Inner City Press

Monday, November 9, 2020

Ghislaine Maxwell Wants Laptop and 3 Victims Names But AUSA Maurene Comey Says No

By Matthew Russell Lee Patreon Periscope Song

BBC - Decrypt - LightRead - Honduras - Source

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Nov 6 – Ghislaine Maxwell used the United Nations, as reported by Inner City Press whose questions about it UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres refuses.

First Inner City Press showed that on the board of Maxwell's Terramar Project Inc. was Guterres chief Partnerships official, Amir Dossal, below.

Now while UNEP official Lisa Svensson appears in the documents unsealed July 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York which Inner City Press covers since ousted from the UN by Guterres for is reporting, Inner City Press is continuing its exclusive 2018 reporting in Svensson's "Volvo Boating" and other scams at UNEP, here, where we published in full, on Scribd and Patreon, the agreement with Volvo Ocean Races signed by Erik Solheim, here, and the EUR 500,000 agreement signed by UNEP's Lisa Emilia Svensson, here and here. [Aug 1, 2020 song here.]

" So how will Judge Nathan rule? Watch this site.

On October 7 AUSA Maurene Comey filed to Judge Nathan a letter (here on Patreon)

From the March 1, 2018 UN transcript, four months before Guterres has Inner City Press physically ousted from the UN: Inner City Press: I also wanted to ask you about UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). Whistleblowers there have alleged a number of irregularities, but the one that caught my eye and I've published has to do with the allegation is that UNEP, which claims under Mr. [Erik] Solheim to have a number of corporate partnerships is, in fact, in some cases paying the corporation for the partnership. I.e., it's not a partnership like, you know, Barcelona Football Club with UNICEF, where they pay. In this case, they're alleged that, under Mr. Solheim, the UN Environment, as it's now called, is paying $500,000 to Volvo Ocean Races. And I wanted to know is it… one, I don't know if it's true, but they work there and they have a lot of names and a lot of information. Spokesman: I think you can ask those questions directly of UNEP. I have no doubt that Mr. Solheim is operating and running the agency in accordance to all relevant rules and regulations." Right.

Here's from the letter: "Dear Mr. Solheim... a D1, Lisa Svensson can work from Europe, because for personal reasons she does not wish to work in Nairobi. Her big office in Nairobi remains vacant with her name and organisational equipment while the same has to be provided again by another office in Europe. She leads the marine team remotely as the rest of the staff under her responsibility are in Nairobi.

As Inner City Press first reported, long time UN operative Amir Dossal, UNSG Antonio Guterres' chief Partnerships official who was also his link to UN bribers like Ng Lap Seng and Patrick Ho of CEFC China Energy, was on the board of directors of Maxwell's shadowy Terramar. Inner City Press first made this link & published the 990. And here is Dossal introducing Maxwell as one of her nine visits to the UN, here.

After the death of Jeffrey Epstein in the MCC prison, on July 2 Acting US Attorney for the SDNY Audrey Strauss announced and unsealed in indictment of Maxwell on charges including sex trafficking and perjury.

Inner City Press went to her press conference at the US Attorney's Office and asked, Doesn't charging Maxwell with perjury undercut any ability to use testimony from her against other, bigger wrong-doers? Periscope here at 23:07.

Strauss replied that it is not impossible to use a perjurer's testimony. But how often does it work?

At 3:30 pm on July 2 Maxwell appeared in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampsire, before Magistriate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone. Inner City Press live tweeted it here.
(Also live tweeted bail denial of July 14, here.)

In the July 3 media coverage of Maxwell, media all of the world used a video and stills from it of Maxwell speaking in front of a blue curtain, like here.

What they did not mention is something Inner City Press has been asking the UN about, as under UNSG Antonio Guterres with his own sexual exploitation issues (exclusive video and audio) it got roughed up and banned from the UN: Ghislaine Maxwell had a ghoulish United Nations press conference, under the banner of the "Terramar Project," here.

On July 5, after some crowd-sourcing, Inner City Press reported on another Ghislaine Maxwell use of the United Nations, facilitated by Italy's Permanent Representative to the UN, UN official Nikhil Seth and Amir Dossal, who also let into the UN and in one case took money from convicted UN briber Ng Lap Seng, and Patrick Ho of CEFC China Energy, also linked to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

At the Ghislaine Maxwell UN event, the UN Deputy Secretary General was directly involved.

List of (some of) the participants on Patreon here.

