2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Offensive
On 19 August, a Guardian reporter confirmed the end of fighting in Sabratha; according to him, the fighting there lasted three days, ending on 16 August. He also confirmed that the ancient Roman amphitheater ruins survived the fighting. Rebel fighters also told The Guardian that they are planning to move towards Zuwara.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Offensive
On 22 August, rebels claimed the capture of Zuwara and the Ras Ajdir border crossing.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Offensive
On 23 August, a Tagesschau correspondent confirmed that city of 'Aziziya was under rebel control.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Offensive
On 24 August, loyalist forces attempted to retake the rebel-held city of Ajaylat, mounting an attack with tanks and missiles. They also shelled the rebel-held city of Zuwara.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Offensive
On 27 August, a ship carrying ammunition for the Libyan rebels fighting for control of the coastal road, west of Tripoli to the Tunisian border, blew up on Saturday at the port of Zuwara.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Offensive
On 28 August, an Al Jazeera English correspondent reported that a region near Ajaylat was controlled by a "small pocket" of pro-Gaddafi forces, but that supply lines safely bypassed the town.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Rebel advance on Tripoli
On 20 August rebels stated that the end of Gaddafi was "very near". The same day rebels within Tripoli started the battle of Tripoli; the main rebel forces were still 27 kilometres (17 miles) outside of Tripoli.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Rebel advance on Tripoli
On 21 August, rebel forces pushed towards Tripoli from two fronts in order to help a local uprising in the city itself. From Zawiya they advanced to village Al Maya, 17 kilometres (11 miles) east from Zawiya while other units were preparing to attack 'Aziziya, the last major city between rebel-controlled Gharyan and Tripoli. After taking the village of Joudaim, east of Zawiya, and advancing to the village of Al Maya, the rebels were stopped by loyalist forces who pounded them with artillery, rocket and anti-aircraft fire. The rebels captured a military barracks, which housed the elite Khamis Brigade, 27 kilometres (17 miles) west of Tripoli, as well as weapons and ammo left behind by retreating loyalists.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Rebel advance on Tripoli
By the night of 21 August, rebels had pushed into Tripoli, meeting little resistance from government forces. Martyrs' Square was taken that night, while cheering residents filled the streets.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, NATO strikes
According to NATO's daily "Operational Media Updates", the NATO strikes, during the offensive, hit:


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Influences on other fronts
On 15 August, following rebel successes in the battlefield, the Libyan Interior minister Nassr al-Mabrouk Abdullah defected to Egypt with nine members of his family, although airport officials said he was just visiting as a tourist. The Gaddafi government claimed to have no knowledge of his leaving the country.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Influences on other fronts
On 15 August, apparently in response to rebel battlefield successes, a Scud missile was fired from the Gaddafi stronghold of Sirte at rebel-controlled territory. It is believed that the missile was intended to hit rebel troop formations around Brega; instead, it overshot the target by 80.5 kilometres (50.0 mi) and landed harmlessly in the desert.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Influences on other fronts
On 18 August, US officials reported that Muammar Gaddafi was making preparations to flee to exile in Tunisia with his family.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Influences on other fronts
On 19 August, rebels stated that Abdel Sallam Jalloud, who was once Gaddafi's closest adviser, had defected to them, displaying pictures of him in the rebel-held city of Zintan as proof. The next day, Tunisian officials reported that Jalloud had actually fled to Italy, via Tunisia.


2011 Libyan rebel coastal offensive, Influences on other fronts
On 20 August, Tunisian sources stated that Libyan oil minister Omran Abukraa had defected to Tunisia.


2011 Lichfield District Council election
The 2011 Lichfield District Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of Lichfield District Council in Staffordshire, England. The whole council - 56 members - was up for election and the Conservative Party retained overall control of the council.


2011 Lichfield District Council election, Campaign
Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats, Independent and Independent Labour candidates stood in the election. The wards elected from one to three members of the council depending on the electorate's size. candidates in  wards were elected unopposed.


2011 Lichfield District Council election, Election result
The Conservatives maintained control of the council. They gained 2 seats and Labour gained 5. The Liberal Democrats and the two Independent councillors were eliminated from the council and no other party is represented.


2011 Liechtenstein local elections
The 2011 Liechtenstein local elections were held on 20 February to elect the municipal councils and the mayors of the eleven municipalities of Liechtenstein.


2011 Liechtenstein local elections, Electoral system
The municipal councils (German: Gemeinderat) are composed of an even number of councillors plus the mayor (German: Gemeindevorsteher). The number of councillors is determined by population count: 6 or 8 councillors for population 1,500, 8 or 10 councillors for population between 1,500 and 3,000, and 10 or 12 councillors for population over 3,000.


2011 Liechtenstein local elections, Electoral system
Councillors were elected in single multi-member districts, consisting of the municipality's territory, using an open list proportional representation system. Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage in a secret ballot. The mayors were elected in a two-round system. If none of the candidates achieved a majority in the first round, a second round would have been held four weeks later, where the candidate with a plurality would be elected as a mayor.


2011 Liechtenstein referendums
Three referendums were held in Liechtenstein during 2011. The first on approving the registered partnership law was held between 17 and 19 June, and was approved by 68.8% of voters. The law went into effect on 1 September. The second was held on 18 September on allowing abortion within the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Prince Alois had threatened to veto the result of the referendum should it have turned out in favour, but ultimately it was rejected by voters. The third was on building a new national hospital in Vaduz was held on 30 October, and was also rejected.


2011 Liechtenstein referendums, Registered partnership law
The registered partnership law (Lebenspartnerschaft) was passed unanimously by the Landtag of Liechtenstein in the second reading on March 16 and published on March 21, 2011. However, the group Vox Populi, led by a cousin of archbishop Wolfgang Haas, announced its intention to force a referendum. According to the constitution, the organisation had until 21 April (30 days) to collect at least 1000 signatures. Because the necessary signatures were gathered (1208 valid signatures), a referendum was held on the evening of 17 June and the morning of 19 June 2011.


2011 Liechtenstein referendums, Registered partnership law, Campaign
The registered partnership law was supported by the government and all parties in the Landtag, but opposed by the socially conservative advocacy group "Vox Populi" and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vaduz.


2011 Liechtenstein referendums, New hospital
On 28 June the Landtag passed a bill approving spending 83 million francs on the construction of a national hospital in Vaduz by 14 votes to 11. A request for an advisory referendum was rejected by 12 votes to 11, but a committee gathered 2,951 signatures between 8 July and 3 August, forcing a referendum.


2011 Liechtenstein referendums, Results, Registered partnerships
The referendum achieved a good turnout of about 70 percent as of Friday evening because of a large majority of voters who had already used postal voting. Total turnout was 74.2 percent.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season
Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito's 2011 season was the club's 81st year of existence, the 58th year in professional football, and the 50th in the top level of professional football in Ecuador. Liga came in as the defending Serie A champion and having qualified to the 2011 Copa Libertadores and the 2011 Copa Sudamericana, but failed to win a title for the first time since 2006.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Squad information
Liga's squad for the season is allowed a maximum of four foreign players at any one time, and a maximum of eight throughout the season. During the off season, Norberto Araujo changed his nationality from Argentine to Ecuadorian. At the start of the season, Liga was mandated to start one under-18 player in each match. Since the Ecuadorian national U-20 team qualified to the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, that was changed to have an under-20 player start in each game. The jersey numbers in the main table (directly below) refer to the number on their domestic league jersey. The under-18/under-20 players will wear a jersey number of at least #50. For each CONMEBOL competition, Liga must register 25 players, whose jerseys will be numbered 1–25. Because of this, some players may have different jersey numbers while playing in CONMEBOL matches.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Squad information
Note: Caps and goals are of the national league and are current as of the beginning of the season.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Squad information, Winter transfers
During the off-season, Liga saw a number of high-profile players leave the squad. Veterans Carlos Espínola, Renan Calle, and Christian Lara left the team to look for more playing time, while Juan Manuel Salgueiro returned to Estudiantes after Liga could not secure a permanent move. Víctor Estupiñán and Joao Plata and went to the United States to take part in the MLS SuperDraft. They were drafted by Chivas USA and Toronto FC. Franklin Salas attempted to move abroad, but failed to find a suitor. After a prolonged process, he was loaned to Imbabura. Other loaned out players were Pedro Romo and Manuel Mendoza to Aucas and Universidad Católica, respectively. Ángel Cheme, better known as Gonzalo Chila, was suspended for two-year due to aggravated identity theft.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Squad information, Winter transfers
To reinforce the squad, Liga signed former stars Luis Bolaños and Enrique Vera, with Daniel Viteri returning after a season on loan. Argenis Moreira, Fernando Hidalgo, and Geovanny Caicedo were also signed. Liga's highest profile transfer was Ezequiel González from Fluminense. This also filled their squad's foreign player quota. Ángel Ledesma was loaned form Macará should the squad need U-18 down the line.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Squad information, Summer transfers
On May 16, 2011, veteran goalkeeper José Francisco Cevallos announced his retirement from professional football. He played his last game on May 22. In late July, the club announced that Carlos Luna was loaned to a club to be determined at a later date. Youth-player Nelson Martínez was loaned to Aucas in mid June. That was followed by the late-July loan of forward Luis Batioja to Universidad Católica.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Squad information, Summer transfers
In late July, Liga reinforced their squad with two players transferring from Argentina. Forward Claudio Bieler returned to the club after a year-and-a-half on a loan from Racing. In the time in between, he became a naturalized Ecuadorian, freeing up a foreign-player spot in the team. The remaining foreign-player spot was filled by midfielder Lucas Acosta, who was transferring in from San Martín de San Juan.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Competitions, Pre-season friendlies
Liga played three friendly matches in addition to La Noche Blanca, the club's official presentation for the season. Their opponent for La Noche Blanca was Once Caldas, the defending Colombian champion.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Competitions, Serie A
The 2011 season is Liga's 50th season in the Serie A and their tenth consecutive. The league season will run from late January to early December, with a short break for the 2011 Copa América. The format is identical to the previous season. They came in as the defending league champion.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Competitions, Serie A, First stage
The First Stage of the season ran from January 30 to June 19. Liga finished 2nd and failed to qualify to the season-ending Finals and the 2012 Copa Libertadores during this stage.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Competitions, Serie A, Second stage
The Second Stage of the season began July 22 and is scheduled to end on December 4.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Competitions, Copa Libertadores
LDU Quito qualified to the 2011 Copa Libertadores—their 15th participation in the continental tournament—as the winner of the 2010 Serie A Second Stage and were given the Ecuador 1 berth as the league champion. They entered the competition in the Second Stage and were placed in Group 8 with Godoy Cruz, Independiente, Peñarol. They won their group and advance to the Round of 16 where they were eliminated by Vélez Sársfield.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Competitions, Copa Sudamericana
The 2011 Copa Sudamericana is being played in the second half of the season. Liga entered in the First Stage.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Competitions, Copa Sudamericana, Round of 16
Tied on points 3–3, LDU Quito won on goal difference.


