Hanoi police have proposed stricter measures against Traffic Law offenders following as cases of citizens defying traffic police officers is on the rise.

This increase has shown that ignoring traffic laws among certain residents has become habitual, major general Tran Thuy, deputy director of Hanoi Police Department, said at a meeting between the Hanoi People’s Committee and the National Assembly’s Law Committee on July 31.

According to Hanoi police, there have been 20 cases of residents opposing traffic police over the past six months.

He said the current penalties are not harsh enough. Drivers who actively oppose traffic police are subject to VND4 million in fines and a one month suspension of their driver's license, while those who fail to follow the orders of a traffic police officer may be fined VND1.4 million face the same suspension of their driving privileges.

Regarding the illegal occupation of sidewalks, Thuy said the fines of between VND20 million-VND30 million currently levied against hawkers and small vendors are too high and thus, making enforcement impractical.

Dao Vinh Thang, the city vice chief traffic police, suggested investing more equipment to record traffic breaches for subsequent punishment instead of assigning officers to the streets to issue tickets.

He also proposed that tr ... Xem thêm

In a fit of drunkenness, the Party secretary of a commune in Ninh Thuan Province beat an official of a State-owned company, breaking the victim’s jaw last month.

The incident occurred in front of the People’s Committee of Hoa Son Commune, Ninh Son District on the night of July 27, when Phan Dinh Nam assaulted Le Van Bay, 41, deputy head of the Technical Department of Ninh Son Forestry Co. Ltd.

Mr. Nam, who had been drunk, was lying on the floor of a room in the Committee when Bay came and used his cell phone to photograph Nam.

Bay said the photo would be just a "memento”, but Nam got angry. He got up, rushed to Bay and beat him so violently that he passed out. Bay had also drunk before he came there.

The victim was taken to a local hospital, where doctors found his jaw bone broken and many bruises on his chest, shoulders and face.

The district’s Party Committee said it would punish both Bay and Nam.

At large massage parlors in Ho Chi Minh City, masseuses, or "massage girls” as they are commonly known to the clientele, often work 12 hours a day and rent houses by themselves. In the neighboring provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Duong, these young women are required to stay on the premise, day and night, "fed and caged” in cramped rooms.
Inside the four tall walls with barbed wires on top, food and daily necessities and other services are provided by the owners at exorbitant prices.

On our first working day at the parlor TN in Binh Duong, a male manager named Hung took us along a long and narrow corridor to a room in the back.

It is a dimly-lit room of around 30 square meters for nearly 40 young female masseuses of the parlor. Here is the place for them to eat, sleep and entertain themselves.

Several girls in blue uniform were sitting on the floor, their backs hunched over their dinner. Some carefully made-up faces turned to look at us indifferently. In one corner, blankets and mats were put together in a messy pile. Dozens of baskets containing soap, shampoo, and medicated oil were placed next to one another.

As part of the verbal agreement with the owner, I would work for him without salary and in return would be given free food and accommodation.

But as I ... Xem thêm

Tuoi Tre undercover journalists spent a month penetrating deep inside massage parlors and shed some light in this all-revealing new series on the sex, the pitiable living conditions, the tips, the techniques needed to survive and all the other kaleidoscopes.
work as a masseuse, one needs a license but most, if not to say all, massage parlors fake papers for their massage employees.

Called technicians, the masseuses just have to pay VND1.5-5 million (US$71-239) to get the licenses and certificates required for the massage job.

"We sisters will undertake the legalization for you. Massage certificates are quite easy to buy, looking like true ones even though they are forged,” said Van, owner of massage parlor B on Kha Van Can Street, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City.

When your journalists pretended to apply for a job as a masseuse at massage parlor TN in the city’s Thu Duc District, Hung, one of its managers, explained the modus operandi is simple.

The parlor would spend VND2 million on each newcomer and collect this sum back by subtracting it from massager’s tips every week.

Our first time

After having our applications accepted and having passed some grueling checks on body statistics and our willingness to work i ... Xem thêm

Though she didn’t win the highest prize at a painting contest for children in Hanoi, Vu Dang Anh Tho, 10, has drawn major attention due to her painting that satirizes people’s habit of public urination.

Titled "Cam Dai Bay” (Public Urination Banned), the painting was among 2,000 works participating in the "Ve Sinh Yeu Nuoc” (Keeping the environment clean is loving your country) competition.

The work depicts three adult men who are smoking and urinating on a wall, on which hangs a board stating, "Urination Banned Here.” Next to them, a little kid points his fingers at the men and says innocently, "Ah! Adults are urinating at the wrong places!”

"Cam Dai Bay” won the consolation prize of the contest, which was held by the Department of Environment Management under the Ministry of Health. There were 50 paintings that received awards at the concluding ceremony on July 29 in the capital city.

Hundreds of young girls Tuesday flocked to Diamond and Parkson malls in downtown Saigon to see Michelle Phan, the Vietnamese-American girl who has become famous for her makeup tutorial videos on Youtube.

The 25-year-old girl, whom numerous girls around the world have chosen as their makeup guru, made a one-day trip to the southern city as part of her worldwide trip as an ambassador for a cosmetic brand. At the meetings with fans at the shopping centers, the girl fascinated the crowd with her gentle beauty and friendliness.

Not only did she take pictures with fans, she also excited them by wearing a conical hat, one of Vietnam’s traditional accessories.

During her trip, besides giving makeup tutorials for girls at the fan meetings, Michelle shared that she had had chances to try Vietnamese dishes such as dau hu da and bun bo.

"Having an awesome moment here. Vietnam you are too good to me,” she expressed in happiness while visiting the country where her parents were born.