Canada Loses Security Council Bid

Canada has lost out on a crucial contest to nab a seat on the U.N. Security Council, conceding due to inadequate support. The nation was competing for a slot with Germany and Portugal; those two countries will now take two-year terms beginning in January. “I do not think this is a repudiation of Canada’s foreign policy,” Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said in his concession—although some fault the nation for its strong pro-Israel stance on the Middle East and diminishing support for African nations. The Security Council’s influence is vast; it’s authorized to enact sanctions and issue peacekeeping forces.