BELLEVILLE, Ill., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A police officer in Belleville, Ill., violated the constitutional rights of a man for wearing a T-shirt with the word "Police," a lawsuit alleges.
TEHRAN, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Files seized by Iranian agents from the offices of dissident Tehran attorney Shirin Ebadi may put her and her clients in danger, Nobel Peace Prize winners say.
DALLAS, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Dallas police Wednesday were attempting to identify three men who entered a smoke shop and fatally shot a woman while wounding three others, officials said.
JOLIET, Ill., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- An official in Will County, Ill., says the new year should bring about new evidence in the cases of former police officer Drew Peterson's last two wives.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A Canadian husband and wife face U.S. charges of smuggling people into the United States from British Columbia into Washington state.
VATICAN CITY, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- As the New Year begins, the Vatican will no longer adopt Italian laws automatically, instead examining each new law independently, Catholic officials said.
VALDEZ, Alaska, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Investigators are assessing the damage and trying to find the cause of a fire at a refinery at the oil port of Valdez, Alaska.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A Knoxville, Tenn., area real estate developer sued the Tennessee Valley Authority for damages resulting from a massive spill of coal sludge.
SANTA ANA, Calif., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A 29-year-old man faked his death while spearfishing in California this year to avoid being sentenced for a felony conviction, police contend.
NORWICH, Conn., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Connecticut's Catholic Church is charged with racketeering in a suit that claims church officials covered up alleged sex abuse by priests, documents say.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Barack Obama's unlikely wins in two traditionally Republican states in his quest for the U.S. presidency was among Politico's top 10 political upsets in 2008.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Ninety political appointees at the Pentagon have been told their services will not be needed once U.S. President-elect Barack Obama takes office.
BAGHDAD, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- U.S. military officials say they are investigating allegations American troops executed an unarmed Iraqi al-Qaida suspect and cut off his finger.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A group of atheists is suing to bar prayers and references to God during the swearing-in ceremony of U.S. President-elect Barack Obama.
MANILA, Philippines, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The New Year's celebration in the Philippines has already resulted in at least 165 injuries from fireworks usage, the Department of Health says.
BOSTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The new Score Choice reporting systems for SAT tests could either benefit potential U.S. college students or increase their anxiety levels, experts say.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- President-elect Barack Obama and his family are packing up their Chicago home and will be heading for Washington next week, members of his transition team said.
CHICAGO, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill., declined Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's offer of President-elect Barack Obama's Senate seat, telling him too much chaos existed.
HARTFORD, Colo., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A Connecticut prison inmate has sued the state, claiming that his religious freedom as a Muslim has been violated by the lack of halal meat.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- New Year's celebrations were kicked off at midnight Wednesday in Auckland, New Zealand, which welcomed 2009 with a stunning fireworks display, observers said.
EDMONTON, Alberta, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A Canadian soldier who lost his legs to a land mine in Afghanistan says he's mystified by anonymous Christmas gifts left at his Edmonton home for 12 days.
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Lt. Gen. Victor "Brute" Krulak, who helped shape strategy for the U.S. Marines from World War II to Vietnam, has died at 95.
BILBAO, Spain, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Basque separatists are suspected in a van bomb that exploded Wednesday at the offices of a regional television station in Bilbao, Spain, officials said.
Ball boys and girls enter the court during the French Open mens second round match between Spaniard Nicolas Almagro and Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus at Roland Garros in Paris on May 31, 2012. Almagro defeated Baghdatis 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the next round. UPI/David Silpa
