.
The video was fake. The background had been doctored by a group of Donald Trump’s supporters known as the Dilley Meme Team.
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Their original post had more than 420,000 views, but it was shared by many Spanish accounts – and repeated offline.
“It’s everywhere, this doubt: ‘Is this person a communist?’” Evelyn Pérez-Verdía, a cultural context strategist from south Florida, told the BBC.
She was listening to the Spanish-language radio station La Nueva Poderosa in Miami when she heard the hosts discussing the false meme.
“Did you see them standing in front of that picture? They have no shame in who they are,” the hosts said.
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She contacted the station to point out it was a fake video. The hosts later said on air that they wanted to clarify the story was “not true” but that “doesn’t take away from the reality that Kamala is a Marxist”.
Fears weaponised
There are nearly 36.2 million eligible Latino voters in America, about 14.7% of the US electorate, and many live in key swing states like Nevada and Arizona, which makes them a coveted demographic for both campaigns.
They are by no means a homogeneous voting demographic, but historically, Latinos have tended to favour the Democrats. In 2020, 44% voted for Joe Biden, with only 16% voting for Trump. But polls show Republicans have gained ground this election cycle, with many factors cited including the economy, immigration, and abortion rights.
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And for some immigrants, concerns about America today reflect their past experiences in their home countries.
Political messages warning about “socialism” or “communism” have been particularly prevalent in communities with large Cuban and Venezuelan populations, like in south Florida, experts noted.
These expats are especially vulnerable to misinformation about communism because of the trauma they experienced fleeing repression, said Samantha Barrios, a Venezuelan-American based in Miami, Florida who votes Democrat.
She accused right-leaning Spanish media of using these terms to “scare Venezuelans, Cubans, Nicaraguans” because of “the main reason that we left our countries, trying to leave these regimes”.
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For some, their criticism of the Democrats is grounded in opinions that the US government has not provided a tough enough response to political repression in Cuba or Venezuela.
But Ms Barrio is wary of the way these legitimate concerns are being weaponised through “false claims” that Kamala Harris herself is a communist.
Ms Pérez-Verdía agrees, but she also criticised the Democrat campaign for not doing enough to address their concerns.
“Don’t laugh off people’s fears. It’s really disrespectful. People have genuine fears, they came to the United States, they left everything behind. If they have doubts you should address their doubts.”
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Debate fuels ‘communist’ claims
Not all claims exclusively target Latinos, said the Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA), which monitors more than 1,300 WhatsApp groups and more than 200 Telegram channels in Spanish and Portuguese.
And notable right-wing and pro-Trump actors and influencers have pushed a “fear of socialism” since 2020, the organisation found.
But while Joe Biden was accused of being a communist when he ran for president, Factchequeado’s founder, Laura Zommer, said their fact checkers had “never” seen this volume of AI and doctored images before.
Some of this misinformation has been spread by Trump himself, or his high-profile supporters.
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Elon Musk, who has endorsed Trump, posted a faked image of Kamala Harris in a red uniform emblazoned with the communist hammer and sickle, captioned “Kamala vows to be a communist dictator on day one. Can you believe she wears that outfit!?”
It had more than 83.9 million views. A reverse image search suggests this was the earliest posting of the image on X.
Donald Trump shared an AI image of Harris addressing a communist crowd that had at least 81.5 million views on X, but it was not the first posting of this image.
Posts linking Harris to communism really took off online after the presidential debate, according a report by the DDIA prepared for the BBC.
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During the debate, Donald Trump called Kamala Harris and her father a “Marxist” and suggested she would turn the US into “Venezuela on steroids” through her immigration policies.
After the debate, “Marxista” trended on social media and searches for “Marxist” on Google in the US jumped 1000% in 17 hours.
Factchequeado said the most searched question in Spanish after the debate was: “Who is Kamala Harris’s father?”
