HARARE
Zimbabwe's former president, Canaan Banana, was accused of indecent assault and sodomy after a former aide told the court that the 62-year-old Methodist cleric had raped him after a night of card-playing and ballroom dancing in the state house. Reuters reported the aide, Jefta Dube, told the court: "He invited me to dinner. He offered me whiskey. We played cards. He offered to teach me ballroom music and during the dance he was pressing his erect penis against me. He gave me a French kiss before I broke away from him."
Dube escaped this first attack, but the next time he was summoned to the state house he wasn't so lucky. He claimed he was given a drugged Fanta soda, breaking down his ability to resist Banana's advances: "I felt dizzy after a while. Then he was all over me, kissing and removing my clothes. I woke up the next morning on the carpet, with semen on my buttocks and thighs. When I got home, I wept at the attack and have suffered since then."
Dube's suffering led to severe depression and alcoholism, said his lawyer, and led to a 10-year prison sentence after he shot a fellow policeman who called him "Banana's wife."
The court is investigating Dube's claims, and has already stated that they are "probably true," while Banana has denied all charges, describing them as "a mortuary of pathological lies and a malicious vendetta of vilification and character assassination."
HONG KONG
When a mother and her two daughters in Hong Kong gave the family dog an anti-tick shampoo with a product intended for livestock, it caused the dog to pass out according to Reuters. Alarmed, they all proceeded to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to the afflicted pooch, resulting in their all being poisoned by the dangerous chemical amitrax. They were all admitted to a local hospital in critical condition. A veterinarian was quoted by Pearl Television on the use of the poisonous shampoo: "It is used to treat ticks in cattle or sheep. It is quite uncommon to use this product on dogs or cats."
BANGKOK
The Spice Gays, a group of transsexual Spice Girls imitators from Thailand, are proud of the fact that "Ginger" Spice is still a part of their lineup, even though she has departed from the legitimate British group.
The Spice Gays version of Ginger Spice, Akanit "Pretty" Ratanavich (who underwent a sex-change operation five years ago), was quoted by Reuters: "Pop fans everywhere might be disappointed with Ginger's decision to quit the group, but here this Ginger will be with the show for good to make up for the loss of the real one." Pretty added: "People always ask if we are really women. The answer is we are better than men and we are humans of all seasons."
HYDERABAD
Some people in southern India have an usual way of treating their respiratory ailments, Reuters reports. For over 150 years, the Bathini family of Hyderabad has been giving away a "miracle" cure that consists of herbs and water stuffed inside of a live fish. Believers claim that the fish, which flaps around for 15 minutes after ingestion, helps to unblock the food pipe, clearing away phlegm and then releasing the herbs in the stomach. The patients must purchase the fish (called murrel) themselves, and swallow it live after inserting the medicine given away by the Bathinis for only two days a year, during the Mrigasira solar phase. This year over 300,000 people came to the Bathini residence to consume the cure.
DEER PARK
New Yorker Robert Pawelko, calling himself "Bad Bad Bill," allegedly phoned or showed up at the houses of several women and asked them to spank him. He would also offer to dress up in women's clothing, Reuters reports.
40-year-old Pawelko was charged with seven counts of harrassment after being caught in the act by a policewoman, who happened to be in the home of one of the victims, answering a complaint brought about by one of his earlier calls. When Pawelko called back, the female police officer answered the phone and acted interested, telling him that she wanted to meet him, then coaxed him into revealing his name and address.
Monthly Directory
