U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan looked slightly puzzled when he emerged from his Paris hotel on Monday evening to a rousing welcome from hordes of excited teenagers waiting for American rock star Madonna.

Witnesses said Annan, who arrived in Paris after peace negotiations in Baghdad and was going to dine with President Jacques Chirac, smiled and waved as the crowd cheered when he was bundled into his car by security men.It was not clear if the youths really knew who he was or if he knew that Madonna, who showed up five minutes later, was booked in the same luxury hotel.

Employees diplomatically declined to say who had the biggest room, but witnesses said Madonna's bodyguards were bigger and more numerous.

Join the Conversation
Looking for comments?
Find comments in their new home! Click the buttons at the top or within the article to view them — or use the button below for quick access.