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AROUND THE WORLD 1: Santa Compensated by Danish Military

The Danish Air Force has agreed to pay compensation to Olavi Nikkanoff, a part-time Danish Santa Claus, following the death of his reindeer.

According to a letter of complaint sent to the Air Force, Rudolf the reindeer was grazing peacefully at Nikkanoff's farm in central Denmark when a number of F-16s flew overhead. Nikkanoff claimed his reindeer collapsed and died as a result of a fright received from the loud noise made by the low flying jets. Consequently, this part-time Santa Claus was faced with having only one reindeer to pull his sleigh at Christmas time.

Captain Morten Jensen of the Danish Air force stated "we got a letter from Santa complaining about his reindeer's death and looked into it seriously." After checking into the matter, confirming flight times and veterinary reports, the Air Force concluded that the low flying planes had more than likely caused the death of Rudolf.

Olavi Nikkanoff received approximately $3,000 in compensation from the Air Force and is said to be buying a new reindeer in time for Christmas.

--Written by Olivia Overman

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