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1. Frank-Walter Steinmeier elected President of Germany

Former foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was elected Germany’s president, the 12th person to hold the largely ceremonial post in the post-war era. Steinmeier, a Social Democrat who had served as foreign minister until last month, won 931 of the 1,239 valid votes by lawmakers and representatives of Germany’s 16 federal states.

2.Indian Tabla player wins Best World Music Album Grammy

The famous tabla player won Best World Music Album with Yo-Yo Ma at the 59th Grammy Awards. Ma’s project titled The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble is a fusion of Indian classical and world music.  The album was released to accompany a documentary on Ma’s project entitled The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble. 

3. David Bowie wins five Grammy Awards posthumously

David Bowie’s 25th and final studio album “Blackstar” won five posthumous trophies at the 59th annual Grammys. The late icon’s album was honoured for best rock performance, best rock song, alternative music album, recording package and engineered album (non-classical), sweeping in all nominated categories.

4. Over 8 lakh people win Rs 133 crore under digital payment scheme

Over 8 lakh people have been awarded a total of Rs 133 crore in the last 50 days under the Niti Aayog’s scheme to promote digital payments. The government on December 25 had launched two schemes – Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana to give boost to digital transaction. The schemes would remain open till April 14.

5. Election Commission asks HRD to introduce ‘electoral literacy’ in schools

The Election Commission wants students to learn from the secondary-school level how to become responsible voters. In a bid to educate 15 to 17-year-old ‘future voters’, who would enrol as voters when they turn 18, the Election Commission has asked the Union HRD ministry to introduce ‘electoral literacy’ in the curriculum at the secondary school level.

6. 2nd edition of International Spice Conference to begin at Thiruvanantapuram

The three-day International Spice Conference, beginning on Feb 12, will deliberate on effective strategies and innovative technologies to improve the livelihood of spices farmers and address challenges being faced by the industry. More than 700 delegates representing various states, Industry leaders from 40 countries, International Spice Associations representatives, Policy makers and End-Users are among those participting.  

7. 11th Aero India 2017 to be held at Yelahanka in Bengaluru from Feb 14

The 11th biennial edition of International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition – Aero India 2017 will be held at the Air Force Station, Yelahanka from February 14-18. Aero India which began in 1996, has carved a niche for itself as a premium aerospace and aviation exhibition in the international arena and has become one of the most sought after exhibitions in the Asian region in terms of participation from across the globe. The event is being organised and conducted by the Defence Exhibition Organisation (DEO).

8. INS Sarvekshak 1st Indian warship to use solar energy

Indian Navy’s survey vessel INS Sarvekshak has gone green by installing a solar power system on board. The navy said the system, equipped on the ship, works using sunlight and hence, is 100% reliable for power source that can be used for communication equipment, battery charging and general lightings onboard round the clock with battery outputs.

By installing the 5 KW solar power system, the vessel will be able to avoid around 165kg of carbon a day, 60,225 kg of carbon a year plus 22,995 litres of diesel. 

9. Kambala Bill passed in Karnataka Assembly

Karnataka assembly has passed a bill to facilitate the conduct of “Kambala”, a traditional annual buffalo race in marshy fields, held in the coastal districts of the state. The clamour for Kambala was spurred by the success of the stir in Tamil Nadu for allowing Jallikattu, which led to the state government bringing a similar amendment to the Central act.

10. Grammy Awards to include first-ever transgender ‘trophy girl’

Grammys, a man and a transgender woman will join the so-called trophy girls who bring music’s top honours onstage. It’s a change that puts the Grammys in the front ranks of awards diversity.Transgender model Martina Robledo and model/actor Derek Marrocco will be trophy presenters at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards  

11. Queen Elizabeth II to host spectacular UK-India Year of Culture launch

Queen Elizabeth II will host a spectacular UK-India Year of Culture launch at Buckingham Palace to strengthen the special cultural partnership between the two countries.The Palace had officially announced the date of the reception, February 27 in the monarch’s engagements calendar. 90-year-old Queen Elizabeth II is the world’s longest reigning sovereign and has become the first British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee, with 65 years on the throne.  

12. World’s first scuba restaurant opens in Brussels

A new underwater eatery has opened in Brussels at the bottom of one of the deepest pools in the world. If you fancy diving in, first you’ll have to head to NEMO33 in Belgium and don your scuba gear before plunging 5m below the surface. Once you’ve hit the bottom you can crawl into a futuristic white pod and await some deep sea delicacies. 

13. World’s longest elevated cycleway opens in China

The longest elevated bike path in the world has been opened in the Chinese city of Xiamen.Standing at five miles long and 16 feet wide, large sections of the route sit underneath an elevated motor vehicle expressway offering shelter from the elements for the 2,023 cyclists the route can carry per hour.Alongside cycle hire stations the route will feature bike servicing pavilions and plenty of bicycle parking for privately owned bicycles.

14. US, Japan successfully intercept missile in space

The US and Japanese military have successfully tested the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missile defence system by intercepting a medium-range ballistic missile target in space for the first time. The missile was launched from a ship off the west coast of Hawaii, US. The US Missile Defence Agency said that the defence system met each of its primary objectives.

15. India beat Pakistan by 9 wickets to win T20 Blind World Cup 2017

India has successfully defended their title in the T20 Blind World Cup at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore by beating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final by nine wickets. Incidentally, in the previous and only edition of the T20 World Cup for the visually impaired, Pakistan had been on the losing end then too.

16. UFC get its first women’s featherweight champ

Germaine de Randamie defeated Holly Holm by unanimous decision in a clinch-filled bout at UFC 208 to become the first UFC women’s featherweight champion. The 32-year-old de Randamie (7-3) dropped to her knees in celebration as the Barclays Center crowd booed the end of a lackluster bout.  

17. Jiro Taniguchi, legend in Japan’s comic art of manga, dies at 69

Jiro Taniguchi, a legend in Japan’s comic art of manga, died at the age of 69, his publisher in France, Casterman, announced.Taniguchi first shot to fame in Japan at the end of the 1980s with the first volume of “The Times of Botchan”, which centres around Natsume Soseki, one of Japan’s greatest writers.

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Also Read The Current Affairs For February 10′ 2017