Inner City Press has published a phone of Maxwell in the UN with Dossal, here. But the connection runs deeper: Dossal with "25 years of UN involvement" was on Terrarmar's board of directors, one of only five directors, only three not related to Maxwell by blood and name.

The directors: Ghislaine Maxwell, Christine Malina-Maxwell, Steven Haft, Christine Dennison and... Amir Dossal. Inner City Press is publishing this full 990 on Patreon here.

Dossal has operated through the UN Office of Partnership, with Antonio Guterres and his deputy Amina J. Mohammed, here.

And the links to the world of UN bribery, including Antonio Guterres through the Gulbenkian Foundation, runs deeper. More to follow.

Antonio Guterres claims he has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, but covers it up and even participate in it. He should be forced to resign - and/or have immunity waived.

Terramar has been dissolved, even though Maxwell's former fundraiser / director of development Brian Yurasits still lists the URL on his (protected) Twitter profile, also here.

But now Inner City Press has begun to inquire into Ghislaine Maxwell's other United Nations connections, starting with this photograph of another day's (or at least another outfit's) presentation in the UN, here. While co-conspirator Antonio Guterres has had Inner City Press banned from any entry into the UN for two years and a day, this appears to be in the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) chamber. We'll have more on this, and on Epstein and the UN. Watch this site.

The case is US v. Maxwell, 20-cr-330 (Nathan).

***

As UN Bans Inner City Press 856th Day It E-Asks Spox Dujarric of Maxwell Sexploitation SG Meddling US Elex Venezuela Covid CIV UNDT Cameroon Fleming 4000+ UNanswered

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon IMF

BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - CJR - PFT

UN GATE, Nov 5 – Inner City Press on 5 July 2018 was banned from entering the UN, two day after it was physically removed from conducting interviews outside meeting about the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' $6.7 billion budget.

Then Guterres' Department of Global Communication, run by Melissa Fleming, issued a letter banning Inner City Press from the UN - for life. With no due process, no right of appeal. Guterres has put the UN in the US Press Freedom Tracker, here. Guterres' Spokesman Stephane Dujarric falsely promised on camera that he would be answering banned Inner City Press' questions - but see below.

On Nov 5 after Guterres again refused to answer but the IMF did answer, here, before an amateur UN noon briefing by quarantine violator Stephane "French Whine" Dujarric, previously the face of UN lies on cholera in Haiti, Inner City Press submitted to deputy Farhan Haq and tther yet more questions (blocked by Dujarric's screener Florencia Soto Nino on +1 917 226 7816 and Dujarric himself on +1 917 622 7652; he directed some favored scribes to Eri Kaneko on +1 917 208 8910, who now blocks Inner City Press on WhatsApp as well) including on the basis on which it continues to be lawlessly banned from entering to ask questions in person. Now also on the basis for withholding publicly funded UN video from the Press. There was no answer from Farhan Haq on +1 917 592 4591, not even a confirmation of receipt, and now UN official like Hua Jiang, Eri Kaneko, now on screen Jennifer Confilio, Adam Smook, Marisela Rivera and others to be named taking public money for a UN briefing blocking email questions about the UN's spread of Covid 19 - May 21 Inner City Press video with commentary here and here, edit here, June 16 video of Kaneko who had briefing go dark and never returned to explain here and here -- who will be held accountable? July 16 and ouster here, July 17 raw and UNTV... August 11 briefing and quarantine violations, Aug 12 here, August 14 here, Aug 17 here, Aug 19 here, Aug 21 here, Aug 24 here, Aug 26 here, Aug 27 here, Aug 28 here, Sept 3 here, Sept 10 here, Sept 11 here, Sept 14 here, Sept 15 here, Sept 17 here and UNTV here, Oct 1 here, Oct 13 here, Oct 14 here, Oct 23 here, Oct 29 here, Nov 3 here, Nov 5 here, Inner City Press asked:

Nov 5-1: Immediately respond to (as you have to date refused to) and explain this leaked audio, exclusively published by Inner City Press, of OIOS' Ben Swanson here

On Venezuela, what are the SG's comment and actions if any on that the Venezuelan opposition condemned this Wednesday in a statement the alleged use by the government of Nicolás Maduro of the aid received by Unicef to promote the political campaign of the government in the face of the legislative elections of December 6.

Again, immediately state the outcome of the Nov 3 UNDT proceeding "Sexual harassment case Padula, Order No.162 (NY/2020) Padula, Order No.153 (NY/2020)" and state why Inner City Press, when it signed in to this presumptively public proceeding with guests, was blocked from entry.

