An irate man, carrying a nail-driving gun, takes a woman hostage on a bus in Guiyang, Guizhou Province December 26. In this picture, the police were negotiating with the hostage taker.

The man was later diagnosed to be suffering from intermittent mental disorder. He first confronted with the police with knives and a nail-driving gun, and then hopped onto a bus and took a woman passenger hostage. A sniper shot and injured the man, and the hostage was freed unhurt.

(Xinhua News Agency December 28, 2006)