This Week in Pictures: December 8 – December 14, 2015

Last week saw some huge news stories break around the world so we revisit some of the most important of the last seven days

In Paris COP21, the 2015 United Nations Climate Change conference, concluded with the first agreement between all parties to limit emissions to prevent warming of the planet by more that 2 degrees centigrade before the end of the century. Although not entirely legally binding the pact, that comes into effect in 2020, was hailed as a great step forward with President Barack Obama declaring it “the best chance we have to save the one planet we have”.

Poll leading candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2016 US Presidential election, Donald Trump, hit the headlines again last week, this time for calling for a ban on all Muslim entrants to the United States claiming that many Muslims harbored a “hatred” towards America. His statement was immediately condemned by just about everyone from fellow Republic Jeb Bush, who called him “unhinged”, to opponent Hillary Clinton who said it was “reprehensible, prejudiced and divisive”.

In Saudi Arabia the first vote ever open to women voters and candidates has elected the country’s first female councilor Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi who had stood for a position in Mecca beating out two other women and seven men to win. Women standing in the election had to contend with an inability to meet male voters during their campaigns, an obstructionist bureaucracy and segregated polling stations, and women barely making up 10% of votes cast in the conservative nation.

In sport Manchester United suffered an embarrassing defeat to Bournemouth 2-1 leaving embattled manager Louis van Gaal to stake his job on three consecutive wins in their coming fixtures. Has he promised the impossible or can the sour-face of football make the Red Devils great again? You’ll have to read our daily news pages to find out, but in the meantime lets take a look back at some of the major stories we covered from around the world over the course of the last seven days.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo broke another incredible Champions League record in the last round of the group stages.

2. A licensed DFS website dubbed ‘US Fantasy’ is poised to enter the Nevada gambling market. It would be a legal alternative to the controversial DFS operators FanDuel and DraftKings.

3. Jonathan Heywood’s £13,213,838.68 win on Microgaming’s Mega Moolah set the Guinness World Record for largest online slot jackpot payout.

4. We analysed the odds for the next Swansea manager after Garry Monk was sacked by the Welsh club. Gus Poyet is the top candidate for the position.

5. We looked at the candidacy of Donald Trump for President of the United States and wondered if it isn’t time to start being scared enough to bet on him.

6. We presented a list of the best social casinos available both online and on mobile. Included reviews of Casino Room, Casumo, and Slotser.

7. A man living in Iraq won a $6.4 million Oregon lottery jackpot. He was the first person outside of the US to have won the Oregon Megabucks jackpot.

Meanwhile a very lucky boy in Austria found 100,000 Euro floating down the Danube in Vienna last week. Upon retrieving the money, that was mostly in 500 and 100 Euro denominations, the boy was told under the law he can keep 10% of the amount, with the rest being his if no one claims it within a year. Police detectives are still investigating the source of the mystery money but have already ruled out money laundering.