Iran threatens to purge Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader. (Source: The Economist)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

Asia-Pacific

*Bangladesh army forms interim government: Bangladesh army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that an interim government will be formed to run Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on August 5, amid protests in the South Asian country.

Mr Zaman confirmed that Prime Minister Hasina had resigned and flown to India amid hundreds of thousands of protesters demanding her resignation.

Hasina, 76, was sworn in as Bangladesh's prime minister for a fourth consecutive five-year term in January this year after her ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party won a landslide victory in the general election. (Xinhua)

*Indonesia: Rebels shoot dead New Zealand helicopter pilot: On August 5, police said rebels in Indonesia's restive Papua region shot dead a New Zealand helicopter pilot, less than two years after another New Zealand pilot was kidnapped.

The 50-year-old pilot was flying a plane carrying four Indonesian medical workers and two children. Faizal Ramadhani, head of the Cartenz Peace Task Force, said all passengers survived but the pilot was shot dead. (AFP)

*Cambodia breaks ground on Funan Techo canal project: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet on August 5 broke ground on a controversial $1.7 billion canal project that aims to provide a new route from the Mekong River to the sea, describing the 180-km project as "historic" and pledging to "complete it at all costs".

“We have to build this canal at all costs,” Manet said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Funan Techo Canal project. The Funan Techo Canal will run from the Mekong River, about an hour’s drive southeast of Phnom Penh, to the sea in the Gulf of Thailand.

The Cambodian government said the canal would provide an alternative to transiting through Vietnam and would reduce dependence on Vietnamese ports, generating economic activity worth 21-30% more than the cost of the project. (AFP)

*Japan, Cambodia agree to strengthen defense cooperation: On August 5, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Seiha agreed that the two countries will continue to strengthen defense cooperation and exchanges.

During their meeting in Phnom Penh, Kihara and Seiha also pledged to promote multilateral cooperation, including between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to the Japanese Ministry of Defense. The two sides welcomed the move to upgrade Japan-Cambodia relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” last year to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

Japan has been focusing on its strategy of strengthening security cooperation with ASEAN countries in recent years, in an apparent counterweight to China's growing military might in the Indo-Pacific region. (Kyodo)

Middle East-Africa

*Israel is ready for a “multi-front” war: During a meeting with the security cabinet on the evening of August 4, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that the country is in a “multi-front” war with Iran and its proxy forces.

Meanwhile, White House Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer stated: “We are doing everything we can to ensure that this situation does not get worse.” The US has also transported important military equipment to the region to be ready for combat.

On the same day, a stabbing attack near Tel Aviv left two people dead and two injured. Police said the attack was carried out by a Palestinian militant. In Gaza, the Israeli military said it had struck Hamas command centers at two schools in Gaza City. Israeli housing authorities have sent out notices asking residents to prepare shelters in case of an emergency. (Arab News)

*Russian official arrives in Iran to discuss regional and global security: On August 5, the Russian Security Council announced that its Secretary Sergei Shoigu arrived in Iran as part of a planned working visit to discuss global and regional security issues.

Shoigu will hold talks with his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Ahmadian and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri. He will also be received by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The agenda includes a wide range of issues of cooperation between Russia and Iran in Tehran, including security and economy. (Sputniknews)

*Iran threatens to purge Prime Minister Netanyahu in retaliation for assassination of Hamas leader: Mohammad Qasim Osmani, a member of the Iranian parliament, has threatened that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be purged in retaliation for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement.

"We will not accept anything less than the death of Netanyahu," Osmani was quoted as saying by IRIB television during a parliamentary session. Osmani said Israel had been "so bold" to "murder a guest in Tehran" and declared that "Iran will choose the right moment to avenge Haniyeh's death."

Hamas said on July 31 that Hamas leader Haniyeh was killed in an Israeli attack on his residence in Tehran, where he had come to attend the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. (TASS)

*Israel considers preemptive strike on Iran: The Times of Israel announced on August 5 that the Israeli government is considering the possibility of conducting a preemptive strike against Iran if it discovers that Iran is planning to attack Israel.

According to the Times of Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting late on August 4 with Israel's security leaders, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Mossad chief David Barnea and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

The US-based news website Axios earlier cited unnamed sources as saying that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had informed G7 foreign ministers that Iran and Hezbollah could launch an attack against Israel within the next 24 hours. (Times of Israel)

Europe

*Ukraine receives $3.9 billion in funding from the US: Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on August 5 that the country has received $3.9 billion in funding from the US through the World Bank.

"This is the first direct budget support from the US in 2024. In total, Ukraine will receive $7.8 billion in direct budget support from the US this year, which will allow us to confidently overcome this financial period," Shmyhal said on his Telegram page. (Reuters)

*Russia warns of nuclear retaliation against the West: Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Rossiya-1 TV channel on August 4 that the Doomsday Clock shows “less than two minutes.” According to him, this is the time Russia can deploy missiles equipped with nuclear warheads in response to similar actions by Western countries.

