Epidemic of shoplifting in the UK is the beginning of general anarchy!

Shoplifting in the UK has developed into a form of anarchy thanks to the police washing their hands of it for decades. And the police have washed their hands of shoplifting publicly. Many years ago they said they would not get involved and that was bound to make matters a lot worse.

There was a time when shoplifting was a minor offence but now has become so extensive and a major form of criminality. It proves that if the police ignore minor offences for long enough they create a major criminal problem. And a culture of unpunished criminality. The 'zero tolerance' policy has legs.

The latest development in this long and unhappy story is Marks & Spencer in Clapham sounding the alarm about the epidemic of shoplifting. This occurred very recently when there was a surge of youngsters pouring into Marks & Spencer and stealing stuff.

A senior executive of Marks & Spencer, Thinus Keeve, has waded in with a stark warning that the company is witnessing shoplifting more brazen, aggressive and organised an ever before.

Perhaps the police say there's been a reduction in overall crime but this is entirely misleading. It's probably plain lies by the police who have a habit of sitting on their hands to do nothing. Trust between the British population and the police has deteriorated to an all-time low. The average British citizen simply does not trust the police in any shape or form.

Mr Keeve says that those who work in stores have a different story to tell about the crime rate in the UK.

He says that Marks & Spencer is "now spending tens of millions every year on protecting its employees and its wares."

Marks & Spencer is one of the country's most trusted retailers and if they say this it is an alarm bell for the rest of the nation. Not that the average British punter needs an alarm bell to understand that the country has entered a dire situation which reminds me of anarchy.

These shoplifters working in gangs simply pour into stores and just strip the shelves. They know they are immune from prosecution. They sell the goods somewhere else. They steal high value products such as steaks or wine.

I myself was in Marks & Spencer about a month ago when I saw a woman stealing salmon from the shelves. She was placing handfuls of packages into her bag and then walking out. I pointed this out to a sales employee but they could do nothing about it because it was all over by then.

I'm told that videos are everywhere online showing young people openly vandalising the Clapham branch of Marks & Spencer. Social media appears to play a role in promoting this form of criminality.

I'm told that the British Retail Consortium says that the cost to retailers of shoplifting was £400 million last year. It's probably a lot more than that actually. And the crime is not victimless. It affects everyone because it pushes up prices. It makes the cost of living crisis even worse. It also places the employees of these retailers in a very difficult position.

They are told not to intervene in case they get hurt by the shoplifters. This also promotes more shoplifting. Kimi Badenoch has said that other shoppers should get involved and stop the thieves if it's safe to do so but how do you know it's safe to do so?

The thieves know they are immune from arrest or prosecution as mentioned. This is anarchy. It is highly depressing for the average British citizen who wants to live in a peaceful country. Britain is decaying. Britain is deteriorating before our eyes. It is not entirely broken but it is breaking day by day.

The institutions are failing to work properly and the services are poorer than before. The money has run out. The country is in massive national debt. The Labour government is extremely poor. It is weak. It is making the UK economy even worse on an hour by hour basis.

I sense that there will be a greater deterioration going forwards and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that true anarchy will break out at some stage.

Update: A Waitrose employee says that he sees shoplifting every hour of every day at the branch he used to work at! It happens all the time and the employees are told to let it happen! This leads to more soft lifting and higher prices for the usual customers. WTF! He was sacked after he successfully stopped a thief. It is a mad country.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Why King Charles III should NOT meet with Trump April 2026

It is common knowledge that Trump has bullied and insulted the UK. He has insulted the country's Prime Minister - I hate Starmer but I strongly object to Trump insulting him - and the UK's armed forces. King Charles is the head of the armed forces.

Trump has insulted France in insulting Macron and Macron's wife. He has alienated America's allies. Trump has more or less destroyed 80 years of trust between the US and its allies and is threatening to badly damage NATO.

Trump is probably certifiably, borderline mentally ill. He is a bully. He is arrogant. He is a narcissist. He has psychopathic traits. He enjoys war pornography as does Pete Hegseth, who treats the war on Iran as some sort of comic book distraction. America chose to attack Iran and without any discussion with its allies or seek congressional approval.

If King Charles visits Trump in April it will be a strong signal that the UK approves Trump's bizarre, chaotic and contradictory behaviour. Charles cannot agree with this behaviour. He must hate it.

It is time for the UK to rebuke Trump. To push back. To complain. To protect its dignity. That sycophantic moment when Starmer handed King Charles's letter of initiation to a second state visit makes me sick. It was horrible.

Yes, there was an underlying purpose - to reduce tariffs - but since that horrible White House moment Trump has walked all over the UK.

