A South Carolina man who dressed as Santa Claus was arrested after he allegedly tried to take an 8-year-old girl for a motorcycle ride without her parent's permission. According to officials, John Michael Barton said he was in "Santa mode" when the incident occurred and that he was sorry for his actions.

Police in Columbia, S.C., say 55-year-old Braton was wearing a Santa suit when he took off on his motorcycle from a gas station with the girl.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office has launched an initiative that has deputies dressing as elves to clock in cars using a radar gun then sends a motorcycle deputy to pull the offender over and issue a ticket.

Since implementing Operation ELF: Enforcing Limits and Fining speeders, more than 150 tickets were written in just over two hours Thursday.

Ten-year-old Joe Allan Mark "Jam-Jam" Mendoza, whose dream of becoming a policeman came true when he was made a cop for a day in 2003, died of acute lymphocytic leukemia on Thursday.

Jam-jam's wish of becoming a policeman came true in 2003 when the Philippine National Police issued him a custom-made uniform complete with regalia, marched with police generals and was treated like the chief by the leadership of the PNP.

The Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources has filed charges against Motortrade Co., before the regional trial court Branch 51 in Sorsogon City, Philippines for violation of Presidential Decree 953, which prohibits the nailing of anything, including advertisements, on trees which could cause injury to them.

The law states that "any person who cuts, destroys, damages or injures naturally growing or planted trees of any kind, flowering or ornamental plants and shrubs, or plants of scenic, aesthetic and ecological values... shall be punished with imprisonment."

A self-proclaimed kilt-wearing Czech rebel, has been staging a one-man protest to demand independence for his home region. Called the "Czech Braveheart" after his idol William Wallace, the 27-year-old Alois Stuzka has managed to cause some public disruptions.

Stuzka said, "I want to give people in my home area pride in their heritage just like the Scots."