Hello and welcome to the Intelligence on Economist Radio.

I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

For 26 years, one man has led the Eastern European country of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.

But he's bungled the response to COVID-19.

Turns out vodka doesn't cure it.

Now, he faces an unexpected and wildly popular challenger in Sunday's election.

And horror movies have long hung plots on the tools of communication.

Think of the television in Poltergeist, or the calls are coming from inside the house.

So it's no surprise that there's a new flick in which Zoom plays a role.

But it is creepy.

First up, though.

75 years ago this week, the B-29 bomber the Anola Gay dropped Little Boy, the world's

first use of an atomic weapon.

At 8.15 in the morning of August 6th, Japanese time, the first atomic bomb hit an enemy target.

It detonated over Hiroshima, immediately killing around 140,000 people.

The bomb was aimed to explode above zero points. A spot in the city at the junction of the Motu Isu and Ota River.

Three days later, another struck Nagasaki.

As Japan marks the anniversary, it hopes to keep the wartime memories alive using the stories

of people who survived the attacks.

But the average age of survivors is now over 83.

And this will be the last chance to hear from those witnesses during a major anniversary.

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