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 - Foreign ministers from the world's major powers met Friday in New York to discuss Iran's nuclear programme, according to German government sources.

The meeting of the United Nations Security Council's five permanent members - US, Russia, China, France, Britain - plus Germany comes after an earlier scheduled ministerial gathering to discuss sanctions had been cancelled.

France and the United States have been pushing for another round of Security Council sanctions against Iran over its ongoing nuclear programme.

Munich - Iran poses a threat to Israel as well as to democratic states in the West, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany warned on Friday.

The dimension of threat posed to Jews and the entire free world was being underestimated, Charlotte Knobloch said at a reception marking the Jewish New Year's festival Rosh Hashanah.

"Atom bombs in the hands of the rulers in Tehran pose a threat to all democratic states," she said, referring to Iran's controversial nuclear programme.

Tehran - In a move to questions the historic dimensions of the Holocaust, Iran has published a cartoon book on the massacre of Jews during World War II, state television reported Friday.

The book is titled Holocaust and contains satirical cartoons and texts aimed at questioning the Holocaust and how the issue was misused by Israelis.

The book was presented to mark the so-called "Quds Day" and state-organized anti-Israel rallies held on Friday throughout Iran.

London - Israel considered bombing Iran's nuclear sites but US President George W Bush refused to give his support, a newspaper reported Friday.

Tehran - Thousands are expected Friday at Iran's annual nationwide anti-Israeli demonstrations with the standard slogans "Death to Israel" and "Death to America" to be echoing throughout the country.

The late leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, had declared the last Friday of the fasting month of Ramadan to be the "Quds Day," intended to be a day to call for the liberation of Jerusalem from Israeli occupation.

After Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Jerusalem, or Quds in Arabic, is the holiest place for Muslims.