Portal:Current events/2011 July 21

• 2011 Syrian uprising: Gunfire and arrests take place in Syria's third largest city of Homs against anti-government protests. (Al Jazeera)
• 2011 Libyan civil war: Rebels report "fierce" counter-attacks on the eastern front. (Reuters)
• 2011 Malawian protests:
  • At least eighteen people are killed during mass protests in Malawi. (AP)
  • The army has reportedly been deployed in the capital, Lilongwe. (BBC)
• Senegal bans demonstrations in the capital Dakar ahead of planned opposition protests against the regime of President Abdoulaye Wade. (BBC)

• Author Lee Child – creator of the Jack Reacher series – wins the novel of the year award at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival for his book 61 Hours. (BBC)

• Euro zone leaders secure a €109 billion bailout for Greece with the country going into default for a short period, but with increased powers for the main European rescue fund to assist countries that have not been bailed out, such as Spain and Italy. (New York Times)

• The Government of Japan publishes a reconstruction plan for areas devastated by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. (NHK World)
• Two dozen people have died this week in a heat wave in the United States. (New York Times)

• Australian radio host Derryn Hinch is sentenced to five months home detention for broadcasting the names of two sex offenders. (News.com.au)
• Three Russian police officers are convicted for abuse of office in Khabarovsk in the Far Eastern Federal District. (RIA Novosti)
• Another riot occurs at Australia's Christmas Island Immigration Reception and Processing Centre overnight with tear gas again used to quell inmates. (Herald Sun)
• A Japanese court sentences Tatsuya Ichihashi to life imprisonment for the murder of British teacher Lindsay Hawker. (Sky News)
• News International phone hacking scandal
  • MSNBC reports that the United States Department of Justice is investigating claims that News Corporation's advertising arm repeatedly hacked into the computers of competitors. (MSNBC)
  • Two former News International executives have called into question certain aspects of the evidence given by James Murdoch to a House of Commons select Committee earlier this week. (BBC)

• The Central Bank of Iran launches a website, intending to poll the Iranian public about planned economic reforms and a change of national currency. (Tabnak)

• Space Shuttle Atlantis lands at the Kennedy Space Center, concluding its final mission and marking the end of the 30-year Space Shuttle program. (USA TODAY), (CNN)

• Team owners in the National Football League have voted to approve a 10-year deal with the National Football League Players Association and to end a lockout if players approve. (AP via Atlanta Journal Constitution), (Washington Post)
• The 2000th match in the history of Test Cricket starts at Lord's Cricket Ground in London between England and India. (Daily Mail), (ESPN Star)