Immediately state why USG Lacroix did not go see or act on the national staff strike during his visit to UNAMID (Inner City Press has published the staff's complaint) and whether Lacroix will or will not quarantine for 2 weeks now, or is being allowed to live outside of the NY duty station unlike other UN staff.

State whether SG Guterres, as he told FOSS, went to Massachusetts and if so whether he will stay there are least three days for testing (and be tested if and when back), under new NY rules

On Portugal, what are SG Guterres' comments and actions if any on that Government asks the President for a state of emergency to limit travel and request health resources. (Lusa, Portugal) - did SG Guterres, as he said to FOSS, go to Massachusetts to meet the plane from Portugal? Has Guterres been tested? Where is he?

On Cote d'Ivoire what are the comments and actions if any of SG Guterres on that the authorities in Ivory Coast have accused the opposition of plotting against the state after it announced it was setting up a transitional government following a disputed presidential poll.

On Uganda, beyond the Kutesa questions you have refused to answer, what are the comments and actions if any of SG Guterres on that 50 people have been arrested in Uganda following dramatic scenes in the capital as opposition politician Bobi Wine was cleared to contest for the presidency in January's elections. After an hours-long stand-off, Bobi Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, was forced out of a police van and into his compound.

Immediately explain, given the Amir Dossal was on board of Epstein's procurer Ghislaine Maxwell's Terramar Project and Inner City Press has repeatedly asked you each about in writing, how Spokesman Dujarric's Oct 30 on camera statement is not aware of any other UN connection to Epstein, beyond IPI, was and is not a lie and cover up.

AGAIN: Beyond the questions below, this is a request for UN response / explanation for inaction on the superseding indictment unsealed Oct 29 that UN staffer Karim Elkorany drugged and raped a UN Contractor, in both Iraq and in the US, see https://beta.documentcloud.org/documents/20400516-elkonary1s1indicticp and now, that UN staffer Elkorany, for raping a UN contractor including in the US, was ARRESTED on October 29: "Initial Appearance as to (S1 20-Cr-437)Karim Elkorany held on 10/29/2020. Date of Arrest: 10/29/2020. AUSA Daniel C. Richenthal. Defense Counsel Dawn Cardi (Retained). Proceeding: Rule 9. BAIL DISPOSITION: Agreed conditions of release; $500,000 PRB; 2 FRP; Travel restricted to SDNY/EDNY/DNJ; Surrender travel documents (& no new applications); GPS to remain in place; Remaining conditions to be met by 11/5/2020.

AGAIN: immediately state how SG Guterres telling FOSS on Oct 19 that if Biden wins it helps Net Zero but if Trump wins, one can count on banks like JPM Chase is not meddling in US elections.

Again, why did Guterres not list Gulbenkian, linked to CEFC China Energy, in his disclosure covering 2016? What are Guterres' comments on IPI and Epstein, why would he not say why he left the board? Why has he not quit Club of Madrid? Why was Amir Dossal on Board of Terramar of Ghislaine Maxwell?

Immediately state what the follow up has been on this and other cases below left murky in the OIOS report "An investigation revealed that a staff member at the Office of the 69th President of the General Assembly had been involved in a range of activities that included diversion of funds, misuse of assets and self-dealing in the discharge of duties. The staff member had used their position to advance their personal interests and those of third parties, received undeclared gifts, solicited funds that were diverted to unofficial accounts and engaged in unauthorized outside activities. OIOS transmitted its findings to the Office of Human Resources for appropriate action and to the Office of Legal Affairs for possible referral to national authorities." Inner City Press reported on this, and it's now in the Uganda press, the Monitor etc Also what did the UN do to follow up on this: 98. An investigation revealed that the travel claims of a senior staff member of UN-Women had generated $5,598 in extra costs. The staff member had also failed to disclose conflicts of interest and displayed favouritism in the awarding of two contracts to separate and again 81. An investigation revealed that a staff member of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs had engaged in inappropriate conduct towards at least 11 women, including colleagues and housekeeping staff at the subject’s accommodation. and still, on this: 44. An investigation revealed that a United Nations staff member had physically assaulted their spouse, another staff member.

On Cameroon, please immediately provide SG Guterres' comments and actions if any on that Maurice Kamto has been held under house arrest for three weeks now. Given your failure to answer that, now on deadline comment on the retriation / refoulement to Cameroon (airport shut for this) of asylum seekers and refugees and what the UN is doing to ensure no torture or worse.

