Elon Musk loses court battle against OpenAI

Summary

Global News Podcast (BBC World Service)

Episode: Elon Musk loses court battle against OpenAI
Date: May 19, 2026
Host: Alex Ritson

Episode Overview

This episode covers a major legal defeat for Elon Musk in his lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman, offers a glimpse into Silicon Valley power struggles, and features in-depth reporting on global issues including China's diplomatic maneuvers, the growing Ebola crisis in the DRC, scandals on UK reality TV, US-Cuba tensions, dramatic developments in Honduran and Venezuelan politics, and a major possible managerial exit in English football.

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Key Stories and Discussions

1. Elon Musk vs. OpenAI—Landmark Lawsuit Outcome

[01:26-06:42]

• Case Summary:

  • Elon Musk lost his lawsuit against Sam Altman and OpenAI after a jury found he waited too long to file claims regarding OpenAI’s switch from non-profit to for-profit. The jury decided on statute of limitations grounds, not the merits of his arguments.
  • Musk alleged breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment, efforts to force OpenAI back to nonprofit status.
  • OpenAI prevailed by convincing the jury that Musk's claims were time-barred.

• Notable Quotes:

  • "[The jury] agreed that Musk had waited too long to file his lawsuit, leaving all his claims essentially expired." — Alex Ritson (02:16)
  • "Mr. Musk can bring his claims and he can tell his stories. But what the nine members of this jury found is that his stories were just that, stories, not facts." — William Savitt, Altman's lawyer [03:16]
  • "The central claims brought by Elon Musk were breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment. He had three years to file the first, two years to file the second." — Lily Jamali, Tech Correspondent [03:50]

• Silicon Valley Power Exposed:

  • Private emails and testimony revealed broader themes of power and ambition:
    • Sam Altman, once less prominent than Musk, sought to align himself with the billionaire.
    • Greg Brockman, OpenAI co-founder, openly expressed ambitions to become a billionaire.
    • Musk, when denied total control over OpenAI, attempted to deprive the company of resources, expecting it to fail—a bet OpenAI survived, leading to ChatGPT’s AI revolution.
  • "I think it's fair to say both sides have come out with at least some egg on their face… you kind of have some negative sentiment on all sides here and I think nobody has come out unscathed from all of this." — Lily Jamali [04:57]

• What’s Next:

  • Musk vows to appeal in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, labeling the case a mere "calendar issue."
  • OpenAI now free to pursue a rumored IPO, potentially targeting a one trillion dollar valuation.

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2. China's Diplomatic Stage: Russian and US Leaders Visit Beijing

[06:42-10:01]

• Diplomatic Choreography:

  • Xi Jinping, fresh from hosting Donald Trump, welcomes Vladimir Putin to Beijing, marking the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty.
  • China appears as the central axis of power, playing host to both global rivals.

• Trade and Geopolitics:

  • The China-Russia relationship is increasingly lopsided; Russia relies heavily on Chinese trade following Western sanctions post-Ukraine invasion.
  • Major topics include increased oil and gas sales to China, particularly a long-debated Siberian pipeline.

• Notable Insights:

  • “Russia is now very heavily reliant on China. And what Mr. Putin will want China to do, certainly, is buy more oil and gas. There's going to be a big discussion about a Siberian pipeline.” — Laura Bicker, China Correspondent [08:59]
  • Xi seeks to balance close relations with Russia while avoiding further destabilization of ties with the West.

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3. Ebola Outbreak Worsens in the DRC

[10:01-13:44]

• Current Crisis:

  • The Bundibugyo strain is spreading beyond previous regions with confirmed deaths exceeding 100.
  • Unlike previous outbreaks, there are currently no effective vaccines or treatments for this strain.

• First-hand Experience:

  • Dr. Craig Spencer, Ebola survivor and public health expert, describes severe challenges:
    • “I was probably taking care of 30 to 40 patients by myself at any point.” [10:40]
    • Current outbreak likely underreported; actual toll expected to rise steeply.
    • Drastic cuts to international aid have weakened the response, with clinics lacking staff, equipment, and even basics like running water.
    • “There's been massive cuts not only on behalf of the US but many other countries… Many clinics are missing a lot of personal protective equipment… So we're in a scenario where we have too few healthcare providers in too few healthcare clinics.” — Dr. Craig Spencer [12:50]

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4. Channel 4’s Married at First Sight UK—Allegations of Sexual Assault

[13:44-18:40]

• Serious Allegations:

  • Two women allege rape during the show’s filming; a third reports non-consensual sexual behavior by her on-screen partner.
  • Channel 4 learned of some allegations only after broadcast but continued airing the show; all episodes were eventually pulled, and an external review was launched.
  • Lawyers for the accused deny all allegations.

