Honduras’ interim government is cracking down on civil rights in response to ousted President Manuel Zelaya’s calls for rebellion.

Honduras’ interim leader said he won’t meet face-to-face with ousted President Manuel Zelaya, but said Mr Zelaya could leave the foreign embassy where he is holed up if a country grants him political asylum.

Honduras was sealed off from the world today after its deposed president made a dramatic return that sparked off street riots.

Honduras’ top court has ruled that ousted President Manuel Zelaya will face trial if he returns to the Central American country.

A top aide to Honduras’ ousted president accused the United States of involvement in the coup, saying that the plane that flew Manuel Zelaya into exile stopped to refuel at an airfield where hundreds of US troops are based.

Honduras’ interim government reinstated a nighttime curfew for the capital after thousands of anti-coup protesters marched into Tegucigalpa to demand the return of ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

Honduras’ interim government says it will accept a visit by foreign delegates aimed at resolving the country’s political crisis provided one controversial delegate attends only as an observer.

Honduras’ interim president Roberto Micheletti said the country was embarking on a new effort to overcome diplomatic isolation after the June 28 coup.

Encamped in the mountains near Honduras, ousted president Manuel Zelaya has struggled to galvanise poor farmers, teachers and street activists into a movement strong enough to overcome his powerful foes and sweep him back into office.

DEFYING US criticism, ousted president Manuel Zelaya returned for a second day to Honduras’s land border to try to put pressure on the coup leaders who threw him out of the country last month.

Talks on resolving Honduras’ leadership crisis broke off after the interim government rejected a proposed compromise, saying a provision calling for ousted President Manuel Zelaya to serve out his term was “unacceptable”.

Ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said he will give negotiators until the end of today to reach an agreement that would restore him to power.

Honduras’ interim leader said he is willing to step down if it helps end his country’s political crisis but only if ousted President Manuel Zelaya isn’t allowed to regain power.

The OAS suspended Honduras’ participation in the organisation because of last week’s military coup.

It was the European Union versus the rest of the world as global trade talks remained deadlocked today, with the EU defending itself from a barrage of criticism that its refusal to further open its farming markets threatened to torpedo the entire World Trade Organisation meeting.

The Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) has welcomed the planned withdrawal of Polish and Honduran troops from Iraq saying it further weakens the US occupation of the country.

Costa Rica continued their impressive run in the Copa America with a crushing 4-0 victory over a disappointing Bolivia.