On SG Guterres' Oct 12 request / demand for $3 billion amid global cutbacks, explain this line: $1.9 million to deliver a new global communications strategy for the United Nations." How much is being contributed by IDEA and Pierre Omidyar, as you have refused to answer so far? How would this money be spend and how does it relate to USG Fleming's ongoing ban on Inner City Press?

On Spokesman Dujarric's Oct 9 statement that SG Guterres left New York TWO times during the pandemic, other than the belatedly disclosed one resulting in two weeks faux quanantine with maskless men and Secretary Pompeo visit, when was the other one? Was it too follow by two weeks in the "Residence"? Where was it disclosed?

Given that not only Cunillera but Michael Antoine are being paid by UNTSO after the #UNsexploitation exclusively exposed by Inner City Press, why have you not only refused all of Inner City Press' questions but also failure to update your now inaccurate statements about leave WITHOUT pay?

What is the UN's response to Inner City Press' Sept 5 application for access to briefings to ask these and other questions (as it was allowed to do with the IMF on September 10), receipt of which was confirmed by MALU? How can retirees who publish nothing be allowed in, and Inner City Press which asks (without answer) and publishes be excluded, and it not be censorship? Now at noon on September 15, having been told by Brenden Varma to "ask MALU" for access codes to ask question of new PGA Zolkan Bozkir, given the history of SDNY-proved corruption by John Ashe and Sam Kutesa, among others, this is a request to teh spokesperson's office and all recipients for those codes, before 4:30 pm. Cc-ing Brenden Varma.

On UN staffer Karim Elkorany, indicted in SDNY for lying to FBI about drugging and raping women while working for UN in Iraq, immediately state what the outcome of the victim complaining to the UN was - and why Elkorany was back at liberty in New Jersey.

AGAIN - immediately explain UN Amir Dossal being 1 of 5 on board of Ghislaine Maxwell's Terramar Project, and what has been done about it.

Immediately provide the if-asked information on the new SEA charged data dumped this morning about allegations against South Africa "peacekeeper" in DRC and Gabon "peacekeeper" in CAR, and -- As Inner City Press asked each of you on August 17 without answer, re new 2020 UN child rape in South Sudan case data dumped on the afternoon of August 17 - immediately provide all if-asked info of the type previously provided under Ban Ki-moon before SG Guterres tried to cover everything up, and August 5, 9 am by Italy in Lebanon, South Africa in DRC and an UNSPECIFIED UN civilian CHILD RAPE in DR Congo of July 28 of Gabon in CAR and Guinea in DRC, on top of those of July 23, 6 pm that you immediately provide all if-asked / further information about the new UN sexual exploitation allegations in CAR against UN "peacekeeper" from Gabon, and in DRC by South Africa, on top of unanswered UNTSO driver question and those data dumped on June 4 after 2:30 pm - the twelfth batch this summer so far, no answers, UNSG complicit

On Honduras and COVID corruption by the Juan Orlando Hernandez administration, what are the comment and actions if any of SG Guterres on the corruption allegations here? And again, what is the read out of Guterres' panel sent to Honduras?

Immediate comments on the leaked audio of OSSC Chediek Inner City Press published Aug 5 on SoundCloud here (1 of 6)
On Ghislaine Maxwell and UNEP's Lisa Svensson, who has been exposed in SDNY has saying the UN doesn't care about sex trafficking, what is SG Guterres' response?

as well as on the June 22 admission by Sri Lanka former PR Kohona that his country led a campaign to get Inner City Press ousted and banned from the UN after it reported on mass killings in Sri Lanka, as Inner City Press was also doing as to Cameroon when your UN banned it now for 834+ days. What is the appeals process? On deadline."

More here.

FinCEN Leaker Edwards Gets Jan 19 Sentencing Not Nov 9 As Her Letters Still Not Docketed

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video Patreon Order

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Nov 5 – The U.S. Treasury employee accused in October 2018 of leaking Suspicious Activity Reports about Paul Manafort and others, Natalie Edwards, pleaded guilty to one count on January 13, 2020 before U.S. District Court Southern District of New York Judge Gregory H. Woods.

Edwards got a plea agreement for between zero and six months and a $9500 fine which her lawyer afterward told Inner City Press was a standard fine. Video here; live tweeted thread of plea proceeding here. More on Patreon here.

