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United States Secretary of State Colin Powell said today that he and the other four permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have reached "some convergence" of opinions on a new resolution on Iraq, adding that the talks also covered the UN's role in the political process and how it should be reflected in a new text.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today mourned the loss of Edward Said, the Palestinian-American writer who died early today.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil personally donated $50,000 to the United Nations today to help fight hunger and poverty, a UN spokesman said.

The shooting death of Iraqi Governing Council member Akila al-Hashemi was "inexcusable" and likely to slow progress towards a representative government in Iraq, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today.

Representatives of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and three neighbouring countries today agreed to refrain from interference in each other's affairs, and to prevent arms shipments to warring groups in the eastern areas of the country following a meeting called by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Some of the world's poorest nations called on the richest today to provide them with the keys to development through fairer trade at the afternoon session of the third day of the United Nations General Assembly's annual high-level debate.

The problems of Africa, including AIDS, hunger, poverty and underdevelopment, came to the fore of the second afternoon session of the annual high-level meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, with six Heads of State or Government from the continent among the 15 leaders to mount the rostrum.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan began a second day of bilateral meetings with world leaders today on the margins of the General Assembly’s annual high-level debate, conferring with Ahmad Chalabi, who currently holds the rotating Presidency of the 25-member Iraqi Governing Council.

With more than two people dying each minute from traffic accidents, representatives from more than 20 of the world's leading road safety organizations are gathering for the first time to embark on a global initiative to stem the rising toll of injuries and fatalities caused by collisions on the road, the United Nations health agency said today.

Saying there were no easy answers to the contradictory pressures of justice and reconciliation in restoring stability to conflict-shattered countries, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called for more resources and greater effort as the world body seeks to enhance the rule of law in its peace operations.