Why is President Putin visiting India?

Summary

Global News Podcast – "Why is President Putin Visiting India?"

Date: December 4, 2025
Host: Ankar Desai, BBC World Service

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Episode Overview

This episode examines Russian President Vladimir Putin's two-day state visit to India amid ongoing Western sanctions and the war in Ukraine. The podcast dissects the significance of the Russia-India bilateral relationship, the pressure applied by the US on India over Russian oil imports, and the broader geopolitical implications. Additional coverage includes the New York Times' lawsuit against the Pentagon, US immigration enforcement crackdowns, a setback in global child mortality, the crackdown on scam centers in Myanmar, Australia's new social media ban for children, and the debate over Israel’s participation in Eurovision.

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Key Segments & Insights

1. President Putin's Visit to India — Geopolitics and Oil ([02:27]–[06:55])

Main Points:

• Putin’s visit aims to reinforce Russia’s critical relationship with India, its major oil buyer amid Western sanctions.
• India faces intense US pressure to reduce Russian oil imports, with President Trump having imposed steep tariffs on Indian exports as a means of coercion.
• The India-Russia relationship is multifaceted, grounded in historical and defense ties but now increasingly scrutinized for its energy partnership.

Key Quotes and Analysis:

• Arun Mukherjee, BBC Delhi:

  • “It’s always been a tightrope walk, but more so now...It is taking place as there is that sustained pressure from the US against India continuing to buy Russian oil.” ([03:30])
  • On Modi’s dilemma: “He needs to ensure India stays true to an age-old friend...while also ensuring it does not upset any prospects of a possible trade agreement between India and the US in the near future.” ([03:51])
  • On oil and defense: “India has also ensured inflation remains at a certain level thanks to its purchase of discounted Russian oil...The other aspect of cooperation is likely to be defence, another sticky situation.” ([04:46])

• Steve Rosenberg, Russia Editor:

  • “India sees Russia as an important partner...there is this strategic partnership...India buying Russian oil has been a lifeline for the Russian economy.” ([05:47])
  • On geopolitics: “Whenever Vladimir Putin goes abroad on a state visit...the Kremlin can use this and turns to the West and says...there are plenty of countries...who want to do business with Russia.” ([06:24])

Notable Moment:

• The podcast underscores how India’s choices are watched closely by both Western powers and Russia, emphasizing the high geopolitical stakes.

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2. Pentagon Sued by New York Times over Press Restrictions ([07:31]–[09:47])

Main Points:

• New press regulations require Pentagon journalists to sign pledges limiting their reporting to officially authorized information.
• The New York Times is suing the Department of Defense on First Amendment/free press grounds, arguing these policies close off vital reporting avenues.
• New accreditation measures at the Pentagon have led to a shift in press corps composition, favoring more conservative, pro-Trump media.

Key Quotes:

• “It essentially means that accredited journalists can only report on information when it’s been authorized by officials.” – Mimi Swaby, Global Affairs Reporter ([07:38])
• “They [NYT] say these policies really threaten lawful and routine news gathering techniques...go against everything that having a free press in the United States stands for.” ([09:28])

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3. U.S. Immigration Crackdown in New Orleans and Minnesota ([09:47]–[19:11])

Main Points:

• New federal deportation raids are instilling fear in immigrant communities, often detaining even those without criminal records.
• President Trump’s harsh rhetoric targets Somali Americans, calling their community “garbage,” sparking criticism and fear among legal immigrants and U.S. citizens.
• Mixed reactions among U.S. politicians, with Republican state senator Michael Holmstrom supporting the federal actions and Democratic senator Omar Fateh condemning the moves as political theater.

