Don Muang airport, used mainly for domestic flights, is in northern Bangkok – the area of the capital worst hit by the flooding.

The international airport, in another part of the city, is still operating.

Thailand has been hit by heavy monsoon rain since July, leading to flooding which has hit swathes of the country and left more than 360 people dead.

Water from inundated central areas is now running south to the sea.

Officials have been trying to drain it to the east and west of Bangkok, but they have been forced to open sluice gates into the city because of the sheer volume of water building up outside Bangkok’s flood barriers.

On Tuesday, the Thai cabinet announced a 325bn-baht ($10.5bn; £6.6bn) fund to help rebuild the country – mainly aimed at small and medium businesses, small vendors and individuals, reported Reuters news agency.

“If they get back to normal quickly, it will help push the economy forward,” the agency quoted Finance Minister Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala as saying of the businesses.

via BBC

What are those tablet owners — a category that now includes 11% of U.S. adults, according to Pew’s estimates — doing with their devices? After browsing the web, which two-thirds of tablet owners do on their tablets on a daily basis, the most popular activities are checking email (54%) and reading news (53%). One in four access social networks through the device, and a third play games on a daily basis. Another 17% read books, and 13% watch movies or videos.

Echoing findings from a similar study from the BBC, Pew found that tablets inspire broader and deeper news engagement. A third of users say they are turning to new sources for news on their tablets, and 42% regularly read in-depth news and articles on their devices.

Getting tablet owners to pay for this content is another matter, however. A mere 14% of those who regularly read news on their tablets have directly paid for content on the devices. Twenty-three percent do, however, pay for a print subscription that includes digital access — meaning that more than a third are paying for news access in some form or other.

Typically, tablet news readers are accessing news primarily through the browser (40%). Another 21% are perusing news mainly through apps — which perhaps suggests that publishers should invest greater resources in developing tablet-friendly versions of their websites and web apps, rather than apps formatted for operating systems like Android and iOS.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, sjenner13

The offer, which was made yesterday during a meting between the airline and the union, included increases in pay and conditions for baggage handlers, ground handlers, catering staff and other transport employees. The union has also notified Qantas late this afternoon that it will take one hour stop work meetings in Brisbane and Melbourne on Tuesday 26 October.

Qantas Group Executive Operations Lyell Strambi said Qantas was disappointed in this latest turn of events. “This was a good deal for our employees and it’s disappointing that the union has rejected the offer and indicated it will continue industrial action which will cause further disruption to passengers,” Mr Strambi said.

“We have tried extremely hard to do a deal and we made the union an offer that was well in excess of the recent agreement that the TWU reached with Virgin.

“We tried to compromise on a number of matters however we just cannot agree to all of their demands. In particular, demands that would make Qantas less efficient and compromise our ability to compete effectively.” Transport Workers’ Union employees at Qantas are the highest paid in the aviation industry and this agreement would have seen their wages and benefits increase even further.

The current agreement expired at the end of June this year. Qantas has been in negotiations with the TWU since May and has met with the union repeatedly since then. The one-hour stop work meeting in Brisbane on Tuesday 26 October will occur between 7am-8am and the stop work meeting in Melbourne will occur between 8am-9am.

The offer, which was made yesterday during a meting between the airline and the union, included increases in pay and conditions for baggage handlers, ground handlers, catering staff and other transport employees.   The union has also notified Qantas late this afternoon that it will take one hour stop work meetings in Brisbane and Melbourne on Tuesday 26 October.

Qantas Group Executive Operations Lyell Strambi said Qantas was disappointed in this latest turn of events.   “This was a good deal for our employees and it’s disappointing that the union has rejected the offer and indicated it will continue industrial action which will cause further disruption to passengers,” Mr Strambi said.

“We have tried extremely hard to do a deal and we made the union an offer that was well in excess of the recent agreement that the TWU reached with Virgin.

“We tried to compromise on a number of matters however we just cannot agree to all of their demands. In particular, demands that would make Qantas less efficient and compromise our ability to compete effectively.”  Transport Workers’ Union employees at Qantas are the highest paid in the aviation industry and this agreement would have seen their wages and benefits increase even further.

The current agreement expired at the end of June this year. Qantas has been in negotiations with the TWU since May and has met with the union repeatedly since then.   The one-hour stop work meeting in Brisbane on Tuesday 26 October will occur between 7am-8am and the stop work meeting in Melbourne will occur between 8am-9am.

Platinum One will only be available for a select group of the airline’s most loyal customers.

Qantas Frequent Flyer Chief Executive Officer Simon Hickey said he was very pleased to be launching the Platinum One program.  “Qantas Frequent Flyer has introduced Platinum One based on feedback from many of our Platinum members,” he said.

“Platinum One will offer members access to an outstanding range of benefits as well the exceptional service delivered by a dedicated Platinum One Special Service team.”

From 7 November 2011, Platinum One member benefits will include:

• A dedicated contact number to link members to the Platinum One Special Service Team, which will monitor, support and enhance their travel experience every step of the way;

• Assistance with access to additional Qantas Classic Awards and Flight Upgrade Awards, on Qantas operated flights (with a Qantas flight number on their ticket);

• Confirmation of successful upgrade requests as early as seven days prior to departure (for Qantas operated services with a Qantas flight number on their ticket),

• Complimentary membership of epiQure by Qantas Frequent Flyer, the recently launched premium food and wine club;

• Personalised gifts and experiences, from a ticket to a Qantas sponsored event to an experience inside a Qantas flight simulator and more.