Portal:Current events/2011 July 2

Current events of July 2, 2011 (2011-07-02) (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• Arab Spring:
  • 2011 Libyan civil war:
    • According to The Daily Telegraph, the Sudanese army invades Libya, taking control of the southeastern town of Al-Kufra. (The Daily Telegraph)
    • Libyan rebel leaders welcome an African Union offer to open talks with the Government in Tripoli without the direct involvement of Muammar Gaddafi. (BBC)
  • 2011 Syrian uprising: The President of Syria Bashar al-Assad sacks Ahmad Khaled Abdel Aziz, the governor of the city of Hama, after mass anti-government demonstrations occurred there yesterday. (Gulf News) (Syrian Arab News Agency) (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
  • 2011 Moroccan protests: Demonstrations are called for following a constitutional referendum on greater freedoms held yesterday. (Reuters)
• Somali and African Union forces make gains against al-Shabaab rebels in Mogadishu. (Al Jazeera)
• 11 members of one family are killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan while traveling to Pakistan. (Al Jazeera)
• Freedom Flotilla II: The captain of The Audacity of Hope, the U.S. ship bound for Gaza, is reported to be held in Greek custody, the latest incident to befall the flotilla following two counts of alleged sabotage and the towing back to port of this ship yesterday. Israel's foreign ministry spokesperson Yigal Palmor dismisses the accusations of sabotage as "ridiculous". (Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

• Albert II, Prince of Monaco marries Charlene Wittstock, the Olympic swimmer, again, this time in a religious ceremony attended by 3,500 guests, including royalty and celebrities. (BBC)
• China jails a Tibetan writer for editing a banned magazine regarding unrest in 2008. (AFP via Google News) (Reuters) (BBC)

Business and economy

• European sovereign debt crisis: Eurozone finance ministers agree to give a further €12 billion over the next two weeks to Greece as it fights bankruptcy. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)
• Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority grounds all Tiger Airways flights in the country until July 9 due to a range of safety concerns. (AAP via The Sydney Morning Herald)
• Serbia and Kosovo sign the first accords between the two nations since Kosovo's declaration of independence three years ago. (Al Jazeera)

Disasters

• 3 coal miners are killed and 40 others are trapped in separate incidents in the People's Republic of China. (AP via Newsday - sub. req.) (China Daily)
• Mexican authorities have confirmed 11 deaths from Tropical Storm Arlene. (AP via USA Today)
• ExxonMobil workers attempt to contain an oil spill on the Yellowstone River in the US state of Montana. (Los Angeles Times)

Law and crime

• 228 people are arrested during a large demonstration in Hong Kong amid frustration with government policies and rising property prices. (AFP via Google News) (Reuters)

Politics and elections

• Former President of Brazil and current Senator Itamar Franco dies of complications from leukemia; seven days of mourning are declared by current president Dilma Rousseff. (CNN) (BBC)
• Campaigning closes ahead of Thailand's general election tomorrow. (Al Jazeera)

Sports

• In tennis, Petra Kvitová defeats Maria Sharapova to win the Wimbledon championship in women's singles. It is Kvitová's first Grand Slam victory. (BBC Sport) (The Guardian)