9 things that happened around the world last week you should know about

Each week, we bring you a roundup of some of the biggest stories making headlines around the world.

Here are nine things that happened outside of Vancouver last week that you should know about (in no particular order):

December 5 to 11, 2015

1. Donald Trump’s latest comments to ‘ban Muslims’ from entering the U.S. spark backlash

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Donald Trump’s latest comments about banning Muslims from the U.S. have sparked global backlash. “Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on,” said the Republican presidential candidate on Monday.

Trump’s statement has led the U.K. to consider banning him from the country. Over 10,000 people signed a petition to disallow Trump from entering the U.K., meaning the issue must be debated in Parliament.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reacted to Trump’s comments, reaffirming that, “Canadians soundly rejected the politics of fear and division.”

Trump was even criticized by his fellow Republican candidates. “This is the kind of thing that people say when they have no experience and don’t know what they are talking about. We do not need to resort to that type of activity nor should we,” said New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. 

• Read more on CNN, CBC and The Guardian

2. Firebomb kills 16 at Cairo restaurant

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At least 16 people were killed and three were injured after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a Cairo restaurant and nightclub located in the Agouza district last Friday. Police are searching for two young men who are suspected of throwing the firebomb. An Egyptian security official said that one of the attackers worked at the restaurant and was recently laid off from his job.

• Read more on Reuters and the Associated Press

3. Refugee children die after boat sinks off coast of Turkey

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Six refugees have died after a dinghy they were using as transportation sank in the waters of Turkey’s Aegan sea. Turkish media have reported that all the victims were children, including an infant. The dinghy was also carrying other Afghan refugees who were trying to travel to the Greek Island of Chios. Eight other refugees were rescued from the incident.

• Read more on Al Jazeera and CBC

4. American Christian university permits guns in student dorms

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The president of Christian-based Liberty University in Virginia has said that he will allow students to keep guns in their dorms. “I take very seriously my responsibility to keep you safe in an increasingly dangerous world,” said president Jerry Falwell Jr. in his speech addressing students on Wednesday, according to The Washington Post. During his announcement, Falwell was carrying a small pistol in his back pocket. Falwell’s comments were in response to last week’s San Bernardino shooting attack, which left 14 people dead. 

• Read more on CBC and The Washington Post

5. Red alert in Beijing, China, after city covered by dangerous levels of smog

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Beijing has been on red alert for high levels of smog over the past week. Schools in the city were closed, car use was restricted and some factories had to shut down. The ban began on Monday and ended on Thursday afternoon. This is the first time a pollution red alert has been announced in China since the system came into place two years ago.

• Read more on BBC and The New York Times

6. Dozens dead after Taliban attack near Afghanistan airport

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At least 47 people are dead after fighting erupted between Afghan security officials and Taliban militants near the Kandahar airport. At least 10 Taliban militants swarmed a high security civilian and military airfield and several people were taken hostage during the attack, but Afghan forces have regained control over the area. Thirty-seven of those killed were civilians and security forces and at least 35 people were injured.

• Read more on Al Jazeera and Reuters

7. Argentina elects new president

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Mauricio Macri has been elected as Argentina’s new president. The centre-right candidate replaced former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Macri promised Argentinians that he would fix the country’s problems with corruption, poverty and drug trade. Fernandez did not attend Macri’s inauguration in dispute over the venue. She claimed that Macri’s presidential handover should have taken place in Congress, where her party holds more seats, instead of the presidential palace. Fernandez is the first leader since the end of Argentina’s 1983 dictatorship to refuse to attend the inauguration of a newly elected president. According to The Economist, Macri responded to Fernandez’s issues with the venue stating that she was creating, “as many roadblocks and new problems as she can.”

• Read more on The Economist and TeleSur English

8. Scientists announce first puppies born via IVF

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Researchers and scientists at Cornell University announced the birth of the first puppies ever using in vitro fertilization. The breakthrough research was published in the scientific journal PLOS One. The seven puppies were born on July 10, and are a mix between beagle, Labrador and cocker spaniel breeds. Although in vitro fertilization is a common procedure used as an alternative method of reproduction for humans, the process has been much more difficult for dogs. According to Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute doctoral fellow Jennifer Nagashima, this latest IVF breakthrough in dogs could be helpful in saving endangered species in the future. 

• Read more on CTV and The New York Times

9. Astronomers discover possible super-Earth in our solar system

Astronomers found a new object in our solar system that could be a “super-Earth” https://t.co/JAUw6YN87m pic.twitter.com/hwJ2SWZve1

— Forbes (@Forbes) December 11, 2015

Scientists have discovered a new object in our solar system that could possibly be a “super-Earth.” Using data from the powerful Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array telescope (ALMA), astronomers were able to spot the object, which they suspect could be a new planet. 

• Read more on Forbes Science and The Washington Post