SALON

Santa arrives early for UN secretary-general

Topics: From the Wires,

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Santa Claus arrived early at the United Nations and delivered two gifts for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The U.N. chief moved back into his newly renovated office on the 38th floor of the Secretariat building after three years in temporary quarters on Monday morning, and in the afternoon he was presented with a new armored car wrapped in a red ribbon with a big bow.

Ban marveled at his new “beautifully renovated office” and “brand new beautiful armored vehicle.”

“This looks like a very big holiday gift for me,” he said at the presentation of the Hyundai car.

The United Nations began renovating its now 60-year-old iconic steel and glass headquarters overlooking New York’s East River in May 2008. The project is expected to be finished in 2013.

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