2011 Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito season, Player statistics
Updated as of games played on December 19, 2011.Note: Players in italics left the club mid-season. Source:


2011 Liga Indonesia Premier Division Final
The 2011 Liga Indonesia Premier Division Final was a football match which was played on Wednesday, 25 May 2011.


2011 Liga Indonesia Premier Division Final, Match details
Liga Tiphone Man of the Match: Wahyu Wiji Astanto (Persiba Bantul)


2011 Liga Sudamericana de Básquetbol
The 2011 Liga Sudamericana de Básquetbol, or 2011 FIBA South American League, was the sixteenth edition of the second-tier tournament for basketball teams from South America. The tournament began on 6 October 2011 and finished on 5 February 2012. Argentine club Obras Sanitarias won the tournament, defeating Brazilian club Pinheiros in the Grand Final.


2011 Liga Sudamericana de Básquetbol, Format
Teams were split into three groups of four teams each and played in a single round-robin format. Each group played all their games in a single host city. The top two teams from each group advanced to the second stage, where two groups of three teams were formed. The top two teams from each group advanced to the semifinals, which consisted of single-elimination playoffs, where the champion was decided. An extra match was played for third place between the losing teams from the semifinals.


2011 Liga de Ascenso Apertura Liguilla
The Liguilla (English: Little League) of the 2011–12 Liga de Ascenso season is a final knockout tournament involving seven teams of the Liga de Ascenso. The winner will qualify to the playoff match vs the Clausura 2011 winner. However, if the winner of both tournaments is the same team, the team would be promoted to the 2012–13 Mexican Primera División season without playing the Promotional Final.


2011 Liga de Ascenso Apertura Liguilla, Teams
The first team in the general table qualified for the semi-finals. The six next best teams in the general table qualified to the quarter-finals.


2011 Liga de Ascenso Apertura Liguilla, Bracket
The six best teams after the first place play two games against each other on a home-and-away basis. The winner of each match up is determined by aggregate score.


2011 Liga de Ascenso Apertura Liguilla, Bracket
The teams were seeded one to seven in quarterfinals, and will be re-seeded one to four in semifinals, depending on their position in the general table. The higher seeded teams play on their home field during the second leg.


2011 Liga de Ascenso Apertura Liguilla, Quarter-finals
Kickoffs are given in local time (UTC-6 unless stated otherwise).


2011 Liga de Ascenso Apertura Liguilla, Quarter-finals, Second leg
Correcaminos advanced because of their better position on the league table


2011 Liga de Ascenso Apertura Liguilla, Semi-finals
Kickoffs are given in local time (UTC-6 unless stated otherwise).


2011 Liga de Ascenso Apertura Liguilla, Final
Kickoffs are given in local time (UTC-6 unless stated otherwise).


2011 Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano season
The 2011 Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano season (official known as the 2011 Campeonato ENTEL Fundadores de la LFPB for sponsorship reasons) was the 35th season of LFPB. Originally comprising two tournaments, the 2011 season was the first single-stage season since 2005. This was to change the calendar to European calendar like Argentina, Venezuela and Uruguay. The 2011 fixtures were released on January 7, 2011. The season began on January 15 ended on June 22. There was no relegation. Oriente Petrolero was the defending champion.


2011 Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano season, Teams
The number of teams for 2011 remains the same. Jorge Wilstermann finished last in the 2010 relegation table and was relegated to the  Bolivian Football Regional Leagues for the first time since the club was founded. They were replaced by the 2010 Copa Simón Bolívar champion Nacional Potosí, who last played in the LFPB in 2009.


2011 Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino
The 2011 Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino is the 43rd official season of Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino (English: Female Superior Volleyball League). The 2011 season was dedicated to Ángel Rivero. In early May, the President of the Puerto Rican Volleyball Federation announced that the Champion from the 2011 LVSF tournament will be the NORCECA representative at the 2011 FIVB Women's Club World Championship.


2011 Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino, Regular season
As of the end of the regular season, April 10, 2011.


2011 Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino, Regular season, Awards, Statistics Awards
According to league statistics at the end of the regular season.


2011 Ligas Departamentales del Peru
The 2011 Ligas Departamentales, the fifth division of Peruvian football (soccer), was played by variable number teams by Departament.


2011 Ligas Superiores del Peru
The 2011 Ligas Superiores, the fifth division of Peruvian football (soccer), will be played by variable number teams by Departament. The tournaments will be played on a home-and-away round-robin basis.


2011 Ligue 1 (Senegal)
The 2011 Ligue 1 season was the 46th of the competition of the first-tier football in Senegal and the fourth professional season. The tournament was organized by the Senegalese Football Federation. The season began earlier on 18 December 2010 and finished on 9 September 2011. It was the third season labelled as a "League" ("Ligue" in French). US Ouakam won their first and recent title, and a year later would compete in the 2012 CAF Champions League. ASC Diaraf, second place and the winner of the 2012 Senegalese Cup Casa Sport participated in the 2012 CAF Confederation Cup, it was the last time bringing a second place club, only the cup winner would participate in the following season.


2011 Ligue 1 (Senegal)
The season would have feature 16 clubs and once again, the winner would be decided on the highest number of points, it was decided after the thirtieth match was finished. Not until the next season it would reappear in that format, the first and second phase system would reappear in the next season. The season scored a total of 368 goals. Casa sport had the highest total of 30 goals scored and the least was CSS Richard Toll with 15.


2011 Ligue 1 (Senegal)
ASC Diaraf again was the defending team of the title.


2011 Ligue Haïtienne season
The 2011 Ligue Haïtienne season was the 48th year of top-tier football in Haiti. It began on 1 May 2011. The league is split into two tournaments—the Série de Ouverture and the Série de Clôture—each with identical formats and each contested by the same 15 teams.


2011 Ligue Haïtienne season
The league contracted from 16 to 15 clubs for this season.


2011 Ligue Haïtienne season, Teams
Don Bosco, Eclair, Violette and Dynamite finished in 13th through 16th place in the overall table at the end of last season and were relegated to the Haitian second level leagues. They were replaced by the two Haitian second level group winners: North Group winner Triomphe and South Group winner Valencia.


2011 Ligue Haïtienne season, Teams
During the offseason, FICA took legal action against the Haitian Football Federation (FHF) for a spot in the league. In a ruling handed down on 28 April 2011, only days before the season began, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled in favor of FICA, meaning they would be included in this season's competition.


2011 Ligue Haïtienne season, Série de Ouverture
The 2011 Série de Ouverture began on 1 May 2011 and ended on 12 August 2011.


2011 Ligue Haïtienne season, Série de Clôture
The 2011 Série de Clôture began on 11 September 2011 and ended on 11 December 2011.


2011 Ligue Haïtienne season, Trophée des Champions
This match is contested between the winner of the Série de Ouverture and the winner of the Série de Clôture.


2011 Ligue Haïtienne season, 2011 Super Huit
The 2011 Super Huit competition (English: Super Eight) is a knockout tournament played at the end of the season among the clubs finishing in the top 8 of the overall standings for the season for cash prizes.


2011 Lillestrøm SK season
The 2011 season is Lillestrøm SK's 22nd season in the Tippeligaen, and their 38th consecutive season in the top division of Norwegian football. It is Henning Berg's third season as the club's manager. On 27 October 2011 with Lillestrom in 12th place, Henning Berg was sacked and replaced by Petter Belsvik who took on a Caretaker role.


2011 Lillestrøm SK season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2011 Lillestrøm SK season, Squad, Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2011 Lillestrøm SK season, Squad, Transfers
In:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2011 Lillestrøm SK season, Squad, Transfers
Out:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2011 Limavady Borough Council election
Elections to Limavady Borough Council were held on 5 May 2011 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 15 councillors.


2011 Limavady Borough Council election, Districts results, Bellarena
2005: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP2011: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP2005-2011 Change: No change


2011 Limavady Borough Council election, Districts results, Benbradagh
2005: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x United Unionist, 1 x SDLP2011: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x TUV, 1 x SDLP2005-2011 Change: United Unionist joins TUV


2011 Limavady Borough Council election, Districts results, Limavady Town
2005: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP2011: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP2005-2011 Change: No change


2011 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
The 2011 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship was the 117th staging of the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Limerick County Board.


2011 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
On 2 October 2011, Na Piarsaigh won the championship after a 2-18 to 0-13 defeat of Ahane in the final. It was their first ever championship title.


2011 Linafoot
The 2011 Linafoot season was the 50th season of Top League Linafoot in DR Congo. Defending champions are AS Vita from Kinshasa. Seventeen teams entered the competition. TP Mazembe won the championship.


