CHINA’s Guangzhou city broke out in civil unrest after more than a thousand residents gathered in protest and tried to destroy recently-erected toll booths, reported China Press.
The incident took place at a village named Datun in Xintang town, where toll booths set up at its main entrance and exit started operating on Dec 1.
Motorists entering the village could either pay 250 yuan to 350 yuan (RM153 to RM214) for a monthly pass or two yuan for every hour (RM1.22) their vehicles were left in the village.
The village council had leased the rights to collect toll to a private company. When toll collection started, residents were shocked and rallied everyone to gather at the toll booth to protest.
It soon got violent when the protesters began attacking the toll booth and surrounding the toll booth operator’s office.
Protestors were appeased only after a local village official promised that the toll would be scrapped and that those who had paid that day would be refunded.
This was not the first time civil unrest had broken out in Xintang town, which is the denim capital of the world, known for making one in three pairs of jeans sold globally.
In 2011, a violent protest broke out after a pregnant hawker fell after being pushed by a police officer.
> Malaysian actress Lin Min Chen continues to keep mum about her rumoured relationship with Hong Kong boy band member Edan Lui, reported Sin Chew Daily.
The 34-year-old, who is back home to promote her new film Warning From Hell, was asked if she would be taking Lui to watch the movie as a couple.
A smiling Lin replied to the reporter saying: “Let’s talk in private.”
When asked about photographs of her having a romantic stroll with Lui at a night market in Taipei, Lin jokingly told the press to please show her mercy.
“It’s not often that I come back to Malaysia!” she said.
It was earlier reported that Lui, who is seven years younger than Lin, had admitted that he was pursuing Lin but urged the press to give them space.
The movie Warning From Hell will be shown on the big screens in Malaysia and in Hong Kong beginning Dec 12.
● The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.
