The Wire

Australia has reported gross concern to Qatari authorities after female passengers onboard a Doha to Sydney flight were forced to undergo medically invasive exams. Thirteen Australian women were taken from the flight to an ambulance on the tarmac before being strip-searched and interrogated. Officials says they were attempting to identify the mother of a neglected baby.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne denounced the treatment of the Australian women as unacceptable and labelled the circumstance they were in unable to provide consent in as inappropriate. The newborn baby which was found in a toilet at the Hamad International Airport has been cared by medical staff since the incident occurred on October 2.