Has Syria been given a licence to kill?

The UN has again failed to condemn the Syrian government for its crackdown on protesters, after Russia and China blocked a Security Council resolution.

For four months, members at the UN have been trying to reach an agreement on a way to stop the violence in Syria. And for the last few days, diplomats from Arab and Western countries have been working all hours to get an agreement. There were endless negotiations, with the proposed resolution rewritten and redrafted.

Finally it came to a vote on Sunday - 13 in favour and two against. But the two countries that voted against the resolution - Russia and China - are permanent members of the UN Security Council wielding the power of veto.

Other nations have erupted in fury at the blocking of the peace proposal, employing language that is far from diplomatic. The US said the vetoes were “shameful” and “unforgivable”, while Britain said the vote “lets the Syrian people down”.