Obama ends ‘wet foot, dry foot’ policy for Cuban immigrants
On Jan. 12, President Obama’s administration announced that the U.S. policy that allows Cubans who reach American soil to become permanent residents without a visa will end, according to CNN. In a statement about the decision, Obama said that this is a step towards treating Cuban immigrants the same as immigrants from other countries. This policy change only affects future Cuban immigrants, not Cubans who are already in the U.S.
African Union will not recognize Gambian President Jammeh after his term ends
According to BBC, the African Union has refused to recognize Yahya Jammeh as president of Gambia after his term expires on Jan. 18. Jammeh lost the election in December to winner Adama Barrow. He called for an annulment of the election results after the electoral commission admitted that it had made some errors, but the commission said that its errors did not affect the results of the election. Jammeh has said that he will not resign his presidency until the Supreme Court hears the challenge regarding the election’s outcome in May.
Iraqi special forces enter Mosul University in battle for Mosul
As reported by the Associated Press, senior Iraqi officers announced that Iraqi special forces have entered Mosul University in their advancement along the eastern front of the city on Jan 13. They have taken control of the university’s technical institute and a neighborhood on the northeastern border of the campus. The battle between Iraqi special forces and Islamic State (IS) forces for Mosul is entering its fourth month. In that time, Iraqi special forces have reclaimed a third of the city from IS control.
Collapse of building in Istanbul kills 2, injures 17
Two people were killed and 17 were injured when an abandoned six-story building in Istanbul, Turkey collapsed on Jan. 13, according to the New York Times. Other buildings in the area were also damaged because of the collapse. Earlier the same week, another building accident in Istanbul killed one person and injured 10.
Jan. 11 marks first day in two years without murders in El Salvador
El Salvador recorded its first day without a single homicide in two years on Jan. 11, according to NBC News. With 81.2 murders for every 100,000 people and an average of 14.4 homicides each day, El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in the world, although its murder rate fell last year. These high numbers are the result of the country’s warring gangs, which have driven thousands of citizens to leave for Mexico. NBC News reported that the day without homicides is possibly the result of a truce between opposing gangs.