It is time for the UK to criticise Trump. The so called special relationship has been exposed for what it is: fragile and ultimately a mutually beneficial deal when it suits America.

King Charles cannot visit Trump in April. He will be, by implication, endorsing Trump's wild and immoral behaviour. Charles's visit is a gift to Trump. The opposite to what should be happening.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Tiger Woods' cascading pain problems undermine his iconic status

Here is a thought. Tiger Woods' huge hitting power when he was the world's best golfer was attained by putting an enormous amount of stress on his body. He is not a particularly tall man. But he hit the ball huge distances. He achieved it by a big turn in the backswing and a very coiled swing which unleased enormous speed on the downswing. 

All this over time stressed his back to the point where it damaged it badly causing a lot of pain. He had to have surgery on this back. More pain, more surgery and more painkillers which impaired his car driving which incidentally he insisted on doing himself because he decided that when he is driving he has - for a brief time - some personal privacy and solitude.

He could have afforded a full-time chauffer. Of course he could have because he is worth an estimated one billion US dollars.

But no he insisted on driving which resulted in car accidents which in turn damaged his right leg to the point where surgeons contemplated cutting it off! It was damaged that badly when he went off the road and rolled his car. 

The incident: Tiger Woods’ 2021 crash occurred when his SUV rolled over in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, leaving him with severe injuries, including multiple fractures to his right leg. He was trapped in the vehicle and required emergency surgery after being extracted. Authorities reported it as a single‑car collision, with no evidence of impairment. The crash left his career in jeopardy, though he later made a limited return to golf.

My guess (allegation) is that he fell asleep at the wheel because of the cocktail of painkillers he was taking at the time.

And his right leg plus his bad back cause him pain 24-7 it appears such that he continues to take addictive opioid painkillers 24-7 I suspect which impairs his driving skills to the point where he has been charged with DUI recently. He has pleaded not guilty and he is innocent until proven guilty. But he refused a urine test which - as I understand it - is strict liability. He has almost no defence to that. 

But the point is that his golf swing and his fabulous skills (and massive success) have caused all these dire problems in his forced retirement and it will only get worse I predict as he gets older. It is one way traffic to a kind of pain-swamped hell in perpetuity I am sad to say for perhaps the world's greatest ever golfer.

He is paying a price that is too high. If he had had a smoother and less demanding golf swing in his heyday and hit the ball about 10% shorter he might have protected his back which would have prevented all this driving and pain meds mayhem in relative old age. Yes, he may have won less tournaments but it would have been better for him overall.

His problems are self-inflicted. He is adored by kids. He is setting a bad example at the moment. He won't be able to fix the hellish pain problem going forward but he can stop driving for good whether he likes it or not. Just to try and repair is iconic image.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins. Also, sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.

Can Purina LiveClear Help Cat Owners Ease Sinusitis? A Practical Test for Allergy‑Linked Symptoms

Brazilian Courts Gain Power to Order Shared Custody of Pets in Divorce

Brazil has taken a significant step in recognising the emotional importance of companion animals by granting courts the authority to order shared custody of pets when couples separate. The new federal law, approved in April 2026, responds to a growing number of disputes involving dogs, cats, and other domestic animals—now considered integral members of many Brazilian households.

Under the legislation, if a divorcing couple cannot reach an agreement on who keeps the pet, a judge may impose a joint‑custody arrangement. This can include alternating periods of care, shared financial responsibility for food, veterinary treatment, and other essential expenses, and even detailed schedules similar to those used in child‑custody cases.

Crucially, the law requires judges to consider the well‑being of the animal, assessing factors such as living conditions, time availability, and each partner’s caregiving history. Pets that have lived predominantly with the couple are treated as a form of shared property, but the law moves beyond a purely economic view by acknowledging their emotional significance.

There are important safeguards. Shared custody is prohibited if one partner has a criminal record or a history—or risk—of domestic violence. In such cases, courts may award exclusive custody to the safer environment to protect both the animal and the vulnerable partner.

Brazil is home to one of the world’s largest pet populations—estimated at more than 160 million animals—and lawmakers say the reform reflects modern family dynamics. With many couples choosing not to have children, pets often occupy a central emotional role, making separation disputes more complex.

By aligning itself with countries such as France and Spain, where pets are legally recognised as sentient beings, Brazil signals a broader cultural shift: animals are no longer viewed as mere possessions but as companions whose welfare deserves legal protection.

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P.S. Sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified. And, I rely on scientific studies but they are not 100% reliable. Finally, (!) I often express an OPINION on the news. Please share yours in a comment.