The DDIA said two claims especially gained traction in the week after the presidential debate. In one, a fabricated document falsely claiming Kamala Harris is a member of the Russian communist party went viral, according to Meta’s own metrics. Another claim, that Harris is “Kamarada [Comrade] Kamala”, arose from a Trump speech in which he portrays her as a “communist comrade”.
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BBC Verify traced the membership card image to a website which allows people to make fake communist party documents.
The membership number, stamp and other details on the card were identical to a template on the site for making a party membership card.
Posts sharing the fake image, which was first shared in August, have been viewed more than half a million times.
‘We’ll slide into communism’
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The Democratic Party is not a socialist party, nor does it claim to support communist regimes. But some high-profile members like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have described their political views as “democratic socialist”.
When she was a California senator, Harris co-sponsored Sanders’ Medicare for All bill, which would have brought a single-payer health care system to the US. She has since said she no longer supports a single-payer health-care system, which would have abolished private insurers.
She has never advocated for communist policies, such as the abolition or seizure of private property.
Kamala Harris’s plan to crackdown on “price gouging” at supermarkets has been cited in Spanish social media posts as “communist”. Mr Musk claimed it would mean “empty shelves, just like in Venezuela”.
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Her proposal, which would involve asking the trade commission to investigate price spikes far above the increase in the cost of production, is a far cry from the widespread price controls seen in Cuba and Venezuela that were in part blamed for severe food shortages.
But for some voters who fled those countries, their fear lies in anything they feel remotely resembles policies from the countries they came from.
Duke Machado, who runs a Latino Republican Facebook page from Texas called Latino Strikeforce, said he fears that if the Democrats win, the country would be on a slippery slope to communism.
“If we’re not careful, we’ll slide into Cuba and Venezuela. Their ultimate goal is to destroy capitalism.”
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When asked if it was responsible to share fears that the Democrats could turn the US into a communist country with his followers, including Latino exiles who had fled repression, he said: “It’s not irresponsible at all. I see it as a duty.”
With additional reporting by Kayleen Devlin from BBC Verify
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Barry Diller’s IAC is exploring a spin-off of home services marketplace Angi, as the billionaire magnate’s holding company looks to get back to basics with a focus on online media and gaming.
IAC said on Monday it was weighing the possibility of spinning off its 85 per cent stake in Angi, a nearly 30-year old brand launched in the dotcom era as Angie’s List to connect customers with plumbers, roofers and other tradespeople.
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The group was also open to selling other assets, chief executive Joey Levin said in an interview.
The potential deal would continue IAC’s evolution into a smaller, leaner company following a flurry of spin-offs of companies such as the dating app group Match and the online video platform Vimeo.
The separately listed Angi, formed after IAC merged Angie’s List with HomeAdvisor seven years ago and rebranded two years ago, makes up about a third of the digital media holding company’s revenue.
The online marketplace has suffered as tradespeople have cut back on advertising spending, cutting its market value by almost 85 per cent since the peak of the pandemic to $1.3bn. Angi’s revenue fell 16 per cent to $296mn in the third quarter, it reported on Monday.
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But industry analysts said Angi, which appointed longtime executive Jeff Kip as chief executive in April, has succeeded in shifting its focus to profitability over growth. Angi reported net income of $35.2mn in the third quarter and earnings before tax and depreciation were up 27 per cent on an adjusted basis over the same period of last year.
A spin-off of Angi, IAC’s second attempt in five years, could come as soon as the second quarter. Digital media publisher Dotdash Meredith and online gaming and hospitality-focused MGM Resorts would remain at the core of IAC in the event of a spin, according to a letter to shareholders seen by the Financial Times.
“We have spun off businesses when they are growing revenue tremendously, and we have spun off businesses when they are shrinking,” Levin said in an interview. “I do think our desire at IAC is to focus on other businesses right now.”
IAC, chaired by Diller, owns majority and minority stakes in dozens of digital media businesses, from a stake in car sharing platform Turo to full ownership of digital media outlet The Daily Beast.
