The company I work for has a news agency feed, down which many interesting stories come. previously, most of these important events were sadly ignored by the media, but now, TC is proud to present a selection. Similar pages may be found throughout the rest of this issue (wherever we need something to bring the page count even!). We start, appropriately, with reports from the Asian desk.

Schoolchildren see ‘devil’ in Manila

Manila – Some 20 Filipino schoolchildren went into a frenzy after seeing a man they described as the devil under a tree in their schoolyard, police said on Thursday. “He is a gigantic man who has horns and a tail,” 12-year-old Marilyn Umpat told reporters. Classes were called off at the height of the mass hysteria in a classroom of a Manila elementary school on Wednesday, and the children were rushed to a nearby Roman Catholic chapel, where the priest dabbed holy water on them and said prayers. School officials planned to have the tree blessed and perhaps hire an exorcist.

Japanese students score a perfect zzzzzzzzzzz

Tokyo – Two students flunked a Japanese university entrance exam but later won places after complaints a supervisor’s snores drowned out the questions, a university spokesman said on thursday. The test consisted of English comprehension questions relayed by loudspeaker but a number of students insisted the broadcast was inaudible because of a storm of snoring and nose-blowing in the room, said a spokesman for the university. After parental complaints, university authorities looked into the case and decided to admit the failed pair to make sure they were not treated unfairly.

No condoms please, we’re Singaporeans

Singapore – Strait-laced Singapore unbent a bit on Friday and decided to allow its first sort-of sexually explicit musical — but only if the audience dressed properly and no-one tossed any condoms on stage. Singapore’s Ministry of Information and the Arts & Home Affairs Ministry agreed to allow the opening of “The New Rocky Horror Show” despite earlier misgivings. The show is about a transvestite scientist from outer space trying to create an ideal man. Officials had been upset by a report in the Straits Times, which said condoms would be tossed on stage.

Up, up and away with the cash

Hong Kong – A daredevil Hong Kong robber is preying on one of the high-rise colony’s most familiar modes of transportation — the lift. Riding on top of elevators in public housing estates, the robber stops them between floors and threatens to pour in gasoline and set the passengers on fire unless they hand over their valuables, the Sunday Morning Post newspaper said. He then opens the inner doors from above, grabs his loot and hops out onto the next floor without his victims ever seeing his face. The robber has struck a half-dozen times in the past month, netting HK$56,000 (£5,000).