India: Kashmir rally, Mumbai massacre

Serene Dal Lake in war torn Kashmir, made famous by a Led Zeppelin song residents have never heard, Kashmir Valley, India (AFP).

Kashmir, in the extreme north of India, is a state (J&K) with a wondrous valley, home of the remains of Jesus Christ, and the gateway to Buddhist-India (Ladakh). Its proximity to Tibet means constant foot traffic between world-famous Hemis Gompa, the Chinese line-of-control (de facto border), and Lhasa (in the Tibetan Autonomous Region).

Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is the banking and movie capital (Bollywood) of India. It is home to millions -- as made infamous by the Academy award-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" -- and recently suffered an appalling attack from Pakistan. It is home to a little-known religious minority (the Parsis) who practice Zorastrianism (Zoraster as in Zarathustra), which formed the foundation of the Christian tradition.

Suspected communist rebels kill 16 police in India
MUMBAI, India (AP) - Suspected communist rebels ambushed a police patrol in western India today, killing 16 officers, police said.

Thousands rally in Kashmir to mourn slain separatist leaders
SRINAGAR, India (AFP) - Tens of thousands of Kashmiris chanting pro-freedom slogans today held a rally to commemorate two top separatists slain on the same day a dozen years apart.

• Asia News

Another example of post-colonial civil strife thanks to the United Kingdom and its waning dreams of empire: Supporters of the moderate faction of Indian-administered Kashmir's main separatist alliance the All Parties Hurriyat Conference attend a rally in downtown Srinagar. Tens of thousands of Kashmiris chanting pro-freedom slogans today held a rally to commemorate two top separatists slain on the same day a dozen years apart (AFP/Tauseef Mustafa).