Armed robber returns money after taking pity on wine shop manager

Good news stories from the past seven days

Wine in a shop
The armed robber ordered staff at a Brussels wine shop to empty the till
(Image credit: DAJ/Getty Images)

A thief who held up a wine shop in Brussels handed back the cash he’d stolen, after being told about the crises that had blighted the business. The armed robber, who was wearing a motorbike helmet, rushed into Le Cellier de Vinalgros and told staff to empty the till. When he was given €110, he demanded more – only to be told there was none, as the shop’s takings were so depleted. At that point, he returned the money and left. I think “he felt sorry for us”, the shop’s owner reflected.

A lion that spent five years in a small cage in an abandoned zoo in Armenia is poised to start a new life in South Africa. The zoo was owned by a Russian oligarch. When he died, all the other animals were taken to new homes – but none could be found for Rubén. Left alone in his tiny filthy cage, he became malnourished, and lost his roar. But thanks to the efforts of the charity Animal Defenders International, Rubén is now recovering at a converted bear sanctuary, prior to being flown to South Africa, where he’ll live in 2.5 acres of natural habitat.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Sign up