71.   The other big winners were Ireland and Norway, who defeated Italy, for two European council seats.

72.   The other four council seats were all but decided weeks ago when Mali, Tunisia, Jamaica and Bangladesh won endorsements from their regional groups.

73.   The United States, among others, has suggested Japan and Germany be given permanent council seats in recognition of their economic clout.

74.   The United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France now have permanent council seats.

75.   They set aside hundreds of council seats for women, refugees and academics, but only six for Islamic scholars.

76.   His statements on immigration followed an election at the weekend in which the nine protesters stood again for their council seats and five of them were defeated.

77.   In Britain the extreme right British National Party has little support, having no representation at national level and recently losing its only local council seat in a by-election.

78.   In the second poll, each person will have the same number of votes as council seats in the constituency.

79.   It is now overshadowed by the rival British National Party, which became the first extreme-right group to hold, briefly, a local council seat.

80.   Analysts say that some Asian nations want Japan to be a counterweight to China, the only other Asian nation with a permanent council seat.