Global News Podcast - Why is President Putin visiting India?

Episode Date: December 4, 2025

Russia's leader visits India for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. India's prime minister is under pressure to stop buying Russian oil over accusations the trade is financing th...e war. Also: The New York Times is suing the Pentagon over its attempt to make journalists sign a pledge to only report authorised information. A study by the Gates Foundation has found that the number of preventable child deaths is due to rise this year for the first time this century. We go to New Orleans to examine the controversy surrounding an operation to arrest undocumented immigrants. A US senator gives us his view on President Trump's comments in which he describes America's Somali community as "garbage". The organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest debate whether Israel should be allowed to continue in the competition.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Ankara Desai and at 16 GMT on Thursday the 4th of December. These are our main stories. President Putin has insisted Russia will take all of Ukraine's Donbass 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 Joe, journalist signed a pledge to only report authorized information.
Starting point is 00:00:36 Also, in this podcast, a study has found that the number of preventable child deaths is due to rise this year for the first time this century. And the latest from the U.S. 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. This is Title I, the Immigration Enforcement, whether we do that on foot and be. 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. And 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
Starting point is 00:01:17 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 in 2022. On his way there, President Putin said Russia wanted control of all of Ukraine's Dombas 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 here.
Starting point is 00:01:56 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 de Mokraji in Delhi how Prime Minister Modi will manage this difficult balancing act. When it's come to Russia, 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
Starting point is 00:02:43 India, 25% was that additional tariff that President Trump slapped on India, simply because India wouldn't stop buying Russian oil. India's aware of that. And as Prime Minister Narindra 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.
Starting point is 00:03:20 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's aware should not be such an irritant that it could upset any kind of progress on the trade front. Now, India does have long-standing ties with Moscow, though. So what are we expecting to come from this visit? 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 or for 1.4
Starting point is 00:03:56 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 defense. Russia would hope India continues to buy more defense equipment, another sticky situation
Starting point is 00:04:24 whereas India would look to try and walk that tightrope because buying defence from Russia would mean causing a fair bit of alarm in the West. The BBC's Arunadha 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. I think certainly the Indian authorities have tried to balance throughout the Ukraine war,
Starting point is 00:04:49 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 at 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,
Starting point is 00:05:24 Mr 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 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 Podcasts. 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.
Starting point is 00:06:23 A global affairs reporter, Mimi Swaby, told me more. 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 US 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
Starting point is 00:06:58 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 the Defense Secretary, Pete Hexeth, who announced it, has 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
Starting point is 00:07:32 its own difficulties and its privilege subject to negotiation. And the New York Times, they've taken a strong position on this. They really have. They have now sued the Pentagon and they've said that its policies violate the First Amendment. And that is 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 favour about actions of department and its leadership.
Starting point is 00:08:07 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
Starting point is 00:08:42 for. A global affairs reporter Mimi Swayby reporting. US 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, as Tom Bateman reports. The mass deportation raids start at dawn,
Starting point is 00:09:15 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. They had a sniper resting on the front of this van here, pointing up at the roof when I came. I came in from that side. They were laying down the workers.
Starting point is 00:09:50 There was no threats were being made. Nobody had a weapon out. They were laying down. Their hands were inside. What went through your mind when you saw that? Heartbreak. Heartbreak. These people came to work today to provide for their families and themselves,
Starting point is 00:10:06 and they could just be abducted and removed. 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 mom, Sandra, has built a life and business here for the last two decades, but, like many, she's worried for friends and family. She said, like, very, very bad.
Starting point is 00:10:44 She feels sad. Because she's been here 20 years in this country. She got her own house, she got her business, and she's working her 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 frontman for the crackdown, commander Greg Bovino. He says they're 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 pass.
Starting point is 00:11:22 This is Title VIII 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. 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. Well, we just followed the Border Patrol.
Starting point is 00:11:46 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 and now being followed by activists and people trying to document
Starting point is 00:12:04 exactly what they're doing. The melting pot that is New Orleans, its carpet has been pulled out from under the people, unfortunate. At our lady of Guadalupe, 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.
