Plane makes emergency landing after passenger attempts to open door mid-flight
SkyWest Flight 3612, which was operating as a Delta connection for the flight, left Omaha's Eppley Airfield and was diverted to the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, because of an 'in-air disturbance' by a passenger.
The passenger allegedly got into an altercation with a flight attendant and attempted to open an emergency exit door mid-flight.
'The flight diverted to Cedar Rapids where police officers met the flight and arrested the individual,' the Cedar Rapids Police Department said in a press release.
Mario Nikprelaj, 23, from Nebraska, was transported to the Linn County Correctional Centre and charged with disorderly conduct, assault, possession of prescription medication, a tax stamp violation and first-degree harassment.
Story continues below advertisement
Police added that further charges are possible pending further investigation.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
In a statement, SkyWest Airlines said it has a zero-tolerance policy for unruly behaviour, 'as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority.'
Nikprelaj appeared in court virtually from Linn County Jail on Friday and a judge gave him a US$10,000 bond and a no-contact order, according to ABC affiliate KCRG.
This marks yet another incident this year involving a passenger attempting to open an aircraft door mid-flight.
In April, a man was arrested and charged after he allegedly attempted to open the emergency exit doors of an AirAsia X plane mid-flight twice.
The incident took place on a Sydney-bound flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, according to Australian Federal Police.
Story continues below advertisement
After the man was escorted to a seat in the middle of the aircraft, he allegedly once again tried to open a different emergency exit door and was then restrained by the plane's crew. During the interaction, the man allegedly assaulted one of the plane's employees.
'The man was then restrained by crew and passengers, during which he allegedly assaulted an airline staff member,' police said.
Shadi Taiseer Alsaaydeh, 46, from Jordan, was charged with two counts of endangering the safety of an aircraft and one count of assaulting cabin crew. He was arrested by police when the flight landed at Sydney International Airport.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Canada News.Net
6 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Australian court backs women's case in Qatar strip-search scandal
SYDNEY, Australia: Five Australian women who say they were forcibly removed from a Qatar Airways flight and strip-searched by armed guards at Doha's Hamad Airport have won the right to sue the airline, after Australia's Federal Court overturned an earlier ruling on July 24. The women were among 13 Australians subjected to invasive gynecological examinations in October 2020 after a newborn baby was found abandoned in an airport bathroom. The incident occurred across 10 Qatar Airways flights and sparked international outrage, damaging diplomatic ties between Australia and Qatar. In 2022, five of the affected women launched legal action in Australia against Qatar Airways, MATAR (which operates Doha airport), and Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority. They alleged violations under the Montreal Convention, which governs airline liability, along with claims of negligence, assault, and false imprisonment. The women say they were taken off their Sydney-bound flight at gunpoint, ordered to remove their underwear, and subjected to non-consensual physical examinations by a nurse inside ambulances on the tarmac. They are seeking damages for severe psychological harm, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In 2023, Justice John Halley of the Federal Court dismissed the case against Qatar Airways, arguing it had no reasonable chance of success. He also ruled that Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority was immune from prosecution under foreign state protections. However, the Full Federal Court has now ruled that the case against Qatar Airways should proceed. The judges said the matter raised complex legal issues that couldn't be decided at the early dismissal stage. "Whether or not the claims fall within the scope of the Montreal Convention is a complex issue," the court stated. "It is not suitable for summary dismissal." As a result, the lawsuit against Qatar Airways and MATAR will move forward, and both companies have been ordered to pay the women's appeal costs. Lawyer Damian Sturzaker of Marque Lawyers, who represents the women, welcomed the decision. "Our clients endured a traumatic experience that night in Doha. They deserve their day in court and compensation for their suffering," he said. The court ruling marks a significant step in the women's long fight for accountability, nearly four years after the controversial incident that drew worldwide condemnation.