2011 Linafoot, Changes from 2010
A new format was introduced. In contrast to the previous season, the final round is made up of eight teams in one group. In 2010 eight teams were divided into two groups of four with the top two finishers advancing to yet another group stage. The winner of the group of 8 will be the champion.


2011 Linafoot, Preliminary round
In the preliminary round 12 teams in three groups played a double round robin. The group winners advanced to the next round.


2011 Linafoot, SuperLeague (final round)
In the final round the three teams from the preliminary round join the top four placed teams from last season and 2010 Cup winner DC Motema Pembe. The eight teams play a double round robin, that is each team plays 14 matches.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season
The 2011 season for Liquigas–Cannondale began in January with the Tour de San Luis and ended in October at the Japan Cup. As a UCI ProTeam, they were automatically invited and obligated to send a squad to every event in the UCI World Tour.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season
The team had 30 victories in 2011, second-most among top teams behind only HTC–Highroad. The team's most prolific winners were Peter Sagan and Elia Viviani, who accounted for 22 of them. The team failed to relive their great successes of 2010 in the Grand Tours – Ivan Basso, though the reigning Giro d'Italia champion, declined to defend that crown and focused instead on the Tour de France. Vincenzo Nibali was instead the leader for the Giro, and again for the Vuelta a España, where he did return to defend his championship. The team took two stage wins each in the Giro and Vuelta, but did not mount a serious threat for the overall crown in any of the three. Elsewhere, the team's principal successes were in single-day races, especially those in their home country Italy, winning seven such races.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, One-day races
Before the spring season and the races known as classics, Viviani won the first single-day race of the season held in Italy, the Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi. The finish was a field sprint, and Viviani came in first after a leadout from Peter Sagan, who held on for fourth. The race was noteworthy as well for the absence of six-time reigning champion Alessandro Petacchi from the team's Italian rivals Lampre–ISD. Viviani also won the first Tour de Mumbai race, and nearly won the second, finishing just centimeters behind Team RadioShack's Robert Hunter.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, One-day races, Spring classics
Basso won the Gran Premio di Lugano in late February. After Caruso launched an attack that effectively softened the field, Basso's winning move came as his teammate was caught. He drew Geox–TMC's Fabio Duarte with him, and defeated him in the sprint 16 seconds ahead of the front of the remaining field. The team came to the first monument race of the season, Milan–San Remo, without a real field sprinter, despite that race's tendency to end in a sprint.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, One-day races, Spring classics
When a crash occurred on the Le Manie climb 90 km (56 mi) from the finish line, effectively splitting the race into two groups, Nibali and BMC Racing Team captain Alessandro Ballan struck a deal wherein both squads would send men to the front of the leading group.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, One-day races, Spring classics
This was both to keep the group out ahead of the second so that sprinters left behind like Óscar Freire, Mark Cavendish, and Tyler Farrar would not be able to contest the win, but also to potentially get rid of the few sprinters that had made the split, namely Tom Boonen, Alessandro Petacchi, and Heinrich Haussler. The tactic was successful; BMC Racing Team and Liquigas-Cannondale, along with Omega Pharma–Lotto and FDJ, effectively drove the leading group such that their advantage never fell below one minute.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, One-day races, Spring classics
Nibali tried to attack for victory on the Poggio, knowing that even among the small group that was left he was not likely to have the best finishing sprint. Seven riders followed his acceleration, and all seven eventually passed him, leaving Nibali eighth on the day. After Peter Sagan had showed strong form at Gent–Wevelgem, the squad was touted as fielding contenders at the second monument race, the Tour of Flanders. The squad failed to be at all competitive, however; only Koren and Oss finished the race, with six others, including Sagan, abandoning before the conclusion.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, One-day races, Spring classics
Their best-placed rider being 95th was criticized as a major disappointment. Nibali rode Liège–Bastogne–Liège as his final tune-up prior to the Giro d'Italia. While race winner Philippe Gilbert and the Schleck brothers, who rounded out the podium with the Belgian, slipped away on the Côte de Roche aux Faucons and were not caught, Nibali instigated the chase group that formed on the Côte de Saint-Nicolas. He finished eighth.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, One-day races, Spring classics
Afterward, he said he was satisfied with his performance, since he had not gone into the red to follow Gilbert and the Schlecks and put in a good ride on the last climb. He was, however, spent from his effort on the Côte de Saint-Nicolas and could not sprint for fourth place.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, One-day races, Spring classics
The team also sent squads to the Montepaschi Strade Bianche, the GP Miguel Indurain, Paris–Roubaix, the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne and the Giro di Toscana, but placed no higher than 11th in any of these races.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, One-day races, Fall races
The team also sent squads to the Clásica de San Sebastián, Tre Valli Varesine, Trofeo Melinda, GP Ouest-France, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, the Memorial Marco Pantani, the Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli and the Amstel Curaçao Race, but placed no higher than 11th in any of these races.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, Stage races
The team won two minor classifications at the Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria in January, Oss the youth classification and the squad the teams classification. In February, Peter Sagan was dominant at the Giro di Sardegna, winning three stages with three different sorts of rides. He took stage 1 from a 25-strong group sprint after a proper leadout by Capecchi and Oss, finishing a full bike length ahead of Alessandro Ballan in second.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, Stage races
While he lost his race lead after stage 2 when he finished two seconds behind an attacking Damiano Cunego and José Serpa, Sagan reclaimed it with a similar move in stage 3. With an uphill sprint finish shaping up, Sagan attacked and drew Cunego and Serpa with him, the three of them finishing two seconds clear of the best of the scattered groups that finished behind them.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, Stage races
The fourth stage was flat and seemed suited for a full field sprint, but Sagan slipped away in the final kilometer to finish a second ahead of the fast-charging sprinters at the head of the peloton, for his third win. He ceded a little time back to Cunego and Serpa in the hilly stage 5, but still won the race overall by three seconds over Serpa and seven over Cunego; also winning the points classification in the process.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, Stage races
While Basso had hoped for overall success at Tirreno–Adriatico, he failed to be a major factor at any point, and finished fourth overall. Nibali was fifth, and the squad won the teams classification. Guarnieri won the early afternoon short road race on the last day of the Three Days of De Panne. Sagan took a stage win at the Tour of California for the second year in a row. The young Slovakian was best of a 45-rider group that finished together at the head of the four-climb stage.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, Stage races
He also won the sprints classification for the second year in a row, thanks to high placings on other stages in addition to his win. On the whole, however, his climbing legs were not as good as they had been in 2010, since he finished the race in 35th place over 20 minutes down in the overall. He was also just fourth-best in the youth classification.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, Stage races
The team also won lesser classifications at the Tour de Suisse, the Tour of Slovenia, the Tour de Pologne, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and the Giro di Padania.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, Stage races
The team also sent squads to the Tour Down Under, the Tour de San Luis, Paris–Nice, the Settimana internazionale di Coppi e Bartali, Volta a Catalunya, the Tour of the Basque Country, the Giro del Trentino, the Tour of Turkey, the Tour de Romandie, the Tour de Luxembourg, the Critérium du Dauphiné, the Eneco Tour and the Tour of Utah, but did not achieve a stage win, classification win, or podium finish in any of them.


2011 Liquigas–Cannondale season, Grand Tours, Giro d'Italia
Reigning Giro champion Basso will not defend his title, preferring to focus on the Tour de France. He had for a time considered riding the Giro in a supporting role to Nibali, who will ride as the squad's captain. Team management decided that in the interests of respecting the race, they would not have Basso ride but be unable (due to saving himself for the Tour) to give full effort in the Giro's most difficult stages.


2011 Lisburn City Council election
Elections to Lisburn City Council were held on 5 May 2011 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used five district electoral areas to elect a total of 30 councillors.


2011 Lisburn City Council election, Districts results, Downshire
2005: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance2011: 3 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance2005-2011 Change: DUP gain from UUP


2011 Lisburn City Council election, Districts results, Dunmurry Cross
2005: 4 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP, 1 x DUP2011: 5 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP2005-2011 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP


2011 Lisburn City Council election, Districts results, Killultagh
2005: 3 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP2011: 3 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP2005-2011 Change: No change


2011 Lisburn City Council election, Districts results, Lisburn Town North
2005: 3 x DUP, 3 x UUP, 1 x Alliance2011: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP2005-2011 Change: SDLP gain from UUP


2011 Lisburn City Council election, Districts results, Lisburn Town South
2005: 4 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance2011: 4 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance2005-2011 Change: No change


2011 Lithuanian Athletics Championships
The 88th 2011 Lithuanian Athletics Championships were held in S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas on 23–24 July 2010.


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill
The Little Buffalo oil spill on April 29, 2011, resulted in the discharge of 28,000 barrels of oil in an isolated stretch of boreal forest in northern Alberta, about ten kilometres from Little Buffalo, Alberta. The spill was caused by rain then damaging the pipes  in the Rainbow Pipeline system, owned by Plains Midstream Canada, a unit of Plains All American Pipeline. It was the largest oil spill in Alberta in 36 years. The local school was closed following the oil spill due to concerns about the effects of fumes.


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill
The 44-year-old Rainbow Pipeline carries an average of 187,000 barrels a day from Zama, Alberta to Edmonton. Little Buffalo, a Lubicon Cree community of about 350 people, is approximately ten kilometres from the spill site. Local news reports stated that many of the 125 children attending the local school began complaining of headaches, dizziness and nausea around 9:30 a.m. on April 29. The school was closed for the day on the day of the spill (Friday), but was evacuated again the following Monday due to the odour and effects on the children.


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill
In 2013, Alberta's Energy Resource Conservation Board (ERCB) issued a reprimand to Plains Mainstream for operational failures in connection with the oil spill.