Quotes & Reactions:

• Community voices during raids: “Heartbreak. These people came to work today to provide for their families...and they could just be abducted and removed.” ([11:03]–[11:12])
• Donald Trump: “These Somalians have taken billions of dollars out of our country...they have destroyed Minnesota. Okay? It’s a hellhole right now. And the Somalians should be out of here.” ([14:06])
• Omar Fateh, Minnesota State Senator:
  • “We have the President of the United States...targeting an entire community based off who they are and how they identify.” ([16:00])
  • “Our immigrant communities...are a nation of immigrants...What makes America America is the diversity that we have.” ([17:13])
  • “There’s fraud in every community...what we’re seeing right now is an election year tactic...to target a community for political expediency.” ([18:43])

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4. Rising Preventable Child Deaths – Global Setback ([21:20]–[24:29])

Main Points:

• The Gates Foundation projects a rise in under-5 child deaths to 4.8 million in 2025, reversing decades of progress.
• Aid cuts from Western countries, especially since 2020, are the primary reason, affecting health infrastructure and vaccination campaigns.
• Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are the hardest hit regions.

Notable Quote:

• “As recently as 2000, there were over 10 million preventable child deaths a year...2025 marks a massive historical setback in the fight against preventable child mortality.” – Mark Suzman, Gates Foundation CEO ([21:56])
• “If they don’t give enough money...you can see millions of children dying by 2045 if the trend is not stopped.” – Ambarasan Ettirajan, Global Affairs Reporter ([23:20])

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5. Myanmar’s Scam Centers and Civil War ([24:29]–[26:51])

Main Points:

• Myanmar has become a hub for international scam operations, as criminal enterprises exploit the chaos of civil war.
• Both the military and insurgent Karen National Union (KNU) claim to be shutting down scam compounds, though many remain skeptical about the military’s intentions.
• Large numbers of local people have been displaced by the conflict.

Vivid Field Reporting:

• Jonathan Head, on the Thai-Myanmar border:
  • “We see a column of smoke going up from where those detonations were. All this fighting has escalated because both sides...say they’re trying to shut down the scam compounds...” ([25:04])

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6. Australia’s Social Media Ban for Children ([26:51]–[28:54])

Main Points:

• Meta is removing accounts of under-16s, ahead of the social media age restriction coming into effect.
• 350,000 Instagram and 150,000 Facebook accounts impacted; companies risk large fines if they do not comply.
• Teens share mixed feelings; tech firms cite concerns about efficacy and fairness.

Student Perspective:

• “Lots of us are pretty dependent on it. It will be a shock once it’s taken away...I could lose out on meeting new people and making new friends.” ([27:43])
• “I’m pretty grateful to not have had that access...because it means that I’m not involved in the conflicts and the dramas that have arisen.” ([28:17])

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7. Eurovision: Should Israel Compete? ([28:54]–[32:16])

Main Points:

• Meeting in Geneva to decide if Israel should take part in Eurovision 2026, amid criticism of its actions in Gaza.
• Split: some countries (Ireland, Spain, Netherlands, Slovenia) threaten a boycott if Israel is allowed, while Germany threatens to withdraw financial support if Israel is excluded.
• Issues of government interference in international voting—calls for tech reforms to ensure fair results.

Notable Quotes:

• Natalia Gorshak, Slovenian broadcaster president: “We need to follow our principles...sometimes we need to be on the right side of the history...” ([29:56])
• Mark Savage, BBC Music Correspondent:
  • “There are some people who say that...government intervention in the public vote shouldn’t happen.” ([30:40])
  • “No matter what happens, there are countries threatening to pull out...If Israel is disqualified, then Germany...is going to pull out.” ([31:42])

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “India has also ensured inflation remains at a certain level thanks to its purchase of discounted Russian oil.” – Arun Mukherjee ([04:46])
• “Whenever Vladimir Putin goes abroad...the Kremlin can use this and turns to the West and says...there are plenty of countries...who want to do business with Russia.” – Steve Rosenberg ([06:24])
• “They [NYT] say these policies...go against everything that having a free press in the United States stands for.” – Mimi Swaby ([09:28])
• “Heartbreak. These people came to work today...and they could just be abducted and removed.” – Undocumented immigrant activist ([11:03])
• “2025 marks a massive historical setback in the fight against preventable child mortality.” – Mark Suzman ([21:56])
• “We need to follow our principles...sometimes we need to be on the right side of the history...” – Natalia Gorshak ([29:56])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:27] Putin’s India Visit: Stakes & Analysis
• [07:31] Pentagon’s Media Restrictions & NYT Lawsuit
• [09:47] US Immigration Raids & Somali Community Fallout
• [21:20] Gates Foundation Report on Child Mortality
• [24:29] Myanmar Scam Centers amid Civil War
• [26:51] Australia’s Social Media Ban for Children
• [28:54] Eurovision Debate: Israel’s Participation

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This episode provides in-depth, balanced reporting on urgent global issues, with direct expert commentary and striking field reports, maintaining the BBC’s authoritative and impartial tone throughout.

