US charges Raúl Castro with murder
Global News Podcast
BBC
4.3 • 8.2K Ratings
🗓️ 21 May 2026
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The US justice department has unveiled criminal charges against the former Cuban president, Raúl Castro. The accusations against the 94-year-old include conspiracy and four counts of murder. They stem from a 1996 incident in which Cuban military jets shot down two planes flown by Miami-based Cuban exiles. President Trump has described the indictment as a "very big moment".
Also: SpaceX is poised to make the first $1tn debut on an American stock exchange, in a move that could make Elon Musk a trillionaire. The fight against foreign developers buying Caribbean beaches. And an award winning novel that tells the story of forbidden love between a Japanese novelist and her Taiwanese interpreter.
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
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:07.5 | With American politics, everything seems to be changing by the second. |
| 0:11.9 | Yeah, sometimes the news does a full 180 while we're recording the podcast. |
| 0:16.4 | It can be a difficult job, but we stay up to date on your behalf. |
| 0:19.9 | Make sense of what's happening in the U.S. |
| 0:21.8 | with new podcast episodes throughout the week. |
| 0:24.2 | AmericaS. Listen on BBC Sound. |
| 0:27.9 | This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. |
| 0:33.3 | I'm Celia Hatton, and in the early hours of Thursday, the 21st of May, these are our main stories. |
| 0:39.3 | The U.S. charges Cuba's former president, Roel Castro, with murder, over the downing of two planes in 1996. |
| 0:46.7 | Elon Musk's rocket and satellite company is set to make the first ever trillion-dollar debut on a U.S. stock market. |
| 0:53.6 | Our tech correspondent in San Francisco tells us why SpaceX is so valuable. |
| 1:00.8 | Also in this podcast, we'll hear from this year's winners of the International Booker Prize. |
| 1:06.2 | And we'll take you to the Caribbean. |
| 1:08.2 | You come to Barbuda, you get four beaches to yourself and not just beaches. |
| 1:12.6 | Pink sand beaches. |
| 1:13.8 | Pink sand? |
| 1:14.8 | A legal battle is being fought over those beaches. |
| 1:17.5 | We'll tell you the story. |
| 1:23.8 | We begin with Cuba. |
| 1:25.6 | For months, the United States has been intensifying its pressure on the island, |
| 1:29.7 | imposing a fuel blockade that's triggered sustained power outages. Cuba's economy was struggling |
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