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill, Response
School principal Brian Alexander and chief Steve Noskey of the Lubicon Cree First Nation both expressed concern about the lack of response or information from the Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) in the week following the spill. Provincial Environment Minister Rob Renner told reporters that the spill is in a "very remote area," and though a large spill, was under control. Renner said he was unaware of potential impacts on humans. Although he did not discount the community's health concerns, he said it was unlikely that the odours would carry dangerous chemicals. According to Alberta Environment spokesman Trevor Gemmell, the spill was contained in stands of stagnant water and was 300 metres from any flowing water.


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill, Response
Within two weeks, the company had cleaned up about 33 per cent of the oil, the oil pooled on top of the open water. However, it was estimated that it would take six months to recover most of the oil, including that which had soaked into the vegetation. Everyone involved admitted that restoring it fully was out of the question. The ERCB is the agency responsible for determining the cause of the leak. According to technician Sandra Blais that means analyzing the age of the pipeline. The pipeline had a spill in 2006 and the Alberta energy regulator determined that it was caused by corrosion. The pipeline has carried diluted bitumen, the oil sands product claimed by environmentalists claim to be harder on pipes than conventional oil. This is denied by industry officials.


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill, Issues
According to a report in The Globe and Mail, four things went wrong in the Rainbow spill:


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill, Issues, Underlying cause
In 2010, after company monitoring flagged a problem, the line was dug up and repaired. However, when the pipe was replaced, the soil beneath it was insufficient and over the next year, the line sagged and eventually broke. Fixes of this nature are considered minor and are not monitored by regulators


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill, Issues, Delays in detecting break
According to the company, the break probably happened around 7:00 p.m. on April 28. Operators attempted several restarts before the pressure dropped early Friday morning. Due to the location in a remote area only accessible by helicopter at the time, the break was not confirmed until twelve hours later, just after dawn Friday. By then, thousands of barrels had poured into the muskeg. According to Reg Eadie, an engineering professor and pipeline expert at the University of Alberta, that delay is among the most troubling parts of the spill.


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill, Issues, Initial response inadequate
With an estimated 28,000 barrels spilled, it was Alberta's largest spill since the mid-1970s. However, for four days, provincial officials said the spill was only several hundred barrels. It was not until May 3, a day after the federal election, that the province admitted it was 45 times larger. Premier Ed Stelmach admitted that the initial response was slow and pledged to hold the company's "feet to the fire."


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill, Issues, Lack of communication
Little Buffalo has a school whose students and staff make up more than a third of the community's population. Although the spill happened on a Thursday, the school was not formally advised about the spill until the following Tuesday. Meanwhile, children complained of nausea and headaches on Friday, Monday and Tuesday. Locals say that the lack of urgency was likely due to the low initial estimates of the size of the spill.


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill, Investigation report
On February 26, 2013 Alberta's Energy Resource Conservation Board issued four high-risk enforcement actions against the pipeline owner, Calgary-based Plains Mainstream. The investigation by the ERCB revealed operational failures by the company, including inadequate leak detection and emergency response. Plains Mainstream will be required to engage a third-party audit of its ability to manage communications during a crisis. The company was also responsible for a spill near Sundre, Alberta in 2012. An ERCB high-risk enforcement action indicates that the incident has both public safety and environmental impacts. It is the most serious offence companies can be found in non-compliance with.


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill, Investigation report
According to the ERCB, the pipeline was shut down for 122 days. "This spill was one of the largest we've seen in Alberta... We wanted to make sure the message was sent to Plains and we're hoping beyond Plains all of the pipeline industry sees how seriously we're taking this and how seriously we will be taking this going forward."


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill, Investigation report
The company responded in a press release: "Plains is carefully reviewing the ERCB's investigation report to determine whether any further findings and improvements can be applied to our operations. We have finalized the results of our own detailed investigation and have applied those lessons learned to improve our overall operations." However, Greenpeace Canada said that the ERCB should have taken stronger action with Plains Midstream. "The Energy Resources Conservation Board's report is a damning indictment of pipeline safety in Alberta as yet another pipeline company has failed to protect Alberta's environment and people and only received the lightest slap on the wrist," said Greenpeace Climate and Energy Campaigner Melina Laboucan-Massimo.


2011 Little Buffalo oil spill, Charges
On April 26, 2013 Plains Midstream Canada was charged with three counts of violating environmental protection laws relating to the spill. The charges pertain to: "the spill itself, failing to take all reasonable measures to repair the problem and not pursuing all steps possible to remediate and dispose of the oil that contaminated over three hectares of beaver ponds and muskeg in a densely forested area."


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
The 2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, the 15th edition of the game, was a post-season American college football bowl game that was held on December 27, 2011 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan as part of the 2011–12 NCAA bowl season.


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl
The game, which was telecast at 4:30 pm ET on ESPN, featured the Western Michigan Broncos from the Mid-American Conference versus the Purdue Boilermakers from the Big Ten Conference. The Purdue Boilermakers defeated the Western Michigan Broncos 37–32 for the victory.


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Teams
The 2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl was the third ever football meeting between the two universities. Purdue led the all-time series 2–0 coming into the game.


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Teams, Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue make its first bowl appearance since 2007, when they defeated Central Michigan in the 2007 Motor City Bowl. In 2011, the Boilermakers finished sixth in the Big Ten Conference. They came into the game with a 6–6 overall record. They were led by an outstanding special teams (first in the Big Ten in kickoff return average and second in the nation) unit that helped them start with favorable field position. Purdue played the game without their leading rusher Ralph Bolden, who tore his ACL in final game of the season.


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Teams, Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue's spread offense is led by Akeem Shavers in rushing (89 rushes, 370 yards, six TDs), Caleb TerBush in passing (163–264, 1,804 yards, 12 TDs), and in receiving by both Justin Siller (45 catches, 430 yards, one touchdown) and Antavion Edison (43 catches, 561 yards, three TDs).


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Teams, Western Michigan Broncos
Western Michigan enters the bowl with a 7–5 overall record. The Broncos are making their first bowl appearance since 2008 when they lost to Rice in the Texas Bowl. It is the Broncos third bowl in the last five seasons. They are led by their passing offense (first in the MAC in passing yards and touchdowns and eighth in the nation). Three of the Broncos' losses are by four points or less.


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Teams, Western Michigan Broncos
The Broncos are led in rushing by Tevin Drake (102 rushes, 570 yards, four TDs) and quarterback Alex Carder (114 rushes, 253 yards, four TDs); Carder in passing (299–445, 3,434 yards, 28 TDs); and Jordan White in receiving (127 catches, 1,646 yards, 16 TDs). White leads the NCAA FBS in receptions and receiving yards and is second in receiving touchdowns.


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Game summary
Taking advantage of a Purdue fumble, the Broncos scored first on a 49-yard flea flicker to go up 8–0 after making  a two-point conversion. Purdue responded by with its own touchdown to cut the deficit to 8–7 at the end of the first quarter. The Boilermakers then recovered an onside kick to keep the ball in their possession.


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Game summary
Purdue was unable to capitalize on the onside kick, fumbling the ball at WMU's 14-yard line. On the next drive, however, WMU threw an interception, which led to a Purdue field goal. On the next drive, WMU scored on a one-yard touchdown pass to Josh Schaffer to take the lead 15–10. On the ensuing kickoff, though, Purdue's Raheem Mostert returned the kickoff 99-yards for a touchdown, making it 17–15 Purdue. The Boilermakers then recovered their second onside kick of the game on the kickoff. This time, the Boilermakers were able to capitalize, going up 24–15 on a Reggie Pegram rushing touchdown. After the Broncos turned the ball over on downs, the Boilermakers added to their lead on a 19-yard Carson Wiggs field goal to make it 27–15 at the end of the first half.


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Game summary
In the third quarter, the Broncos were able to cut the deficit 27–18 on a 21-yard John Potter field goal. Purdue then added to their lead on a 33-yard passing touchdown to make it 34–18. On the next Broncos drive, quarterback Alex Carder's pass was intercepted by Purdue's Gerald Gooden at Purdue's six-yard line. However, Gooden fumbled the ball on the return, giving the ball back to the Broncos at the Purdue 29-yard line. Continuing the drive, the Broncos scored on a one-yard Tevin Drake rushing touchdown make it 34–25 going into the fourth quarter.


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Game summary
In the fourth quarter, the Boilermakers added to their lead on a 26-yard Carson Wiggs field goal to make it 37–25. On the next drive, WMU turned the ball over on an interception. The Broncos were able to get the ball back after forcing Purdue to punt. On the next Broncos drive on a fourth-and-10 play at Purdue's 12-yard line, Carder fumbled the ball after being sacked. Purdue's Ryan Russell recovered the ball but fumbled on the return, giving the ball back to the Broncos.


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Game summary
Continuing the drive, the Broncos cut the lead 37–32 on a five-yard touchdown pass to Chleb Ravenell. After forcing Purdue to punt, the Broncos had one last chance to win the game. However,  Carder fumbled the ball, giving the ball to the Boilermakers. The Boilermakers were then able to run the clock out to seal a victory.


2011 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Game summary
With the win, Purdue won its first bowl game since the 2007 Motor City Bowl. With the loss, WMU fell 0–5 all time in bowl games.


2011 Little League World Series
The 2011 Little League World Series took place in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, between August 18 and 28. Eight teams from the United States and eight from throughout the world competed in the 65th edition of this tournament. of Huntington Beach, California, defeated Hamamatsu Minami Little League of Hamamatsu City, Japan, 2–1 in the World Championship game. Nick Pratto hit an RBI single to clinch the title for Ocean View.


2011 Little League World Series, Tournament changes
On June 16, 2011, Little League announced that it was modifying the double-elimination format that was first used in the previous year's tournament. The format of four pools consisting of four teams in each pool, a format that had been used since the tournament expanded to 16 teams in 2001, was eliminated. Instead, the eight teams from the United States were placed into one bracket, and the eight International teams into another bracket. The tournament remained double-elimination until the United States and International championship games, where it became single-elimination.


