India
Modi Sends Diwali Wishes, IAF Sets Altitude Record, Tech Mahindra Leader Killed in Faridabad
By HT News Desk
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a video message on Saturday wishing all Indians a happy Diwali, describing the festival as a triumph of light over darkness and expressing hope for happiness, peace and prosperity for all citizens. He also said he would continue his tradition of celebrating Diwali with Indian soldiers, but did not disclose where he would spend the festival this year.
In aviation news, an Indian Air Force IL‑76MD heavy‑lift aircraft landed at the 13,629‑foot Mudh‑Nyoma airbase in Ladakh, marking the world’s highest‑altitude landing by any aircraft. The event was announced by the Air Force on Saturday and was said to reinforce India’s strategic airlift capability and operational reach.
A former regional business head of Tech Mahindra’s Asia‑Pacific region, Paramjith Dhankhar, was shot dead by a neighbour after a parking dispute in Faridabad’s Sector 21C on Friday night. Dhankhar, who had been settled in Singapore and was then working as senior vice president of FPT Software Company Limited, headquartered in Vietnam, was killed in the incident.
Other stories included a report that the colours of firecrackers in Delhi on Diwali night are produced by metal salts such as barium and strontium, with measurements taken by a team from IIT Delhi showing barium levels up to 190 times the previous week’s level and strontium up to 145 times.
In sports, India won the rain‑hit second ODI against New Zealand, taking a 2‑0 lead in the white‑ball series.
The entertainment section noted that the 2023 film Animal sparked debate over its graphic violence, a topic that has previously drawn criticism for other films.
The Hindustan Times News Desk reports on these and other developments across politics, business, science, environment, law, and international affairs, drawing on official statements, government agencies, court records, and other authoritative sources.