When I Was Young

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Posted: 22 June 2009 0918 hrs

Qantas plane

SYDNEY: Seven people were hurt when a Qantas Airbus A330 hit severe turbulence flying from Hong Kong to Perth Monday, the company said, rejecting any links to other incidents involving the same type of plane.

Six passengers and one crew member were treated on board after the mishap, which happened about four hours after take-off. The plane, with 206 passengers and 13 crew, landed safely in Perth.

One passenger described hearing a loud bang before a sudden drop in altitude sent people flying. Two overhead panels were slightly damaged and two oxygen masks were dislodged.

"As the plane was flying we got the normal turbulence but what happened this time was a sudden drop in altitude," the passenger, named John, told Fairfax Radio.

"I was sitting at the exit door and I had this lady, (who) was waiting at the restroom and she flew up and hit the ceiling and came crashing down to the floor," he said.

"It was just a matter of a few seconds but it was really sudden and things went flying."

The incident comes just 11 days after a cockpit blaze forced a Jetstar A330 to make an emergency landing, and follows the June 1 Air France disaster when 228 died in a mysterious accident involving the same model of plane.

Last October, a Qantas A330 went into two steep dives over Western Australia, causing several serious injuries and forcing an emergency landing.

Australian flag-carrier Qantas, which also operates budget airline Jetstar, dismissed any links between Monday's incident and previous ones.

"There is no reason to link the incident to other recent in-flight incidents involving A330 aircraft," Qantas said in a statement.

It said an investigation had been launched.

- AFP/yb

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here

MELBOURNE — A doctor in rural Australia (picture, left) used a handyman’s power drill to bore a hole into the skull of a boy with a severe head injury, saving his life.

Nicholas Rossi, 13, fell off his bike on Friday in the city of Maryborough, hitting his head on the pavement. When he got to the hospital, he was slipping in and out of consciousness.

The doctor on duty, Mr Rob Carson, quickly recognised the boy was experiencing potentially fatal bleeding on the brain and knew he had only minutes to make a hole in the boy’s skull to relieve the pressure.

But the small hospital was not equipped with neurological drills, so Dr Carson sent for a household drill from the maintenance room.

Dr Carson called a neurosurgeon in Melbourne for help, who talked him through the procedure which he had never before attempted.

“It was pretty scary. You obviously worry, (are) you pushing hard enough or pushing too hard, but then when some blood came out after we’d gone through the skull, we realised we’d made the right decision,” anesthetist Dr David Tynan, who assisted Dr Carson told Australian Broadcasting Corp. AP

From TODAY, World – Thursday, 21-May-2009

Channel NewsAsia - Friday, May 15

3/4 of S’poreans won’t cut back on mobile phone usage during downturn: survey

SINGAPORE: Three quarters of Singaporeans said they will not cut back on their mobile phone use during the downturn. That’s because, going by a survey result, the mobile phone is quite an indispensable social tool.

Half of those surveyed in India and China will propose to their partner over the phone. But it’s a no—no for nine in 10 Singaporeans, according to a survey by Microsoft Windows Mobile.

However, when it comes to break—ups one in 10 thinks it’s okay to do it via phone messaging.

The survey also found that most people use their phones everywhere. 65 per cent of Singaporeans use it even when they’re in the toilet. Meanwhile, nine in 10 will answer calls when having a meal with someone.

But one instance where Singaporeans prefer not to be disturbed is in bed during intimate moments. 93 per cent will not take that call. That’s the highest across six Asian cities. For example, one in five Taiwanese will answer the phonecall.

One in 10 respondents has also shot a voyeuristic picture or video with their phones.

The survey also found that about half of all respondents used their phones to flirt with someone who is not their partner nor their spouse. That’s the highest percentage compared to similar surveys done in India, China, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. —CNA/vm

From Yahoo! News; see the source article here.