2011 Little League World Series, Tournament changes
Little League International renewed deals with uniform suppliers Russell Athletic and New Era Caps. As part of the deal, regions had new color schemes this year.


2011 Little League World Series, Results, Crossover games
Teams that lost their first two games got to play a crossover game against a team from the other side of the bracket that also lost its first two games. These games were labeled Game A and Game B.


2011 Little League World Series, Results, World Championship
The consolation game was cancelled due to the expected arrival of Hurricane Irene.


2011 Little League World Series, Middle East-Africa qualification
Kampala, Uganda defeated Dhahran, Saudi Arabia in the Middle East-Africa Region Final but the Ugandan team was denied visas by the State Department. Reportedly, the visas were denied because some players provided false information, specifically related to their ages. The runner-up, Saudi Arabia, was invited to the Little League World Series in their spot.


2011 Little League World Series, Champions path
The Ocean View Little League won 20 games and lost 1 game to reach the Little League World Series. Overall, their record was 25–2. Their two losses came against Rancho Mission Viejo LL (from California), and Billings Big Sky LL (from Montana).


2011 Little League World Series, Notable players
Nick Pratto, drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 2017 MLB Draft. (Huntington Beach, California).


2011 Little League World Series, Notable players
Hagen Danner, drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2017 MLB Draft. (Huntington Beach, California).


2011 Little League World Series, Notable players
Jake Fromm, Georgia Bulldogs starting Quarterback. Drafted by Buffalo Bills in the 2020 NFL Draft. (Warner Robins, Georgia).


2011 Little League World Series qualification
Qualification for the 2011 Little League World Series took place in eight United States regions and eight international regions from June through August 2011.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, United States, Mid-Atlantic
The tournament took place in Bristol, Connecticut on August 5–15.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, United States, Midwest
Note: The Dakotas are organized into a single Little League district.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, United States, New England
The tournament took place in Bristol, Connecticut on August 5–13.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, United States, Northwest
The tournament took place in San Bernardino, California on August 5–13.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, United States, Southeast
The tournament took place in Warner Robins, Georgia on August 5–12.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, United States, Southwest
The tournament took place in Waco, Texas on August 5–11.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, United States, West
The tournament took place in San Bernardino, California on August 5–13.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, International, Canada
The tournament took place in North Vancouver, British Columbia on August 6–13.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, International, Caribbean
The tournament took place St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands on July 9–16.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, International, Europe
The tournament took place in Kutno, Poland on July 22–29.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, International, Japan
The first two round of the tournament was held on July 2, and the remaining three rounds were played on July 9. All games were played in Tokyo.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, International, Latin America
The tournament took place in San José, Costa Rica on July 16–23.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, International, Mexico
The tournament took place in Mexicali, Baja California on July 24–30.


2011 Little League World Series qualification, International, Middle East-Africa
The tournament took place in Kutno, Poland on July 13–16.


2011 Little League World Series results
The results of the 2011 Little League World Series were determined between August 18 and August 28, 2011 in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. 16 teams were divided into two groups, one with eight teams from the United States and another with eight international teams, with both groups playing a modified double-elimination tournament. In each group, the last remaining undefeated team faced the last remaining team with one loss, with the winners of those games advancing to play for the Little League World Series championship. All times shown are US EDT.


2011 Little League World Series results, Single-elimination stage, Consolation game
Due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene to the East Coast,the consolation game was cancelled.


2011 Live EP
2011 Live EP is a live EP by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, released in 2012 through their website as a free MP3 download. As a way to celebrate the kick-off of the band's U.S. leg of their world tour, Chad Smith personally selected five of his favorite performances from the 2011 European leg of the tour for fans to download for free.


2011 Live EP
Throughout the I'm with You Tour, 72 hours after each show's completion, the band has been releasing an official bootleg of each show to their website for fans to purchase as a download.


2011 Liverpool City Council election
The Liverpool Council election, 2011 to the city of Liverpool council happened on the same day as the 2011 United Kingdom local elections and the 2011 United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum on 5 May.


2011 Liverpool City Council election
Councillors elected at the 2007 Liverpool Council election defended their seats this year.


2011 Liège attack
On 13 December 2011, a murder–suicide attack took place in the city of Liège in the Wallonia region of Belgium.


2011 Liège attack
The attacker, 33-year-old Nordine Amrani, threw grenades and fired an FN FAL rifle at civilians on Saint-Lambert Square. The attack killed six and left 125 others injured, seven of them seriously. Amrani then committed suicide by shooting himself with a revolver. Earlier that day, he had also murdered a woman in his house.


2011 Liège attack
The attack occurred on the same day and at the same hour as the 2011 Florence shootings.


2011 Liège attack, Attack
The attack took place on 13 December 2011, at 12:33 local time (11:33 UTC) in Saint-Lambert Square, home to the town's courthouse. It was a busy day with many shoppers in the nearby Christmas market.


2011 Liège attack, Attack
Witnesses reported four explosions and gunfire. At first, it was believed that there were two or more assailants, who threw stun grenades into the courthouse while another hurled them at a bus shelter. The gunman then fired shots with a 7.62×51mm NATO FN FAL from the rooftop of a bakery shop, located across the square. Police were on the scene quickly and sealed off the square.


2011 Liège attack, Attack
Amrani killed five people in the attack and wounded 125 others, seven seriously. After that, Amrani committed suicide by shooting himself with a Smith & Wesson M57 .41 Magnum revolver. Two of the dead were teenage boys aged 15 and 17. A 17-month-old boy died later in a hospital. A 75-year-old woman died from her injuries two days after the attack. A fifth victim, who had been in an induced coma since the attack, died of head injuries on 23 December.


2011 Liège attack, Perpetrator
Nordine Amrani (15 November 1978 – 13 December 2011) was born in Ixelles/Elsene in Brussels, Belgium. He was a French-speaking Belgian of Moroccan origin and a welder by trade. According to Amrani's lawyer, he could not speak Arabic nor was he Muslim. Amrani was known to have an interest in guns, with a history of convictions for possession of weapons.


2011 Liège attack, Perpetrator
He grew up near Brussels, and was living with his fiancée, a home care nurse. Orphaned early, he was raised in foster homes.


2011 Liège attack, Perpetrator
Amrani had been released from prison in October 2010. He had been convicted to a 58-month (4 years, 10 months) sentence he received from a Liège court in 2008. The conviction was for possession of thousands of weapons parts, almost 10,000 rounds of ammunition, dozens of weapons, including a rocket launcher, assault and sniper rifles, as well as 2,800 cannabis plants, in the context of a criminal conspiracy (association de malfaiteurs). He also had convictions for handling stolen goods and sex offences but had no known links to terror groups. On the day of the attack, Amrani had been summoned for an interview with the police to answer questions about a sexual abuse case.


2011 Liège attack, Perpetrator
Before the attack, Amrani transferred money from his account to that of his girlfriend. On the morning of the attack, Amrani killed a 45-year-old woman in his apartment. The victim was working as a cleaner for Amrani's neighbour. He possibly lured her into his flat under the pretext of offering her work. After the murder, he hid her body in his shed, then left his flat for the city centre, equipped with a backpack containing the weapons.


2011 Liège attack, Reaction, Domestic
Recently appointed Prime Minister of Belgium Elio Di Rupo visited the location of the attack later in the day and described the attack as "horrible". He added, "The whole country shares the pain of the families affected. We share the shock of the population." Albert II, King of the Belgians, was shocked and visited Liège on the same day, along with Queen Paola. They were received by the Governor, the Prime Minister and the Lord Mayor of Liège. Prince Philippe, the Duke of Brabant, honoured the victims in a public ceremony later. In the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium a minute of silence was held in honour of the victims.


2011 Liège attack, Reaction, Domestic
Willy Demeyer, the mayor of Liège, condemned the attack and said the attack had "sown sorrow in the heart of the city".


2011 Liège attack, Reaction, International
Condolences were expressed by the governments of Australia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Singapore and the United Kingdom.


2011 Liège–Bastogne–Liège
The 2011 Liège–Bastogne–Liège was the 97th running of the Liège–Bastogne–Liège, a single-day cycling race. It was held on 24 April 2011 over a distance of 255.5 kilometres (158.8 miles), starting in Liège and finishing in Ans, via Bastogne in the Ardennes region of Belgium. It was the twelfth race of the 2011 UCI World Tour season.


2011 Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Philippe Gilbert of Omega Pharma–Lotto became only the second rider to win all three Ardennes classics, after Gerolsteiner rider Davide Rebellin first did so in 2004, by winning a three-man sprint to complete a run of four victories within ten days with another victory in Brabantse Pijl to go with the Ardennes classics.


2011 Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Gilbert outsprinted both Andy Schleck and Fränk Schleck of Leopard Trek on the final straight – to take Belgium's first victory in the race since Frank Vandenbroucke in 1999 – after the trio had escaped along with BMC Racing Team's Greg Van Avermaet with around 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) remaining. Van Avermaet was dropped, and eventually finished seventh behind the Schlecks and trio that had usurped him within the closing kilometres, Roman Kreuziger of Astana, Rigoberto Urán of Team Sky and Chris Anker Sørensen of Saxo Bank–SunGard.


2011 Logar province bombing
The 25 June 2011 Logar province bombing was a suicide car bombing that occurred on 25 June 2011 in Azra District, Logar Province, Afghanistan targeting Akbar Khail hospital, a 10-bed facility near the Pakistani border, killing at least 43 people, including children, pregnant women, and medical staff. The suicide bomber drove a sport utility vehicle through the front gate of the facility, striking a guard, before detonating his explosives. The blast destroyed the one-story hospital and buried people under the rubble. The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack, claiming the perpetrator to be  "someone with an agenda," possibly the Haqqani network.