• Victims' Voices:

  • “He said that if I told anybody what had happened that he would get someone to throw acid at the knee.” — "Lizzie" (voice actor) [15:13]
  • "I don't think that because you're going on reality TV you deserve in any way for things like this to happen to you." — Shona Manderson, former contestant [17:37]

• Industry Response:

  • Production company CPL claims a "gold standard" welfare system; Channel 4 expresses sympathy and promises improvements.
  • None of the women involved have gone to police.

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5. Tensions Between US and Cuba Escalate

[18:46-23:00]

• Military and Diplomatic Strain:

  • The US threatens action amid reports that Cuba has acquired 300 military drones from Russia and Iran, fueling talk of potential attacks on US bases.
  • President Trump’s administration intensifies sanctions after cutting off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba.

• Expert Analysis:

  • "This intelligence could essentially become justification, pretext for U.S. military action… 300 drones… is nothing compared to the US's vast military capability." — Mimi Swaby, global affairs reporter [20:32]
  • The US aims to align the Western hemisphere with "favorable" governments, reducing the influence of Russia and Iran via Cuba.

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6. Juan Orlando Hernandez Interview—Politics and Pardons in Honduras and Venezuela

[23:00-26:50]

• Pardoned Ex-President Speaks:

  • Hernandez, convicted for drug smuggling, was controversially pardoned by President Trump after allegations against him were deemed a "witch hunt."
  • He draws sharp distinction between his and Nicolas Maduro's cases, labeling his charges as politically motivated.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “My case is totally different to Maduro. If you review all the declassified cables… they say Juan Orlando is a man of his word.” — Juan Orlando Hernandez [24:58]
  • He maintains he was a US ally on anti-drug efforts, contrasting himself with Maduro.

• Context:

  • The National Party has regained power in Honduras; Hernandez faces ongoing legal trouble if he returns.

---

7. Cold Case Breakthrough in Germany

[27:08-29:54]

• Major Development:
  • Identification and arrest in a 25-year-old unsolved murder case after Interpol’s “Identify Me” campaign.
  • The “girl in the river Main” is revealed as Diana S.; her father, a German national, is the main suspect.
  • Wider impact of international efforts: operation has led to six successful identifications in cold cases across Europe since 2023.

---

8. Football: Pep Guardiola Set to Leave Manchester City

[29:54-33:18]

• End of an Era:

  • Despite past insistence on staying, sources suggest this will be Guardiola’s final game as City manager.
  • His legacy: 17 major trophies, 6 Premier League titles, and revolutionizing English football.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “He doesn't just go down as the greatest manager that City has ever had. He will go down as one of the greatest managers of all time for his impact on the club and also his impact on the Premier League as well.” — Katie Gornall, sports correspondent [31:32]

• Speculation on Future:

  • Open question if Guardiola will manage a national team or take on another football project.
  • Club plans a major parade as a potential send-off.

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Memorable Moments & Quotes (with timestamps)

• "Mr. Musk can bring his claims and he can tell his stories. But what the nine members of this jury found is that his stories were just that, stories, not facts." — William Savitt [03:16]
• "You kind of have some negative sentiment on all sides here and I think nobody has come out unscathed from all of this." — Lily Jamali [04:57]
• "Russia is becoming far more reliant on China." — Laura Bicker [08:59]
• "I don't think that because you're going on reality TV you deserve in any way for things like this to happen to you." — Shona Manderson [17:37]
• "He doesn't just go down as the greatest manager that City has ever had. He will go down as one of the greatest managers of all time." — Katie Gornall [31:32]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:26 — Opening headlines and Musk vs. OpenAI intro
• 03:16 — Savitt's “stories, not facts” statement
• 03:50-06:42 — Tech correspondent Lily Jamali on lawsuit details and implications
• 06:42-10:01 — China hosts Putin: global diplomatic significance
• 10:01-13:44 — DRC Ebola crisis and aid challenges (Dr. Craig Spencer)
• 13:44-18:40 — Married at First Sight UK investigation
• 18:46-23:00 — US-Cuba tensions and drone story
• 23:00-26:50 — Hernandez interview on his US pardon
• 27:08-29:54 — German cold case breakthrough via Interpol
• 29:54-33:18 — Pep Guardiola exit rumors and legacy (Katie Gornall)

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Summary

This episode vividly brings the audience up-to-speed on a week of extraordinary global developments. The main story—Elon Musk’s legal defeat against OpenAI—offers rare insight into the personal ambitions and rivalries shaping Silicon Valley. The episode then sweeps through sharp analysis on international relations, global health emergencies, media ethics, geopolitics in the Americas, and dramatic sports news. Notable voices and quotes provide texture, while carefully spaced segments ensure listeners walk away with both the headlines and the underlying context that connects them.