Canada News.Net
19 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Israeli claims of Hamas stealing aid refuted by U.S. analysis
An internal U.S. government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by the Palestinian militant group Hamas of US-funded humanitarian supplies, challenging the main rationale that Israel and the US give for backing a new armed private aid operation. The analysis, which has not been previously reported, was conducted by a bureau within the US Agency for International Development and completed in late June. It examined 156 incidents of theft or loss of US-funded supplies reported by US aid partner organizations between October 2023 and this May. It found "no reports alleging Hamas" benefited from US-funded supplies, according to a slide presentation of the findings. A State Department spokesperson disputed the findings, saying there is video evidence of Hamas looting aid, but provided no such videos. The spokesperson also accused traditional humanitarian groups of covering up "aid corruption." Israel says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it from being stolen by Hamas, which it blames for the crisis. The UN World Food Program says nearly a quarter of Gaza's 2.1 million Palestinians face famine-like conditions, thousands are suffering acute malnutrition, and the World Health Organization and doctors in the enclave report starvation deaths of children and others. The study was conducted by the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) of USAID, which was the largest funder of assistance to Gaza before the Trump administration froze all US foreign aid in January, terminating thousands of programs. It has also begun dismantling USAID, whose functions have been folded into the State Department. The analysis found that at least 44 of the 156 incidents where aid supplies were reported stolen or lost were "either directly or indirectly" due to Israeli military actions, according to the briefing slides. Israel's military did not respond to questions about those findings. The study noted a limitation: because Palestinians who receive aid cannot be vetted, it was possible that US-funded supplies went to administrative officials of Hamas, the Islamist rulers of Gaza. One source familiar with the study also cautioned that the absence of reports of widespread aid diversion by Hamas "does not mean that diversion has not occurred." The war in Gaza began after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israeli assault began, according to Palestinian health officials. Israel says Hamas diverts humanitarian aid Israel, which controls access to Gaza, has said that Hamas steals food supplies from UN and other organizations to use to control the civilian population and boost its finances, including by jacking up the prices of the goods and reselling them to civilians. Asked about the USAID report, the Israeli military said that its allegations are based on intelligence reports that Hamas militants seized cargoes by "both covertly and overtly" embedding themselves on aid trucks. Those reports also show that Hamas has diverted up to 25% of aid supplies to its fighters or sold them to civilians, the Israeli military said, adding that GHF has ended the militants' control of aid by distributing it directly to civilians. Hamas denies the allegations. A Hamas security official said that Israel has killed more than 800 Hamas-affiliated police and security guards trying to protect aid vehicles and convoy routes. Their missions were coordinated with the UN. FRANCE 24 could not independently verify the claims by Hamas and Israel, which has not made public proof that the militants have systematically stolen aid. GHF also accuses Hamas of massive aid theft in defending its distribution model. The UN and other groups have rejected calls by GHF, Israel and the US to cooperate with the foundation, saying it violates international humanitarian principles of neutrality. In response to a request for comment, GHF referred to a July 2 Washington Post article that quoted an unidentified Gazan and anonymous Israeli officials as saying Hamas profited from the sales and taxing of pilfered humanitarian aid. Aid groups required to report losses The 156 reports of theft or losses of supplies reviewed by BHA were filed by UN agencies and other humanitarian groups working in Gaza as a condition of receiving U.S. aid funds. The second source familiar with the matter said that after receiving reports of U.S.-funded aid thefts or losses, USAID staff followed up with partner organizations to try to determine if there was Hamas involvement. Those organizations also would "redirect or pause" aid distributions if they learned that Hamas was in the vicinity, the source said. Aid organizations working in Gaza also are required to vet their personnel, sub-contractors and suppliers for ties to extremist groups before receiving U.S. funds, a condition that the State Department waived in approving $30 million for GHF last month. The slide presentation noted that USAID partners tended to over-report aid diversion and theft by groups sanctioned or designated by the US as foreign terrorist organizations - such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad - because they want to avoid losing US funding. Of the 156 incidents of loss or theft reported, 63 were attributed to unknown perpetrators, 35 to armed actors, 25 to unarmed people, 11 directly to Israeli military action, 11 to corrupt subcontractors, five to aid group personnel "engaging in corrupt activities," and six to "others," a category that accounted for "commodities stolen in unknown circumstances," according to the slide presentation. The armed actors "included gangs and other miscellaneous individuals who may have had weapons," said a slide. Another slide said "a review of all 156 incidents found no affiliations with" U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations, of which Hamas is one. "The majority of incidents could not be definitively attributed to a specific actor," said another slide. "Partners often largely discovered the commodities had been stolen in transit without identifying the perpetrator." It is possible there were classified intelligence reports on Hamas aid thefts, but BHA staff lost access to classified systems in the dismantlement of USAID, said a slide. However, a source familiar with US intelligence assessments said that they knew of no US intelligence reports detailing Hamas aid diversions and that Washington was relying on Israeli reports. The BHA analysis found that the Israeli military "directly or indirectly caused" a total of 44 incidents in which US-funded aid was lost or stolen. Those included the 11 attributed to direct Israeli military actions, such as airstrikes or orders to Palestinians to evacuate areas of the war-torn enclave. Losses indirectly attributed to Israeli military included cases where they compelled aid groups to use delivery routes with high risks of theft or looting, ignoring requests for alternative routes, the analysis said.
