In the World

KABUL, Afghanistan - Men wearing Afghan police uniforms shot dead two NATO service members Saturday in southern Afghanistan, authorities said, the latest in a string of attacks on international troops by Afghan security forces or militants disguised as police.

Two other coalition service members also died Saturday in Afghanistan, one in an insurgent attack and the other of non-battle-related injuries.

Fareed Ahmad, a spokesman for the Helmand provincial police, said two Afghan policemen opened fire at a joint Afghan-coalition compound, killing two coalition troops. He said a third Afghan policeman fired at the attackers, killing one and wounding the other, who escaped.

An official of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force familiar with early reports on the attack said the two coalition troops killed were British soldiers. The official spoke on condition of anonymity. - AP

JERUSALEM - An Israeli envoy met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday and delivered a letter from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayahu detailing his government's stance on stalled peace negotiations.

Yitzhak Molcho held talks with Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinians' government. The modest exchange was the highest-level communication between the Palestinians and Israelis in months. Israeli media reported that Israel had called for renewed peace talks without preconditions.

Netanyahu's office later issued a joint statement that said, "Israel and the Palestinian Authority are committed to achieving peace and the sides hope that the exchange of letters between President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu will further this goal." - AP

HAVANA - The daughter of Cuban President Raul Castro said during a rousing gay-rights march Saturday that her father advocated eliminating sexual discrimination, and reiterated her own hope that the country would soon legalize same-sex marriage.

Mariela Castro, a noted gay-rights advocate and head of Cuba's National Center for Sex Education, also repeated her praise for President Obama's public remarks in favor of same-sex marriage, saying the American leader's words "have great value because of the influence they might have" on others.

Castro's comments came during a colorful march by 400 advocates through the sweltering streets of the capital. The event is linked to the International Day Against Homophobia on Thursday. - AP