03-05-08

中国劫持者劫澳大利亚人质中枪亡命 (Chinese Hijacker Shot and Killed After Taking Australians Hostage)

中国警方开枪打死一名在中国西北地区劫持一组澳大利亚游客为人质的客车劫持者。澳大利亚和中国的新闻媒体报导说，劫持男子携带有爆炸物，劫持了10名澳大利亚游客和他们的翻译为人质。后来9名人质获得释放。

中国官方的新华社说，警方在谈判失败后开枪打死了人质劫持者，使一名48岁的澳大利亚妇女获释。

新华社说，这场对峙持续了大约两个小时，发生在陕西省西安市的市中心。西安是中国一个热门旅游景点，附近有举世闻名的守护中国历史上第一位皇帝的陵寝的数以千计真人大小兵马俑的遗址。

Chinese police have shot and killed a bus hijacker in northwest China after he took a group of Australian tourists hostage. Media reports from Australia and China say the man was armed with explosives and took 10 Australian tourists and their interpreter hostage. Nine were later released.

China's official Xinhua news agency says police shot and killed the hostage-taker after negotiations failed, securing the release of a 48-year old Australian woman.

Xinhua says the standoff lasted about two hours and took place in the center of Xian city in China's Shaanxi province. Xian is a popular tourist stop in China and near the site of the famed terracotta army where thousands of life-sized figures of warriors and horses are preserved in a tomb with China's first emperor.

大火烧死中国南部八名残障儿童 (Fire Kills 8 Disabled Children in Southern China)

中国官方媒体报导说，广东省惠州市一家残障儿童福利院发生火灾，造成至少8名儿童丧生。官方新华社说，在蚊香引发被罩失火以后，这些儿童被烟熏致死。事故发生在夜间。

报导说，在浓烟充斥屋子的时候，这些孩子显然正在熟睡。福利院工作人员星期三早晨发现这些孩子。8名死亡儿童年龄4到8岁，有身障或智障，或是盲人。

Chinese state media say a fire at a home for the disabled has killed at least eight children in Huizhou City, Guangdong province. The official Xinhua news agency says the children died of smoke inhalation after a mosquito-repellent incense coil set fire to

bed covers. The accident happened overnight.

The report says the children were apparently asleep when smoke filled their room. The institution's staff found them early Wednesday. The eight children were aged four to eight and were either blind, physically or mentally disabled.