Global News
a day ago
- Global News
Canada condemns Hong Kong for issuing warrants to arrest some Canadians
The Canadian government released a statement Saturday condemning Hong Kong authorities who issued worldwide arrest warrants for pro-democracy activists — including some Canadians. Hong Kong police announced rewards on Friday for information leading to the arrest of 19 overseas-based activists for their roles in what they called a subversive organization abroad, accusing them of violating a national security law imposed by Beijing. 'The individuals targeted yesterday (Friday) under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law in Hong Kong include Canadians and people with close ties to Canada,' Global Affairs Canada said in the statement. 'This attempt by Hong Kong authorities to conduct transnational repression abroad, including by issuing threats, intimidation or coercion against Canadians or those in Canada, will not be tolerated.' The statement also adds that the move by Hong Kong 'represents a deeply troubling escalation in the use of transnational repression by the People's Republic of China.' Story continues below advertisement Hong Kong Police Force said in a statement Friday that the group, Hong Kong Parliament, aimed to promote self-determination and establish a so-called 'Hong Kong constitution,' alleging it was using illegal means to overthrow and undermine China's fundamental system or overthrow the institutions in power in the city or China. At the request of the police, the city's court issued arrest warrants for activists Elmer Yuen, Johnny Fok, Tony Choi, Victor Ho, Keung Ka-wai and 14 others. They are alleged to have organized or participated in an election abroad for the Hong Kong Parliament, as well as setting up or becoming members of the group. 1:20 'He shouldn't be here': Anti-Trump protesters gather outside U.S. consulate in Edinburgh According to a Facebook statement by the group on June 30, its election drew some 15,700 valid votes through mobile app and online voting systems. It said the candidates and elected members came from various regions, including Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, the U.S., Canada and Britain. Story continues below advertisement While the group calls itself Hong Kong Parliament, its electoral organizing committee was founded in Canada and its influence is limited. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Among the 19 activists, police have already offered one million Hong Kong dollars (US$127,400) for information leading to the arrest of Yuen, Ho, Fok and Choi when previous arrest warrants were issued against them. For the remaining 15 people, rewards of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars (US$25,480) were offered, urging residents to provide information about the case or the people. 'The investigation is still ongoing. If necessary, police will offer bounties to hunt down more suspects in the case,' police said. They also called on those wanted to stop their actions while they still can, saying that they hoped the activists would 'take this opportunity to return to Hong Kong and turn themselves in, rather than making more mistakes.' Yuen said in a Facebook live broadcast that the election was not quite successful in drawing active participation, and that the police campaign would help the group rally support for the resistance movement. 'It helps us with a lot of advertising,' Yuen said. During the live chat with Yuen on Facebook, Sasha Gong, another person targeted by the bounties, accused Hong Kong of becoming a police state. She said she is a U.S. citizen and would report her case to the U.S. authorities and lawmakers. Story continues below advertisement The statement from Global Affairs Canada describes how Hong Kong authorities are using digital means to infiltrate Chinese communities abroad and in Canada to spread word of the posted bounties. 'Rapid Response Mechanism Canada detected that these bounties are being amplified in an inauthentic and coordinated way, through an online network of accounts that are targeting Chinese-speaking communities,' the statement says. 'The actions taken by Hong Kong threaten the sovereignty of Canada and security of the people in this country.' U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a joint statement that the warrants and bounties on people living in Britain are 'another example of transnational repression,' and that the act encourages reckless behaviour on U.K. soil. Over the past two years, Hong Kong authorities have issued arrest warrants for various activists based overseas, including former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law and Ted Hui. They also cancelled the passports of some of them under a recent security law introduced in the city last year. The moves against overseas-based activists have drawn criticism from foreign governments, especially given that the former British colony was promised that its western-style civil liberties and semi-autonomy would be kept intact for at least 50 years when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. In March, the United States sanctioned six Chinese and Hong Kong officials who it alleged were involved in 'transnational repression' and acts that threaten to further erode the city's autonomy. Story continues below advertisement But Beijing and Hong Kong insist the national security laws were necessary for the city's stability. Hong Kong police have maintained that the Beijing-imposed law applies to permanent residents in Hong Kong who violate it abroad. In retaliation for the U.S. move, China in April said it would sanction U.S. officials, lawmakers and leaders of non-governmental organizations it says have 'performed poorly' on Hong Kong issues. — with files from Global News' Ari Rabinovitch
