Pakistan, India step back from the brink

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan -A flare up between India and Pakistan appeared to be easing on Saturday after Islamabad handed back a captured Indian pilot, amid efforts by global powers to prevent a war between the neighbors.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who became the face and symbol of the biggest clash between India and Pakistan in many years, walked across the border just before 9 pm on Friday in a high-profile handover shown on live television.

Shelling on both sides of the Line of Control that acts as a de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region continued for a few hours after his release, resulting in four deaths, but then stopped overnight, officials said.