2011 London Marathon
The 2011 London Marathon was the 31st running of the annual marathon race in London, England, which took place on Sunday, 17 April. The elite men's race was won by Kenya's Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai in a course record time of 2:04:40 hours and the elite women's race was won by Mary Jepkosgei Keitany, also of Kenya, in 2:19:19.


2011 London Marathon
Mutai's win made him the fourth-fastest ever over the distance. Runner-up Martin Lel sprinted to the line to beat Patrick Makau Musyoki, completing a Kenyan sweep of the podium. Keitany became the fourth-fastest woman ever, while defending champion Liliya Shobukhova came second with a Russian record time (later annulled due to doping).


2011 London Marathon
In the elite wheelchair racing marathon, Briton David Weir beat the defending champion Josh Cassidy to claim his fifth title at the event – the most in the history of the competition. London's 2009 women's wheelchair winner Amanda McGrory won her second title in a course record time of 1:46:31 hours.


2011 London Marathon
In the under-17 Mini Marathon, the 3-mile able-bodied and wheelchair events were won by Robbie Farnham-Rose (14:22), Jessica Judd (15:38), Sheikh Muhidin (12:41) and Jade Jones (13:44).


2011 London Marathon
A total of 163,926 people applied to enter the race, with 50,532 having their application accepted and 35,303 reaching the start line. Among those starters 34,688 runners, 22,427 men and 12,261 women, finished the race. A total of 35 Guinness World Records were set at the competition. The majority of the records were for completing the fastest race in a certain costume, but others included the fastest couple and fastest parent-child pairings. German Uli Killian solved 100 Rubik's Cube puzzles whilst completing the race.


2011 London Marathon
Steve Chalke, a Christian social activist, improved the record for the most funds raised for charity through a marathon run, raising £2.3 million for his Oasis Charitable Trust – beating his own record set at the previous year's race. The largest age group present at the race were men in their 30s, followed by men in their 40s. The joint-youngest runners were Michael Bennett and Helen Nutter, both taking part on their eighteenth birthdays (the minimum allowable age), while the oldest participant was 87-year-old Paul Freedman.


2011 London Marathon
Going against the traditionally strict invitational criteria for the elite races, an additional nine Japanese women were a late addition to the field. A 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami struck Tōhoku region of Japan meant that the Nagoya Women's Marathon (a qualifier for the 2011 World Championships) was cancelled and a sympathetic agreement between the London race organisers and the Japan Association of Athletics Federations resulted in London taking the role of the cancelled Nagoya race.


2011 London Marathon
The 2011 London Marathon marked the last time that Dave Bedford acted as the sole race director, with Hugh Brasher (son of former runner Chris Brasher) joining Bedford in a joint role in 2012, and later taking full responsibility.


2011 London Sevens
The 2011 London Sevens was a rugby union sevens tournament, part of the 2010–11 IRB Sevens World Series. The competition was held from May 21–22 at Twickenham Stadium in England and featured 16 teams.


2011 London Sevens
South Africa won the Cup competition for their second Cup win on the season. New Zealand clinched the season title after advancing to the Cup semi-finals while their nearest competition going into London, England, fell into the Shield competition and earned no series points.


2011 London Sevens, Format
The tournament consisted of four round-robin pools of four teams. All sixteen teams progressed to the knockout stage. The top two teams from each group progressed to quarter-finals in the main competition, with the winners of those quarter-finals competing in cup semi-finals and the losers competing in plate semi-finals. The bottom two teams from each group progressed to quarter-finals in the consolation competition, with the winners of those quarter-finals competing in bowl semi-finals and the losers competing in shield semi-finals.


2011 London anti-cuts protest
The 2011 anti-cuts protest in London, also known as the March for the Alternative, was a demonstration held in central London on 26 March 2011. Organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), it was a protest march against planned public spending cuts by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government that was formed in May 2010.


2011 London anti-cuts protest
Various sources estimated that the demonstration was attended by between 250,000 and 500,000 people. It was described as the largest protest in the United Kingdom since the 15 February 2003 anti-war protests and the largest union-organised rally in London since the Second World War.


2011 London anti-cuts protest
Demonstrators marched from the Thames Embankment, via the Houses of Parliament, to Hyde Park where a rally took place with speakers including the TUC general secretary Brendan Barber and leader of the opposition Ed Miliband, who addressed the assembled crowds.


2011 London anti-cuts protest
Several independent protesting groups, some of whom had moved from the main march, assembled further north in the heart of London's West End, where shops and banks were vandalised and some individuals clashed with police. Further clashes were reported later in Trafalgar Square. 201 people were arrested, and 66 were injured, including 31 police officers.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, Background
In May 2010, the United Kingdom general election resulted in a hung parliament and the Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats entered into a coalition government. The Conservative leader David Cameron became Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg became Deputy Prime Minister.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, Background
The government planned to slow the rate of public spending, saying that it was necessary to turn around the country's deficit. The TUC argues that spending reductions are unnecessary because the budget could be balanced with progressive taxes instead and indeed the deep cuts would depress the economy making deeper cuts necessary in the future. They also argue that "raising four pounds through cuts for every pound raised through tax – and doing most of this through a rise in VAT that hits the poor and those on middle income the most – is deeply unfair." They further argue that the recession was created by the finance sector, yet banks are not being asked to make a fair contribution.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, Background
The march was four months after the 2010 student protests which focused on spending cuts and changes to higher and further education.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, The march
The march was organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and promoted as the March for the Alternative. Amongst those joining the march were members of a variety of different sectors in public service, including teachers, nurses and midwives, as well as pensioners, students and direct action supporters. 800 coaches and ten trains were laid on to transport demonstrators to London with demand for transport being so high that some of those wishing to travel to the march were unable to do so.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, The march
Demonstrators began marching from Victoria Embankment, south to the Houses of Parliament. The march then turned up Whitehall, passing Downing Street, and heading into the heart of London's West End. It was on Regent Street and Piccadilly that some protesters, apparently unconnected with the official march, caused vandalism to shops and banks.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, The march
The numbers attending the rally were significantly higher than the TUC's initial estimate of 100,000 people. Some families brought their children on the march, and performances were given by bands, choirs and dancers. The police later stated that the TUC were "very professional" and "very well prepared" with the march.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, The march, Hyde Park rally
The march concluded at a rally in Hyde Park, where TUC general secretary Brendan Barber told demonstrators: "We are here to send a message to the government that we are strong and united... We will fight the savage cuts and we will not let them destroy peoples' services, jobs and lives."


2011 London anti-cuts protest, The march, Hyde Park rally
Leader of the opposition Ed Miliband also said: "The Tories [Conservatives] said I should not come and speak today. But I am proud to stand with you. There is an alternative." He went on to criticise the manner in which the coalition government instituted the cuts, issuing a message to David Cameron that "you wanted to create the Big Society – this is the big society. The big society united against what your government is doing to our country. We stand today not as the minority, but as the voice of the mainstream majority in this country." When Miliband stated that certain cuts to the public sector were, in his opinion, necessary, he was heckled and booed by portions of the crowd, although on the whole his speech was well received by the audience.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, Direct action
Outside of the main TUC march, various independent protests took place across central London. Over one hundred people including some members of the direct action group UK Uncut occupied the Fortnum & Mason store as a protest against alleged tax avoidance by the business's owners. Footage taken from inside the store and released later showed police officers telling protesters they were free to leave, only to be arrested once outside. 138 were arrested for aggravated trespass arising from the sit-in occupation of Fortnum & Mason. The charges against five minors were dropped on 30 June and charge against a further 109 activists were dropped on 18 July as they were no longer in the public interest. Charges still remain against 30 who were described as organising the protest.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, Direct action
Dozens of other groups had vowed to hijack the official union-organized protest by staging their own demonstrations intended to cause chaos. Some of those involved in these included alleged anarchists and Black bloc protesters who clashed with police and committed vandalism and criminal damage at a number of locations in the West End. Police vehicles were graffitied and windows were smashed on Oxford Street. Thirteen stores along the street closed early for the day and many West End theatres cancelled the evening's shows. Premises damaged included restaurants, the Porsche showroom in Mayfair, the Ritz Hotel, Topshop's flagship store and the banks Santander, HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland. 11 people were charged with criminal offences related to violence in the immediate wake of the unrest.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, Direct action
Clashes between protesters and police continued into the night at Trafalgar Square, where missiles were thrown, banners were burned, and Nelson's Column was graffitied.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, Direct action
Metropolitan Police commander Bob Broadhurst criticised those who he described as "mindless yobs" in Trafalgar Square and Oxford Street, remarking: "Unfortunately we've had in the region of 500 plus – I would call them criminals – people hiding under the pretence of the TUC march who have caused considerable damage, attacked police officers, attacked police vehicles and scared the general public. Unfortunately, because of their mobility and the fact they are aware of some of our tactics, we have been unable to contain them and so we have had these groups wandering around the central London area." Broadhurst warned that additional charges could be brought against those who escaped arrest on the day as police examined photographs and footage.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, Direct action
However, Brian Paddick, a former deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, claimed that there were not enough officers "in the right place at the right time" and suggested intelligence had not been heeded. He told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend: "It appears to me that they just didn't have the right numbers of officers in the right place at the right time to prevent not only the problems at Fortnum & Mason but at Trafalgar Square. Again that was flagged up days before that they wanted to occupy Trafalgar Square. There was a lot more I think they could have done."


2011 London anti-cuts protest, Reaction and aftermath
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 show Today, the Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, acknowledged the concerns of the demonstrators, but defended the implementation of the cuts, stating that "we have to take steps to bring the public finances back into balance."


2011 London anti-cuts protest, Reaction and aftermath
According to the general secretary of the union Unite, Len McCluskey, the size of the deficit had been "exaggerated"; McCluskey said that up to £25 billion could be collected by reducing tax avoidance.


