NEW YORK, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Some U.S. stores have recorded a holiday-season rise in 'shopdropping,' the act of taking items to stores and leaving them on the shelves.
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- A flock of delinquent Santas ran amok through a Christchurch, New Zealand, movie theater, damaging property, swearing loudly and bothering patrons.
ST. LOUIS, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- The monks at Assumption Abbey in Missouri are looking for new customers for their famous fruitcake after a high-end retailer decided to stop stocking it.
MUNCIE, Ill., Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Indiana state troopers are looking for the intended recipient of a child's toy found along Interstate 69 north of Muncie.
NEW YORK, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- The three phony police officers who hijacked a FedEx truck full of Christmas gifts in New York were unable to open the storage containers.
NEW YORK, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- New York commuter Guy McGovern said the stress of the holidays caused him to submit to road rage and throw another motorist's cell phone into the woods.
Crucified Santa is one man's message ... N.Y. man shocks neighbors with gory Santa ... City clamps down on bingo volunteers ... British royals create YouTube channel ... Watercooler stories from UPI.
NORAD to keep tabs on Santa's progress ... Britain set to release secret UFO files ... Woman keeping reindeer away from Santa ... Harrods offering $83 a jar honey ... The world as we know it from UPI.
ATLANTA, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Government debit cards issued to Georgia state employees bought millions of dollars in questionable purchases, including jewelry and pornography, a report says.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Those needing to know where Santa Claus is at any given time this holiday season can once again check with the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
LONDON, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The ritzy London department store Harrods is offering a reportedly healthy type of honey for $83 a jar, possibly the highest cost for honey in the world.
BREMERTON, Wash., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A home owner in Bremerton, Wash., adorned his lawn with a crucified Santa Claus doll to send a public message about the commercialization of Christmas.
NEW YORK, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A New York City man has once again shocked his neighbors by putting up a gory display of Santa Claus crawling out of a chimney.
LONDON, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The British government will soon release previously classified details regarding hundreds of reported sightings of unidentified flying objects.
SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Authorities in San Jose, Calif., have imposed restrictions on volunteers at a senior center's bingo games after receiving allegations of cheating.
OXFORD, England, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A woman in Britain has had her reindeer tagged with tracking microchips to find the animals should they run away with Santa Claus.
LONDON, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Fifty years after she delivered her first televised Christmas message, Queen Elizabeth II of Britain is adding another outlet, YouTube.
BRISTOL, England, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- An English woman with a driving phobia could be forced off the road after she was caught driving under 10 mph on a busy highway.
ELY, Minn., Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Solo, a northern Minnesota black bear facing a death penalty, got a gubernatorial pardon just days ahead of Christmas from Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- National spelling bee wannabes got an early Christmas present when a Minneapolis law firm agreed to sponsor a regional spelling bee.
INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Two medical researchers in Indiana say adults do not need to drink eight glasses of water daily and that reading in bad light does not ruin eyesight.
TOKYO, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A Japanese defense minister made a tongue-in-cheek remark, saying his country was prepared to deal with Godzilla should the fictional creature appear.
Frenchman Arnaud Clement hits a shot during his French Open mens first round match against Russian Alex Bogomolov Jr. at Roland Garros in Paris on May 28, 2012. Clement defeated Bogomolov when the match was retired at 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 5-4. UPI/David Silpa