HMRC has issued a major update concerning hundreds of thousands of women impacted by a huge pension error.
Fresh figures reveal that 370,000 women have been contacted regarding potential underpayments on their state pension, stemming from Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) errors.
Between January 8 and September 30, 2024, HMRC identified 5,344 cases of underpayment among those who responded to the letters, totalling approximately £42 million in arrears.
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These cases were then referred to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which has since issued an average of £7,859 in back payments to the affected individuals.
However, hundreds of thousands more who may be entitled to similar back payments will not receive them unless they take action.
This issue affected individuals who took time off work to care for children or someone with a disability between 1978 and 2010.
The problem arose because child benefit claim forms submitted before 2000 often didn’t include a National Insurance (NI) number, meaning the relevant HRP information wasn’t transferred from the child benefit system to the NI system.
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HRP would have added credits that counted towards their state pension, much like NI credits work today.
As a result, thousands missed out on state pension benefits worth an average of over £5,000.
In an effort to locate those who are still alive, HMRC has issued more than a quarter of a million letters to people over pension age with no HRP on their record, encouraging them to submit a claim.
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They may then be issued backdated payments, as well as a new monthly income if they’re found to have been affected.
How to track down lost pensions worth £1,000s
Individuals who receive a letter indicating they may be affected can verify their status by visiting tax.service.gov.uk/guidance/Check-if-you-are-eligible-to-apply-for-Home-Responsibilities-Protection.
You can then apply for any missing HRP credits by visiting gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-home-responsibilities-protection.
However, if you can’t do that, you can still complete a CF411 form and return it to HMRC by post to add the credits to your record.
You might also be eligible for missing HRP credits if any of the following situations apply to you:
You were caring for a child while your partner claimed child benefit instead of you.
You were receiving income support because you were caring for someone who was sick or disabled.
You were caring for a sick or disabled person who was claiming certain benefits.
If your partner claimed child benefit, you might be able to transfer the HRP credits, but they will need to agree.
For example, if you were a stay-at-home parent and your working partner claimed the child benefit, they can transfer the credits to you.
Your payments will be recalculated if you have missing HRP credits and have already reached state pension age.
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Emma Reynolds, minister for Pensions, said: “The government’s priority is to ensure pensioners have security and dignity in retirement.
“I strongly encourage anyone who thinks they are missing out to check their eligibility and apply for Home Responsibilities Protection – taking just a few minutes out of your day now could mean a boost to your retirement.”
This isn’t the only type of state pension underpayment blunder affecting retirees.
STATE PENSION ERRORS
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STEVE Webb, partner at LCP and former Pensions Minister, explains what state pension errors are and how they can occur…
The way state pensions are worked out is so complicated that many thousands of people have been paid the wrong amount for years without even realising it.
The amount of retirement pension you get usually depends on your National Insurance (NI) record.
One big source of errors has been cases where NI records have been incorrect, particularly for years spent at home with children.
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This is a system known as ‘Home Responsibilities Protection’.
Alternatively, particularly for older pensioners, the amount you get can depend on the NI contributions made by your spouse.
Errors have arisen where the Government has failed to adjust the pensions of married women when their husbands retired or failed to increase pensions when someone was bereaved and lost a husband or wife.
Although the Government has spent years trying to fix these problems, there are still many thousands of people – many of them older women – on the wrong pension.
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If you have always thought that your pension seems low, then it is worth contacting the Pensions Service to ask them to check, especially if you spent time at home raising children or if you were widowed and your pension didn’t change when your spouse died.
This blunder affected married women whose husbands reached pension age before 2008, as well as widows and women over 80.
They were entitled to an ‘enhanced pension‘, which could have boosted their payments by up to 60%, but they didn’t receive it at the time.
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Your husband must have turned 65 before March 17, 2008 to qualify.
The DWP has now completed payouts to married women and those over 80.
They’ve paid £250.6million to 45,907 married women, with an average payout of £5,591.
