Our pick of the strange stories from around the world.
A crazy purr-petrator
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Man 'marries' his smartphone
A Californian man has married his smartphone to "send a message to society" about how attached everybody is to their handset. Aaron Chervenak, from Los Angeles, took part in the "commitment ceremony" at the Little Las Vegas Chapel. The marriage isn't legally recognised by the state of Nevada.
Gambles by name...
A man named Gambles has won the lottery for a second time using the same five numbers he plays every week. Larry Gambles, 65, won more than $1m (£750,000) earlier this month, nine years after winning a $50,000 first prize in the same lottery. Gambles told reporters that he doesn't believe his surname has anything to do with the win. "I equate gambling with dice, cards and casinos," he said. "To me, lottery is just luck."
-
Morgan McSweeney: has he lost control of Keir Starmer’s No. 10?Downing Street chief of staff is under presssure again after a reported ‘shouty’ row with Wes Streeting
-
The rise of tinned beansThe Week Recommends Protein-packed, affordable and easy to cook with, the humble legume is having a moment
-
Sudoku medium: November 17, 2025The daily medium sudoku puzzle from The Week
-
Home Office worker accused of spiking mistress’s drink with abortion drugSpeed Read Darren Burke had failed to convince his girlfriend to terminate pregnancy
-
In hock to Moscow: exploring Germany’s woeful energy policySpeed Read Don’t expect Berlin to wean itself off Russian gas any time soon
-
Were Covid restrictions dropped too soon?Speed Read ‘Living with Covid’ is already proving problematic – just look at the travel chaos this week
-
Inclusive Britain: a new strategy for tackling racism in the UKSpeed Read Government has revealed action plan setting out 74 steps that ministers will take
-
Sandy Hook families vs. Remington: a small victory over the gunmakersSpeed Read Last week the families settled a lawsuit for $73m against the manufacturer
-
Farmers vs. walkers: the battle over ‘Britain’s green and pleasant land’Speed Read Updated Countryside Code tells farmers: ‘be nice, say hello, share the space’
-
Motherhood: why are we putting it off?Speed Read Stats show around 50% of women in England and Wales now don’t have children by 30
-
Anti-Semitism in America: a case of double standards?Speed Read Officials were strikingly reluctant to link Texas synagogue attack to anti-Semitism
