World Digest: OAS Officials Expelled From Honduras

HONDURAS

OAS Officials Expelled; Brazil Gets Ultimatum

The interim government of Honduras expelled personnel from the Organization of American States looking to set up a mediation effort and gave Brazil a 10-day ultimatum to decide what to do with ousted president Manuel Zelaya, who took refuge at the Brazilian Embassy. OAS special adviser John Biehl said that he and four other members of an advance team -- including two Americans, a Canadian and a Colombian -- were stopped by authorities after landing in Tegucigalpa, the capital. Biehl, who is Chilean, said he was told he could stay, but the others were flown out of the country.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Roberto Micheletti, the interim president, warned Brazilian authorities to "immediately take measures to ensure that Mr. Zelaya stops using the protection offered by the diplomatic mission to instigate violence in Honduras." He did not say what he would do after 10 days.

Late Sunday, the interim leaders suspended key civil liberties in response to Zelaya's "calls for insurrection," empowering police and soldiers to break up "unauthorized" public meetings, arrest people without warrants and restrict the news media. The announcement came hours after Zelaya called on supporters to stage mass marches Monday marking the three-month anniversary of the June 28 coup that ousted him.

-- Associated Press

PORTUGAL

Socialist Party Keeps Power in Parliament

The center-left Socialist Party retained power in Portuguese elections Sunday, despite the country reaching its highest jobless rate in 20 years. With more than 99 percent of votes counted, the incumbent Socialists had 36.5 percent, compared with 29 percent for the center-right Social Democratic Party, the main opposition party.

Three smaller parties also secured seats in Parliament. The conservative Popular Party polled 10.5 percent, the more radical socialist Left Bloc had almost 10 percent, and the Communist-Green coalition had almost 8 percent.

Prime Minister Jos? S?crates, the Socialist leader, has pledged big-ticket projects to stimulate growth amid forecasts the economy will contract by as much as 4 percent this year. Just over 9 percent of the workforce is unemployed.

-- Associated Press