United Kingdom British cosmologist Stephen Hawking and Russian venture capitalist and physicist Yuri Milner announce " Breaktrough Starshot," a $100 million effort to plan a trip to the sun's closest stellar neighbor, Alpha Centauri, via developing nanotechnology that would put the craft within the star system roughly 20 years after leaving Earth.
Lysergic acid diethylamide A British brain scan study of Lysergic acid diethylamide shows LSD may be useful in treating mental disorders such as major depressive disorder.
Brazil impeachment process, 2016 President Dilma Rousseff, speaking with teachers and students, says Vice President Michel Temer and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Eduardo Cunha are jointly plotting her downfall. The two men are in line to succeed her if she is impeached.
In 2016 Paul Ryan, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, rules out seeking or accepting the Republican Party nomination in 2016.
Handwara Hundreds of people take to the streets of Handwara, Jammu and Kashmir after Indian Army soldiers shot dead at least two people during a protest against an alleged case of sexual harassment by an army soldier against a young woman.
Bad Aibling rail accident A German train controller, who was operating the tracks where two trains collided on February 9 near the town of Bad Aibling, Bavaria, is arrested on possible manslaughter charges. Prosecutors say the controller had been playing a game on his mobile phone, which led to his making signalling errors. The crash resulted in 11 deaths and 85 injuries, 24 serious.
Panama Papers Authorities in Panama raid law firm Mossack Fonseca, the source of the data leaked about offshore companies.
North Carolina House Bill 2 North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signs Executive Order 73 that addresses some, but not all, troublesome provisions in House Bill 2 that caused businesses, traveling recording stars, etc., to stay clear of the state. The order does expand the state's anti-discrimination employment policy to include LBGT protection, but reiterates that people use the marked facility consistent with "... their biological sex." The American Civil Liberties Union says the order, "... fall(s) far short of correcting the damage done ... (and that)... transgender people are still explicitly targeted by being forced to use the wrong restroom." Equality North Carolina says, "... the order doubles down on the Governor's support for some of the most problematic provisions of HB2."
Brussels bombings in 2016 Belgium federal prosecutors say two more men have been charged with terrorist offenses linked to last month's Brussels bombing. Also, three people connected to the last year's Paris attacks are in custody.
Australian ''60 Minutes'' Australian "60 Minutes" reporter Tara Brown and her crew are reportedly facing kidnapping charges in Lebanon following a bungled child recovery attempt.
Bolivia – Russia relations Russia and Bolivia meet to discuss how Russian defense firms can help the South American nation's long-term rearmament plan.
Iran – Italy relations During a visit to Iran, Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi signs various bilateral agreements to enhance relations between the two countries, including plans for cooperation between the Italian electricity and gas company Enel and the National Iranian Oil Company.
North Korea – South Korea relations North Korea accuses South Korea of kidnapping its citizens and demands their immediate return after Seoul's Ministry of Unification said 13 of them had defected to South Korea from China, where they worked in a Pyongyang-operated restaurant. China says that the 13 people, a male manager and 12 young female employees, had legitimate passports and had freely exited China.
Cross-Strait relations Taiwan accuses China of "extrajudicial abduction" after 45 Taiwanese acquitted of fraud in Kenya were forcibly deported to China.
Pakistan A Pakistani police officer accidentally detonates a grenade in an anti-terrorism court in Karachi, injuring himself and a court assistant. The officer was attempting to demonstrate a grenade detonator to a judge and said the grenade was defused before pulling the pin.
Mumbai A massive fire occurs in a textile factory in the Mumbai suburb of Bhiwandi in India's Maharashtra state. Fifty people are feared trapped.
Reuters Reuters reports that it has seen a draft memorandum generated by the International Monetary Fund that describes the debt owed by Greece to its European partners as "highly unsustainable."
Italian A painting, "Judith Beheading Holofernes", believed to be from Italian painter Caravaggio, is discovered in an attic in the French city of Toulouse.
War in Somalia U.S. officials say unmanned airstrikes in southern Somalia killed about a dozen suspected militants from the al Qaeda-linked group al Shabaab on Monday and Tuesday.
Operation Barkhane A French Army soldier is killed and three others are injured after their convoy hit a landmine in northern Mali.
Russian military intervention in the Syrian civil war A Russian Air Force Mi-28 attack helicopter crashes near the Syrian city of Homs, killing two pilots.
PKK rebellion (2015–present) A car bomb attack on a Turkish gendarmerie in the town of Hani kills at least two people and injures 50.