Transcript

[BBC Announcer]

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[Ankar Desai]

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service.

I'm Ankar Desai and at 16 GMT on Thursday 4th December, these are our main stories. President Putin has insisted Russia will take all of Ukraine's Donbas region by force if necessary, as he starts a visit designed to shore up his close relationship with India. The New York Times is suing the Pentagon over its attempts to make journalists sign a pledge to only report authorized information.

Also in this podcast, a study has found that the number of preventable child deaths is due to rise this year and for the first time this century. And the latest from the US as immigration officials have begun an operation in New Orleans to arrest undocumented immigrants, the latest city to be targeted by President Trump's crackdown.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

This is Title 8 immigration enforcement. Whether we do that on foot, in vehicles, in the air or on the.

Water, this is what we do.

So whether it's walking a beat, we're all about making America safe.

[Ankar Desai]

And the tech giant Meta says it has begun to remove the accounts of under 16 scenes from its platforms in Australia, ahead of the country's social media ban for children.

As many of the world's leaders call for a solution to peace in the war in Ukraine, the Russian president remains steadfast in his position. Vladimir Putin is starting a two day visit to India, his first since his country's full scale invasion of Ukraine is in 2022. On his way there, President Putin said Russia wanted control of all of Ukraine's Donbas region and that if negotiations failed, they would take it by force. He also insisted that the Europeans should stop hindering the peace process. Well, the war in Ukraine is expected to loom large over his discussions with the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. India is a major buyer of Russian oil revenues that help sustain Moscow amid the costs of the war and Western sanctions. At the same time, Delhi is coming under increased US Pressure to end that trade. And back in August, Washington imposed 50% sanctions on Indian exports. I asked the BBC's Arun Mukherjee in Delhi how Prime Minister Modi will manage this difficult balancing act when it's come to Russia.

[Arun Mukherjee]

It's always been a tightrope walk, but more so now I would say given the fact that it is taking place as there is that sustained pressure from the US Against India continuing to buy Russian oil. And that, you know, out of the 50% tariffs, which is one of the highest in the world against India, 25% was that additional tariff that President Trump slapped on India simply because India wouldn't stop buying Russian oil. India is aware of that. And as Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India goes into his meetings with President Vladimir Putin over this two day visit, he will be very conscious of that fact that he needs to ensure India stays true to an age old friend, that is Russia, while also ensure that it does not upset any prospects of a possible trade agreement between India and the US in the near future. Remember, India and the US have still been trying to work out that trade deal. They've not been able to nail it down. And in the circumstances, this is a very sensitive period which would be watched very closely by the West. And India's proximity to Russia, you know, India is aware, should not be such an irritant that it could upset any kind of progress on the trade front.

[Ankar Desai]

Now, India does have long standing ties with Moscow though. So what are we expecting to come from this visit?

[Arun Mukherjee]

The focus will be on Russia wanting India to continue purchasing Russian crude oil. That is very important for Moscow. It is very important for India as well. It has repeatedly maintained that it needs to ensure energy security for a country of a 1.4 billion population of a country which is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. India's Foreign Minister on multiple international platforms has used this argument to justify the continuing purchase of Russian oil. And that reality has not changed. India has also ensured inflation remains at a certain level thanks to its purchase of discounted Russian oil. That is one. The other aspect of cooperation is likely to be defence. Russia would hope India continues to buy more defense equipment, another sticky situation. Whereas India would look to try and walk that tightrope because buying defense from Russia would mean causing a fair bit of alarm in the West.