Women over 80 have received £68.2million across 33,437 cases, with an average of £2,202 each.
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As of November 2024, the DWP is still issuing payments to widows affected by the issue.
So far, £417.2million has been paid to 39,706 widows, with an average of £11,905 each.
It means that in total, 119,050 women are owed up to £11,905 each from the DWP.
The DWP added that it expects to issue payments owed to all remaining widows by the end of 2024.
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How does the state pension work?
AT the moment the current state pension is paid to both men and women from age 66 – but it’s due to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046.
The state pension is a recurring payment from the government most Brits start getting when they reach State Pension age.
But not everyone gets the same amount, and you are awarded depending on your National Insurance record.
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For most pensioners, it forms only part of their retirement income, as they could have other pots from a workplace pension, earning and savings.
The new state pension is based on people’s National Insurance records.
Workers must have 35 qualifying years of National Insurance to get the maximum amount of the new state pension.
You earn National Insurance qualifying years through work, or by getting credits, for instance when you are looking after children and claiming child benefit.
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If you have gaps, you can top up your record by paying in voluntary National Insurance contributions.
To get the old, full basic state pension, you will need 30 years of contributions or credits.
You will need at least 10 years on your NI record to get any state pension.
TRACK DOWN ERRORS
LCP has developed an online tool to help people understand what state pension they are entitled to inherit on top of their own state pension at go.lcp.com/inheritingstatepension.
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A tool previously launched by the company to help married women check for underpayments had over one million visits.
The DWP also has a tool to help those receiving the new state pension assess their eligibility for inherited state pension amounts at gov.uk/state-pension-through-partner.
There is also a guide on inheriting or increasing a state pension at gov.uk/new-state-pension/inheriting-or-increasing-state-pension-from-a-spouse-or-civil-partner.
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Herbert Smith Freehills will combine with US-based Kramer Levin to form one of the top-20 global law firms by headcount, in the latest sign of consolidation among mid-sized groups on either side of the Atlantic.
The new firm will be known as Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, abbreviated as HSF Kramer in the US, and will have more than 2,700 lawyers across 25 offices in America, the UK, Europe and Asia, the groups announcement on Monday.
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The move by UK-based Herbert Smith Freehills — itself a combination of British and Australian firms — comes amid a wave of mergers in the legal sector, most notably UK “magic circle” firm Allen & Overy’s decision last year to join forces with the ailing Shearman & Sterling in the US.
A number of smaller firms within the US, such as Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner and Seattle-based litigation boutique Harrigan Leyh Farmer & Thomsen, have also merged in recent months.
Troutman Pepper and Dallas-based Locke Lord in September announced they will merge effective January 1, which analysts at research firm Fairfax Associates have said “indicates a higher level of activity for 2025”.
Herbert Smith Freehills’s announcement “is part of an accelerated pattern of consolidation”, said Kent Zimmerman, a consultant at Zeughauser Group, who advises leading law firms on business strategy.
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“For a firm that aspires to global market leadership, the US is an imperative,” he added, citing increased profitability in the US. Meanwhile “for US firms, there is benefit in rapidly achieving transformative scale, while still maintaining a degree of independence.”
New York-based Kramer Levin recently lost the head of its litigation department, celebrated trial lawyer Barry Berke, who left along with a team of former assistant US attorneys.
One of the firm’s top transaction partners, Richard Farley, is also being floated as possible nominee to lead the US Securities and Exchange Commission in the new Donald Trump administration.
Herbert Smith Freehills chair Rebecca Maslen-Stannage said the merger would be “transformational”.
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“We have long been committed to expanding our offering in the US and Kramer Levin is the perfect fit,” she said. “The combination delivers immediate growth for both firms from day one.”
Howard Spilko, co-managing partner of Kramer Levin, said joining forces with Herbert Smith Freehills was “a one-of-a-kind opportunity”.
He added the merger “provides us with a significant competitive advantage by bolstering our destination practices with a deeper bench, broader geographic reach and sector expertise”.
