Ban seen as US ally, shoo-in for new term

Ban Ki-moon

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – UN chief Ban Ki-moon may have almost blown his chances for re-election by antagonizing Moscow over the Balkans in 2008 but he has since focused on pleasing the United States, Russia and other big UN powers, making his re-election today a certainty.

The South Korean UN secretary-general has gained a reputation at the world body as a staunch friend of the United States and its Western allies,