[Ankar Desai]

The BBC's Arunado Mukherjee reporting from Delhi. Now with more analysis on this story, our Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg looks closely at the relationship between Russia and India.

[BBC Announcer]

I think certainly the Indian authorities have tried to balance throughout the Ukraine war, but India sees Russia as an important partner. There is this strategic partnership between the two countries. And when Russia looks at India, it sees first and foremost that this huge potential market, a billion and a half population, a fast growing economy, a market it can sell its goods to and its natural resources. And in a sense, India buying Russian oil the last few years has been a lifeline for the Russian economy. So the Russians want that to continue despite the pressure India is coming under from the United States. But this is about geopolitics too, because whenever Vladimir Putin goes abroad on a state visit, whether it's to India or whether it's to China, the Kremlin can use this and turns to the west and says the west tried to isolate Russia. It slapped sanctions on Russia, it tried to turn President Putin into a pariah after the full scale invasion of Ukraine. But look, there are plenty of countries Russia would argue, and powerful countries who want to do business with Russia.

[Ankar Desai]

Still, our Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg. Now for more analysis on this story, you can go on YouTube, search for BBC News and click on the logo, then choose Podcasts and then click on Global News Podcast. There's a new story available every weekday. Next, journalists in the US have faced restrictions on reporting on the military since October. The rules require Pentagon reporters to sign a pledge which includes only reporting information authorized by officials. Now the New York Times is suing the US Department of Defense. A global affairs reporter, Mimi Swaby, told me more.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

These rules from the Pentagon, which came into effect in October, essentially require reporters to sign a pretty lengthy 21 page form that sets out limits on journalistic activity when it comes to reporting on the U.S. military. And this includes requesting for story tips as well as inquiries to sources. And this is a huge difference from the previous kind of formal regulation, both in its length and scope. It essentially means that accredited journalists can only report on information when it's been authorized by officials. Now, very few major outlets agreed to this or signed it. Most said they're going to report from outside of the Pentagon. And so taking their place, new arrivals have seemingly featured an array of more conservative pro Trump organizations and bloggers. This policy, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who announced it is basically to protect the US from potentially dangerous leaks. And they've said that having permission to the Pentagon is a privilege that comes with its own difficulties and its privilege subject to negotiation.

[Ankar Desai]

And the New York Times, they've taken a strong position on this.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

They really have. They have now sued the Pentagon and they've said that its policies violate the First Amendment and that's basically the right to a free press along with other things. So they've put this lawsuit forward and according to its summary, they said the purpose of this policy is to essentially close the doors of the Pentagon. And this is an area which has historically been very much open to the press. So investigating it and reporting on it without fear or favor about actions of department and its leadership, they say that is now in question. Therefore, it really does go against what everything the First Amendment stands for. They say these policies really threaten lawful and routine news gathering techniques. So they've asked the court to issue an order which stops the Pentagon from enforcing these policies, as well as a declaration that these provisions relating to exercising the First Amendment are unlawful. And that's what they're really pushing for. And they've said that they intend to vigorously defend it and that these violations go against everything that having a free press in the United States stands for.

[Ankar Desai]

A global affairs reporter Mimi Swaby reporting. U.S. immigration officials have begun an operation in New Orleans to arrest undocumented immigrants, making it the latest city to be targeted by President Trump's crackdown. After a series of sweeping raids, mostly in Latino communities. Officials say they were targeting those with criminal backgrounds. But the operation has sparked a fierce backlash in the Democrat run city.

[BBC Announcer]

As Tom Bateman reports, the mass deportation raids start at dawn and we're out looking for the agents of President Trump's migration crackdown as it arrives in New Orleans, we find Latino neighborhoods on edge, each passing car raising alarm. We get word of a raid, a report of laborers on a roof and Border Patrol agents surrounding a house. We arrived to find two activists here among neighbors who filmed it.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

They had a sniper resting on the.

[Ankar Desai]

Front of this van here, pointing up at the roof.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

When I came, I came in from that side and they were laying down the workers. There was no threats were being made.