2011 London anti-cuts protest, Reaction and aftermath
Business Secretary Vince Cable said that the government will not change its basic economic strategy as a result of the protest. He told The Politics Show: "No government – coalition, Labour or any other – would change its fundamental economic policy simply in response to a demonstration of that kind." He also defended the coalition government as "one of the strongest governments which this country has ever had, facing a major financial crisis".


2011 London anti-cuts protest, Reaction and aftermath
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, told parliament that she would consult the police on giving them new powers to remove face coverings and balaclavas as well as banning orders, similar to those used to ban football hooligans from football matches. The Shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, strongly backed the minister's stance.


2011 Long Teng Cup
The 2011 Long Teng Cup (Chinese: 龍騰盃國際邀請賽) was the 2nd staging of the Long Teng Cup, an international football competition held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The tournament took place from 30 September to 4 October 2011.


2011 Long Teng Cup, Competing teams
The 2011 staging of the competition featured the same national teams that competed in the inaugural edition in 2010. Hong Kong defended their title with their senior national team. The team representing the Philippines included players from their under-23 national team, which will be competing at the 2011 Southeast Asian Games. For Macau, their squad was a student based team which was the make up of their squad in last year's edition.


2011 Long Teng Cup, Competing teams
The following four national teams, shown with pre-tournament FIFA Rankings, participated in the tournament.


2011 Long Teng Cup, Venue
All matches were played at the Kaohsiung National Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium located in Kaohsiung that is currently the largest stadium in the area in terms of capacity.


2011 Lorca earthquake
The 2011 Lorca earthquake (Spanish: Terremoto de Lorca de 2011) was a moderate 5.1 Mw earthquake that occurred 6:47 p.m. CEST (16:47 UTC) on 11 May 2011, near the town of Lorca, causing significant localized damage in the Region of Murcia, Spain, and panic among locals, and displacing many from their homes. The quake was preceded by a magnitude 4.4 (Mw) foreshock at 17:05 (15:05 UTC), that inflicted substantial damage to many older structures in the area, including the historical Espolón Tower of Lorca Castle, the Hermitage of San Clemente and the Convent of Virgen de Las Huertas. Three people were killed by a falling cornice. A total of nine deaths have been confirmed, while dozens are reported injured. The earthquake was the worst to hit the region since a 5.0 Mw tremor struck west of Albolote, Granada in 1956.


2011 Lorca earthquake, Geology
The magnitude 5.1 Mw main shock occurred inland on 11 May 2011 at 18:47 local time (16:47 UTC) in the locality of Lorca, Spain, at a depth of 6.7 km (4.2 mi). Much of the southern Iberian Peninsula – in particular the Murcia Region – is located on a tectonic zone of common seismic activity, where a plate boundary separating the Eurasia and African Plates is formed. However, most tremors in the region do not exceed perceptible magnitudes.


2011 Lorca earthquake, Geology
The earthquake was estimated to be a direct result of strike-slip faulting near the major , along an unusually shallow fault of between 40 and 50 km (25 to 31 mi) long. Local specialists also reported the presence of surface rupturing in the vicinity of the fault. Due to the shallow depth, the earthquake resulted in significant shaking throughout much of Murcia. In Lorca, near the epicentre of the quake, strong ground motions registered a maximum intensity of VI on the Mercalli scale, while many adjacent areas reported moderate shaking (MM V). Widespread light tremors were observed in locations up to several hundred kilometers from the epicentre, including Alicante (MM III) and Madrid.


2011 Lorca earthquake, Geology, Foreshock
The earthquake was preceded by a magnitude 4.5 (ML) foreshock that struck very close to its epicentre at 17:05 local time (15:05 UTC). It was reported to be centred along the same fault zone, with a similar focal mechanism as the main shock. Though the tremor was relatively mild, some cracks and crumbled walls were reported, while downed power lines sparked a small fire in Lorca.


2011 Lorca earthquake, Geology, Aftershock
As of 11 May, at least eight light aftershocks were reported near the initial quake epicentres; the strongest registered a magnitude of 4.1 (ML) and occurred at 22:37 local time (20:37 UTC).


2011 Lorca earthquake, Emergency management
Shortly after the second earthquake struck, the Spanish government, at the request of regional government of Murcia, activated the Military Emergencies Unit, a branch of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for providing disaster relief. 340 members from three battalions (based at Bétera, Torrejón de Ardoz and Morón de la Frontera) were dispatched to Lorca under the management of the Lieutenant Colonel of the Bétera battalion; these were later joined by army units. A field hospital was set up by the Military Emergencies Unit in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento where those injured were attended to by members of Protección Civil and the Red Cross.


2011 Lorca earthquake, Possible causes
Several research groups investigated the cause of this earthquake. The Active Tectonics Group of the Complutense University of Madrid in collaboration with the Instituto Andaluz de Geofísica using tectonic evidences, InSAR analysis and seismological analysis of the rupture concluded that this earthquake was produced by the reactivation of a small section (3 km x 4 km) of the Alhama de Murcia Fault (AMF) located 3 km northeast of Lorca, Spain. These conclusions were published in the journal Tectonophysics (journal) in April 2012.


2011 Lorca earthquake, Possible causes
The great damage produced by this moderate magnitude earthquake may be explained by the southwestward directivity of a shallow rupture that induced high acceleration values in Lorca village. From the tectonic point of view this earthquake can be considered as an ordinary event coherent with the tectonic evolution and mechanical characteristics of the Alhama de Murcia Fault. In fact, similar earthquakes occurred in Lorca in the 16th and 17th centuries. Several research projects conducted during the last 25 years on this fault recognized the occurrence of much larger earthquakes (Mw > 6.0) during the last 10,000 years.


2011 Lorca earthquake, Possible causes
Other scientific research has suggested that the earthquake was caused by human activity. A team led by Dr Pablo Gonzalez of the University of Western Ontario in Canada reported in the journal Nature Geoscience in October 2012 that the pattern of earth movement was consistent with changes in stresses caused by the removal of water from underground reservoirs.


2011 Lord Speaker election
An election for Lord Speaker, the presiding officer of the House of Lords took place on 13 July 2011, with the result announced five days later. Baroness D'Souza, Convenor of the Crossbench Peers, was elected after the 5th stage of counting. She took office on 5 September 2011.


2011 Lord Speaker election, Candidates
On 9 May 2011, Baroness Hayman, who became the first Lord Speaker following her election in 2006, announced that she would not seek election to a second term. A list of six candidates was announced on 27 June 2011:


2011 Lory Meagher Cup
The 2011 Lory Meagher Cup was the 3rd annual fourth-tier hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association. The teams competing were:


2011 Lory Meagher Cup
The winners of the 2011 Lory Meagher Cup were promoted to the 2012 Nicky Rackard Cup.


2011 Lory Meagher Cup, Structure
The tournament had a double elimination format - each team played at least two games before being knocked out.


2011 Los Angeles Angels season
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim' 2011 season was the franchise's 51st season and 46th in Anaheim. The Angels began the season following a disappointing 2010 campaign where they missed the postseason for the first time since 2006, after winning the American League West three times in a row from 2007 to 2009.


2011 Los Angeles Angels season
During the 2011 season, the Angels celebrated the franchise's 50th anniversary and because it was the "golden Anniversary", a gold trim was added to the uniforms including the halo on both the cap and uniform (the halo from 1993 to 1996, 2002–2010 was silver and gold prior to that). The date of the franchise's actual 50th anniversary is December 6, 2010. The season saw the debut of Mike Trout, who made his major league debut on July 8, 2011. Although he batted  .220 during his brief time on the year, he would be back the following season as the regular fielder for the team.


2011 Los Angeles Angels season, 2010–11 offseason
After an incredibly disappointing 2010 season, the Angels' priority in the offseason was to fix what went horribly wrong so the team can return to the postseason in 2011. Owner Arte Moreno has gone on record saying that money will not be an issue, and that he is willing to spend as much as possible to put a winning product on the field.


2011 Los Angeles Angels season, 2010–11 offseason
Going into the offseason, the Angels had both Hideki Matsui and Scot Shields eligible for free agency with Kendrys Morales, Jered Weaver, Erick Aybar, Howie Kendrick, Kevin Frandsen, Alberto Callaspo, Reggie Willits, and Mike Napoli being arbitration eligible. As of December 3, 2010, the Angels have declined to offer Matsui arbitration, tendered contracts to Morales, Weaver, Aybar, Kendrick, Callaspo, Willits, and Napoli. The Angels also declined to tender a contract to Frandsen, who would become a free agent, and Shields, who would retire from baseball.


2011 Los Angeles Angels season, 2010–11 offseason
The Angels expressed interest in Rays outfielder Carl Crawford, Red Sox third baseman Adrián Beltré, Rays closer Rafael Soriano, Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth, and were considered a wildcard in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes. On December 2, 2010, the Angels signed former Mets reliever Hisanori Takahashi in their first move of the offseason. then signed Blue Jays reliever Scott Downs, and also acquired outfielder Vernon Wells from Toronto in exchange for outfielder Juan Rivera and catcher Mike Napoli.


2011 Los Angeles Angels season, Regular season
The season for the Angels began Thursday, March 31 with a road game against Kansas City. Their first home game was Friday, April 8 against Toronto. Their longest homestand will be from June 27 – July 10 (13 home games), and their longest road trip will be June 13–26 (12 road games). Their final game of the regular season will be on Wednesday, September 28 at home against Rangers.


2011 Los Angeles Angels season, Regular season, March/April
After winning the first game of the season against Kansas City, the Angels stumbled dropping their next three games against that same Royals team. The Halos led at one point in each of those three losses and the suspect bullpen was a large reason why they dropped those three in a row. After the Kansas City series, manager Mike Scioscia shook up the bullpen by demoting Fernando Rodney from the closer's role and giving Jordan Walden that position.


