Nation & World Watch
vLos Angeles: Afghan family detained for days
An Afghan family of five who obtained special visas to relocate to the U.S. were detained by immigration officials when they arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Thursday and have been in custody ever since, their attorneys say.
The mother and father and their three children arrived at LAX for a connecting flight to Seattle but were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, their attorneys said.
On Saturday, the International Refugee Assistance Project filed a petition in federal court seeking the family’s release, arguing that they were approved for relocation after intense vetting because the father had been employed by the U.S. government in Afghanistan, according to the Los Angeles Times.
vNashville, Tenn.: Bird flu found in chicken facility
A commercial chicken breeding facility in south-central Tennessee has been hit by a strain of bird flu, agriculture officials said Sunday.
The state Agriculture Department said in a news release that tests confirmed the presence of the H7 strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza at a facility in Lincoln County. The facility alerted the state veterinarian’s office Friday about an increase in chicken deaths.
The facility and about 30 other poultry farms within about a 6-mile radius of the site are under quarantine.
Officials said HPAI poses no risk to the food supply, and no affected chickens entered the food chain.
vIraq: Wave of IS car bombs targets troops
Iraqi troops encountered the heaviest clashes yet with Islamic State fighters Sunday in western Mosul since the start of the new push more than two weeks ago, according to a senior commander.
Maj. Gen. Haider al-Maturi of the Federal Police Commandos Division said IS militants dispatched at least six suicide car bombs, which were all destroyed before reaching the troops. The militants, he said, were moving from house to house and deploying snipers.
vIndia: All-female crew flies around world
Air India says it has set a world record by flying around the world with an allfemale crew.
Press Trust of India reported Sunday that the flight flew over the Pacific Ocean from New Delhi to San Francisco last Monday and then flew back to New Delhi over the Atlantic on Friday.
According to the news report, Air India has applied to Guinness World Records to be recognized for the feat.
The flight was part of celebrations for International Women’s Day, which falls Wednesday.
vBahrain: Parliament OKs military trials for civilians
Bahrain’s parliament on Sunday approved a constitutional change allowing military courts to try civilians, the kingdom’s latest rollback on reforms made after its 2011 Arab Spring protests that likely will stoke an ongoing government crackdown on dissent.
Activists warn the amendment will allow an undeclared state of martial law on the island near Saudi Arabia that’s home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. Loyalists of Bahrain’s rulers call the change necessary to fight terrorism as the persistent low-level unrest that followed the 2011 demonstrations has escalated recently in tandem with the crackdown.
The bill revises a portion of Bahrain’s constitution by removing limitations on who military courts can try.
Bahrain is a predominantly Shiite island ruled by a Sunni monarchy. Government forces crushed the 2011 uprising by Shiites and others who sought more political power.