Ban Ki-Moon in Myanmar

Reuters: U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon is seeing first hand the suffering and devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis, as he tours the worst-affected Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar. Relief teams have reached only a quarter of the victims, so while the country's officials say that the situation is under control, Ban Ki-moon is hoping to convince the junta to accept more outside help.

As Myanmar requests a staggering $11 billion in aid pledges, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan warns that donor countries will be reluctant to commit money until they are allowed to assess the damage for themselves. Meanwhile, the European Union has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution urging the U.N. Security Council to consider forced aid shipments.

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