Starting point is 00:12:27 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 U.S. 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 way, Wednesday, President Trump told reporters they should go back to where they came from and their country was no good for a reason. Look at their nation. Look how bad their nation. It's not even a nation. It's just people walking around killing each other. Look, these Somalians have taken billions of dollars out of our country. They've taken billions and billions of dollars. They have destroyed Minnesota. It's a hellhole right now. And the Somalians should be out of here.
Starting point is 00:13:17 they've destroyed our country and all they do is complain, complain, complain. Early this week, Mr Trump's Homeland Security Secretary Christine Nome suggested her agency would target visa fraud in Minnesota and the US 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.
Starting point is 00:13:44 The militants deny the reports. Michael Homstrom is a Republican state senator in the Minnesota legislature. He spoke to the BBC. 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,
Starting point is 00:14:09 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 resources 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, hey, we finally have someone paying attention trying to help us. 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 U.S. Somali community?
Starting point is 00:14:43 Omar Fata 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 Ansoi. 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
Starting point is 00:15:15 to fulfill his agenda. And what that is, is that he is 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 U.S. 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 distract from his own failures as president.
Starting point is 00:15:52 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 U.S. cities targeting immigrants. 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.
Starting point is 00:16:23 They are teachers. They're 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.
Starting point is 00:16:43 And that goes against the American values what we're seeing right now from this administration. We have heard from a Republican state congressman. He said that the key concern for most Minnesota residents was immigration and visa fraud, far more than the president's disparaging comments. What do you have to say about that? 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,
Starting point is 00:17:11 which includes our congresswoman, 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. Do you acknowledge Dole that visa fraud is a problem in your community? There's fraud in every community, whether it's visa fraud, whether it's business fraud, It is not limited to one community solely.
Starting point is 00:17:45 What we're seeing right now is an election year tactic going into the midter 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 also. Omar Fata, speaking to Ansoi. Still to come on this episode, the future of the Eurovision Song Contest is to be decided in Geneva
Starting point is 00:18:19 with countries debating Israel's future participation. We need to follow our principles. Sometimes we need to be on the right side of the history and this is the moment that we are on the right side of the history. We've got that and more to follow on this episode of the Global News Podcast. How do you go about transforming one of the world's oldest industries, one with a complex regulatory landscape, supply chain vulnerabilities, pressure from investors, all amid unprecedented global instability. I'm Chip Kleinexel, host of Resilient Edge, a business vitality podcast, Paid and presented
Starting point is 00:19:00 by Deloitte. The majority of organizations that really embark on these transformation initiatives are not successful because they don't have that strategy. Tamika Bell from Mitsubishi Chemical Group talks about what separates companies that succeed from those that fail to transform themselves in the energy sector. Stop diagnosing the symptoms. We need to start diagnosing the system that encompasses manufacturing and supply chain and commercial and R&D. Systems thinking versus surface fixes, it takes deep industry knowledge to know the difference. The companies that will thrive will be the ones who continue to focus on value, vision, and strategic agility. Companies who are not going to get tired of evolving nature of the business.
Starting point is 00:19:53 Rahul Chatwal from Deloitte sees the pattern across energy companies. It's not about expensive technology. It's about constant evolution. What are we really trying to solve here? What does success look like? Who owns the outcome? Tamika asks the tough questions because in complex industries like this one, every decision has global impact. So what does real transformation look like in the high-stakes, deeply complex energy sector?
Starting point is 00:20:18 Get a 360-degree understanding of the challenges and untapped opportunities in this episode of Resilient Edge. Find us wherever you get your podcasts. It's 5.23 p.m. One of your kids is asking for a snack. Another is building a fort out of your clean laundry. and you're staring at a half-empty fridge and thinking, what are we even going to eat tonight? Or you could just hello-fresh it.
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Starting point is 00:21:04 It's dinner on your terms. kids can even help you cook. Yeah, it's going to be messy. But somehow, they tend to eat the vegetables they made themselves. Try HelloFresh today and get 50% off the first box with free shipping. Go to Hellofresh.ca and use promo code Dinner 50. That's Hellofresh.ca promo code dinner 50. Hellofresh.com. Canada's number one meal kit delivery service. 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.
