2 killed in attack near army base

BELFAST - Two men were shot dead and four others injured last night when gunmen opened fire outside a military barracks, police said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack at Massereene Barracks northwest of Belfast. The victims were not immediately identified. Kylie McLaughlin, who lives near the scene, said he heard what sounded like machine gun fire. "It was very scary, we were not sure what was happening. We just can't believe it has happened here," he told the BBC.(AP)

KABUL - President Hamid Karzai said yesterday that he accepts the decision by Afghanistan's election commission to hold a presidential vote on Aug. 20, and suggested he should retain power during a three-month gap between his term's expiration and the late-summer election. An opposition leader said Parliament will not accept Karzai as president after May 21, and warned that an extension of Karzai's term could trigger nationwide demonstrations. (AP)

MALMO - Dozens of rock-throwing anti-Israel activists clashed with police yesterday in an attempt to storm a closed arena where Swedish and Israeli teams were playing a Davis Cup tennis match. A half-dozen people were charged with rioting, police said. The violence started after 7,000 people gathered to hear speeches condemning Israel's offensive in Gaza. (AP)