On August 4, Inner City Press filed its second opposition to the attempt to make Edwards' submissions to SDNY Judge Woods disappear as supposedly not judicial documents.

On October 20, Judge Woods in a 12-page order denied Inner City Press' request (full order on DocumentCould here) and quoted below.

On October 29 Edwards' lawyer wrote in again -- now seeking to move the sentencing back from November 9 to mid January: "It is my position that even if the Court were to find that the CARES Act, the Constitution and the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure authorize a remote sentence proceeding, Dr. Edwards has a right to be physically present in the Court for her sentencing. Dr. Edwards does want to be present in Court with her family for her sentencing.1 This poses an impediment to having Dr. Edwards’ sentence hearing take place on November 9, 2020, as now scheduled."

Many sentencings, including in person, have occurred in the SDNY, including one briefing postponed due to South Carolina, before Judge Engelmayer. (The sentencing took place November 4 and Inner City Press covered it here, noted and quoted here and here).

On November 5, Judge Woods granted the postponement: "ORDER as to Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards. A sentencing hearing is scheduled in this matter on January 19, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. in Courtroom 12C... (Signed by Judge Gregory H. Woods on 11/5/20)(jw)." We'll have more on all this.

On October 26 the US filed its sentencing memo, asking for six months in jail and saying, among other things, that "Reporter-1" at BuzzFeed shared with Edwards a still unpublished news article. And the letters are still being withheld? We'll have more on this.

Back on October 23, Edwards' new lawyer filed a sentencing memorandum that included quotes from BuzzFeed's emails, themes they "returned to more than once when he sought information from Dr. Edwards." She was told, "Wyden was livid." More than 2400 pages of WhatsApp communication are offered to the Court - but the letters are withheld. This makes no sense.

From Judge Wood's October 20 order, now in a different light: "Matthew Lee of Inner City Press requested access to the documents, arguing that “the public and the press have a presumptive First Amendment and common law right of Case 1:19-cr-00064-GHW Document 80 Filed 10/20/20 Page 7 of 12 8 access to criminal proceedings and records.”1 July 21, 2020 Letter, Dkt. No. 60, at 1. The letter respectfully disagreed with the Court’s determination that “documents that trigger a Federal criminal case conference are not judicial documents.” Id. at 2. The letter also argued that the public interest in the documents was not small. Id. On July 30, 2020, Dr. Sours Edwards filed her opposition to the request. July 30, 2020 Letter, Dkt. No. 65. Mr. Lee submitted replies on August 4, 2020 and August 5, 2020. August 4, 2020 and August 5, 2020 Emails, Dkt. Nos. 66 and 67... The Court acknowledges that some may be interested in seeing what a defendant in the position of Dr. Sours Edwards might choose to say to the Court in such straights. Especially because her counsel advised that whatever Dr. Sours Edwards wrote was something that should not be considered by the Court. The prospect of a cri de coeur written by a criminal defendant without the benefit of counsel may represent an enticing opportunity for an unfiltered look inside of the defendant’s mind. But evaluating the fairness and integrity of the Court’s proceedings and decisions does not require disclosure of the content of those submissions. Nor, in the Court’s view, considering all of the circumstances, would it be a fair result for the defendant. Because Dr. Sours Edwards’ pro se, ex parte submissions are not judicial documents, the application to unseal them is DENIED. SO ORDERED. Dated: October 20, 2020 GREGORY H. WOODS United States District Judge." We'll have more on this.

In this context it may be useful to consider a document signed "May Edwards" which says she has and has submitted information on questions including "Yemen (2015)," Libya, Iran, China, Maria Butina and the Clinton Foundation, photo 1 here, 2 here.

And now, with more and more coming out in the FinCEN Files, the release of these documents is more important than ever. Still, on October 15 Judge Woods gave more time for even the sentencing submission to be not public, pending further redaction: "Re: United States v. Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards 19-cr-00064 (GHW) Dear Judge Woods: I write to ask that the Court extend my time for filing a public version of my sentencing submission until October 23, 2020. The reason for this request is that some of the material that is cited in the submission and the accompanying exhibits is covered by the Protective Order and contains material that is “restricted or confidential” under the order or is otherwise sensitive. The parties need additional time to determine what material may be filed by ECF and what material must be filed under seal or in a redacted form. This requires the government to confer with other federal agencies. The parties are working to come to an agreement on this issue and anticipate being able to do so by October 23. Since the government and the Court already have the full version of the sentencing submission and exhibits, granting this request need not delay sentencing. Respectfully submitted. cc: AUSA Daniel Richenthal AUSA Kimberly Ravener

Application granted. The deadline for Defendant to file a public version of her sentencing submission is extended to October 23, 2020."

