New York, Sept. 27 : Republican vice-presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin startling answer to a question on how she saw Alaska''s proximity to Russia as an example of her foreign policy experience, invoked the image of "a polar bear, jumping from rhetorical ice floe to ice floe, drifting some but eventually managing to get safely to dry land."

Only on this answer, Palin may have missed dry land, claims the Washington Post.

United Nations (New York), Sept. 27: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday called for the strengthening of international cooperation to combat terrorism, adding that it was "vital" to bring its perpetrators, financiers and sponsors to justice.

New York  - The Middle East quartet charged with overseeing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process voiced confidence in the ongoing talks between the two sides toward a final resolution to the long conflict.

The quartet, made up of the United Nations, United States, European Union and Russia, said that a "meaningful and results- oriented" process was underway and again called for both sides to reach a deal by the end of this year, in a statement following talks at the United Nations in New York.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she still believed a comprehensive agreement on a two-state solution was possible by the end of 2008, a goal first set in November 2007 at a US-hosted summit in Annapolis, Maryland.

New York  - The world's major powers agreed on and submitted a new Security Council resolution Friday calling on Iran to halt its nuclear activities, but did not seek additional sanctions against the Tehran regime.

The council's five permanent members - the US, China, Russia, France and Britain - plus Germany touted the new resolution as a show of unity after the UN-backed International Atomic Energy Agency last week said Iran was still expanding its uranium enrichment programme.

New York  - India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called Friday for expeditious negotiations to enlarge the UN Security Council, where India wants a permanent seat on a par with other nuclear powers.

Singh said the council, currently with 15 members, needs to change to reflect "contemporary realities of the 21st century."

New York  - Israeli and Palestinian officials traded accusations over the failure to achieve peace in the region while Western powers sharply condemned Iran's threats against Israel during a series of meetings and speeches on the Middle East at the United Nations on Friday.