Assad Retakes Parts of Damascus

It was a day of rest, not to mention the holy month of Ramadan, but government troops in Syria were entering Damascus with tanks and armored vehicles in order to push out the rebels. Activists in the city said mortar rounds were fired and Syrian troops were retaking former rebel strongholds in the capital city and succeeding. Across the globe, in a mainly symbolic vote, the United Nations voted to condemn Syria’s use of heavy weaponry against civilians, which is seen as not much more than a slap on the wrist.