Angry words in Security Council

New York - There was an unusually testy exchange inside the United Nations Security Council last night, writes David Usborne. The Secretary- General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, personally reprimanded the US ambassador, Madeleine Albright, for the contents of a statement issued in her name earlier in the week criticising him for suggesting that the UN should have nothing to do with monitoring the peace accord for Eastern Slavonia in Croatia.

With ranks of ambassadors looking on in astonishment, Mr Boutros-Ghali described her statement as "vulgar". She retorted in turn that it was "unacceptable" for him to characterise her statement in such terms.

Both left the chamber fuming, but with sealed lips.