TEL AVIV (Reuters) – U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders Thursday to advance stalled peace efforts, as rockets exploded near Israel’s heavily populated coastal area south of Tel Aviv.

Gates’ visit to Israel came as surging violence raised fears of a new war, with Palestinian rockets striking deep inside Israel Thursday and Israeli aircraft pounding targets in Gaza.

TEL AVIV (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday that Syria should follow the example of Egypt, where the army held fire and helped the people overthrow the rule of former president Hosni Mubarak.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has faced nearly a week of protests, inspired by uprisings against authoritarian rulers across the Arab world.

TEL AVIV (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Israel on Thursday in the wake of a deadly bombing that could complicate his planned efforts to press Israeli and Palestinian leaders to restart peace talks.

A bomb exploded near a bus stop in a Jewish district of Jerusalem on Wednesday, killing a woman and injuring at least 30 people, in an attack police blamed on Palestinian militants.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday praised the military rulers guiding Egypt after the toppling of ally Hosni Mubarak but tiptoed round a debate over when elections should be held.

Gates has been Washington’s main point of contact with Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the 75-year-old general commander of the armed forces who served as Mubarak’s defense minister for two decades and who heads to military council now ruling Egypt.

CAIRO (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday it would be up to Libyans to determine their future, stressing the limits of U.S. involvement in what threatens to become a protracted civil war.

Gates arrived in Libya’s neighbour Egypt as Western warplanes pounded Muammar Gaddafi’s forces for the fifth night in a row.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Wednesday it would be up to Libyans to determine their future, stressing the limits of U.S. involvement in what threatens to become a protracted civil war.

Gates arrived in Libya’s neighbor Egypt as Western warplanes pounded Muammar Gaddafi’s forces for the fifth night in a row.

CAIRO, March 23 (Reuters) – Egypt approved a law on
Wednesday easing curbs that choked political life under deposed
President Hosni Mubarak, opening the door for the formation of
new parties that will compete in elections this year.

The law is expected to result in a plethora of new parties,
including one to be established by the Muslim Brotherhood — an
Islamist group that was banned under Mubarak.

CAIRO (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Cairo on Wednesday on an unannounced two-day visit where he is expected to discuss operations in Libya and offer U.S. assistance during Egypt’s transition to democracy.

Gates will have his first face-to-face meeting with Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the head of Egypt’s ruling military council, since long-time ally U.S. Hosni Mubarak was toppled by a mass uprising.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The United States and Russia clashed over Libya Tuesday, with Moscow advocating a ceasefire and U.S. defense chief Robert Gates saying some Russians had swallowed Muammar Gaddafi’s “lies” about civilian deaths.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, after talks with Gates at his residence outside Moscow, accused coalition forces of carrying out “indiscriminate” air strikes.

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for talks on Libya in the middle of the first major public spat between Kremlin chief Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

Gates will not meet Putin but will see President Medvedev, who rebuked his mentor on Monday for comparing the West’s call for action in Libya to the crusades, the most public difference yet between Russia’s ruling tandem ahead of 2012 elections.