Deputy Minister Ryabkov also said that the signal conveyed by Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in a conversation with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on July 12 “reached not only Washington but also a number of other capitals controlled by Washington.” Mr. Ryabkov added that “the military needs to be ready because the scenarios can be very different.”

In the interview, Mr. Ryabkov said that there may come a time when Russia will find it necessary to deploy nuclear-tipped missiles in response to similar actions by Western countries. (TASS)

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*FSB arrests Ukrainian spy plotting terrorist attack: The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested a Russian citizen on charges of coordinating with Ukrainian special services to plot a terrorist act in the Zaporizhzhia Region.

The FSB press office issued a statement, stating: "The FSB has detained a citizen of the Zaporizhzhia region who planned to commit a terrorist act by planting an improvised explosive device."

According to the Russian special services, law enforcement officers found and seized a homemade explosive device at the suspect's home. Investigators have opened two criminal cases under Article 275 (Treason), Part 1 of Article 30, Part 2 of Article 205 (Anti-Terrorism Act) and Part 3 of Article 223.1 (Illegal Production of Explosives) of the Russian Criminal Code. (TASS)

*German Foreign Minister calls for deployment of US long-range weapons: In an editorial published in the German weekly Bild am Sonntag on August 4, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stressed the need to deploy US long-range weapons systems on German soil, in the context of the threat Russia poses to European security.

Earlier, on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in July, the US and Germany agreed to deploy long-range firepower capabilities on German territory starting in 2026. According to Bild am Sonntag newspaper, the move will see the return of US long-range cruise missiles to Germany for the first time since the late 1990s, including possibly SM-6, Tomahawk and hypersonic weapons under development with longer ranges than those currently in European military arsenals.

The Bild am Sonntag newspaper also noted that the decision had received mixed reactions in Berlin. (AFP)

*Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian men seek to avoid military service: Chairman of the Ukrainian parliament's Economic Development Committee Dmitry Natalukha said that up to 800,000 Ukrainian men have gone "undercover", changed their addresses and taken cash jobs to avoid being called up for military service as the country continues to mobilize manpower for the army.

This situation has led to the Centers for Recruitment and Social Support (TTsK – military committees in Ukraine) starting to target companies with employees, or go to public places to recruit soldiers, causing outrage in society.

According to Mr. Natalukha, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian conflict in Ukraine, companies have lost an average of 10-20% of their workforce due to conscription or emigration. Since the beginning of the year, as Russia has intensified its attacks, the emigration wave has grown. More and more companies are forced to close due to lack of manpower. The situation is expected to reach its peak in September. (TASS)

*Bulgaria to hold early general elections after failing to form government: The third and final attempt to form a new government under the Bulgarian constitution has failed.

On July 29, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev asked the "There Are Such People" (INT) party, the smallest party in parliament (with 16 seats), to nominate a prime minister candidate and try to form a government. However, the party failed to receive the necessary support.

Earlier in July, the two largest parties in Bulgaria's 240-seat parliament, Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria: (GERB-UDF) and We Continue Change - Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB), also failed to fulfill their mandate to form a government.

According to the Bulgarian constitution, following INT's latest defeat, President Radev will be forced to appoint a caretaker government and set a date for new parliamentary elections. Bulgaria's last parliamentary elections were held on June 9, 2024. (AFP)

*EU sanctions 28 representatives of Belarusian security agencies: On August 5, the Council of the European Union (EU) said it had put 28 representatives of Belarusian security agencies on the sanctions list.

In a statement, the EU Council announced its decision to impose restrictive measures on 28 individuals for their role in ongoing “internal repression” and “human rights violations” in Belarus.

According to the EU Council, the sanctions list includes two deputy heads of the Department for Combating Organized Crime and Corruption, several members of the judiciary such as prosecutors and judges who have issued “politically motivated” sentences, heads of rehabilitation centers and a group of long-time supporters of Belarusian President Lukashenko. (Sputnik)

America-Latin America

*US completes withdrawal from last base in Niger: On August 5, the Pentagon announced that the US military had withdrawn all forces from its last base in Niger, more than a year after the leaders of the military coup in this African country asked them to leave.

In a joint statement with the Niger Ministry of Defense, the Pentagon stressed: "The withdrawal of US forces and assets from Air Base 201 in Agadez is complete." (AFP)

*US Election 2024: Ms. Harris is busy choosing her "vice president": On August 4, US Vice President Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party met with three leading candidates, Josh Shapiro (Governor of Pennsylvania), Tim Walz (Governor of Minnesota) and Mark Kelly (Senator of Arizona) at her home in Washington DC to choose a running mate in the upcoming November election.

Choosing her running mate will be one of the most important decisions of Vice President Harris' political career, as she must quickly reorganize her campaign committee to challenge Republican rival Donald Trump on November 5, after President Joe Biden withdrew from the race.

Harris' decision will also affect the direction of the Democratic Party because it will put the chosen person more likely to run for the US presidency in the future. (Reuters)