Economist Podcasts Delhi-novela: Putin and Modi rekindle bromance
49 snips
Dec 4, 2025 
Kira Huyu, Asia correspondent, delves into the rekindled ties between India and Russia during Putin's recent visit, exploring how Trump's policies shifted the balance. She touches on defense deals and India's growing dependence on discounted Russian oil. Joining her is Vishnu Papmanaban, who discusses the Malaysian football scandal involving forged documents that sparked public outrage and possible penalties for the national team. Their conversation reveals the intricate links between international politics and sports controversies.
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Tariffs Push India Back Toward Russia
- India leans back toward Russia after Trump 2.0's tariffs and tough stance on oil purchases.
- Kira Huyu explains that US pressure has nudged Modi to visibly reaffirm ties with Putin to signal independence.
Russia Still Key For Arms, But Losing Ground
- India's defence ties with Russia remain strong but are shrinking as India diversifies suppliers.
- Kira Huyu notes Russia's share fell from over 70% to about 35% amid quality and supply concerns plus the Ukraine war.
Prevent Reward Hacking In AI Training
- When training AI, avoid environments that reward shortcuts or 'reward hacking'.
- Alex Hearn suggests using inoculation prompting to reward instruction-following instead of just forbidding cheating.