2011 Los Angeles Angels season, Regular season, March/April
The Angels proceeded to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg and win and go 4–2 on their opening homestand against the Blue Jays and Indians. The Angels winning ways continued into their second road trip of the season sweeping the Chicago White Sox and taking 2 of 3 from division rival Texas and taking sole control of first in the American League West. However, the Angels hit a wall when they returned home to Angel Stadium being swept by arch-rival Boston in a four-game series and only scoring a total of five runs over that four game stretch.


2011 Los Angeles Angels season, Regular season, March/April
Texas, in the meantime took back the top spot in the AL West. After their abysmal showing against Boston, the Angels rebounded slightly by taking 2 of 3 from division rival Oakland finishing out the homestand 2–5. Going back to Tampa Bay, the Angels took the series 2–1 only losing the second game of the series on a wild pitch by relief pitcher Fernando Rodney in the 10th inning. The second game of the series also featured Joel Piñeiro's first start of the season where he only gave up one run over 7 innings pitched.


2011 Los Angeles Angels season, Regular season, May
The Angels started out the month of May by finishing off a series with Tampa Bay that they won 2–1. After that series, the Angels flew to Boston to take on the team that swept them in Anaheim just a week prior. The Halos ended up dropping the first two games of that series, but ended up winning the third game of the series in a marathon 13 inning game that lasted 7 hours and 35 minutes thanks to a 2-hour and 35 minute rain delay.


2011 Los Angeles Angels season, Regular season, May
In the fourth game, the Angels pounded out 8 runs off of their former ace John Lackey and ended up winning the game 11–0 to earn the series split 2–2. Returning home to Anaheim where the Angels had a 6–7 mark, they were to face the red-hot Cleveland Indians in a three-game series. They won the first game in extra innings behind an excellent outing by rookie Tyler Chatwood and the bullpen, however the Angels then proceeded to drop the second game of the series. They did win the rubber game of the series on Mother's Day in a game that saw the lead change many times. The win against the Indians on May 8, marked manager Mike Scioscia's 1,000th career victory (all of which were with the Angels).


2011 Los Angeles Angels season, Player statistics, Hitting statistics
Note: Pos. = Position; G = Games Played; AB = At bats; R = Runs; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; TB = Total Bases; 2B = Doubles; BB = Base on Balls; SO = Strike Outs; SB = Stolen bases; CS = Caught Stealing; OBP = On Base Percentage; SLG = Slugging; AVG = Batting average‡Traded/Released/DFA mid-season.


2011 Los Angeles Angels season, Player statistics, Pitching statistics
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games played; GS = Games started; CG = Complete games; SHO = Shutouts; SV = Saves; SVO = Save opportunities; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; HR = Home runs allowed; HBP = Hit by pitch; BB = Base on balls issued; SO = Strikeouts


2011 Los Angeles Blues season
The 2011 Los Angeles Blues season is the inaugural season of the club. For the 2011 season, the Blues will be playing in the USL Pro, the third tier of the United States soccer pyramid. This season marks the first time in the modern era of American soccer that three professional soccer clubs play in the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.


2011 Los Angeles Blues season, Match results
Lists of matches, featuring result, attendance (where available) and scorers, grouped by competition (league, cup, other competition). Do not include friendly matches.


2011 Los Angeles Blues season, Club, Roster
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2011 Los Angeles Blues season, Club, Statistics
List of squad players, including number of appearances by competition


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute
The Los Angeles Dodgers underwent a period of turmoil in management in 2011 and 2012 that began when Major League Baseball seized control of the team from owner Frank McCourt on April 20, 2011 and ended when the team was sold to new owners on May 1, 2012.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig announced that the takeover was due to concerns over the team's finances, and a loss of confidence in the ability of owner Frank McCourt to run the team. Selig announced his intention to appoint an overseer to supervise the day-to-day financial management of the Dodgers. In June, as the Dodgers struggled to meet payroll, Selig rejected a TV contract that would have pumped money into the organization. This led to the Dodgers filing for bankruptcy, and being forced to negotiate a loan with the MLB to keep the club operating.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute
After a year of negotiations and court proceedings, the dispute ended with the sale of the team to Guggenheim Baseball Management LLC.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background
Frank McCourt and his wife Jamie purchased the Dodgers from the Fox Entertainment Group in 2004. In order to arrange the purchase, he needed a $145 million loan from Fox, for which he used his Boston parking lots as collateral. Fox eventually foreclosed on the parking lot property and sold it.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background
Under McCourt's ownership of the Dodgers the team made the playoffs four times, advancing to the NLCS twice.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background
On October 14, 2009, it was announced the McCourts would be separating after nearly 30 years of marriage. While speculation was raised on the impact upon the McCourt family Dodger ownership, a spokesperson for Jamie McCourt said the following day that "the focus of the Dodgers is on the playoffs and the World Series". Jamie McCourt was fired from her position as Dodgers CEO on Thursday, October 22, 2009, the day after the Dodgers were eliminated from the playoffs, thus ending the reign of the self-proclaimed "First Female CEO of a Baseball Team." She officially filed for divorce shortly thereafter. Frank McCourt then accused her of having an affair with her bodyguard and changed the locks on her office. Frank McCourt claimed at the time that the divorce would have "no bearing on the team whatsoever".


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background
On December 7, 2010 the judge in the divorce case invalidated the post-nuptial marital property agreement ("MPA") that Frank McCourt had claimed provided him with sole ownership of the Dodgers. In the wake of this decision Frank McCourt's lawyers said that Frank would use other legal avenues to establish his sole ownership of the Dodgers, while Jamie McCourt's lawyers said that Jamie would be confirmed as the co-owner of the team as community property of their marriage.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background
On March 31, 2011, after the Opening Day game against the San Francisco Giants, a Giants fan was attacked by two men wearing Dodgers attire in the Dodger Stadium parking lot. The fan suffered serious injuries and was diagnosed with brain damage. McCourt was criticized for his response to the incident. The attack put a damper on attendance at Dodger games, and led to the Dodgers incurring increased expenses in security.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background
On April 5, 2011, McCourt presented Selig's office with a contract giving Fox broadcasting rights to the team for the next 20 years. The deal is said to be valued at between US$2.5 to US$3 billion.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background
Fox also provided McCourt with a personal loan of $30 million to cover the Dodgers payroll. To secure the loan, McCourt promised Fox he would pay them back with money from a settlement or judgment against the lawfirm that drafted the invalidated marital agreement. The lawfirm responded to the report by filing a lawsuit against McCourt, seeking a judicial declaration that the firm is not responsible for him losing control of the Dodgers.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background
Just prior to the MLB taking over the Dodgers, the website TMZ.com reported that the Internal Revenue Service was investigating Frank & Jamie McCourt in response to allegations that they had been taking money out of the Dodgers for years without paying taxes.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background, Bud Selig's statement
In a statement to the press on April 20, 2011, Commissioner Bud Selig stated the following:


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background, Bud Selig's statement
Pursuant to my authority as Commissioner, I informed Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt today that I will appoint a representative to oversee all aspects of the business and the day-to-day operations of the Club. I have taken this action because of my deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers and to protect the best interests of the Club, its great fans and all of Major League Baseball. My office will continue its thorough investigation into the operations and finances of the Dodgers and related entities during the period of Mr. McCourt's ownership. I will announce the name of my representative in the next several days.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background, Bud Selig's statement
The Dodgers have been one of the most prestigious franchises in all of sports, and we owe it to their legion of loyal fans to ensure that this club is being operated properly now and will be guided appropriately in the future.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background, Bud Selig's statement
Reactions to Selig's move have been generally positive. For example, The New York Times baseball journalist Tyler Kepner editorialized that "Bud Selig has never looked better than he does right now." However, ESPN correspondent Gene Wojciechowski criticized Selig and MLB, making the case that Selig and the 29 other MLB owners at the time turned a blind eye to the financial problems that the McCourts were known to have when they purchased the team in 2004.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background, Frank McCourt's statement
In a statement to the press on April 20, 2011, owner Frank McCourt responded:


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background, Frank McCourt's statement
Major League Baseball sets strict financial guidelines which all 30 teams must follow. The Dodgers are in compliance with these guidelines. On this basis, it is hard to understand the commissioner's decision today.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background, Frank McCourt's statement
Steve Soboroff, hired by McCourt as the Dodgers vice chairman April 19, 2011, described the takeover of the team's operations as "irresponsible".


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Background, Tom Schieffer appointed
On April 25, 2011, Selig appointed Tom Schieffer, former Ambassador to Japan and former President of the Texas Rangers, to oversee the team's finances. Schieffer must approve any team expenditure over $5,000.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Divorce settlement and rejection of TV deal
In June, the cash-strapped McCourt struggled to meet payroll, only meeting it with help from some of his friends. As the Dodgers' end-of-June payroll, which included over $8 million in deferred payments to former Dodger Manny Ramirez, neared, it was reported that McCourt would be unable to meet payroll without the approval of a 17-year, $3 billion TV deal with Fox Sports Net. However, on June 20, MLB commissioner Bud Selig declined to approve the deal. Selig's action also voided a settlement reached on June 17 between Frank and Jamie that divided their assets apart from the Dodgers.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Divorce settlement and rejection of TV deal
On August 4, a one-day trial was scheduled to decide whether the Dodgers was community property of Frank and Jamie McCourt or the property of Frank alone. However, the trial was canceled when the Dodgers filed for bankruptcy.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Divorce settlement and rejection of TV deal
Later, the court agreed to a 30- to 45-day trial to settle the divorce, and decide who owned the Dodgers. The trial was expected to start in spring or summer of 2012. In the meantime they agreed to sell some of their residential holdings. On October 17, 2011 it was announced that the McCourts had reached a settlement in their divorce case, in which Jamie would give up her claims on the Dodgers and Frank would pay her about $130 million. The divorce is believed to have been the costliest in California history.


2011 Los Angeles Dodgers ownership dispute, Bankruptcy Court
On June 27, the Dodgers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.