Feeding gourmet cats, and more
A Japanese man was arrested after going on a burglary spree, stealing $185,000 worth of cash and jewelry in order to feed his 120 cats a gourmet diet.
Feeding gourmet cats
A Japanese man was arrested after going on a year-long burglary spree, stealing $185,000 worth of cash and jewelry in order to feed his 120 cats a gourmet diet. Mamoru Demizu, 48, told police he broke into homes at least 32 times so he could cater to his felines’ expensive tastes. “He would give them fresh fish and chicken, not cheap canned food,” said an officer. Demizu kept 20 cats in a warehouse, and fed 100 more neighborhood strays. “He said he felt happiest when he rubbed his cheek against cats,” said police.
Santa isn't real, says British vicar to children
Subscribe to 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.
A British vicar sent dozens of elementary school students home crying by telling them Santa Claus isn’t real. The Rev. Simon Tatton-Brown had been asked to give a festive-themed talk at a school, and decided to explain to youngsters that Santa was a fictional character based on the 4th-century St. Nicholas. He then recounted a gruesome legend in which St. Nicholas resurrected three children whom an evil butcher murdered and made into ham. “Loads of kids went home crying,” said one outraged parent. “It has ruined Christmas for them.”
Teen party turns into “looting frenzy”
Los Angeles police arrested 16 teenagers after a wild party at a vacant mansion ended with vandals carrying off nearly everything—including medieval armor, Versace suits, and a mounted snow leopard worth $250,000. Officers said well-to-do youngsters broke into a $7 million mansion when the owner was away, and threw a 17-hour party that quickly became a “looting frenzy.” Many of the offenders were arrested when they posted “selfie” photos with their stolen swag.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How will the MoD's new cyber command unit work?
Today's Big Question Defence secretary outlines plans to combat 'intensifying' threat of cyberattacks from hostile states such as Russia
-
Why Irish traditional music is having a moment
In The Spotlight Frustrations with isolation and technology credited for reviving 'auld' trad tunes
-
Mrs Warren's Profession: 'tour-de-force' from Imelda Staunton and daughter Bessie Carter
The Week Recommends Mother-daughter duo bring new life to George Bernard Shaw's morality play
-
Too drunk to get married, and more
feature An Australian groom showed up so drunk for his wedding that a minister refused to perform the ceremony.
-
Romanian swallows a metal fork, and more
feature A Romanian man went to the emergency room complaining of intense chest pain.
-
Suicidal man helps save a stranger, and more
feature A suicidal man who was threatening to jump off London Bridge helped save the life of a complete stranger drowning in the waters below.
-
Morticians discover live man in body bag, and more
feature Workers at a Mississippi funeral home got a shock when a corpse started moving inside his body bag.
-
How to shake a vending machine, and more
feature An Iowa man was fired from his warehouse job after he allegedly used a forklift to pick up a vending machine and shake loose a stuck candy bar.
-
Young boy goes joyriding, and more
feature A 10-year-old Norwegian boy took his parents’ car for a joyride, then told police that he was a dwarf who had forgotten his driver’s license.
-
Taking aim at Kroger's, and more
feature A Kentucky woman allegedly bought a car just so she could ram it into a supermarket that she hates.
-
A name like no other, and more
feature Britain’s most heavily tattooed man has been refused a passport because of his unusual name.