DELHI COUNTING IN PROGRESS; AAP RACES AHEADThe counting for 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections is underway. Earlytrends suggest that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party is all set to retain power inthe national capital. In an election that saw a triangular contest betweenthe ruling AAP, BJP, and Congress, much more is at stake than 70 seats ofthe House. The results are about the survival of a young party versus areferendum on the Centre's policies. For AAP, the results will show if itsgambit of seeking a mandate on its performance has paid off; for BJP, ifModi's popularity, the Hindutva agenda prove stronger than anti-CAAprotests. All the exit polls have predicted a comfortable win for ArvindKejriwal's AAP. Barring a few, all of them gave the party over 50 seats.Leads as at 0955 IST (Total 70) : AAP 50, BJP 20, Cong 0DONALD TRUMP TO MAKE HIS FIRST VISIT TO INDIA ON FEB 24, 25: WHITE HOUSEPresident Donald Trump will travel to India later this month on a two-dayvisit, the White House announced on Tuesday, in what would be his first tripto the country as the president of the United States.The president and First Lady Melania Trump will travel to New Delhi andAhmedabad during the visit from February 24-25, White House Press SecretaryStephanie Grisham said.His predecessor, Barack Obama, had travelled to India twice, in 2010 and2015.WHITE HOUSE PROPOSES $1.5 BILLION FOR INDO-PACIFIC REGIONThe Trump administration has proposed $1.5 billion in budgetary allocationfor 2021 fiscal for the crucial Indo-Pacific region, which it said was partof its efforts to ensure that the region remains "free, open, andindependent of malign Chinese influence"."The future of the Indo-Pacific, which contains roughly half the world'spopulation and many of the fastest-growing economies, is critical to U.S.security and long-term economic interests," the White House said in itsbudgetary proposal for the financial year 2021, beginning October 1, 2020."The Budget provides $1.5 billion for the Indo-Pacific, reflecting a strongAdministration commitment to ensuring that the region remains free, open,and independent of malign Chinese influence," it said.This funding supports democracy programs, strengthens security cooperation,improves economic governance and facilitates private sector-led economicgrowth, the White House said.SUBTITLES FINALLY SPEAK TRUTH TO HOLLYWOOD: A FOREIGN FILM IS THE BEST FILMAT OSCARS!Director Bong Joon-ho may be busy recovering from a hangover of a lifetime."I am ready to drink tonight, until next morning," he said on stage,grinning delightedly, and the theatre full of delirious winners andputting-a-brave-face-on-it losers knew exactly how he felt.On top of the world, because that's what winning the Oscar feels like, andBong Joon-ho won not one, but four of those, creating history at the 92ndOscars.The punters had put their money on 1917, Sam Mendes's beautifullyorchestrated World War I saga featuring two young soldiers and the futilityof all conflict. Quentin Tarantino's nostalgia-laden ode to a Hollywood thatwas, was thought to be a favourite with the Hollywood that is. But it wasParasite which swept the biggies which included the expected Best ForeignFilm, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director, and, oh yeah, oh yeah, BestPicture.The other wins are exhilarating enough. But the Best Picture award has nevergone to a film which has, in Bong's words, one-inch subtitles running at thebottom of the screen.This recognition has multiple ramifications but the biggest of them all isthat the Academy, whose voters are primarily middle-aged White Americans,has finally woken up to the fact that "foreign films" are also worthy ofbeing "the best."It is also a win for the Oscars, which were slowly sliding into irrelevance.We know that the glittering red carpet designer wear evening is Hollywoodcelebrating its own best and brightest. But we also know that if you do notgo global, you are dead. Films that open up a universe you had no clue aboutmay use a foreign language with a subtitle crawl, but they speak to us. Noteverything is lost in translation.All other things being equal, Parasite's multiple-Oscar win should launch itinto another level where the money it will earn may encourage foreignlanguage filmmakers to look at not just their own countries but to use theirvery personal stories to reach out to people around the world.INDICATORSSensex 40,980 (-162), Nifty 12,031 (-67), Trading Value NSE (Rs.crores)33,904Nasdaq 9,628 (+108) Dow 29,277 (+174), S&P 3,352 (+24)US$-Rs. 71.26 GBP-Rs. 92.00, Euro-Rs. 77.93, UAE Dhm-Rs.19.40, Can$-Rs.53.55, Aus$- Rs. 47.66GBP 0.77 /US$, Euro 0.91 /US$, Jap.Yen 109.75 /US$, Aus$ 1.49 /US$, Sing1.38 /US$, Bang Taka 83.30 /US$, Can$ 1.33 /US$, Mal Ring 4.14 /US$,Pak Re 153.96 /US$, Phil Peso 50.77 /US$, Russian Rouble 64.01 /US$, NZ$1.56 /US$, Thai Baht 31.25 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 24.30 /US$, Norway NOK 9.27/US$Bitcoin - USD 9,916.01Dollar Index 98.73 Brent Crude 54.10 BDI 415.00Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,568 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 3990 / 3812,Silver (Rs. Per KG) 49,900THOUGHT FOR THE DAYThere are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make adifference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who areafraid you will succeed. - Ray GoforthOFF TRACK"Mom, dad, sit down. I have something very important to tell you," saidSamantha, upon her return home from college after graduation."I met a guy who lives near the college that I really like and we decided weare going to get married!""Oh Samantha! I am so happy for you!" gushed her mom giving, her a big hug."I hope you two will be really happy together! I can't wait to meet him!""Tell us more about him` said her dad, `does he have any money?""Oh Dad! Is that all you men ever think about? That was the first questionhe asked me about you too!"