Washington - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's historic visit to Libya this week sets the stage for a new era of relations between the two countries and casts aside decades of hostility and isolation.

US and Libyan relations began warming in 2003 when Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi agreed to give up weapons of mass destruction programmes and denounce terrorism.

Washington  - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Libya this week in a further step of renewing relations between the two countries after decades of tension.

Rice will be the first secretary of state to visit Libya since 1953 and will meet with Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi after arriving from Portugal on the September 4-7 trip.

Rice's visit comes after the two countries agreed to establish a fund to compensate the families of the US victims of terrorist attacks involving the Libyan government, and after Tripoli abandoned weapons of mass destruction programmes in 2003.

Ramallah - Russia's decision to recognise the independence of
Georgia's rebel regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was
"regrettable," US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday.

"It (the decision) puts Russia in opposition to a number of (United
Nations) Security Council resolutions to which it is a party," she told
a news conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after meeting
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree Tuesday
recognizing the breakaway regions' independence, after Russian

London, Rome - Britain and Italy criticised Tuesday Russia's decision to recognize the independence of Georgia's rebel regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry in London said that the British government "categorically rejects" the Russian decision.

On Tuesday Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree recognizing the breakaway regions' independence after Russian lawmakers on Monday unanimously passed a resolution to that effect.

Tel Aviv  - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arr

Washington  - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Israel and the West Bank on Sunday for discussions aimed at nudging along the peace process, the State Department said.

Rice is still seeking a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians by the end of the year that includes the creation of a Palestinian state, spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to a US-hosted Middle East conference in November to complete negotiations on an accord by the end of 2008.