On October 1 it was announced, "MEMO ENDORSEMENT as to Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards (1) granting [68] LETTER MOTION addressed to Judge Gregory H. Woods from Stephanie Carvlin dated 9/29/2020 re: modify schedule for sentencing submissions. ENDORSEMENT: Application granted. Sentencing in this matter is adjourned to November 9, 2020."

Inner City Press entirely opposes the disappearance of these judicial documents, submitted to SDNY Judge Gregory Woods. And so on August 5, it submitted this: "I write for a second time pursuant to your July 22, 2020 order and in further support of the July 21 application for press and public access to submissions to this Court by defendant Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, that triggered a judicial conference. They are judicial documents, contrary to the July 30 opposition submitted by Edwards' counsel. On August 4 Inner City and I emailed to your Chambers our reply. Twenty four hours later, it is not docketed. So, first, this is a formal request that our responses to Edwards' counsel's submission be docketed as hers was, as Docket No. 65. Second, in further opposition to the withdrawal / disappearance of what Ms. Edwards submitted to this Court triggering the conference(s), since for now we cannot know of what it consisted, consider that the following is already in the public record, citing Yemen, China, Clinton, Iran: here and here.

Furthermore, even what is characterized as attorney - client is of public interest, including because after having know to be well compensated counsel from Brafman & Associates, now Ms. Edwards has taxpayer funded CJA counsel. Was she paying Brafman & Associates? Or was someone else paying? We had hoped for docketing and ruling on the judicial documents issue without getting into the specifics of press interest, which as in FOIA litigation should not be inquired into by a court or government agency." Watch this site.

Watch this site.

Monday, October 26, 2020

UN Coronavirus Spread By Niger As UNSC Member Censors Like Super Spreader Guterres

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Periscope
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - CJR - PFT

UN GATE, Oct 26 – In the United Nations from which SG Antonio Guterres has banned Inner City Press 846 days for asking about his complicity in the killing of civilians in Cameroon and their mass imprisonment by China in Xinjiang, on September 1 Inner City Press wrote to the Niger Mission, as incoming UN Security Council president, with questions about Cameroon, Somalia and UNsexploitation.

The email address on the Niger Mission's UN web page did not work; it bounced back. A Direct Message on Twitter to @Niger_ONU was not answered.

And now as the UN closes down for COVID spread multiple sources say it is the Niger Mission.

The United Nations in New York will be closed on October 27 as at least five members on a member state's mission have tested positive for COVID-19, letter first tweeted by Inner City Press here:

"Following information from the Secretariat regarding five COVID infections at a Mission of a Member State, the advice of the Medical Unit is to cancel in-person meetings at UNHQ tomorrow, Tuesday 27 October, pending contact tracing. Accordingly, after consulting the Main Committee Chairs, and in light of the need to safeguard public health, all in-person meetings of the Main Committees of the General Assembly tomorrow are cancelled."

This is the UN whose Secretary General Antonio Guterres, a week ago bragged about evading quarantine, video here. This while his spokesman Stephane Dujarric briefing maskless in a windowless room, five feet from equally maskless correspondents from Al Jazeera and other state media, here. Their UN should leave New York.

This as Sani I. Mahamadou, Deputy Chief of Staff to Niger's president, bragged online of a "Very big day for Niger, who begins his month of presidency of the United Nations Security Council." They're off to a terrible start.

Apparently Niger PR Abdou Abarry could only handle questions from pre-screened in-house correspondents, one of whose media has no story by her since 2017, another with no stories at all, at least one - actually, more -- a repeated #MeToo violator. Periscope here.

Niger has not said a word about the slaughter in Cameroon, nor about the UN Peacekeeping sexploitation exposed by Inner City Press.

The Program belatedly went up - with countries on which Niger ignored and censored questions: Myanmar, Somalia, where UNMAS sent local staff to be killed, and Colombia and South Sudan. There will be Francophonie on September 8. We have now written directly to the Mission's 404 spokesman - and will have more on this.

When Guterres' spokes- / hatchetman Stephane Dujarric holds his noon briefings this month while refusing all questions from Inner City Press despite an on camera promise. And Indonesia? We'll report.