Russia loses bid to regain seat on UN's top human rights body

RUSSIA HAS BEEN defeated in its bid to regain a seat in the UN's human rights body by a significant majority after it was suspended last year following its invasion of Ukraine. Russia was competing against Albania and Bulgaria for two seats on the Geneva-based Human Rights Council representing the East European regional group. In a secret ballot vote, Bulgaria got 160 votes, Albania got 123 votes and Russia just 83 votes. Russia has claimed that it has support from a silent majority, and even though 83 votes came from less than half the 193 UN member nations, there is…