WEIRD, WEIRD

Snake found in Christmas tree

A family got a festive shock when they discovered a deadly snake under their Christmas tree.

Rob and Marcela Wild, originally from Britain before they moved to South Africa, had just finished putting the decorations on the tree when they noticed the venomous reptile emerging from the branches.

It is thought that the female boomslang snake, the country's deadliest, had been hiding in the festive tree all along before emerging when the tree had been decorated.

Rob told the Daily Mail newspaper: "We'd just decorated the tree and the kids were putting the presents beneath it before turning the lights on.

"We were admiring our work when my wife Marcela pointed to our two cats and said she thought there might be a mouse in the tree as they were staring at it.

"She shrieked and shouted 'snake'.

"It was a very long two hours until the snake catcher got here and it was like the cavalry turning up but once he hooked it out with his tongs we could breathe again."

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Women more likely to crave alcohol

A study has found that females are more likely to need a drink when completing a task under pressure, such as public speaking and mental arithmetic.

Researchers at Arizona State University looked at 105 men and 105 women and set up a simulated bar in their laboratory and found that stressed women appeared more likely to get drunk and ignore a request to stop drinking after being given stressful tasks.

The experts suggest women may face more social pressure over how they appear to others, which could leave them craving a drink.

Dr Julie Patock-Peckham, who led the study, said: "Women just needed the stress, but men needed the push of already having alcohol on board.

"This shows women may be more vulnerable to heavy drinking due to the impact of the stress - which is worrying after a pandemic of homeschooling and working from home."

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Politicians throw punches in Brazil

Two politicians in Brazil jumped into the ring to settle their differences with a fight.

The mayor of Borba, Simao Peixoto, and former councillor Erineu Alves Da Silva, went toe-to-toe over three rounds after Da Silva called him out for a lack of leadership.

According to local reports, Da Silva wasn't impressed with the mayor's handling of Balneario do Lima - which is a park in the city.

The irate former council worker demanded a fight, which Peixoto accepted via a Facebook post.

He wrote: "I'm not a street fighter... I'm the mayor of the municipality of Borba.

"But if he really wants to fight... we're ready to fight... I've always been a winner."

The mayor was declared the winner after a brutal three-round bout although he was rocked with a few shots by Da Silva.

The crowd was reportedly unhappy at the end and many felt that the wrong man was victorious.

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Escaped lions go wild at airport

Two lions sparked mass panic at an airport after escaping their enclosure as they were being taken on to a plane.

Vets had to fire a tranquilliser gun at the animals following a "tense" stand-off with staff at Changi Airport in Singapore.

One of the beasts was seen relaxing on top of the crate after making the bid for freedom while in transit to an "overseas facility".

Singapore Airlines - who were handling the transportation of the lions - was forced to call in expert veterinary and carnivore teams to deal with the situation.

The animals are now recovering from the sedation under the care of the Mandai Wildlife Group, according to reports from The Straits Times.

In a statement, Singapore Airlines said: "The immediate priority is the lions' well-being.

"SIA is working with Mandai Wildlife Group, which operates Singapore's only wildlife facility that is equipped to look after large carnivores, on this."