Each week, we bring you a roundup of some of the biggest stories making headlines around the world.
Here are nine things that happened last week that you should know about (in no particular order):
1. Donald Trump officially sworn in as President of the United States
On January 20, Donald Trump was officially sworn in as the President of the United States of America.
“From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first, America first. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs will be made to benefit American workers and American families,” he said in his inaugural speech. “We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.”
The day after the inauguration, Trump’s White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer accused media of intentionally underreporting the attendance of the event, but those claims have been widely debunked by photographic evidence.
- Read more on The New York Times, CBC, and CNN
2.Women’s March in Washington DC goes global
Over one million people took to the streets across the globe on January 21 to participate in the Women’s March and protest Donald Trump’s presidency. The main protest in Washington DC attracted over 500,000 people, and thousands of Canadians marched in solidarity at their own events across the country.
According to crowd scientists Marcel Altenburg and Keith Still of Manchester Metropolitan University in Britain, the women’s march crowd in Washington had nearly three times the size of the audience at President Trump’s inauguration.
- Read more on CBC and The New York Times
3. Death toll from Italian avalanche rises to six
At least six people have been confirmed dead after an avalanche hit a luxury hotel in the central Abruzzo region in Italy on Wednesday. Rescue workers say 23 people are still missing.
The avalanche was caused by a nearby earthquake over a magnitude of five. Survivors reported that they ate snow to survive while they were trapped in the rubble. Nine of the 11 survivors remain hospitalized in the city of Pescara.
4. Forest fires ravage Chile
Nearly 1,200 troops and 500 firefighters are battling the worst forest fires Chile has seen in decades. A state of emergency was declared in the southern parts of Santiago. The blaze began last week and spread quickly due to very dry conditions. Over 200 people have been evacuated.
5. Leaked footage from Canadian film set shows possible dog abuse taking place
TMZ has released a video from the set of A Dog’s Purpose filmed outside Winnipeg, Manitoba in November 2015 that offers gut-wrenching footage of possible animal abuse.
The two clips cut together first show a German Shepherd clawing his way off the edge of a pool, as a trainer tries to coax him into rough waters. Next, it shows a sequence where a handler calls “cut it” on a scene as the dog is apparently submerged underwater too long.
According to TMZ, “at least one member of the crew was extremely disturbed by the dog’s treatment during this scene”.
- Read more on Daily Hive
6. Gambia’s former president agrees to step down
Gambia’s defeated president Yahya Jammeh announced on Saturday that he would give up his power and has officially left the country.
Jammeh was defeated in the nation’s December election by Adam Barrow but went on to challenge the results. Jammeh first took power during the country’s 1994 coup. He has reportedly arrived in Conakry, Guinea. “I promise before Allah and the entire nation that all the issues we currently face will be resolved peacefully,” Jammeh said in a televised address.
7. Twelve bodies recovered from China landslide
12 bodies recovered after landslide buries hotel in China: https://t.co/fUOfG3NEhj
— CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) January 22, 2017
Chinese authorities have recovered 12 bodies of people killed in a hotel hit by a landslide. According to Chinese state media, 3,000 cubic metres of debris came tumbling down a hill near the hotel located in Nanzhang county. Rescuers had pulled survivors from the debris earlier, two of them died in hospital.
8. 2016 hottest year on record
2016 was the hottest year on record. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the average temperature in 2016 was about 1.1°C higher than the pre-industrial period.
“2016 was an extreme year for the global climate and stands out as the hottest year on record,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas in a release. “But temperatures only tell part of the story.”
Taalas notes that carbon dioxide and methane concentrations also soared in 2016. Carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere and ocean for centuries and causes acidification in bodies of water.
“Long-term indicators of human-caused climate change reached new heights in 2016,” Taalas said. “Carbon dioxide and methane concentrations surged to new records. Both contribute to climate change.”
- Read more on Daily Hive
9. 36 dead in India train crash
India Andhra Pradesh train crash leaves 12 dead and many injured https://t.co/txerE7EVgK
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 21, 2017
At least 36 people are dead and dozens are injured after a train derailed in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is not clear what caused the train to derail. Passengers were trapped in the train cars when emergency crews arrived.
- Read more on BBC
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