China demanded answers from the Philippines today after a 12-hour hostage drama in the heart of the capital Manila ended with eight Hong Kong tourists dead along with their Filipino hostage-taker after a day of botched negotiations.

A 12-HOUR hostage stand-off on a hijacked Philippine bus ended in bloodshed yesterday, with officials saying at least seven Chinese tourists were dead along with the disgruntled ex-policeman who seized their vehicle in a bid to get his job back.