Omar to be J&K CM
NC-Congress to form next coalition government
New Delhi, December 30
It’s official now. National Conference president Omar Abdullah would be heading the next coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir, with the support of the Congress. AICC president Sonia Gandhi today okayed the power sharing formula in which the two parties would be “equal partners”.

Promises stable govt
Editorial: Generational change

(From left): Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad, National Conference president Omar Abdullah and Union Minister for Water Resources Saifuddin Soz after a meeting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Manas Ranjan Bhui

Deactivate forward air bases, Pak to India
Pakistan on Tuesday claimed there was a “positive” development in its relations with India in the past 48 hours and proposed two concrete measures to defuse current tension between the two neighbours.

We’ve done nothing to escalate tension: Pranab
New Delhi, December 30
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee hit out at Pakistan today, saying India had not escalated tension so there was no question of it de-escalating it.

Editorial: De-escalation yes

Stunning victory for Hasina’s alliance
Former premier Sheikh Hasina won a landslide victory in Bangladesh’s first election in seven years, decimating her rivals to take an absolute majority in Parliament that would restore democracy after a two-year reign by an army-backed interim administration.

Karnataka Bypoll
BJP wins five seats, absolute majority
Bangalore, December 30
The ruling BJP in Karnataka today secured the much-desired simple majority in the state Assembly by winning five of the eight constituencies where by-polls were held on Saturday.

Israel readying for heavy blow
Gaza, December 30
Israel hit the Gaza Strip with more air strikes today and warned its military action could last weeks, while its Islamist enemy Hamas vowed to keep up rocket attacks on Israeli cities.

UN chides world leaders over Gaza violence
United Nations, December 30
UN secretary-general Ban ki-Moon chided world leaders for not doing enough to halt what he called an unacceptable level of violence in Gaza and press for a long-term political solution.

India condemns Israeli attacks
EU foreign ministers meet today

Air India slashes domestic fares
Mumbai, December 30
Air India today announced a sharp cut in fares on a number of sectors as the government leaned on public sector enterprises to slash prices and drive up demand. As per the fare reductions, which come into effect from today, passengers flying some sectors will be able to enjoy up to a whopping 82 per cent discount in basic fares, according to the airline.

New Year Gift India repatriates 65 Pak nationals Attari, December 30 Growing tension on the border following Mumbai strikes notwithstanding, India today repatriated 65 Pakistani nationals, including 28 women and four children, from the Attari-Wagah joint checkpost here. These Pakistani nationals were released from various Indian jails, including New Delhi, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Amritsar.