Updates Tuesday 31 July 2012

TOP OF THE NEWS

Syrian helicopter gunships strafe Aleppo rebelsJuly 31, 2012
Syrian government forces used helicopter gunships to strafe rebel-held districts in Aleppo on Monday and shelled the area on the third day of a pitched battle for the commercial capital. The army's offensive in Aleppo was focused on Salaheddin district in the southwest, a stronghold of the rebel Free Syrian Army, said the Syrian Revolution General Commission.

NEW OPINION

Pot, kettle and blackJuly 30, 2012
In a weekend in which the battle for Aleppo might prove to be a key moment in fundamentally altering the face of the region, Mitt Romney could do nothing but trot out a rhetoric that is out of step with the Middle East of today.

COMMENT

A new Shiite voice in the makingHanin Ghaddar, July 30, 2012
The Shiites' discontent with Hezbollah cannot lead to any significant political changes as long as there is no true alternative to the Party of God. There have been many trials in the past, but all failed. Today there seems to be a new Shiite voice in the making, maturing under the political radar.

NOW EXTRA

No Garlic, No OnionsSabina Llewellyn-Davies, July 30 2012
Meet Anthony Rahayel, the food blogger behind "No Garlic, No Onions," a site where he praises good food and service experiences and vents his loathing for the bad.

NOW SYRIA

Latest Syria developmentsJuly 31, 2012
They toare standing up for freedom and demanding democratic reforms in the face of an oppressive regime. NOW Syria is tracking the latest developments from inside the state, where peaceful protesters are pushing forward the Arab Spring with a new uprising.

BLOG

		Of mice, men and censorshipPosted by: Liliana Mihaila Monday, July 30, 2012

		Lebanon and the OlympicsPosted by: Ana Maria Luca Monday, July 30, 2012

		Stockholm syndrome?Posted by: Louisa Ajami Monday, July 30, 2012