Thick smog is blanketing New Delhi after Diwali celebrations with fireworks sent air pollution levels soaring. Revelers burst firecrackers late into Monday night, filling the air with smoke and fine particles. By Tuesday morning, air quality in several neighborhoods ranked as severe. Last week, India's top court eased a ban on firecrackers, allowing limited use of "green firecrackers" that emit fewer pollutants. Pollution spikes due to firecrackers are common after Diwali, which coincides with cooler weather and crop residue fires. New Delhi and its metropolitan region — home to more than 30 million people — routinely ranks among the world's most polluted cities during winter.

Indian police say gunmen have killed at least 26 tourists at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir. Tuesday's attack appears to be a major shift in the regional conflict in which tourists have largely been spared from violence. Two senior police officers say at least four gunmen, whom they described as militants, fired at dozens of tourists from close range. The officers say at least three dozen others were injured, with many in serious condition. The region's top elected official says the attack is "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years."