Russian meteorologists 'besieged by polar bears'

Our pick of the strange stories from around the world.

Russian meteorologists 'besieged by bears'

A team of five Russian meteorologists are reportedly trapped inside their research station, because of an unusually large build-up of polar bears outside the facility. The weather station, on one of the Izvestiy TSIK Islands in the high Arctic and around 2,800 miles from Moscow, has reportedly been besieged by the animals for the past two weeks. The team is running low on critical supplies, including flares normally used to scare the polar bears away. The researchers have been forced to abandon some of their work due to the animals and are currently waiting for a supply ship to help deal with the situation.

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Toddler recovered after 'late-night joy ride'

A toddler from South Carolina has been found safe and well after taking a late-night joy ride in a battery-powered toy car. The two-year-old boy was reportedly discovered driving the small car several blocks from his home, wearing only a nappy and grey tracksuit bottoms. Police were called and were able to follow the car's tracks back to the boy's home, where his parents were unaware he had left the house.

Elderly drivers in 'stand-off' on bridge

Two elderly drivers in Picton, south west of Sydney, Australia, have been fined by police for engaging in a "traffic stand-off" on a single-lane bridge. The pair, a man and a woman, both in their 70s, reportedly refused to yield to each other, each believing they had driven onto the bridge first and had right of way. Police say the 30-minute incident caused hours of chaotic traffic conditions in surrounding streets, and fined the drivers £110 each for obstructing traffic.