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Qatar says several airport officials have been referred for prosecution after forced gynaecological exams were carried out on women flying to Sydney. A New Zealander as well as women from Australia and the UK were among those who underwent intimate examinations at the airport in Doha. Photo: AFP The group - which included women from Australia, the UK and New Zealand - was checked for evidence they had recently given birth after a baby was found in a bin at Doha airport on 2 October. New Zealand's foreign ministry called the actions of Qatari authorities "appalling" and "completely unacceptable". Qatar's government said today that "standard procedures were violated". It also offered its "sincerest apology" for what the women went through. Marise Payne Photo: AFP / Charly Triballeau Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne called the referrals for prosecution an "important step". "The statement of the government of Qatar is consistent with our expectations for contrition, accountability and determination to avoid any repeat of this disturbing episode," she said. The incident came to light earlier this week after some of the Australian passengers spoke out and foreign governments said they were appalled. The women said they were ordered to disembark from the Sydney-bound Qatar Airways flight at Hamad International Airport. They were then taken to ambulances on the tarmac and told to remove their underwear before being examined. The women said they were given no information by officials and that they did not have an opportunity to provide informed consent. Female passengers on nine other flights were also reportedly examined. Qatar's Government Communication Office (GCO) said on Wednesday that airport authorities took action after a newborn baby girl was "found in a trash can, concealed in a plastic bag and buried under garbage", in an apparent attempt to kill her. "This egregious and life-threatening violation of the law triggered an immediate search for the parents, including on flights in the vicinity of where the newborn was found." The GCO said a preliminary investigation into the actions of airport authorities "revealed that standard procedures were violated". "Those responsible for these violations and illegal actions have been referred to the Public Prosecution Office," it added. "Following the directives of His Excellency Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani, the prime minister and minister of interior, specialised task forces are reviewing and identifying any potential gaps in the procedures and protocols followed at Hamad International Airport, in order to address them and ensure that any violations are avoided in the future." Sheikh Khaled also expressed the government's "sincerest apology for what some female travellers went through as a result of the measures". We regret the unacceptable treatment of the female passengers at HIA. I assure you that we will hold those responsible for these acts to account. What took place does not represent Qatar’s laws or values. We will undertake all measures to prevent a recurrence. — خالد بن خليفة آل ثاني (@KBKAlThani) October 30, 2020 Those affected include 13 Australians, two Britons and one woman from New Zealand. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the incident as "appalling" and "unacceptable". "As a father of a daughter, I could only shudder at the thought that anyone would, Australian or otherwise, would be subjected to that," he said. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it had "formally expressed our concern with the Qatari authorities and Qatar Airways, and are seeking assurances an unacceptable incident like this cannot happen again". -BBC

A powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake has struck off Turkey's Aegean coast and north of the Greek island of Samos, destroying a number of houses. A woman reacts as she sees the damage to a building in Izmir, Turkey. Photo: AFP The tremor was centred off Turkey's Izmir province, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. Turkey put the magnitude lower, at 6.6, saying six people had died and 202 were injured in the city of Izmir. On Samos, two teenagers were killed. The shallow tremor triggered a mini-tsunami that flooded Izmir and Samos. Water flowing through the streets of #Izmir, #Turkey following the strong earthquake. #تركيا pic.twitter.com/XclLYlhZT5 — Raveen Aujmaya (@raveenaujmaya) October 30, 2020 The USGS said the quake - which was felt as far away as Athens and Istanbul - struck at a depth of 10km, although Turkish officials said it was 16km below ground. Turkey and Greece both sit on faultlines and earthquakes are common. Photo: AFP In Izmir, Turkey's third largest city with the population of nearly three million, many people were seen running out into the streets in panic and fear after the quake struck. At least 20 buildings collapsed. Videos have been posted on social media appearing to show the moment one multi-storey building went down, the BBC's Orla Guerin in Istanbul reports. Other footage shows local people scrambling over rubble looking for survivors. Medical teams treat an injured person in Izmir. Photo: AFP There were reports of flooding in the city after the sea level rose, and some fishermen are said to be missing. "It was a really strong shaker almost enough to knock you off your feet. Running out of the house with my children was like a drunken wobble," Chris Bedford, a retired British teacher who lives in Urla, west of Izmir, told the BBC. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the government would help those affected by the quake "with all the means available to our state". A drone photo shows that search and rescue works continue at debris of a building in Bornova district in Izmir. Photo: AFP In Greece, two teenagers were killed when a wall collapsed on Samos. Eight people were injured across the island. A mini-tsunami flooded the port of Samos and a number of buildings were damaged. Greek officials put the magnitude of the tremor at 6.7. "We felt it very strongly," local journalist Manos Stefanakis told the BBC, adding that smaller aftershocks were continuing. He said it was the biggest tremor to have hit the island since 1904. Residents were urged to stay outdoors and keep away from coastal areas. About 45,000 people live on Samos. Reports said the quake was also felt on the Greek island of Crete. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he called President Erdogan "to offer my condolences for the tragic loss of life from the earthquake that struck both our countries". "Whatever our differences, these are times when our people need to stand together," Mitsotakis wrote in a tweet. In January more than 30 people were killed and more than 1600 injured when an earthquake struck Sivrice in Turkey's eastern Elazig province. In July 2019, the Greek capital Athens was hit by a tremor that knocked out power to large parts of the city. A powerful quake that struck the Turkish city of Izmit, near Istanbul, in 1999 killed about 17,000 people. - BBC