[Ankar Desai]

Nobody had a weapon out.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

They were laying down. Their hands were inside.

[BBC Announcer]

What went through your mind when you saw that?

[Ankar Desai]

Heartbreak.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

Heartbreak. These people came to work today to provide for their families and themselves, and.

[Ankar Desai]

They could just be abducted and removed.

[BBC Announcer]

The Border Patrol says its agents were carrying out enforcement operations and several men ran up onto the roof, who were then taken into custody.

The fear of these raids is leaving a community in lockdown. Abigail's Mexican restaurant is one of the few still serving her mum. Sandra has built a life and business here for the last two decades. But like many, she's worried for friends and family.

[Ankar Desai]

She said, like, very, very bad.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

She feels sad.

[Ankar Desai]

She's been here 20 years in the country.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

She got her own house, she got.

[Omar Fateh]

Her business and she working hard.

[BBC Announcer]

Like every single day, we pick up the pursuit again. More border agents in blacked out vans. They head downtown. And there Mr. Trump's front man for the crackdown, Commander Greg Bevino. He says they're 20 targeting the worst of the worst, undocumented migrants who face criminal cases. Although leaked government figures suggest the dragnet has rounded up many with no criminal past.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

This is Title 8 Immigration Enforcement. Whether we do that on foot, in vehicles, in the air or on the.

Water, this is what we do.

So whether it's walking a beat, we're all about making America safe.

[BBC Announcer]

And they're on the move again, as are a growing number of locals in this Democrat run city who oppose what they're calling an invasion. We just followed the Border Patrol. There were several vehicles. There's another one passing some masked Border Patrol agents. We don't know where they're off to now. But the other thing you can notice is everywhere they have been, they're now being followed by activists and people trying to document exactly what they're doing.

[Mark Savage]

The melting pot that is New Orleans.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

Its carpet has been pulled out from under the people.

[BBC Announcer]

Unfortunately, at our lady of Guadeloupe, the sermon in Spanish is now given to mostly empty pews. America's debate rages on immigration, but many here are just praying for more time.

[Ankar Desai]

Tom Bateman reporting. The U.S. president Donald Trump has continued to lambast America's Somali community, calling them garbage and saying they're not wanted in the US his disparaging comments came as immigration authorities were reported to be planning an enforcement operation targeting the large Somali community in the city of Minnesota. On Wednesday, President Trump told reporters they should go back to where they came from and their country was no good for a reason.

[Donald Trump]

Look at their nation.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

Look how bad their nation is.

[Ankar Desai]

It's not even a nation.

[Donald Trump]

It's just people walking around killing each other.

[Ankar Desai]

Look, these Somalians have taken billions of dollars out of our country. They've taken billions and billions of dollars.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

They have destroyed Minnesota, okay?

[Ankar Desai]

It's a hellhole right now. And the Somalians should be out of here.

[Donald Trump]

They've destroyed our country.

[Ankar Desai]

And all they do is complain, complain, complain. Early this week, Mr. Trump's Homeland Security Secretary, Christine Noem, suggested her agency would target visa fraud in Minnesota. And the U.S. treasury Secretary Scott Besant has announced an investigation into allegations that tax dollars from the state may have been diverted to the Al Shabaab Islamist militant group in Somalia. The militants deny the reports. Michael Holmstrom is a Republican state senator in the Minnesota legislature. He spoke to the BBC.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

It's clear to me that President Trump is interested in picking up where the Minnesota system has failed. Trump is upset about this fraud. We're all upset about this fraud. This is a serious problem. There's billions of dollars in a time when our state is facing a billion, multi billion dollar deficit. So I'm excited that we have interest that the federal government is looking into these claims that we have more res coming to Minnesota. And that's what I think most Minnesotans are looking at when they hear those comments. I think they're looking at it as a, as, hey, we finally have someone paying attention trying to help us.

[Ankar Desai]

In Mogadishu, Somalia's Prime Minister, Hamza Abdi Bar responded by saying President Trump had insulted many countries and that sometimes there are things you simply let pass. But how is this being viewed by the US Somali community? Omar Fateh is a Minnesota state senator. He is of Somali origin and lost the race to become Minneapolis mayor by a razor thin margin. He gave his reaction to President Trump's comments to Ansoy.