WETHERSPOONS has announced that it is discontinuing a major beer brand in a matter of days, sparking fury among loyal punters.
The pub chain has told workers that after November, it will no longer stock San Miguel.
Instead, Wetherspoons will be offering punters Italian Poretti which will cost less than £4 a pint at most locations.
The San Miguel replacement dating back to 1877 has “lots of heritage,” staff were told.
It is made by the Birrificio Angelo Poretti Brewery founded by Angelo Poretti.
The replacement premium Italian lager is 4.8% ABV with four hop varieties.
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Poretti describes it as “a beer brewed to pair with food.”
“Our 4 Hops produce a mild body and balanced bitterness, making it perfect to pair with food and elevate dining moments.”
However, some are concerned that they will face unhappy customers at the end of the month when their usual pint is no more.
One regular San Miguel drinker told bar staff at their local Wetherspoons that they are unhappy about the change and the barman said he was not surprised.
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“He said it was one of their best-selling drinks and ‘doesn’t fancy’ having to deal with all the complaints that they are going to get,” Gloucestershire Live reported.
Others have shared their reaction to the news on social media.
Inside swanky new £3.5MILLION Wetherspoons pub in town ‘too posh to handle it’… but locals warn punters ‘better behave’
“Am gutted to hear that! San Miguel is my absolute favourite,” one spoons customer said on Facebook.
However, some are happy about the change.
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“San Miguel is horrific though, the one Spanish beer I never drink. Poretti on the other hand is a fine drop,” an X user said.
“Gig venue near me done the same, replaced Miguel with Poretti,” another added.
How can I save money at Wetherspoons?
FREE refills – Buy a £1.50 tea, coffee or hot chocolate and you can get free refills. The deal is available all day, every day.
Check a map – Prices can vary from one location the next, even those close to each other.
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So if you’re planning a pint at a Spoons, it’s worth popping in nearby pubs to see if you’re settling in at the cheapest.
Choose your day – Each night the pub chain runs certain food theme nights.
For instance, every Thursday night is curry club, where diners can get a main meal and a drink for a set price cheaper than usual.
Pick-up vouchers – Students can often pick up voucher books in their local near universities, which offer discounts on food and drink, so keep your eyes peeled.
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Get appy – The Wetherspoons app allows you to order and pay for your drink and food from your table – but you don’t need to be in the pub to use it.
Taking full advantage of this, cheeky customers have used social media to ask their friends and family to order them drinks. The app is free to download on the App Store or Google Play.
Check the date – Every year, Spoons holds its Tax Equality Day to highlight the benefits of a permanently reduced tax bill for the pub industry.
It usually takes place in September, and last year it fell on Thursday, September 14.
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As well as its 12-day Real Ale Festival every Autumn, Wetherspoons also holds a Spring Festival.
“I prefer Poretti to be honest.”
One customer suggested that the change is being rolled out by Wetherspoons due to the end of San Miguel’s contract with Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company.
In July, Carlsberg confirmed in a statement that its exclusive San Miguel license deal would end on 31 December.
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Mahou San Miguel has instead joined with Budweiser Brewing Group.
CMBC chief executive Paul Davies commented on the end of the contract with MSM: “Naturally, we are disappointed by the decision, and are working to mitigate the impact on our business,” Food Manufacture reported.
“We are incredibly proud of our many achievements over more than 15 years with MSM, massively driving distribution and significantly growing San Miguel brand volume.”
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MPs will have their first opportunity to scrutinise a landmark bill on assisted dying that its proponents say offers greater legal protections than any other legislation of its kind in the world.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater will on Tuesday publish her Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Members’ Bill, which would give people the opportunity to end their own life — but only those who are terminally ill with six months or less to live.
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It would exclude those with disabilities and mental illness.
The most legally stringent provision of the bill sets out that an application to end one’s life would have to go before a High Court judge who would be required to hear from at least one doctor, and would be granted powers to request information from the person making the application.
