Manila - Communist rebels raided on Monday a police station in the central Philippines, wounding an officer and seizing firearms, a police report said.

The raid occurred before dawn in the police station of La Libertad town in Negros Oriental province, 630 kilometres south of Manila.

Two female communist rebels first entered the police station pretending to report a crime. They were followed by four heavily armed guerrillas that fired at the police officers.

The rebels were able to open the armory and carted away at least five firearms before fleeing to the jungles.

Troops have been dispatched to the area to pursue the rebels.

Washington, Nov 3: Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has reportedly said that the US should try to forge a better understanding between India and Pakistan for an amicable solution of the Kashmir dispute.

“We should probably try to facilitate a better understanding between Pakistan and India and try to resolve the Kashmir crisis,” the Daily Times quoted Obama as saying in a TV interview.

Jakarta - Three explosions rocked eastern Indonesian province of North Maluku's capital of Ternate early Monday, caused minor damage but no reports of casualties, local media reports said.

The blast took place at the residence of the North Maluku governor, the office of the North Maluku regional government and the building of the North Maluku regional legislative assembly at about 3 am Monday, the state-run Antara news agency reported.

There were no reported injuries and local police have not yet given an explanation for the blasts, Metrotvnews. com said.

Guwahati, Nov 3 : Without naming any country, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Sunday blamed disruptive forces with foreign backing for the recent blasts in the state.

"Forces inimical to Assam have been existing in Assam for a long time and there is no doubt that they get full backing and shelter in foreign soil,” said Gogoi.

“We have repeatedly made it clear that as long as these forces get shelter in foreign soil, it is very difficult to contain them," Gogoi added.

Sydney - Australians were Monday savouring the conviction of former judge Marcus Einfeld on charges of making a false statement and acting to pervert the course of justice.

Einfeld, who 10 years ago was proclaimed a National Living Treasure for his devotion to justice, faces jail for lying to a magistrate in order to get out of paying a 77-Australian-dollar (50-US-dollar) speeding fine.

The millionaire former Human Rights and Equal Opportunity commissioner falsely claimed that a female friend, who proved to be dead at that time, was driving his car when it was snapped by a police speed camera.

Hong Kong - Wealthy Hong Kong may be teetering on the brink of a global recession but a prestige car number plate can still fetch more than 46,000 US dollars, auctioneers said Monday.

The car registration number 1234 fetched 360,000 Hong Kong dollars (46,445 US dollars) at Sunday's government auction where a total of 280 unusual plates raised just short of 345,000 US dollars.