[Omar Fateh]

I think it's both hurtful and at the same time, it's flat out not true. And what I mean by that is we have the President of the United States who has made it very clear that he is targeting an entire community based off who they are and how they identify. And now we're having ICE agents in our communities in the Twin Cities because of that, to fulfill his agenda. And what that is is that he targeting the Somalis not because of immigration status or because he thinks that some are committing crime. He literally said, I want all of them gone. Like, I do not want them here. And so what we've been seeing in the community right now is folks that are even US Citizens being detained and questioned. I've heard from young people that are terrified saying that they feel they can't walk around without carrying a passport on them, even though they're U.S. citizens. And so that's the kind of environment that he's created. But what we know is that this is all just political theater. It's a distraction. It is to rally his base for the midterms, but at the same time to extract from his own failures as president.

[Ankar Desai]

Well, you say it is a destruction, but it is not only the Somali community that has been targeted. The ICE agents have been in different US Cities targeting immigrants.

[Omar Fateh]

Absolutely, yes. And again, that entire operation is not only a distraction, it is a distraction away from his failures, but at the same time, it is pitting Americans against one another. Our immigrant communities, whether they're Somalis or Latino or Afghan or what have you, we are a nation of immigrants. The immigrant communities participate in our local economies. They are entrepreneurs. They are teachers. They are engineers. You'll see everyone from Uber and Lyft drivers and bus drivers to even politicians. And so what we're seeing right now from the President is shameful. Because what makes America America is the diversity that we have. We are a melting pot. There's the beauty and the diversity of America, beauty and the diversity of food, of people, of religion, of thought. And that goes against the American values that we're seeing right now from this administration.

[Ankar Desai]

We have heard from a Republican state congressman. He said that the key concern for most Minnesota residents was immigration and visa free fraud, far more than the President's disparaging comments. What do you have to say about that?

[Omar Fateh]

Well, you can take it from the President's own mouth. It is beyond any accusations or allegations of fraud, of criminal activity. What we heard from the President is that he believes that the Somali community, which includes our congresswomen, are garbage. He said he wants all of them out. He does not want them in Minnesota. He does not want them in America. And so that's what we've been hearing loud and clear. And the actions that are taking place here in Minneapolis, here in the Twin Cities, by our ICE agents making massive sweeps on everyone, not just undocumented immigrants, but also American citizens, is indicative of that.

[Ankar Desai]

Do you acknowledge, though, that visa fraud is a problem in your community?

[Omar Fateh]

There's fraud in every community, whether it's visa fraud, whether it's business fraud. It is not limited to one community solely. What we're seeing right now is an election year tactic going into the midterms by the President to target a community for political expediency. That on top of him providing a distraction away from his own failures as a president with a trifecta, again, having the Senate and the House, he has been unable to deliver anything for the American people. He knows that. And that's why we're seeing what we're seeing again.

[Ankar Desai]

Also Omar Fateh speaking to ansoi.

Still to come on this episode, the future of the Eurovision Song Contest is to be decided in Geneva, with countries debating Israel's future participation.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

We need to follow our principles. Sometimes we need to be on the right side of the history and this.

[Mark Savage]

Is the moment that we are on.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

The right side of the history.

[Ankar Desai]

We've got that and more to follow on this episode of the Global News Podcast.

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[Ankar Desai]

It's being suggested that for the first time this century, the number of children dying before their fifth birthday is projected to rise. That's the finding of the Gates foundation, led by the tech billionaire Bill Gates. Their new report finds that in 2024, 4.6 million children died before their fifth birthday and that this number is projected to rise by 200,000 to an estimated 4.8 million children this year. It's being attributed to large cuts in aid from wealthy countries. Mark Suzman is CEO of the Gates Foundation. He says the situation is reversible.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

As recently as 2000, there were over 10 million preventable child deaths a year. That number has been coming down year by year every year of this century until now. 2025 marks a massive historical setback in.

