One of the most famous and powerful men in the world was reported to have landed on the Island yesterday.

UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, is thought to have arrived on a Continental Airline flight at Bermuda's International Airport mid- afternoon.

Rumours that the UN boss was heading for Bermuda had circulated on the Island throughout the day, and last night The Royal Gazette learned that Mr. Annan had indeed arrived, and was expected to meet Premier Alex Scott at some stage during his stay. It is thought Mr. Annan is on vacation and will be staying at private residence, although he may appear in public to give a speech at a South Shore hotel.

Mr. Annan has worked for the UN for over 40 years and was appointed its seventh Secretary-General in 1997, during which time he has received both acclaim and criticism. Most recently he has been under fire for the "oil-for-food" scandal involving Iraq during the 1990s, where an independent inquiry committee discovered evidence of corruption.

Mr. Annan's achievements as head of the UN won him a Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.

One of Mr. Annan's most recent vacations was at the ski resort of Jackson Hole in Wyoming, which he cut short because of the Asian Tsunami disaster last December.