Two items of news last week from the world of rats was proof that lower mammals have an acute sixth sense that warns them of impending disaster. Rats are in fact known to have abandoned the Titanic even though it hadn't even struck an iceberg yet. Our rodent friends seem to have a built-in early warning system.

In the first incident, reported nationwide by the media before it was forbidden to tell lies, a mouse reportedly got inside the trousers of a cook in a Darbar Marg caf? that shall remain nameless. The cook panicked and crashed into the bar, breaking several bottles of Kingfisher which gashed him and he had to be rushed to the hospital (don't you dare laugh).

The second occurrence took place the next day at a famous New Road eatery when a hungry customer about to wolf down a vegetarian samosa discovered that it contained a baby rat (Latin name: Rats Us). As reported by the local media, other patrons then raised slogans against the restaurant management, demanding their money back. Thank heavens we're not a litigious nation, otherwise people would be suing the pants off the rats.

All this just by way of preamble as the country resumes its long march towards attaining Asian ISO 9002 standards by 2050 by unleashing four-directional development and go back to the village. Even as I write those words, I am swept by a heady feeling of nostalgia and d?j? vu. The good days are back again, let's rock.

And now, the international headlines to those of you who missed watching important events unfold around the world. It's a pity you didn't get to watch BBC and CNN this week because you missed a lot of earth-shattering events around the world. There is nothing like 24-hour television news to keep us abreast of what is happening globally. So, this is what you all missed:

1. Pope John Paul catches a cold but is getting better as we hear live from our correspondent outside his hospital in Rome.
2. Breaking news that jury selection in the Michael Jackson trial is finally complete even as the genderless, raceless and ageless king of pop says he's not a bad man, just a weird one.
3. Mugabe calls for elections in March: the West is sceptical
4. Iraq elections over: the West says it was a roaring success
5. Thailand elections next week: voting just a formality, says Thaksin
6. Captains of industry met in Davos and some of them slipped on ice in the sidewalk outside their hotel
7. Lords of poverty junket in Puerto Alegre winds up amidst fanfare and belly-dancing
8. Hillary Clinton faints, recovers and gives another speech
9. Tony Blair is kissed by party supporter at rally who is surprised he doesn't have a stiff upper lip. "They are rather soft," Tony's kisser told reporters.
10. SAARC summit postponed again, leaders to meet 'at latest' by 2025 by which time, member nations will have hopefully run out of excuses not to attend.

We have more international news in just a moment after the break. Don't go away.