Starting point is 00:21:45 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 Sousman is CEO of the Gates Foundation. He says the situation is reversible. 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 the fight against preventable child mortality.
Starting point is 00:22:25 And our hope is by showcasing this report, we can make sure that this is a temporary setback. Our global affairs reporter Ambarasan Etirajan told us more. 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 field worker jobs, gathering data on these diseases.
Starting point is 00:23:15 Now, what are the main reasons, for example, pneumonia, diarrhea, you know, these are all preventable. But access to medicine is one of the major issues why many children are still dying. And this is considered one of the biggest achievements of, you know, global health community, in 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. And where are the worst affected areas? Now, traditionally, it has always been sub-Saharan African countries and also South Asia.
Starting point is 00:23:55 Now, if you look at these countries, they were all depending on international development assistance, aid. I mean, it's just not only the U.S., 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're 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, you know, 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. Ambrassan Etirajan reporting. Next to Myanmar, which has become one of the world's leading hubs for online scams.
Starting point is 00:24:50 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. This is the Moir River that divides Myanmar from Thailand and you can hear the detonations going on from the other side.
Starting point is 00:25:24 There is an artillery exchange between the Myanmar military and the main Karen insurgent group, the K&U, 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 Shundra and Bowley. They're just on the other side of the river. The people you can hear behind me, and a lot of children as well,
Starting point is 00:25:46 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 K&U, the Keren insurgents, say they're trying to shut down the scam compounds that have proliferated all along this river.
Starting point is 00:26:08 The K&U has taken over these two, Shunda and Baoli, and driven out the scam workers. There are many who refuse 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 its demolition of buildings in there
Starting point is 00:26:31 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 hunter who have been mainly profiting from this business and protecting it. Many people think that's just a show. The KNE 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
Starting point is 00:27:01 people have been displaced by it. 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. 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
Starting point is 00:27:32 would begin. It's a big task because they may have to make sure that by December the 10th, 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 will be no way of them getting onto those platforms. If they don't comply, if they don't take reasonable steps, which is what the legislation says, then they could risk fines of up to 50 million Australians. That's about $33 million US dollars. But we've been speaking to some teens about what they feel about the ban. Personally, I don't think this ban will work.
Starting point is 00:28:09 Reason being lots of us are pretty dependent on it, it would 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 like there's going to be always more and I always tell myself like there's going to be more like parties like you can always like do this when you're older and stuff like it's not the end of the world.
Starting point is 00:28:34 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 dramas that have arisen. 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.
Starting point is 00:28:58 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. Katie Watson reporting. Should Israel be allowed to compete in next year's Eurovision song contest due to take place in Austria in May? Organisers 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,
Starting point is 00:29:27 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, her threatened to boycott the 2026 contest if it is. Israel is allowed to compete. Natalia Gorshak is the president of the Slovenian broadcaster, RTV. Vienna is so close to us and we won't be able to go there.
Starting point is 00:30:02 But still, you know, we need to follow our principles. And I think this is the correct way. And sometimes we need to be on the right side of the history. And this is the moment that we are on the right side of the history. A dilemma then. I spoke to our music correspondent, Mark Savage. Well, it's going to be a very tense meeting. Like you say, you're a vision's organizer.
Starting point is 00:30:22 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
Starting point is 00:30:43 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 Raphael.
Starting point is 00:31:01 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
Starting point is 00:31:21 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,
Starting point is 00:31:39 then there will be a vote on whether Israel should be allowed to participate next year. And in terms of some of the rules, regulations that have been looked at as well as this issue, do you know how some of this might be resolved, because there are a lot of obviously participating countries involved in this? Well, this is the thing. No matter what happens, there are countries threatening to pull out next year.
Starting point is 00:32:00 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,
Starting point is 00:32:26 they hope it will go ahead in Vienna next May. 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.
Starting point is 00:32:41 The address is Global Podcast at BBC.com.com. And you can also find us on X at BBC World Service. Use the hashtag Global NewsPolour. pod. This edition was mixed by Chris Ablaqua and the producer was Alice Adley. The editor is Karen Martin and I'm Ankara Desai. Until next time, goodbye.

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