Manila - Four gunmen were killed in a pre-dawn shootout with police officers in the Philippine capital Manila, a police official said.

The men refused to stop their vehicle at a police checkpoint in the Manila suburban city of Quezon, triggering a chase, said Chief Superintendent Orlando Mabutas.

When the suspects' vehicle hit a wall, the gunmen alighted and shot it out with police officers, Mabutas said.

Three of the suspects died on the spot, while the fourth gunman was declared dead on arrival in hospital.

The crime rate in Noida is increasing at a sharp rate. People are kidnapped or killed in broad daylight and crowed places. Recently an MBA student was abducted on Monday night from outside Noida's biggest mall - The Great India Place. Thaen the girl was taken to Gali Chowkhandi village in Sector 71 where she was gang raped and assaulted physically.

The sad fact is that this is the second case of abduction and rape in Noida in the last 48 hours. A Delhi University student was abducted from the Sunday bazaar market in Noida's Sector 58 by three car-borne men on Sunday.

Kuala Lumpur - A Malaysian court has charged a Singaporean national for allegedly murdering his 7-year-old Thai stepson last month, a news report said Tuesday.

Cotabato City, Philippines - A vice mayor of a southern Philippine town was killed in an attack by unidentified gunmen, police said Tuesday.

Froilan Rufino, 50, vice mayor of President Quirino town in Sultan Kudarat province, 930 kilometres south of Manila, died of three gunshot wounds to the head.

Police Senior Superintendent Benhur Mongao said Rufino was inside his residential compound in Patiko village when two gunmen riding a motorcycle opened fire at him Monday evening.

"No one saw the suspects because it was dark at the victim's place," he said.

Mongao said investigators were still determining a motive for the killing, which happened while Rufino was alone at the house.

Singapore  - A Singaporean man was jailed for 16 years and to be beat with 18 strokes of the rattan cane for raping his mildly retarded 11-year old daughter, the Straits Times reported Tuesday.

The 40-year old father, who is also mildly retarded, sobbed as he pleaded guilty to the December 2006 rape following months of denial.

The case came to light last April after his two other daughters reported having been molested by their uncle, their late mother's bother, who faces a separate charge next month.