Portugal’s former prime minister Antonio Guterres took the lead in the first straw poll vote on Thursday to pick the next UN secretary-general, diplomats said.

Portugal's former prime minister Antonio Guterres took the lead in the first straw poll vote on Thursday to pick the next UN secretary-general, diplomats said.

Slovenia's former president Danilo Turk came second in the secret vote by the UN Security Council to choose a successor to Ban Ki-moon.