Between a global pandemic, racial unrest, natural disasters and looming economic crises, there are plenty of bleak stories making headlines every day. So here is a pick of the week's funny, quirky and surprising news from around the world to help alleviate the gloom.

Fly me to the moon

Two airline pilots encountered unusual traffic near Los Angeles airport last week: a man with a jetpack flying around on his own at an altitude of around 900 meters.

The bemused pilots were on different flights when they reported the sighting, leading to incongruous radio communications with air traffic control: "Tower, American 1997. We just passed a guy in a jet pack," reported one pilot, noting that the person was flying at about the same altitude as the plane, just about 300 meters away. The other pilot reported the same sighting seconds later, prompting air traffic control to urge caution.

Jet packs rarely fly at such high altitude. The FBI is still investigating the case. As one person noted on the recordings, which were made available to media: "Only in LA."

Strong sushi

Will a shirtless bodybuilder bringing you sushi make you want to order more? Apparently yes.

A chef in central Japan set up a delivery service called "Delivery Macho" to boost his business following the pandemic, and recruited friends who worked in fitness gyms and were now without a job to bring his sushi to clients. Masanori Sugiura, 41, is himself a competition body builder on the side.

Customers must spend at least 7,000 yen (66 U.S. dollars) to get the shirtless bodybuilder delivery experience but it seems to already be a hit.

Sugiura reportedly earns about 1.5 million yen (14,000 U.S. dollars) per month from his new service and receives up to 10 orders per day. 

Gossip is the worst

Forget COVID-19, Pope Francis had a much more serious epidemic in mind when he addressed followers on Sunday: gossip.

"Please brothers and sisters, let's try to not gossip," he urged during his weekly blessing. "Gossip is a plague worse than COVID. Worse. Let's make a big effort: no gossiping!"

The Pontiff also described the devil as "the biggest gossiper," who tries to divide the Catholic Church and the community.

This is not the first time that Pope Francis has railed against gossip. No word as to whether he was the victim of "mean girls" as a teenager...

A few extra eyes

Having eyes in the back of your head helps when you are at the mercy of predators, but what works even better is eyes on your bum, as new research shows.

Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia, working with Botswana conservationists, discovered that painting eyes on cows' haunches makes them less likely to be attacked by lions.

In fact, during the four-year study in Botswana's Okavango Delta, none of the 683 cows with painted eyes on their behinds were killed by predators, whereas 15 of the 835 unpainted ones were.

It seems lions are less keen to attack if they feel they are being watched.

And it does not take much to deceive them either: even a simple painted cross reduces the likelihood of cattle being attacked, the researchers found.

A string of Brazilian islands has reopened to tourists, but there is a catch: only those who can prove they have had COVID-19 will be allowed.

The unusual move was announced by the northeastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco even as most other countries have closed their borders and demanded negative nucleic-acid test results for anyone wishing to enter.

The Fernando de Noronha archipelago, a tropical paradise of 21 volcanic islands featuring turquoise waters and sandy beaches, was closed to visitors in mid-March in the wake of the pandemic.

Pernambuco state's administrator, Guilherme Rocha, said tourists will now be allowed back if they can show a positive COVID-19 test that is at least 20 days old or a test that shows they have antibodies. He did not explain the reasons behind the decision.

Applications can be made online.

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ICYMI: The week's quirky news from around the world - August 28, 2020

ICYMI: The week's quirky news from around the world - August 7, 2020