In a wildlife reserve in Russia's Far East, a female bear has spurned natural instincts and adopted an orphaned cub.

A mother bear caring for a cub that's not her own is rare. Most orphans don't stand a chance at survival, as they are usually killed by adult bears, female bears or even other bear cubs, a spokesman for the Kronotsky National Nature Reserve told the news service RIA Novosti.

U.S. scientists say they can engineer mice and human cells to produce so-called brown fat, which is a natural energy-burning type of fat that wards off obesity.

The scientists, with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, say they hope to be able to develop the same brown fat for people as a means of fighting obesity and diabetes. Their findings are published in the July 29 edition of the journal Nature.

An x-ray revealed nine golf balls in a dog's stomach after it's worried owners took it to see the veterinarian.

Mark and Michelle Jewell took their dog, Bertie, to the vet after they noticed he was walking strangely.

Gisele Bundchen is being plagued by rats. The Brazilian supermodel screamed in horror after seeing one of the rodents which have infested her street, in New York's West Village area - where stars including Rupert Everett and Michael Cera also live.

A source said: "There's been a parade of big fat rats every night. You can hear shrieks from fighting rats and from girls walking by who see the rats."

Beyonce Knowles' family used to help her fasten her clothes because she was so fat. Despite now being regarded as one of the world's most beautiful women, the "Bootylicious" singer has revealed she was a "chubby and ugly" child who struggled to fit into her trousers.

She said: "Of course I've had an ugly period. When I was around 10 or 11, my mother gave me this really ugly haircut and I was really, really chubby. So chubby that my family used to all lay me down flat so they could zip up my jeans. It took four of them and I would lie there on the bed while they all got to it."