1. OSCAR AWARDS 2017
i. The 89th Academy Awards ceremony (commonly referred as Oscar Awards) , presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to honor the best films of 2016, in 24 categories, held at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, California.
ii. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, produced by Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd and Directed by Glenn Weiss. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel hosted the ceremony for the first time.
These are the winners of the 89th annual Academy Awards:
Best Director
Damien Chazelle for 'La La Land'
Best Adapted Screenplay
Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney for 'Moonlight'
Best Original Screenplay
Kenneth Lonergan for 'Manchester By The Sea'
Best Music Original Song
City of Stars' from 'La La Land' by Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Best Music Original Score
Justin Hurwitz for 'La La Land'
Best Cinematography
Linus Sandgren for 'La La Land'
Best Live Action Short
'Sing' by Kristof Deak and Anna Udvardy
Best Documentary Short
'The White Helmets' by Orlando Von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara
Best Film Editing
John Gilbert for 'Hacksaw Ridge'
Best Visual Effects
Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R Jones and Dan Lemmon for 'The Jungle Book'
Best Production Design
David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco for 'La La Land'
Best Animated Feature
'Zootopia' by Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer
Best Animated Short
'Piper' by Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer
Best Foreign Language Film
'The Salesman' by Asghar Farhadi
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Viola Davis for 'Fences'
Best Sound Mixing
Kevin O'Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace for 'Hacksaw Ridge'
Best Sound Editing
Sylvian Bellemare for 'Arrival'
Best Documentary Feature
Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow for 'O J: Made In America'
Best Costume Design
Colleen Atwood for 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them'
Best Actress in a Leading Role
Emma Stone for 'La La Land'
Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson for 'Suicide Squad'
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male)
Mahershala Ali for 'Moonlight'
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Casey Affleck for 'Manchester by the Sea'
Best Picture
Source- The New York Times
2. Chandra Shekhar Azad's 86th Martyrdom Day observed: 27th February
i. Chandra Shekhar Azad's 86th Martyrdom Day observed on 27th February.
ii. He was born on 23 July 1906, in Bhavra, Alirajpur. He died on 27 February 1931 at Allahabad. He lived for mere 24 years, but made a world of difference to India’s freedom struggle.
3. India, Germany ratify Social Security Agreement
i. India and Germany have ratified the Social Security Agreement (SSA), which will come into force from 1st May 2017, to help promote more investment flows between the two countries.
ii. The SSA will also integrate the provisions of the 2008 social insurance pact that exempts detached workers of the two country from making social security contributions in both the countries.
4. Rajasthan Inaugurates Medical Project RAHAT for Prompt Treatment of Heart Disease
i. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje inaugurated a medical project Rajasthan Heart Attack Treatment programme (RAHAT) at the Eternal Heart Care Center Hospital in Jaipur.
ii. RAHAT programme aims to provide people in remote and rural areas with timely treatment during heart attacks. It has been launched by the private hospitals in the state.
iii. Under the programme, the patients facing heart attack would be provided with emergency ambulance service and telemedicine service through Eternal Heart Care Center Hospital.
5. Mumbai richest Indian city with total wealth of $820 bn
i. According to the New World Wealth report Mumbai, the financial capital of India has been named as the Richest Indian city with a total wealth of $ 820 billion.
ii. Delhi with a total wealth of $ 450 billion and Bengaluru with a total wealth of $ 320 billion in the second and third places, respectively.
6. SoftBank, Foxconn form joint venture to expand investments
i. Japan's SoftBank Group Corp and Taiwan's Foxconn have agreed to form a joint venture, as the two large Asian technology companies expand their ties.
ii. The arrangement involves Foxconn buying a 54.5% stake in SoftBank Group Capital Apac Pte Ltd, a wholly owned SoftBank unit, for $600 million
7. UBI ties up with IRCTC to launch railway booking facility
i. Kolkata-based United Bank of India (UBI) has launched a railway ticket booking facility by having a direct tie-up with IRCTC.
ii. With the introduction of this facility, UBI customers can now book railway tickets seamlessly through IRCTC website using the bank’s debit card.
8. TCS Ranked Among Top Three IT Services Brands Globally by Brand Finance
i. India’s largest software services firm Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been rated as one of the top three 'most-valuable brands' in the Information Technology (IT) service sector by Brand Finance, the leading global brand valuation firm. As IBM and Accenture are on the top two positions.
ii. However, the overall global position of the company dropped down by one spot to 25th from 2016 when it was 24th. TCS was also rated as Tata Sons highest brand strength of AA+ and generates 69% of the total revenue of the parent company.
9. World's first robot table tennis tutor sets Guinness record
i. The world's first robot table tennis tutor FORPHEUS in Japan has set a new Guinness World Record for its uncanny ability of being able to play the game better than most humans.
ii. FORPHEUS (Future Omron Robotics Technology for Exploring Possibility of Harmonised Automation with Sinic Theoretics) has officially been given the Guinness title for its unique technological intelligence and educational capabilities.
10.Saina Nehwal to represent Olympic Committee in BWF
i. Star Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal was appointed as a member of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Athletes' Commission (AC) in 2016, will represent the panel in the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
ii. Saina would join the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Athletes' Commission as a representative. Currently, ranked world number 10 in BWF rankings.
11. John-John Dohmen, Naomi Van named best Hockey Players of 2016
i. FIH (International Hockey Federation) Hockey Stars Awards were conferred in Chandigarh. This was first time in the history of Hockey that the ceremony was held to honor best players, rising stars, goalkeepers, umpires and coaches.
ii. Belgium captain John-John Dohmen and Netherlands' Naomi Van were named as male and female International Hockey Federation's player of the year, 2016 awards respectively.
The other awardees are-
1. Hockey Stars 2016 Male goalkeeper of the year: Ireland's David Harte
2. Hockey Stars 2016 Female goalkeeper of the year: Great Britain's Maddie Hinch.
3. Male Rising Star of the year: Belgium's Arthur Van Doren
4. Female Rising Star of the year: Argentina's Maria Granatto
5. Coach of the year awards male: Great Britain's Danny Kerry
6. Coach of the year awards female: Great Britain's Karen Brown
7. Umpire of the year awards male: Germany's Christian Blasch
8. Umpire of the year awards Female: Belgium's Laurine Delforge
Source- The Indian Express
12. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeats Lucas Pouille to win 2017 Open 13
i. Second-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated Frenchman Lucas Pouille to win the 2017 Open 13.
ii. The '2017 Open 13' is a men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 24th edition of the Open 13, and part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the 2017 ATP World Tour, at the Palais des Sports in Marseille, France, from 20 February to 26 February 2017.
