UN Council has first straw poll on Annan successor

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon and UN Official Shashi Tharoor received the most endorsements in the UN Security Council's straw poll for the next UN secretary-general, diplomats said on Monday.

In a novel procedure, the 15 council members, in a secret ballot, checked one of three boxes next to each of the four announced candidates: "encourage," "discourage," and "no opinion." (Reuters)