"Modi Hug Is Special": Netanyahu's High Praise For "Brother" PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trademark “hugplomacy”, where he embraces world leaders in his trademark hug, has once again drawn international attention after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised what he called the famous “Modi hug”.

“It's been a wondrous friendship, both personally, between the two of us, and between our two countries and our two peoples,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu recalled the moment the two leaders greeted each other warmly moments after PM Modi landed in Israel.

“Prime Minister Modi's personal embrace is something special-it's called the ‘Modi hug.' It's well known around the world, and when you hug someone closely, truly, you know it's not an act. It's a real thing,” he said.

“So I want to return the hug here from every single one of the Knesset members; it's not only an indication of the personal relations and the personal friendship between us, but it really reflects the warmth of the tie between our two peoples,” he said.

PM Modi has become known internationally for greeting world leaders with embraces, a departure from traditionally formal diplomatic gestures such as a handshake.

During his visit, Prime Minister Modi addressed Israel's parliament, the Knesset, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to do so.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the Israeli parliament Knesset -- a first by an Indian Prime Minister -- reaffirmed that India stands with Israel in its battle against terror. 

PM Modi last visited Israel in 2017, a trip which opened new avenues in defence, agriculture, and water management cooperation between the two countries. Netanyahu had also welcomed PM Modi at the airport in 2017.

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Ram Abdullah Antony Streaming on Prime Video: What to Know About Poovaiyar, Soundararaja Starrer

One of the most anticipated Tamil crime-thriller films, Ram Abdullah Antony, has finally made its way to digital screens. The film centers on three 12th-grade friends—Ram, Abdullah, and Antony—who belong to different religions but are inseparable. This film is now available for rent exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

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'Dhurandhar 2 Can Permanently Destroy Pan-India South Films,' Says RGV

As Dhurandhar: The Revenge prepares for its theatrical release on March 19, Ram Gopal Varma has made a bold claim about the film. The filmmaker believes the sequel could change the way mainstream Indian cinema is made.

Ram Gopal Varma Hails Dhurandhar

RGV did not hold back in his praise and wrote, "DHURANDAR 2 is an ASTEROID which might end the DINOSAUR era @AdityaDharFilms DHURANDHAR 2 has high chances of completely and permanently obliterating the pan india south films movement by establishing a brand new benchmark with ultra realistic making, genuine character depths etc that actually engage the audience's brain while still delivering a raw visceral impact."

He further suggested that the film could drastically alter audience expectations, adding, "Once audiences taste this new standard, every film currently under production in the previous masala style can become instantly endangered."

In a longer note, RGV argued that big-budget entertainers relying on scale and spectacle may struggle in the wake of Dhurandhar: The Revenge. "Those ultra-big budgeted masala projects that are already deep into shooting or post-production will have an uphill task in competing with the new standards set. Producers who bet entire empires on the same previous formulaic making might face empty theatres and career-ending losses because of the high costs involved and the audience taste converting to the international standards," he claimed.

He went on to critique formula-driven filmmaking and star-led spectacles. 

"Directors married to the belief of 'mass + vfx + scale + gravity-defying stunts = guaranteed hit will have no choice but to reinvent themselves by studying the Dhurandhar audiences. Superstars who were depending upon their god like statuses resting solely on mindless hero worship will stand exposed in front of highly effective characters who grow to be heroes in the context of the story rather than already being hailed as heroes from frame one," RGV wrote.

Concluding his dramatic statement, the filmmaker described the film as a seismic shift for the industry. 

"DHURANDHAR 2 is not just another film coming on March 19th. It can be an ASTEROID STRIKE that might end the DINOSAUR ERA of filmmaking, which is full of sheer volume, fake heroism, and the so-called masala treatment. The goal post has been changed, and so if the direction of the kick does not change, it might not only break the leg, but it might lose the limb," he concluded.

DHURANDAR 2 is an ASTEROID which might end the DINOSAUR era @AdityaDharFilms DHURANDHAR 2 has high chances of completely and permanently obliterating the pan india south films movement by establishing a brand new benchmark with ultra realistic making , genuine character depths…

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) February 24, 2026

About Dhurandhar: The Revenge

The film, directed by Aditya Dhar, serves as a follow-up to the 2025 blockbuster Dhurandhar and dives deeper into the backstory of Ranveer Singh's character, Hamza.

However, Dhurandhar: The Revenge will not have a clear run at the box office. It is set to clash with Toxic: A Fairytale for Grownups, headlined by Yash and directed by Geetu Mohandas. 

The pan-India project also features Kiara Advani, Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Rukmini Vasanth, and Tara Sutaria.

ALSO READ: How Ranveer And Yash's Dhurandhar 2 And Toxic Heroes Are Same Same But Different

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3 Roses Season 2 Out on OTT: Know Where to Watch it Online

3 Roses is a Telugu OTT series that is out with its second season. The streaming began on Dec 12th, 2025, only on AhaTamil.

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Bengaluru Lake Crisis: No Potable Water In India's 'Silicon Valley'

According to data published by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, water quality analysis conducted across 147 monitoring locations between April and November 2025 shows that not a single lake in the city consistently met potable or safe bathing standards.

