WhatsApp WhatsApp hits two billion users, becoming the second largest social media platform in terms of userbase behind Facebook.
Brazilians Brazilian scientists announce the discovery of a new amoebic "Yaravirus" in Lake Pampulha. The strain was found to be significantly smaller than any known amoebic virus, and 90% of its genome appears to be genes that have never been seen before in any life-form.
Italian Senate The Italian Senate allows former Minister of the Interior and current senator Matteo Salvini to be tried in a criminal case for illegally detaining migrants last summer.
2020 U.S. Democratic Party presidential primaries Iowa Democratic Party chairman Troy Price resigns for his handling of this year's Iowa caucuses.
United States Department of Education The U.S. Department of Education launches an investigation into Harvard and Yale for allegedly accepting billions of dollars in undisclosed gifts from numerous foreign governments, including those from Saudi Arabia, China, and Russia.
Maesiah Thabane Lesotho begins a murder investigation of First Lady Maesiah Thabane for the murder of former first lady Lipolelo Thabane and ex-wife of Prime Minister Tom Thabane.
Maltese More than half of Malta's traffic police officers, including its chief, are arrested for overtime fraud and misuse of public resources.
COVID-19 pandemic Tonga refuses entry to four cruise ships due to health warnings following the pandemic.
MS "Westerdam", with more than two thousand people on board, is finally granted permission to disembark in Cambodia after several countries deny it permission.
The GSM Association decides to cancel this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, amid coronavirus concerns. The event would have been held between February 24 and 27. This is the first time that the mobile communications trade show has been cancelled.
UN human rights commissioner The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights publishes a list of 112 companies linked to activities related to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Ministry of Culture of Colombia The Ministry of Culture of Colombia designates the Spanish galleon "San José" as an asset of cultural interest, thus protecting it from commercial exploitation.
Pope Francis Pope Francis rules against ordaining married men as priests, a possible measure to counter the shortage of Catholic priests. He also ruled against allowing women to be ordained as deacons.
Syrian civil war United States Armed Forces open fire and kill a Syrian after a group of government supporters attempted to block a U.S. convoy in protest at a checkpoint near Qamishli, Al-Hasakah Governorate.