Ousted Honduran president Manuel Zelaya was kept from landing at the country's main airport today because the runway was blocked by military vehicles and groups of soldiers, some of them clashing with a crowd of thousands outside.

THE Honduran Congress has named its leader to replace President Manuel Zelaya, following his military ouster and forced exile in Costa Rica.

Lebanese President Emil Lahoud said today damage caused by Israeli attacks during the 34-day conflict could cost his country more than €3.8bn, as he criticised UN peacekeeping forces for arriving too slowly to oversee Israel’s military pullout.

Venezuela’s leftist leader Hugo Chavez has assumed leadership of the Andean bloc president’s council, telling his peers that Latin America was still bound by a ”colonial system” and proposing they pool their energy resources to achieve economic independence.