Portal:Current events/2012 July 27

• Syrian civil war:
  • The Syrian Armed Forces renew a bombardment of the city of Aleppo. (Reuters)
  • Sixteen civilians, including five children and four women, are killed in bombing attacks of the Syrian army in Yalda village, south of Damascus. (Albawaba)
  • The former head of the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria says the fall of Assad is only a "matter of time". (Al Jazeera)
• Saudi security forces arrest a number of protesters in Qatif. (BBC)

• Landslides and flooding caused by Typhoon Vicente kill seven people in northern Vietnam. (AAP via Herald-Sun)

• United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges countries to bridge differences ahead of a deadline for a draft of a new global agreement to control international arms sales. Despite this, no agreement is reached. (BBC), (Miami Herald)

• Lawyers for imprisoned disabled Chinese rights activist Ni Yulan challenge her convictions for fraud and "picking quarrels" in court. (Bangkok Post)

• Multi-platinum recording artists and American girl-group Fifth Harmony were put together on this very day on the The X Factor USA. (Bustle)

• Suspended Romanian President Traian Băsescu urges his supporters to boycott this Sunday's referendum on his dismissal. (Reuters)
• Mali's interim President Diouncounda Traore returns to the country after a two-month absence. (BBC)

• Pope Benedict XVI appoints bishop Salvatore J. Cordileone ninth Metropolitan Archbishop of San Francisco (Archdiocese of San Francisco)

• The opening ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympics takes place at the London Olympic Stadium with Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom declaring the Games open. (CNN), (BBC)