New York - After a day of sharp exchanges over the Middle East peace process and Iran's role in the region, world powers on Friday urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to reach a final peace deal by the end of the year.

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.

Rice said the fact there was a process represented a change from the seven years of silence before Annapolis. Both sides had "come quite a long way from those dark days."

New York - The world's major powers agreed on Friday on a new Security Council resolution 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 United States, 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 that Iran was expanding its uranium enrichment programme and not cooperating fully with the agency's investigators.

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.

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.

United Nations, Sept 26 : World powers are meeting today at the UN aiming to support security and stability in Pakistan in the wake of the fresh spate of suicide bombings in the strife-torn country, German Foreign Minister and Vice-Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.

Speaking to media persons at the UN last evening on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Steinmeier said that leaders or ministers from the US, Britain, the Gulf States and other European countries along with Germany would gather at the meeting to decide help for war-ravaged Pakistan.

“We will together discuss how we can achieve stability in Pakistan,” The News quoted him as saying.

United Nations, Sept 26: Pakistan will continue the composite dialogue process with India initiated by erstwhile Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf in order to resolve the outstanding issues with the neighbouring country, said Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari in his UN address in New York last evening.

He said that both India and Pakistan must respect each other and work to peacefully resolve all outstanding issues.