International and Bilateral Issues

China, Russia veto UNSC resolution against Assad

• Russia and China on Saturday vetoed an Arab League-backed resolution at the United Nations Security Council that called on Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down, while India, along with the U.S., France, Britain, Pakistan, South Africa and some others, backed the move.
• This is the second time Russia and China have carried out their double veto after the first one on October 5 last.
• Human Rights Watch condemned the UNSC resolution, terming the Russian and Chinese decision irresponsible and praised India, which so far was seen siding with Moscow and Beijing on this issue, for voting in favour of the failed resolution.

Afghan civilian casualties rise for the fifth year

• A record number of Afghan civilians were killed in the conflict here last year, the majority at the hands of the Taliban and other insurgent groups whose use of homemade bombs became more prevalent and whose suicide bombers killed more people each time, according to the annual U.N. report on civilian casualties.
• Although the number killed — 3,021 civilians — represented a relatively small, eight per cent increase in casualties over 2010, it was the fifth straight year in which civilian casualties rose.
• By contrast, the number of civilians killed by pro-government forces, including NATO troops, the Afghan Army and government-backed militias, fell to 410, or 14 per cent of the total killed.
• The Taliban's responsibility for a rising number of deaths raises questions about the sincerity of their public pledges to try to avoid harming civilians.
• Generally, when NATO increases operations, there is also an increase in casualties. The United Nations praised NATO's efforts both to adjust its tactical directives to troops and to retrain them to adhere to the new standards.