No Lake Achieves Safe Water Quality

The report categorised lakes under standard water quality classes:

Class A: Potable without treatment

Class B: Safe for bathing

Class D & E: Severely polluted, unsuitable for human use

Shockingly, no lake achieved Class A or Class B status during the monitoring period. Most lakes were classified under D or E, indicating heavy contamination.

Iconic Lakes Among Worst Affected

Several of Bengaluru's most well-known lakes recorded disturbing pollution levels:

Bellandur Lake: Rated E in April, briefly improved to D during summer, before slipping back to E by November.

Varthur Lake: Fluctuated between D and E categories.

Hebbal Lake: Maintained D status for most months before deteriorating to E.

Other severely affected lakes include Madiwala, Kaikondanahalli, Kundalahalli, and Ulsoor (all D/E), while Sankey Tank maintained a D rating. The report notes that the Bommanahalli and Mahadevapura zones emerged as the worst-hit regions, largely due to rapid urbanisation and untreated waste discharge.

Experts Warn of 'Ecological Emergency'

Environmental activist Madhuri Subbarao, co-founder of Friends of Lakes, said the findings confirm long-standing concerns.

"Many lakes in Bengaluru are on the brink of ecological collapse," Ms Subbarao said. "Today, we cannot point to a single lake with healthy water quality, stable ecology, or safe biodiversity. Most lakes fall below acceptable standards, with water unfit even for animal consumption."

She called for urgent government intervention, including the formation of a dedicated lake restoration task force, the scientific identification of pollution sources, and stronger collaboration with citizen groups.

Summer Water Stress Likely to Worsen

The findings come at a critical time as Bengaluru prepares for peak summer, a period when dependence on groundwater and tanker supplies traditionally rises.

With the city's primary surface water bodies now officially declared unfit for use, residents face a mounting challenge in securing safe water as temperatures climb.

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Watch: Abhishek Delivers Motivational Talk Despite 3 Ducks, Gambhir In Splits

Abhishek Sharma enters the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026 after making three ducks in a row, hitting an unprecedented rut in the middle of his first ICC tournament. However, the dashing southpaw seems to have kept his spirits high, and even delivered a motivational pep talk to the Indian team during their practice session ahead of their first Super 8 match against South Africa. Abhishek wrapped up his team talk on an emphatic note that even forced a smile out of head coach Gautam Gambhir.

"It's a sign of a champion team. Let's keep enjoying each other's performances. That's the best thing we are doing right now. The energy we are showing in all the games is fantastic. And we are here to win all the games," said Abhishek during the team talk, which was shared by the BCCI.

Abhishek then concluded his speech by exclaiming the slogan 'Jo Bole So Nihaal, Sat Sri Akal (Whoever utters this shall be fulfilled; Eternal is the true Lord)'. His energetic sign-off invited a similarly energetic roar from his teammates, while head coach Gautam Gambhir also let out a laugh.

Watch: Abhishek Sharma's pep talk ahead of Super 8

Look at Ishan kishan's face, when Abhishek is giving the pep talk. pic.twitter.com/zm1tLzUyjZ

— Gangadhar (@gangadhar_11) February 20, 2026

Abhishek's form has been a big talking point among experts and fans heading into India's first Super 8 match. Tipped by many to be the top run-scorer of the tournament before it started, the No. 1 T20I batter in the world is astonishingly yet to score a single run in the ongoing edition.

Abhishek got out for a first-ball duck against USA in India's opening Group A match. He then suffered a stomach illness, forcing him to miss India's second game against Namibia. However, Abhishek then recorded a further two ducks against Pakistan and Netherlands.

However, Abhishek's lack of form has not majorly impacted the Indian team yet. Ishan Kishan smashed 176 runs in four matches in the group phase, while captain Suryakumar Yadav and all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube have also struck fiery half-centuries during the tournament.

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Award For BJP MP, Language Push: Trinamool's Rajbanshi Outreach Before Polls

The whispers grew louder in the media enclosure, because a sitting BJP MP isn't usually in attendance at a West Bengal government programme. Then, Rajya Sabha MP Anant Maharaj was ushered on stage by Bengal I&B minister Indranil Sen and honoured with the Banga Bibhushan, a state civilian award, by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the event in Kolkata, organised to mark International Mother Language Day on Saturday.

Reciting a poem written during his childhood, Maharaj thanked the Chief Minister for the state honour and then criticised his own party, saying the BJP has done nothing for Cooch Behar. "I am very grateful for this honour. It's International Mother Language Day, and I have been given this award for the Rajbanshi Community," he added, leaving the event 15 minutes later to catch a flight.

Earlier, on Thursday, the Chief Secretary submitted a formal proposal to the Centre to include the Rajbanshi and Kurmali languages in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution, which recognises official languages. This move was also seen as an outreach to the Rajbanshi community, ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.

The Rajbanshis are a scheduled caste community concentrated in North Bengal, especially in districts like Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Malda, and Murshidabad.

In North Bengal, they constitute 30% of the electorate and are seen as an important swing community in the region, where neither the ruling Trinamool Congress nor the BJP can afford to lose ground to keep seat count intact.

The Rajbanshis hold sway in over 15 Assembly seats, where how they vote can affect results. Of the seven seats in Cooch Behar district, the TMC won the Sitai and Mekliganj Assembly seats, while the BJP won the five seats of Dinhata, Sitalkuchi, Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar Uttar and Dakshin.

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