Technology is displacing the telephone directory from American households. Environmentalists and households, among others, are now questioning the wisdom of printing 2,000 pages of phone numbers hardly touched by consumers who prefer speed dialing features of their mobile units or Internet search engines to find a contact number. A number of apartment buildings in South Boston reported 2008 editions of newly delivered phone books remain untouched in foyers.

A man got locked inside an HSBC bank branch after he entered the still closed establishment, surmising from its unlocked door that it was already open. Jay Whitmarsh, 47, said that when he entered the bank and saw it was empty, he merely thought that the staff had stepped out, and would return in a few minutes. Then suddenly heheard the door slam shut, and the latch lock. He tried opening the door, but had no luck getting free.

A talkative parrot who was never lost for words, lost his will to talk after straying in the wilds of Cambridgeshire for four days. According to his owner Cedric Tunnell, 66, Harley, an African Grey, loves to call them "Mom" and "Dad", could recite his telephone number and was constantly talking all of the time.

Philadelphia police have arrested and charged a 15-year-old boy from Nicetown, PA who held a beagle for ransom and attempted to extort money from its owner. The minor suspect, whose name was withheld by authorities, was taken into custody in the early morning of Dec. 30. He was turned over to the custody of his parents while awaiting trial set on Jan. 31.

A bookshop owner from Houston, Texas emerged as the only and winning bidder for the 3-inch (8 cm) strand of hair of Bolivian icon, Che Guevara, auctioned by the Heritage Auction Galleries in downtown Dallas for a staggering price of $119,500. The 61-year-old Bill Butler placed his order by telephone, claiming he wanted to display the hair of the Bolivian icon as a main attraction in his bookshop.