TOKYO. Recitation helped missing parrot

When Yosuke, the parrot, flew out of its cage and got lost, it did exactly what it had been taught, recite its name and address to a stranger willing to help.

Police rescued the African grey parrot (photo) two weeks ago from a neighbour?s roof in the city of Nagareyama, near Tokyo. After spending a night at the station, it was transferred to a nearby veterinary hospital while police searched for clues, local policeman Shinjiro Uemura said.

It kept mum with the cops, but began chatting after a few days with the vet. ?I?m Mr. Yosuke Nakamura,? the bird told the veterinarian, according to Uemura. The parrot also provided its full home address, down to the street number, and even entertained the hospital staff by singing songs.

?We checked the address, and what do you know, a Nakamura family really lived there. So we told them we?ve found Yosuke,? Uemura said. The Nakamura family told police they had been teaching the bird its name and address for about two years. But Yosuke apparently wasn?t keen on opening up to police officials. ?I tried to be friendly and talked to him, but he completely ignored me,? Uemura said.

NEW YORK. Historian pleads guilty to stealing Lincoln letter

A US historian pleaded guilty recently to a federal charge stemming from stealing letters penned by former US Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Edward Renehan, 51, admitted stealing a March 1, 1840, letter written by Lincoln and two by Washington, one written on August 9, 1791 and one written and signed on December 29, 1778. Renehan later sold them to a New York gallery for $97,000, according the US Attorney?s Office in Manhattan.

Renehan, who has written six books including one on the Kennedys, stole the letters from the Theodore Roosevelt Association, a New York-based historical and cultural association where he had been a director. He pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.

MADRID. Chefs in a stew over ?pretentious? cuisine

A chef with three Michelin stars has created a schism in Spanish cuisine by labeling avant-garde creations that revolutionized cooking ?pretentious.? Restaurants like El Bulli near Barcelona, the world?s best according to Restaurant Magazine, have dumped traditional kitchen techniques in favor of high-tech creations distilling flavors into foams and gels. Last week Santi Santamaria, a traditionalist whose restaurant Can Fabes has three stars, ripped into dishes such as El Bulli?s ?paper with flowers? which he said were aimed at impressing rather than satisfying diners. Santamaria called Spanish chefs pretentious and said their use of chemicals could actually put diners?health at risk.

CHICAGO. Gum with bark to take bite out of bad breath

Magnolia bark extract ? a traditional Chinese medicine ? may be the newest weapon in the war on bad breath. Chewing gum maker Wm Wrigley Jr Co said recently that it has added a bit of this germ-killing compound to their Eclipse gum and mints. The hope is to not simply mask bad breath, as most strongly flavored mints and gums do, but to kill odor-causing bacteria. Magnolia bark extract has long been a staple of traditional Chinese medicine.