• JAPAN
  Protesters stage a silent rally near Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s official residence in Tokyo on February 1, mourning the death of a second Japanese hostage, Kenji Goto, who was beheaded by the Islamic State group (XINHUA/ AFP)
• THE UNITED STATES
  Groundhog Day celebrations are held at Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. on February 2, where the famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicted that the United States will face another six weeks of winter weather (XINHUA)
• BRAZIL
  Salgueiro Samba School dancers perform during their rehearsal at Sambadromo in Rio de Janeiro on February 1, ahead of parades set to take place on February 15-16 (XINHUA/AFP)
• ISRAEL
  A flock of starlings fly in synchronous motion against a sunset over the northern Israeli Negev desert on February 2 (XINHUA/AFP)
• ETHIOPIA
  The 24th African Union Summit concludes at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on January 31 after deliberating on the Adoption of Agenda 2063, an action plan to foster a prosperous and peaceful Africa (XINHUA)
• UKRAINE
  Ukrainian soldiers ride an armored vehicle to Debaltseve, Donetsk region, on February 1, when battles raged between government forces and pro-Russian rebels following the collapse of ceasefire talks (XINHUA/AFP)