The hottest events in the world over the past 24 hours.

1. Two French military helicopters collide, killing 5 people.

An illustrative image from Sputnik.

At least five people were killed after two helicopters from a French military training school collided in southern France.

According to local officials, the accident occurred in the southeastern Var region. Rescue teams are currently searching for one person who is missing in the accident.The cause of the accident is currently unknown. However, officials confirmed that both aircraft belonged to the Eatat military flight school, which trains pilots for the military and other military services.

2. Cambodia proposes removing the position of Minister of State from the Government.

The Cambodian government held a meeting on the morning of February 2nd.

On the morning of February 2nd, the Cambodian government held a plenary session to discuss and provide feedback on the draft revised Constitution prepared by the Ministry of Justice.

Cambodia's original law has 16 chapters and 158 articles, and has undergone six amendments. This time, Cambodia is amending Articles 34, 42, 49, 53, and 118, which relate to issues such as elections, candidacy, the formation of associations, groups, and political parties.

In this draft, the Cambodian government proposes that the drafting unit remove the position of Secretary of State in ministries and departments from the list of government members.

3. North Korea warns it will "not sit idly by" if the US and South Korea resume military exercises.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho. Photo: AP.

The North Korean government warned on February 2nd that if the United States and South Korea proceed with their joint military exercises after the Winter Olympics, it will not stand idly by.

The statement comes as North Korea halted its missile testing plans in late November 2017, opening the door to inter-Korean dialogue. These first talks in nearly two years have eased tensions on the Korean Peninsula after a year of escalating verbal clashes between the US and North Korea.

In a letter to the United Nations, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho emphasized that whenever joint military exercises take place, it means that peace and security on the Korean Peninsula are seriously threatened.

4. The third-highest ranking diplomat in the Trump administration resigns.

American diplomat Shannon. Photo: NBC News.

Tom Shannon, the third-highest ranking official in the U.S. State Department, announced on February 1 that he would be resigning.

This is the latest instance of a senior U.S. diplomat announcing their resignation since President Donald Trump took office a year ago.

In the U.S. State Department, Shannon held the position of Undersecretary for Political Affairs. He was a veteran diplomat, having served in the service for 34 years, corresponding to six U.S. Presidents and ten U.S. Secretaries of State.

In a letter to U.S. diplomatic staff, Shannon, 60, said he was resigning for personal reasons.

5. The eldest son of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro committed suicide.

Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, the eldest son of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Photo: AFP.

Fidel Castro Diaz-Balart, the eldest son of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, committed suicide on February 1st after a long period of treatment for depression.

Cuba's official newspaper, Cubadebate, reported on January 2nd: "Mr. Diaz-Balart had been receiving treatment from a team of doctors for months due to depression and committed suicide on the morning of February 1st in Havana."

Castro Junior, 68, is also known as Fidelito, due to his striking resemblance to his father, leader Fidel Castro.

6.Japan and the US fail in testing a new type of interceptor missile.

Illustrative image. Source: SpaceNews

On February 2nd, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera stated that Japan and the United States had failed twice in testing a new interceptor missile they were jointly developing to counter enemy threats.ballistic missilesChosen.

Responding to reporters, Minister Onodera stated that the test of the new generation SM3 Block 2A interceptor missile in Hawaii on January 31st was a failure. This means that in a total of three tests to date, this new missile has failed twice in a row. However, Minister Onodera added that this failure appeared to be due to human error rather than technical issues. Therefore, both sides will thoroughly analyze the cause of the failure.

7.Boat capsizes off the coast of Libya, dozens may have drowned.

Migrants rescued by Spanish forces in the waters off Libya in November 2017. Source: AFP/VNA

Reuters, citing a statement from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), estimates that 90migrantsThey may have drowned off the coast of Libya after a smuggling boat carrying them capsized in the early morning of February 2nd. Currently, three people have survived, and ten bodies have washed ashore following the incident.

IOM spokesperson Olivia Headon said that survivors told aid workers that the majority of the migrants were Pakistanis who were on their way to Italy.
"They gave an estimate of 90 people drowning in the boat capsizing, but we still need to verify the exact number of victims in this tragedy," said Ms. Headon.

8.Russia warns its citizens of the risk of arrest and extradition by the United States.

Illustrative image. Source: Reuters

Relations between Russia and the US are at risk of further escalation, with Moscow issuing a travel warning on February 1st, advising Russian citizens to carefully consider the risks of arrest and extradition to the US.

A statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry said that despite Russia's calls for improved cooperation between the two ministries, more than 10 Russian citizens have been detained abroad since the beginning of 2017 with the involvement of the United States.
Specifically, at least four Russians have been arrested in Spain, Latvia, and Greece on charges of cybercrime in the United States.
U.S. action against Russian citizens suspected of cybercrime reached a record high last year.

8. President Putin reveals his plans if he is not re-elected.

Russian President Putin

According to RT news agency, Russian President Putin visited the Rostselmash agricultural equipment manufacturing plant on February 2nd. There, the Russian leader had the opportunity to experience working with a rice harvesting machine.

President Putin said that his career could have taken a different turn if he hadn't been re-elected.

"If things don't go smoothly, I'll start working as a combine harvester driver after March 18th," he joked, referring to the upcoming election next month.President Putin officially announced his plan to run for re-election as an independent candidate in early December 2017.

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