TresSugar

Oh Snap! Miss Tiffany's Universe Contest Crowns Beauty

TresSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 08:30:00 -0700

Over the weekend in Pattaya, Thailand, the 12th annual Miss Tiffany's Universe contest crowned another winner, 20-year-old Sorrawee Nattee.

All of the Miss Tiffany's contestants are transsexuals or transvestites and the contest aims to promote human rights for the transgender population in Thailand. In Thailand, the transgender population is considered a third gender. Below are tearful runners-up.

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Week in Weird News: Spider-Man Saves Boy in Thailand

CitizenSugar — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:00:34 -0700

Fireman Dresses as Spider-Man to Save Boy - After an autistic boy in Thailand climbed to a third-floor balcony and dangled his foot off the edge, a firefighter put on a Spider-Man costume to rescue him.
Toilet Chef Causes Prison Evacuation - An inmate in Washington state decided to cook sausages in his stainless steel toilet, only to cause a fire. The unit was evacuated.
Woman Arrested Three Times in Three Days For DUI - A woman vacationing in Wisconsin was arrested three times in three days for drinking. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $3,000.
Young Russians Want a Job at Kremlin - According to a new poll, Russian youth would rather work in government than in high-tech or international companies.
Teacher Sells Ad Space on Exams - Every worksheet or exam in one Idaho high school teacher's class reads "MOLTO'S PIZZA 14" 1 TOPPING JUST $5" at the bottom. The principal decided to allow the ads, saying it could highlight topics like the Great Depression.

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Lovin' It? Thai Students Happily Work at McDonald's in US

LibertySugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 07:30:22 -0800

Every Summer thousands of Thai college students come to the US and change into McDonald's uniforms. They not only do it with a smile, they pay money for it.

The reward? Slapping foreign work experience - American work experience - on their resumes. Thai employers value foreign work experience, seeing it as initiative, in the country's ultracompetitive postcollege job market.

Agents (seems like the polite term) set up work visas, secure job placements, and, maybe, include plane tickets for $3,000 plus - a large sum when converted into Thai bahts. Students typically earn about half the money back; however, most consider the work experience and language skills worth it.

One student, who wound up in Mobile, AL, because she heard it was cheap, found the small town to be far from her image of America. Yet, she doesn't regret it. "Honestly," she said, “If I had money, I’d go back.”

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Thailand Protesters Shut Down Airport and Tourist Economy

LibertySugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 10:00:59 -0800

Thailand's opposition is set to form a new government, after protesters help wrestle power from the prime minister. Thai courts banished PM Somchai Wongsawat from politics thanks to electoral fraud. Shutting down Bangkok's airport proved to be the most successful protest tactic, but it also left 300,000 foreign travelers stranded.

The timing of the airport blockade couldn't have been worse, as it came during the holiday season. Tourism makes up 12 percent of the Thailand's GDP. Since the country just started to recover from the tourism slump following 2004 tsunami, it would be a shame if the latest blow leaves long-term economic damage, too. Check out these pics of Thailand's empty, but beautiful, resorts.

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Front Page: Violent Protesters Try to Unseat Thai Government

CitizenSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 08:01:10 -0800

Protesters in Bangkok, Thailand, fired guns and beat government supporters today, manifesting violent opposition to Thai prime minister Somchai Wongsawat. At least six people were injured, and the protesters forced the cancellation of a crucial session of Parliament, blocked traffic to the airport, and cut electricity from police headquarters. - New York Times
The US Commerce Department released its latest reading on the economy, determining that the economy slowed down more than expected this past summer. US consumers reduced their spending at a rate not seen in 28 years. - AP

Thousands of protesters came out in Reykjavik, Iceland, to demonstrate against the country's leaders and the recent financial collapse. The protesters demanded that the prime minister and central bank governor resign. - Reuters
Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez greeted Russian warships arriving off his county's coast today. Russia's president Dmitry Medvedev will also visit the country. Chavez wants Russia to assist Venezuela in building a nuclear reactor and also wants Russia to invest in oil and gas projects. - AP

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Front Page: Protesters Trap Thai Legislators, Fed Considers Plan to Buy Debt, Report of Western Plane Down

CitizenSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:58:36 -0700

Thai Legislators Trapped:
Thousands of anti-government protesters surrounded the Thai Parliament today, trapping legislators inside for more than five hours. The incident followed a day of street clashes that left more than 100 people injured. The siege was an escalation of a six-week sit-in seeking to change the country’s democratic system to weaken the electoral power of the rural poor.

