Apple event starts, expected to feature a slimmer iPhone
Apple (AAPL.O) on Tuesday opened its annual showcase, where it is expected to reveal a new range of iPhones, including a slimmer “Air” model that ...
Five Australian women who say they were pulled from a Qatar Airways flight by armed guards and strip-searched, have won the right to sue the airline, after a court on Thursday overturned an earlier decision to dismiss the case.
Women on 10 Qatar Airways flights, including 13 Australians, were subjected to invasive examinations to determine if they had recently given birth. It's after a newborn baby was found abandoned at Doha’s Hamad Airport in October 2020.
The incident drew global headlines, sparked outrage in Australia and strained diplomatic ties with Qatar.
A group of five women on a Sydney-bound flight launched legal action in 2022 against Qatar Airways, Doha Airport operator MATAR, and Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority. They brought claims under the Montreal Convention, which covers airline liability, as well as negligence, assault and false imprisonment.
The women sought damages for the impact on their mental health, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, stemming from the "unlawful physical contact".
After being escorted off their flight by armed Qatari authorities, some women said they were forced to remove their underwear and subjected to non-consensual gynaecological inspections by a nurse in ambulances on the tarmac.
Federal Court Justice John Halley dismissed the claims against Qatar Airways last year, ruling they had no reasonable prospect of success and that Qatar’s Civil Aviation Authority was immune from Australian law.
On Thursday, the full Federal Court overturned the ruling against Qatar Airways, saying the issue was too complex to be summarily dismissed.
“Whether or not the claims come within the scope of (the Montreal Convention) is a matter of some complexity,” the summary judgment said.
“It is therefore not an issue apt to be decided at the stage of summary dismissal.”
The decision allows the women to continue their lawsuit against Qatar Airways and MATAR. Both companies were ordered to pay the costs of the appeal.
“Our clients endured a traumatic experience on that night in Doha, and they deserve to have their day in court and compensation for their suffering,” said Damian Sturzaker, a lawyer from Marque Lawyers representing the women.
“We will continue to support them as the case continues in the Federal Court.”
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Israel’s airstrike on Hamas officials in Doha drew global condemnation on Tuesday, with Qatar calling it a violation of its sovereignty and the UN urging restraint.
A Russian airstrike has killed more than 20 civilians who were collecting their pensions in a village in eastern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday.
Construction of the Zangezur Corridor in Azerbaijan is set to be completed next year, marking a major step in enhancing regional transport and trade flows, officials said.
A special session of the Milli Majlis is underway on 9 September, focusing on “The Washington Agreements: A Triumph of Peace Diplomacy and Wise Leadership.”
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed participants of the 13th Meeting of CICA Think Tank Forum themed “Resonance of Development and Security: Regional Cooperation and Governance in the Institutional Transformation of CICA”.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment