Good morning, readers!

At 8:15 am yesterday in Hiroshima, Japan, a somber ringing of a peace bell echoed through the city. This sound marked the anniversary of a haunting event that occurred exactly 78 years ago, in 1945.

It was at this moment that US bomber Enola Gay unleashed the first atomic bomb on a populated area.

Today’s geopolitics hotspots:

🪖 Meet Putin riding a miniature tank.

Last week, residents of Rome woke up to a surprise appearance of the sculpture at a playground. It was installed by a Frenc

h street artist, James Colomina, who had previously installed it at parks in NY, London, Brussels, Paris, and Barcelona.

According to the artist:

Niger's deadline expired

Tensions are running high in Niger as its coup leaders defy a deadline set by the regional bloc ECOWAS to restore constitutional order by Sunday, risking possible military intervention.

With the critical deadline now expired, Niger's coup leaders have closed the country's airspace due to the "threat of intervention." They have also issued a warning that any violation will be met with an “energetic and immediate response.”

✍🏻 Recent Timeline:

• August 3 (Thursday): ECOWAS sent a mediation team to engage with junta leader Gen. Tchiani, but they were denied entry into the capital or a meeting with the general.

• August 4 (Friday): ECOWAS defense ministers agreed on a plan for potential military intervention against Niger's junta.

• August 6 (Sunday): Niger's junta closed the country's airspace "for all aircraft until further notice."

📚 Context: 

• Prior to the ECOWAS deadline, Niger's junta sought assistance from the Wagner Group.

• The junta has managed to gain support from a faction of the country's youth, who have even formed a citizens' militia. Over the weekend, in Niger's capital, Niamey, thousands of coup supporters gathered, waving Russian flags.

• Supporters of the coup believe that France, the Niger’s former colonizer, exploited its resources such as uranium, petrol, and gold.

New Belarus Rebellion

Exiled opponents of Belarusian president Lukashenko met in Poland on Sunday to plan the issuance of “New Belarus” passports and seek international recognition of it.

They declared themselves to be a government-in-exile in August 2022 under the leadership of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, after she challenged Lukashenko in a disputed 2020 election.

✍🏻 Rapid Fact Check:

• Tsikhanouskaya emphasized that the opposition's goal is to attain global acknowledgment for alternative passports.

• The opposition is actively coordinating efforts to advance Belarusian-language theater, book publishing, and educational initiatives.

📚 Context: 

• Alexander Lukashenko has held control over Belarus since 1994.

• Using the Belarusian language is considered an act of defiance within Belarus, as Lukashenko has suppressed and marginalized it.

• Tsikhanouskaya’s government-in-exile has already inaugurated over 20 alternative embassies abroad, called the People’s Embassies of Belarus.

• Her husband, Syarhei Tsikhanouski, has been jailed since 2020 after being barred from taking part in the election that his wife contested instead.

Quick updates