Brussels, Jan. 3 : A two-day conference held here last month on the cultural heritage of Kashmiris, has declared that there is a need to forge "a peaceful pathway through identifying and implementing a series of steps that will lead to a prosperous and cohesive future for all of the people of Kashmir, wherever they may reside."

In its eight-point declaration, the conference recognising that, irrespective of their location, all people of the Former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir share a unique and ancient heritage.

Rajkot (Gujrat), Jan. 3 : Unexpected rains have affected Rajkot''s onion crop severely causing a sharp rise in the prices of the product.

Just a month ago, onions were priced at seven rupees per kg. Now it is soared to 22 rupees per kilogram.

Untimely rains have also affected the production of the crop in other parts of Gujrat and Nashik and Maharashtra.

Rajesh Parekh, an onion trader blamed on the excess shortage of onions in various cities for the recent price rise.

Earlier the onion crop demand in the state used to be 5000 kg a day, but it has dropped to 1500 kg.

Washington, Jan 3 : A US airline has apologized to nine Muslim American passengers from the Washington area who were removed from a flight out of Reagan National Airport.

But a Muslim civil rights group has said that it intends to press a discrimination complaint against the airline for its treatment of the passengers, The Washington Post reported.

New Delhi/Chandigarh, Jan 3 : A cold wave swept through North India on Saturday with temperatures plummeting and fog disrupting transport in New Delhi and Chandigarh.

New Delhi was gripped by dipping temperatures coupled with dense fog, making life difficult for people.

The minimum temperature fell to 4 degrees Celsius on Friday, one of the coldest winter mornings of the season.

Mukhesh Kumar Dixit, a rickshaw puller, who woke up at around 5:00 in the morning, was unable to bear the winter chill. He said his hands were freezing and that he would not be able to work in such weather.

Nicosia, Jan 3 -- The World Bank''s report Doing Business in the Arab World 2009 says the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the easiest country to do business in the Middle East. The report ranked UAE in the 14th place globally in its assessment of 181 countries.

"Economies that have efficient customs, good transport networks and fewer document requirements, making compliance with export and import procedures faster and cheaper, are more competitive globally," the report said.

Islamabad, Jan. 3 : A leading daily in Pakistan has contradicted the statement of a Foreign Office spokesman which said that Pakistan has no terrorist infrastructure on its soil.

According to an editorial in `The News' the statement of the official was no were near the reality. The fact that Pakistan provided a safe haven to the terrorist groups and that its territory is being used as a breeding ground of these outlawed groups can not be denied.