[Ankar Desai]

The fight against preventable child mortality.

[BBC Announcer]

And our hope is by showcasing this.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

In report, we can make sure that.

[BBC Announcer]

This is a temporary setback.

[Ankar Desai]

Our global affairs reporter Ambarasan Ettirajan told us more.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

It's mainly the international Development Assistance for health for various countries. Now this report says that it has fell by more than a quarter and that is having a huge impact on various programs. For example, as you know, once President Trump came to power, what happened to USAID that had a budget of $40 billion in various countries. In fact, I was talking to people in Bangladesh, one particular institute there which was working on infectious diseases. They had to cut down tens of thousands of fieldworker jobs gathering data on these diseases. Now what are the main reasons? For example pneumonia, diarrhea, these are all preventable. But access to medicines is one of the major issues. Why many children are still dying. And this is considered one of the biggest achievements of global health community, reducing the number of child deaths. But now according to this report, what they say is if they don't give enough money, then you can see millions of children dying by 2045 if the trend is not stopped.

[Ankar Desai]

And where are the worst affected areas?

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

Now traditionally it has always been sub Saharan African countries and also South Asia. Now if you look at these countries, they were all depending on international development assistance aid. I mean it is not only the US even other Western nations, as you see. You know, many countries are going through various economic issues and they have more domestic priorities and that is the reason why they are cutting down on funding. And in addition to the funding, even the various countries where there are internal issues like debt and poverty and also malnutrition is another reason why many children are not able to withstand these diseases. So now you see that various factors with the global economic situation with the western countries, rich countries, I would say reducing the money and that is having a huge impact on child mortality.

[Ankar Desai]

Ambrasan Etruajan reporting. Next to Myanmar, which has become one of the world's leading hubs for online scams, criminals have taken advantage of the chaos brought by the country's civil war to create large scam centres which lure foreign workers with the promise of well paid jobs before forcing them to carry out international fraud. But their compounds have now come under attack from the Burmese military and the main insurgent group in Myanmar has taken control of two sites. Our Southeast Asia correspondent, Jonathan Head is at the border with the story.

[Donald Trump]

This is the Murray river that divides Myanmar from Thailand. And you can hear the detonations going on from the other side. There is an artillery exchange between the Myanmar military and the main Karen insurgent group, the knu, which has just taken over in the last couple of weeks. A scam compound that I can see. The two of them together known as Sundar and Bawli, they're just on the other side of the river. The people you can hear behind me, a lot of children as well are residents who've been driven down to the river to escape the fighting. We see a column of smoke going up from where those detonations were. All this fighting has escalated because both sides, the army and the knu, the Karen insurgents, say they're trying to shut down the scam compounds that have proliferated all along this river. The KNU has taken over these two, Shunda and Bauli, and driven out the scam workers. There are many who refused to leave, but they're trying to shut it down. The army has taken over other scam compounds further north. We can just see in the distance KK park, one of the most notorious of all of them. In the last few weeks, the army has been making very public it demolition of buildings in there and its claim that it's shutting it down. There are good reasons for skepticism about the military's claims because it is the warlords who are allied to the military junta who have been mainly profiting from this business and protecting it. Many people think that's just a show. The KNU has disowned the scam business and is looking for international sympathy. But it's now involved in this area in a full on territorial fight with the military that has come right up to the Thai border and all of these people have been displaced by it.

[Ankar Desai]

Jonathan Head reporting. The tech giant Meta says it has begun to remove the accounts of under 16s from its platforms in Australia ahead of the country's social media ban for children. The new law comes into force next Wednesday. Katie Watson is in Sydney for us.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

We're talking about 350,000 Instagram users affected, 150,000 Facebook users, and they were sent text messages, emails saying that basically as of today the process would begin. It's a big task because they may have to make sure that by December 10, which is when the actual ban comes into force officially, companies have to make sure that there will be no under 16s on their platforms. There'll be no way of them getting getting onto those platforms. If they don't comply. If they don't take reasonable steps, which is what the legislation is says, then they could risk fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars. That's about US$33 million. But we've been speaking to some teens about what they feel about the ban. Personally, I don't think this ban will work. Reason being, lots of us are pretty dependent on it. It will be a shock once it's taken away and some may be having withdrawals. Possibly they get social media because they're pressured, because they want to fit in and they want to be invited to things. But I guess there's going to be always more. I always tell myself there's going to be more parties. You can always do this when you're older and stuff. It's not the end of the world. I'm pretty grateful to not have had that access to social media in the long run because it means that I'm not involved in the conflicts and the.

