We're cut in a trap

A family in Stockholm is recovering after a visit from "Ratzilla". The appearance of a massive rat in their kitchen has made headlines in Sweden. Measuring 40cm (nearly 16in) plus tail, the creature was eventually killed by pest controllers using an oversized trap.

Even the family cat had refused to enter the kitchen while the giant rat was in residence.

It seems that the rat reached the kitchen via a ventilation pipe, having gnawed its way through cement and wood. After devouring food leftovers under the sink, the rat munched its way through a "Swedish smorgasbord" of waste in the bin.

For reasons of taste, we won't be publishing a picture of the rat in question. But to say Ratzilla was the size of a small pony would not be exaggerating. Too many meatballs and lingonberry sauce, I think.

It's been a bad week for … haircuts

It has been reported that young men in North Korea are now required to get the same haircut as their leader, Kim Jong-un. The state-sanctioned guideline was introduced in the capital Pyongyang, according to Radio Free Asia. It is now being rolled out across the country - although not everyone is enamoured by the look.

"Our leader's haircut is very particular, if you will," one source told the radio station. "It doesn't always go with everyone since everyone has different face and head shapes."

Meanwhile, a North Korean now living in China says the look is unpopular at home. "Until the mid-2000s, we called it the Chinese smuggler haircut," he told the Korea Times.

Haircuts have been state-approved in North Korea for some time - until now, people were reportedly only allowed to choose from 18 styles for women and 10 for men. Earlier, North Korea's state TV launched a campaign against long hair called "Let us trim our hair in accordance with the Socialist lifestyle".

Maybe this state-issue coiffure culture could catch on? Should the vote be Yes come September 18, you might want to have to hand a See You Jimmy wig just in case.