Father Christmas caught in power lines

A man who dressed as Santa Claus and took to the skies above California with his paraglider had to be rescued after becoming entangled in power lines. The fire department in Sacramento released a video showing the man dressed as Santa in the pilot’s seat of the fan-powered aircraft as it dangled above the street. After releasing him, they said: “We made sure Old St Nick will use his reindeer when he sees you later this year.”

‘Crazy beast’ defied evolution 66m years ago

An ancient “crazy beast” lived alongside dinosaurs on Madagascar 66 million years ago, say researchers. The Adalatherium hui mammal was about the size of a modern cat and has amazed experts. “It is difficult to imagine that a mammal like Adalatherium could have evolved; it bends and even breaks a lot of rules,” said one.

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Snakes and dead cows lurk in sea foam

The public has been warned to stay out of sea foam that has appeared on the beaches of northern New South Wales and Queensland because sea snakes and other hazardous material may be hidden in it. There are 32 species of venomous sea snakes in Australia, and they may not be the only horrors lurking in the foam. “I think there was half a cow that washed up at the beach,” Nathan Fife, Gold Coast Lifesaving services supervisor at Surf Lifesaving Australia, said.