July 27, 2012 (Friday)
Armed conflict and attacks
- 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)
Disasters
- Landslides and flooding caused by Typhoon Vicente kill seven people in northern Vietnam. (AAP via Herald-Sun)
International relations
- 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)[permanent dead link]
Law and crime
- Lawyers for imprisoned disabled Chinese rights activist Ni Yulan challenge her convictions for fraud and "picking quarrels" in court. (Bangkok Post)[permanent dead link]
Arts and culture
- Multi-platinum recording artists and American girl-group Fifth Harmony were put together on this very day on the The X Factor USA. (Bustle)
Politics and election
- 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)
Religious affairs
- Pope Benedict XVI appoints bishop Salvatore J. Cordileone ninth Metropolitan Archbishop of San Francisco (Archdiocese of San Francisco)
Sports
- 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)