
Portugal and Austria defeat Germany for UN Security Council seats
Portugal and Austria have defeated Germany for seats on the powerful but deeply divided U.N. Security Council in a hotly contested race after intense campaigning. The 10 rotating seats on the 15-member Security Council are earmarked for different regions of the world. The assembly elects five countries by secret ballot every year to serve two-year terms alongside the council’s five permanent veto-wielding members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. In the other contested race in the General Assembly on Wednesday, Kyrgyzstan defeated the Philippines. Zimbabwe and Trinidad and Tobago also were elected.

