9 h. ago These parrots came to Los Angeles as pets – then went wild. Now scientists are unlocking their mysteries

Once escapees from the pet trade, Los Angeles’s feral parrots have become a vibrant part of city life, and could even aid conservation in their native homelandsA morning mist hung over the palm trees as birds chattered and cars roared by on the streets of Pasadena. It was a scene that evoked a tropical island rather than a bustling city in north-east Los Angeles county.“It feels parrot-y,” says Diego Blanco, a research assistant at Occidental College’s Moore zoology lab, nodding to the verdant flora that surrounds us: tall trees and ornamental bushes with berries. Continue reading...

Politics

21 h. ago ‘I’m not as fierce as I seem’: Glenn Close on growing up in a cult, marching against Trump – and being unlucky in love

She’s Hollywood’s biggest character actor who terrified a generation of men with her ‘bunny boiling’ turn in Fatal Attraction. Now, Close alternates the glamour of the red carpet with living in a red state. She talks about the joy of her ‘undefined’ lifeMost of us don’t live our lives in accordance with a governing metaphor, but Glenn Close does. The 78-year-old was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, a town in the north‑east of the US that, to the actor’s enduring irritation, telegraphs “smug affluence” to other Americans. In fact, Close’s background is more complicated than that, rooted in a childhood that was wild and free but also traumatic, and in an area of New England in which her family goes back generations. “I grew up on those great stone walls of New England,” says the actor, chin out, gimlet-eyed – Queen Christina at the prow of a ship. “Some of them were 6ft tall and 250 years old! I have a book called Sermons in Stone and it says at one point that ...

Politics

35 h. ago Sharm El Sheikh is the ultimate winter sun holiday destination without the jet lag

The last few years haven’t been easy for this holiday hotspot, says Sarah Marshall, but now is the time to book

Politics

3 d. ago Major sports retailer announces Scottish branch to close in just a few days

Shoppers in the North-East face a 130-mile round trip to their next nearest store in Edinburgh.

Politics

4 d. ago Bereaved mother demands change after NHS trust fined over ‘death trap’ ward

North East London NHS Foundation Trust was fined £565,000 plus £200,000 costs after being found guilty of breaching health and safety.

Events

4 d. ago Aberdeen: Children told 'Santa is not real' by teacher during primary school lesson

Aberdeen City Council confirmed an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Society

5 d. ago Sam Fender donates Mercury Prize winnings to charity protecting music venues

The singer from North Shields has given £25,000 to Music Venue Trust (MVT).

Politics

5 d. ago Kyle Scott: The Aberdeen First Bus driver hoping to become the world's strongest man

His rivals have nicknamed Kyle ‘The Taxman’ due to his ordinary appearance.

Transport

5 d. ago South Korea’s ousted leader sent drones over Pyongyang to justify martial law

Prosecutors say Yoon Suk Yeol and aides flew drones over rival neighbour in deliberate attempt to stoke tensions

Politics

7 d. ago Britain's 'most picturesque village' has one of best roast dinners with tasty gravy

If traditional British cuisine is your thing, you might want to head to this pretty village in the north east

Politics

8 d. ago Dad who survived heart attack on cycle thanks to defib welcomes 10k milestone for public devices

Jamie Martin, 64, from North Berwick, suffered a cardiac arrest while cycling through Gifford in East Lothian in May last year.

Events

8 d. ago North Korea fires ballistic missile after US sanctions bankers in blow to hopes for Trump

Pyongyang denounces latest US sanctions as ‘threat and blackmail’ that go against prospect of bilateral dialogue

Events

9 d. ago Tens of thousands of Christmas dinners at risk due to bird flu outbreak

Recent bird flu cases have been confirmed in farms in North Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Devon and East Sussex

Events

9 d. ago Adam Melzi: Body found in Aberdeen during search for missing man as death treated as 'unexplained'

His family have been informed.

Events

1 week ago Israel receives another hostage’s body as Palestinian deaths reported in Gaza

Israel has continued to intermittently strike the Gaza Strip

Events

1 week ago The best beach hotels in Abu Dhabi, from private stretches to resorts ideal for kids

There are very few beach holidays that can be beaten by fly-and-flop in the Emirates, with private, undisturbed beaches, luxury service and the opportunity for complete relaxation

Economics

1 week ago Badenoch warns of ‘oil and gas emergency’ in call for new drilling

The Conservative leader travelled to the north-east of Scotland to launch her party’s new campaign to end the moratorium on new oil and gas licences.

Events

1 week ago US sanctions bankers it says launder cybercrime money to pay for North Korea’s nuclear weapons

Washington accuses Pyongyang of using a network of bankers, financial institutions and shell companies to launder money gained through IT worker fraud, cryptocurrency heist and sanctions evasion

Events

1 week ago US sanctions bankers accused of laundering money to fund North Korea’s nukes

A network of bankers, financial institutions and shell companies are accused of diverting more than US$3 billion

Economics

1 week ago Obesity levels among Reception and Year 6 children in England, by local area

The figures have been published as part of the Government’s National Child Measurement Programme.

Politics