Leadbeater said she had gone through a “thorough and robust process” to determine the shape of the legislation, including consulting widely with medical and legal experts.
“I don’t underestimate the seriousness of the issue. For my part, I have looked closely at the evidence from other jurisdictions and I believe this bill not only offers protections to people nearing the end of their lives that they don’t have at present, but also provides for the strictest safeguards anywhere in the world,” she said.
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But opponents of changing the law have raised questions over the capacity of the courts to handle assisted dying cases. The courts system is already struggling under the pressure of huge backlogs, which can lead to hearings being delayed for months, or even years.
The legislation — which will offer MPs the first time to debate the issue of assisted dying in almost a decade — will be voted on after a second reading in the House of Commons on November 29.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has said he is “personally in favour of changing the law” on assisted dying, has committed to giving MPs a free vote on the issue, meaning they are not whipped by their party to vote a particular way.
Assisted dying is currently illegal in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and carries a maximum prison sentence of 14 years for anyone helping someone to die.
If voted through parliament, the bill would allow adults to shorten their own life if they have the mental capacity to make that decision.
Applicants would have to make two separate declarations of their wishes that would be witnessed and signed, and two independent doctors would have to agree that the person meets all of the necessary criteria, with seven days between each ruling.
The legislation also stipulates that no doctor would be under any obligation to participate in the process, and that any lethal medication offered would be self-administered.
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It suggests that coercing someone to end their life — or make a false declaration as part of the process — should be a crime carrying a sentence of up to 14 years in jail.
The British Medical Association, representing British doctors, has called for assisted dying services to be organised separately from normal NHS care. They have also called for an opt-in service in the legislation for NHS staff, as opposed to opt-out.
SWEET treat lovers are thrilled to discover this chocolate classic is getting a revival just in time for Christmas.
Shoppers are flocking to Iceland to get their hands on a new confectionary before it sells out.
Mars Wrigley has announced the launch of a new take well-loved product to be sold in Iceland – Milky Way Dessert Cups.
The sweet treats were discontinued by Mars Wrigley back in 2022.
Eagle-eyed shoppers locked eyes with them earlier this year in both Home Bargains and B&M.
And now, retailer Iceland have started stocking the treats again.
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Posting a photo of the new Milky Way chocolates, Facebook group Newfoodsuk wrote: “Brand new MilkyWay Dessert Cups from Iceland Foods.
The confectionery company is responsible for a range of popular chocolates including M&Ms, Snickers, Skittles and of course Mars bars.
Milky Way fans have already been treated to the return of a discontinued favourite in 2024.
Milky Way Crispy Rolls were discontinued by Mars Wrigley back in 2022, but earlier this year were spotted in both Home Bargains and B&M.
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Posting a photo of the new Milky Way chocolates, Newfoodsuk said: “Brand new MilkyWay Dessert Cups from Iceland Foods.
“Yes, they are indeed as good as they sound, can’t go wrong with these!!
Shoppers beg Cadbury’s to bring back 2005 recipe on iconic bar – as they moan current one ‘tastes like candle wax’
“These will deffo be a Christmas Day nibble for sure!!”
Fans of the original Malteaser Desert cups were devastated to see them removed from the shelves but rushed to social media after the latest announcement.
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One Facebook user said: “Loved the Butterkist and Malteaser Dessert cups you’ve done previously was gutted when they discontinued them.
“Hope these ones are just as good can’t wait to try them.”
Another added: “Definitely getting these for Christmas.”
A third user tagged a pal and joked: “Another to add to the watchlist please, I’m going to be as big as a house if you find everything I tag you in.”
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The post racked up hundreds of likes, comments and shares with chocolate fanatatics eager to try out the new treat.
The Milky Way Desert Cups consist of hite chocolate flavour cups filled with malted dark chocolate whipped cream, with mini chocolate stars to decorate.
It comes as B&M shoppers also went wild for a new twist on the Dream bar.
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