Wikinews:Briefs/June 5, 2008

Clinton to suspend campaign

Several news organizations have reported that Hillary Clinton will suspend her campaign for the Democratic Presidential nomination on Saturday.

In an email sent to Clinton supporters, she said that she would like to "extend my congratulations to Senator Obama."

This announcement made by the Clinton team comes as Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, says that he is 'honored' to be the nominee in the election.

US and UK diplomats detained in Zimbabwe

United States and United Kingdom diplomatic staff were detained in Zimbabwe, according to US ambassador James D. McGee. They have now been released, say spokespeople from both the British and American embassies.

Ambassador McGee spoke in an interview on CNN: "Police put up a roadblock, stopped the vehicles, slashed the tires, reached in and grabbed telephones from my personnel, and the war veterans threatened to burn the vehicles with my people inside unless they got out and accompanied police to a station nearby."

The ambassador said that the incident was a serious breach of diplomatic protocols. "We do believe this is coming directly from the top," he added.

A driver working for the US embassy was beaten up by the veterans, who are often used by the ZANU-PF (the ruling political party) to intimidate political opponents. They were also used as shock troops in the government's ouster of white farm owners.

Zimbabwe's Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga told the press that the diplomats were detained because they had tried to flee a roadblock and had refused to comply with police. He also refuted the claims that an embassy employee was beaten and that tires were slashed.

Just yesterday, police temporarily detained opposistion leader Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC), who is running against President Robert Mugabe in a run-off election on June 27.

Tsvangirai resumed his campaign today. "Our resolve for a new beginning, and a new Zimbabwe remains unshaken," he said.

Indian 'guru' faces charges of fraud, drugs and rape

A spiritual guru known as "Swami Amritachaitanya" is being held in Kerala, India on charges of fraud, rape and possession of narcotic drugs. Swami Amritachaitanya, whose real name is Santosh Madhavan, was arrested by Interpol in March on criminal charges in a police raid at his 16-suite ashram in Kochi, India following multiple police complaints against him. Indians living in Bahrain have recently come forward and filed a case against Madhavan in India on allegations of fraudulent practices related to his supposed charity activities.

"Twenty of us have e-mailed a complaint to the Inspector General and Commissioner of Ernakulam police as well as Kerala Home Minister," said complainant Jaya Kumar in a statement to the Gulf Daily News. Ernakulam is a district in the state of Kerala in India. "He was very convincing about his charity activities as well as the resort," said Kumar, a purchasing officer at a company in Bahrain.

Police began an investigation into Madhavan in April after a woman filed a complaint alleging he had promised to start a business with her after a meeting in Dubai, but she said he disappeared after she gave him the money.

NHL: Detroit wins the 2008 Stanley Cup

The Detroit Red Wings won their 11th Stanley Cup in National Hockey League (NHL) history on Wednesday. The Red Wings won the sixth game of the championship finals by a 3-2 score against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. The Conn Smythe Trophy, an individual player award, was presented to Henrik Zetterberg.

Pittsburgh last won the Stanley Cup in 1992 and was seeking its third Cup in the playoffs. The Stanley Cup is the most prominent contest in North American ice hockey.