UN Security Council welcomes new members; 2 are first-timers

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland are getting a formal welcome into the U.N. Security Council. Ambassadors installed their national flags Tuesday alongside those of other members outside the council chambers on Tuesday, when the newcomers took two-year seats that they won unopposed in June. It’s a first for Mozambique and Switzerland. Malta joined the U.N.’s most powerful body for a second time, Ecuador a fourth and Japan a record 12th. China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are permanent, veto-wielding members of the council. Its 10 other members are elected by the 193-nation General Assembly for staggered, two-year terms. They’re allocated by global regions.