A second protester died as Belarus endured a fourth straight night of demonstrations. More than six thousand people have been detained (RFE/RL), according to authorities, as people countrywide protest the election in which President Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory amid allegations of vote rigging. Two opposition leaders have fled (BBC) Belarus amid the government crackdown.

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet condemned the arrests and use of force (Al Jazeera) by Belarusian police, saying authorities should consider concerns about the election. Meanwhile, foreign ministers from the European Union will meet tomorrow to consider reimposing sanctions on Belarus over the crackdown. Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland have also threatened sanctions if Belarus does not accept their offer to arbitrate between Lukashenko and the protesters.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said she would focus on improving Taiwan’s defenses and seek security ties with the United States, while her cabinet proposed (SCMP) a more than 10 percent hike to the defense budget. Following a visit from the U.S. health secretary, the highest-level U.S. visit to Taiwan since 1979, Tsai also said Beijing should respect Taiwan’s self-governance and democracy.
 
Malaysia: Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein criticized China’s claims in the South China Sea as having “no basis” in international law and announced that Kuala Lumpur had submitted a claim (Bloomberg) to the United Nations over territory off Malaysia’s coast. Malaysia has previously avoided criticizing China, its largest trading partner.

Pakistani General Qamar Javed Bajwa will visit Saudi Arabia on Sunday, reportedly in an attempt to ease tensions (Reuters) over what Pakistan views as an insufficient Saudi response to the disputed region of Kashmir. Saudi Arabia has recently sought repayment for loans to Pakistan and is considering extending its oil credit facility.
 
India: India replaced the United Kingdom as the country with the fourth-highest coronavirus death toll and experienced a record daily rise in infections. India’s outbreak is moving away from its cities (Bloomberg) and into its more populated, less medically advanced hinterland.

Addressing parliament, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad rebuked U.S. sanctions (AFP) as an effort to “strangle the Syrian people” and pledged to crack down on corruption. Lawmakers vowed to “sacrifice” themselves for Assad after he paused his speech due to alleged low blood pressure.
 
This CFR In Brief looks at recent U.S. sanctions on Syria.
 
Israel: Israel attacked Hamas targets (Haaretz) in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for incendiary balloons sent into Israel from the area, the Israeli military said. The country will also halt fuel imports to Gaza and reduce the territory’s fishing zone.

Workers removed most of the oil left on a ship stranded off Mauritius’s coast, and the country will seek damages (DW) from the vessel’s Japanese owner, Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth said. The ship has leaked one thousand tons of oil into Mauritius’s fragile ecosystem.
 
Mozambique: Fighters linked to the self-proclaimed Islamic State reportedly regained control  (Daily Maverick) of a port in the province of Cabo Delgado after killing at least fifty-five Mozambican soldiers, sinking a government vessel, and forcing troops to flee. Mozambican insecurity will likely be on the agenda at the annual Southern African Development Community summit next week.

France announced that it would temporarily increase its military presence (Politico) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, backing Greece amid the country’s rising tensions with Turkey over the territory.

Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest experienced (Guardian) more than ten thousand fires in the first ten days of August, a ten-year high and a 17 percent rise over the same period in 2019, according to watchdog group Greenpeace’s analysis of government figures.
 
This CFR InfoGuide explores deforestation in the Amazon.
 
Mexico: President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said former Presidents Felipe Calderon and Enrique Pena Nieto should testify (FT) after a former government official accused them of corruption. Lopez Obrador’s comment is unprecedented for Mexico, where leaders typically receive impunity.

Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris made their first public appearance together as running mates, addressing reporters in Wilmington, Delaware. They criticized President Donald J. Trump and described a vision of recovery (NYT) from the country’s economic, health, and racial injustice issues. Meanwhile, Trump described Harris as “a very risky pick” and defended his coronavirus response.