Fed Considers Plan to Buy Debt:
The Federal Reserve is considering a proposal to buy large amounts of unsecured short-term debt that companies use to finance daily activities. The plan is a radical move to jump start the financial system, and though it puts more taxpayer dollars in play, a radical move is seen as necessary to reinvigorate the financial system. The Dow finished below 10,000 yesterday for the first time since 2004.
Report of Western Plane Down:
Iranian news is reporting Iran has forced down a Western plane that entered its airspace. After initial reports that it was a US military plane, a claim refuted by the Pentagon, a senior Iranian official says the plane belongs to a European aid agency. Apparently the occupants of the plane have been released following questioning.

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Front Page: Pentagon Dedicates Memorial, Bush Allows Pakistan Raids, Thailand Renominates PM

CitizenSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 06:51:15 -0700

Pentagon Dedicates Memorial:
The two-acre memorial to American Airlines Flight 77 will be dedicated today by President Bush at the Pentagon. The memorial's 184 steel and granite benches are engraved with each victim's name and oriented along the plane's flight path the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Unlike the rest of the Pentagon, the memorial will be open to the public all day, every day, starting at 7 p.m. tonight.

Bush Allows Pakistan Raids:
President Bush approved orders in July to allow American Special Operations forces to carry out ground assaults into Pakistan without approval by the Pakistani government. Officials say they will notify Pakistan when they carry out missions, but that they will not ask for permission.

Thailand Renominates PM:
Two days after being forced to resign due to constitutional misdeeds, Thailand's prime minister has been renominated by his party. The party claims there is nothing in the constitution to stop them from doing so, but the opposition and the thousands of protesters who called for the prime minister's resignation will likely disagree. After a two-hour meeting, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej said, "I am accepting the nomination in order to protect democracy in the country."

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Front Page: Bush to Announce Troop Levels, Thai PM Told to Resign, Kim Jong-Il's Health Questioned

CitizenSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 07:00:05 -0700

Bush on Troop Levels:
In moments, President Bush is set to order a reduction of 8,000 more combat and support troops out of Iraq by February, leaving about the same level for the rest of the year. Bush's address today may be the final stamp on the war during his presidency. Of the 146,000 US troops in Iraq, there have been hints that troops could come home in the first half of 2009 if conditions improve.

Thai PM Told to Resign:
The Thai Prime Minister has been ordered to resign after being found guilty of constitutional misdeeds on a TV cooking show. He was found to have violated the ban on ministers having outside interests by accepting money to host the show. His entire cabinet must step down as well.

Kim Jong-Il's Health Questioned:
North Korea's 60th anniversary today is marked by boasts of its "war-deterring" nuclear capabilities, and questions whether its leader, Kim Jong-Il would appear. No plans for the massive military parades usually seen have been made, and Kim Jong-Il hasn't been seen in public since mid-August. The conspicuous absence raises questions of his health.

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Front Page: Gustav Spares New Orleans, Thailand Declares Emergency, McCain Raises $47 Million

CitizenSugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 06:56:08 -0700

Gustav Spares New Orleans:
Hurricane Gustav, thought Sunday to exceed the strength of Katrina, largely spared New Orleans. The city's improved levee system and mandatory evacuation order and curfew helped keep damages low. The storm was responsible for eight deaths in the US and 94 people in the Caribbean. Residents are expected to be able to return in the next few days.

Thailand Declares Emergency:
Thailand's Prime Minister has declared a state of emergency today to try to restore order after overnight clashes between protesters and government supporters left one dead and 43 injured. Though the prime minister wants to end the violence "softly," the military has power to suspend civil liberties, ban public gathering, and bar the media from reporting news that "causes panic."
McCain Raises $47 Million:
John McCain raised $47 million in the month of August, more than double his previous best month. $10 million in donations have come in since he announced Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. The amount comes close to Barack Obama's take for July at $51 million. At the end of the convention, the Republican campaign will get $84 million in public financing.

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Front Page: Thousands Protest in Thailand, Sudan Hijackers Free Hostages, Decline in Number of Uninsured

CitizenSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:57:07 -0700

Thousands Protest in Thailand:
Thai police are trying to remove anti-government protesters who have taken over the prime minister's compound. The protesters are vowing to stay on the grounds until the prime minister, now living in self-imposed exile in London after corruption charges, steps down. The protests started yesterday with more than 30,000 people taking to the streets.

Sudan Hijackers Free Hostages:
Hijackers who seized an airplane leaving the Darfur region of Sudan yesterday have freed all 95 passengers, but six crew members remain onboard. Forcing the plane to land in Libya, one of their demands is for asylum rights and refugee status. Negotiations are ongoing to free the remaining crew members.

Decline in Number of Uninsured:
After rising for six years, the number of Americans without health insurance has dropped by more than a million. The Census Bureau reports that 45.7 million are uninsured. The drop is a result of government-sponsored health insurance programs, particularly those aimed at children. The number of people covered by private insurance continued to decline.