[Omar Fateh]

Dramas that have arisen.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

I could lose out on meeting new people and making new friends. Of course, the tech companies, they're not happy about it. They say they agree with the safety, making sure that material content is age appropriate, but they don't believe that the ban is the answer. So I think there's going to be some teething problems as it gets implemented and certainly we'll see in the next few weeks how the implementation pans out.

[Ankar Desai]

Katie Watson reporting. Should Israel be allowed to compete in next year's Eurovision Song Contest, due to take place in Austria in May? Organizers and participating countries will be debating that question at a two day meeting starting today in Geneva. You may remember Israel's Yuval Rafael won the public vote last year, finishing second overall with her song New Day Will Rise. But now critics want Israel excluded from the competition because of the way its government conducted the war in Gaza. Well, Germany, which is a key financial supporter, has warned it may pull out if that happens, while other countries, including Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia have threatened to boycott the 2026 contest if Israel is allowed to compete. Natalia Gorshak is the president of the Slovenian broadcaster rtv.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

Vienna is so close to us and we won't be able to go there.

[Ankar Desai]

But still, you know, we need to.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

Follow our principles and I think this.

[Ankar Desai]

Is the correct way and sometimes we.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

Need to be on the right side of the history and this is the.

[Mark Savage]

Moment that we are on the right.

[Various Interviewees/Reporters]

Side of the history.

[Ankar Desai]

A dilemma then. I spoke to our music correspondent Mark Savage.

[Mark Savage]

Well, it's going to be a very Tense meeting, like you say. Eurovision's organisers have been struggling to resolve the tension over Israel's participation, really since the invasion of Gaza, there have been protests outside previous contests. This year, there were two people tried to invade the stage and throw paint over Israel's contestant. Feelings are running very high, as you've said. There are some countries that really want Israel to be part of the contest and some that feel that because of the human rights issues in Gaza, they should be excluded. The first thing that's going to be discussed, however, at this meeting today is the integrity of the voting process, because there were some accusations last year that Israel's government had mounted a campaign to encourage votes for Yuval Rafael. There were lots of paid campaigns on YouTube, on social media. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, even put up a post to his 1.5 million Instagram followers encouraging them to vote for Israel. And Yuval topped the public vote. She hadn't done so well with the juries. And there are some people who say that that sort of government intervention in the public vote shouldn't happen. So the first thing that they'll discuss today is a raft of measures to tighten that up. New technology to detect voting block patterns and all sorts of things like that. If that is not enough to satisfy the delegate members, and these are all of the countries who take part in Eurovision, then there will be a vote on whether Israel should be allowed to participate next year.

[Ankar Desai]

And in terms of some of the rules, regulations that have been looked at, as well as this issue, do we know how some of this might be resolved? Because there are a lot of obviously participating countries involved in this.

[Mark Savage]

Well, this is the thing. No matter what happens, there are countries threatening to pull out next year if Israel stays. Some say they won't share the stage with them. If Israel is disqualified, then Germany, one of the biggest financial backers of Eurovision, is going to pull out. I think the interesting thing is that we've also seen a kind of block of the Nordic countries who are saying that if the measures to protect voting are passed today, then they feel that is enough. And as long as there are enough countries still taking part in Eurovision, they hope it will go ahead in Vienna next May.

[Ankar Desai]

Mark Savage reporting.

And that's all from us for now, but there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want to comment on this episode or the topics covered in it, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk and you can also find us on XBCWorldService use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Chris Ablaqua and the producer was Alice Addley. The editor is Karen Martin and I'm Ankar Desai. Until next time. Goodbye.

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