In Honduras, the return of a president

TEGUCIGALPA: Honduras' de facto government buckled under international pressure and agreed to allow the return to power of President Manuel Zelaya, who was toppled in a military coup four months ago.

The breakthrough late on Thursday (Friday Beijing time) followed renewed pressure from senior US officials who traveled to Honduras this week for a last-ditch effort to end a crisis that had handed US President Barack Obama a foreign policy headache.

"It is a triumph for Honduran democracy," the leftist Zelaya said after the rival sides agreed to a deal that should see him restored to office in the coming days.