A unique initiative launched Thursday by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, now those travelling in the USA can with a simple click of the mouse make a $2 donation when purchasing plane tickets, renting cars or booking hotel rooms for helping reduce health problems, such as, malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Sri Lanka to assess the humanitarian needs of more than 300,000 war refugees in the northern province, government officials said Saturday.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met Monday with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the sidelines of the Durban Review Conference on racism in Geneva.

They discussed the conference, regional peace and security, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East, as well as the Iranian nuclear issue, the UN said in a statement.

During the conversation with the controversial president, Ban said there was a "need to look to the future of unity, not to the past of divisiveness."

Washington - US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon held discussions on the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region and other global issues during their White House meeting Tuesday.

The two men addressed the war in Afghanistan, the worldwide economic crisis and climate change, but the largest focus of the meeting was Darfur.

It was Ban's first meeting with the new president since Obama took office in January.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced concern over the increasing number of civilian victims in the fighting between government troops and Tamil separatist rebels in north-eastern Sri Lanka.

"The secretary general is extremely concerned over the deteriorating situation for civilians trapped in northern Sri Lanka," a statement released by Ban's office said Thursday.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was scheduled to discuss the global financial crisis, Zimbabwe's fragile power-sharing government and climate change with South Africa's leadership at the start of his five-nation Africa tour Wednesday.

Ban arrived in South Africa on Tuesday evening on his first visit to the African powerhouse as United Nations chief. He was met on arrival in Johannesburg by Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon arrived in Cairo Wednesday at the start of a Middle East tour to seek an end to Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged Israel and Hamas to declare an immediate ceasefire and for the world community to do more to assist victims of the three-day-old conflict.