UNITED NATIONS: Japan was elected to the UN Security Council on a two-year term starting on January 1, 2023. Other nations to join Japan at the UN Security Council were Ecuador, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland. All five countries ran unopposed for a spot on the 15-member body, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security. They will replace India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway. To ensure geographical representation, seats are allocated to regional groups. But even if candidates are running unopposed in their group, they still need to win the support of more than two-thirds of the General Assembly. Ecuador received 190 votes, Japan 184, Malta 185, Mozambique 192 and Switzerland 187. The Security Council is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions like imposing sanctions and authorizing use of force. It has five permanent veto-wielding members: the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia. With inputs from Reuters