Transcript

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[Alex Ritson]

This is the global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson and in the early hours Tuesday 19th May, these are our main stories. Elon Musk loses his legal battle with AI rival Sam Altman over whether OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, should be a charity. A week after Donald Trump's visit to China, Xi Jinping prepares to host the Russian president Vladimir Putin in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ebola is said to be spreading over a wider area, with 118 deaths now confirmed. Also in this podcast he said that

[Lizzie (Voice Actor)]

if I told anybody what had happened that he would get someone to throw acid at the knee.

[Alex Ritson]

Here in Britain, two women have told the BBC they were raped during the filming one of the biggest shows on the Channel 4 TV network. Married at First Sight UK the world's richest man, Elon Musk, has lost his landmark case against his former business partner, Sam Altman of OpenAI. But the battle between the two tech giants didn't end after only two hours of jury deliberation because they sided with Altman, but because they agreed that Musk had waited too long to file his lawsuit, leaving all his claims essentially expired. The case could be seen as the culmination of a bitter feud between the Former co workers turned rivals in which Elon Musk claimed Sam Altman had deceived him by shifting the ChatGPT company to A for profit business after Musk left the venture. Afterwards, Mr. Musk said he would appeal, but Mr. Altman's team was understandably happy. Here's his lawyer, William Savitt.

[Dr. Craig Spencer]

Mr. Musk can bring his claims and he can tell his stories. But what the nine members of this jury found is that his stories were just that, stories, not facts. And the facts are that OpenAI is a not for profit, mission driven organization that has been and will continue to be faithful to that mission as it already has done.

[Alex Ritson]

Our North America technology correspondent, Lily Jamali was at the hearing. I asked her how the case even got this far when the jury seemed to think Mr. Musk had waited too long to go to court. Or was it not so clear cut?

[Lily Jamali]

You know, this statute of limitations issue, which the jury ultimately decided on, didn't come up all that much during the three weeks of testimony, but OpenAI made a really big deal about it in the closing arguments. And so that's where I think a lot of us in the courtroom gallery started to, to think, huh, maybe that's the thing that will determine this case. We'll see. And that's exactly what the jury did. The central claims brought by Elon Musk were breach of charitable trust and unjust enrichment. He had three years to file the first, two years to file the second. OpenAI said all along, you know, he had brought this case too late. And that's where the jury landed ultimately. They obviously made a very persuasive case there. But in terms of why it even got to this point when this issue existed, the judge seemed to think that Musk's claims still included some triable issues. And so that's why, presumably, she let the case go forward.

[Alex Ritson]

During the course of the court hearings, we've learned a lot about the two men, private emails, messages, industry insider witnesses, et cetera, which has really exposed a lot of the inner workings of Silicon Valley. Has one side come out better than the other?

[Lily Jamali]

I think, you know, it's fair to say both sides have come out with at least some egg on their face. What we have learned is exactly as you just suggested, how power works. How does one acquire power in Silicon Valley? Silicon Valley, and how does one wield it effectively? These emails between Sam Altman and Elon Musk and others from a decade ago, you get a sense from, especially from Sam Altman, who was a big deal in Silicon Valley in certain circles at that time, but nowhere in the echelon of fame, of fortune where Musk was at at that point. You know, he's trying to hitch his wagon to Musk. So there you see somebody trying to gather to gain power. You see OpenAI co founder Greg Brockman in his personal journal trying to figure out what path makes sense to that will get me to become a billionaire. That was a goal that he had. Musk, on the other hand, also clearly in the hunt for power, he wanted control over OpenAI when he wasn't getting it. When the other co founders didn't acquiesce, he tried to starve OpenAI of resources, thinking he was leaving it for dead. Lo and behold, they survive and end up sparking the consumer AI revolution with ChatGPT. So, you know, you kind of have some negative sentiment on all sides here and I think nobody has come out unscathed from all of this.

[Alex Ritson]

What happens now in their long running feud?

[Lily Jamali]

Musk has said he will appeal. He tweeted a somewhat scathing post from somebody else on his social media platform. But ultimately he said, you know, the merits are still live. You know, this was a calendar issue. I'm going to come back and see if I will have more luck in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. And OpenAI can now proceed with their IPO, which has been long rumored and could take place this year. They seem to be targeting a valuation of around a trillion dollars.

[Alex Ritson]

Well, that could be one of the largest stock market launches in history. We'll keep an eye on that, of course. Lili Jamali for US in Oakland, California and staying in America. On the Fourth of July this year, the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday, marking the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of independence in 1776. In the run up to the celebrations, we will have a special podcast looking at the state of America today. If you have thoughts or questions on the matter, we'd love to hear from you. Please email [e-mail] and if you can include a voice note, so much the better. Thank you. President Trump only left Beijing last week, but already China's leader Xi Jinping is welcoming another foreign visitor, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. While Mr. Trump's visit may have stabilized Sino U. S relations, China and Russia are firmer friends. That's particularly been so since Mr. Putin invaded Ukraine. Beijing has supplied Moscow with all sorts of goods it's now unable to buy in the West. China has also continued to buy Russian oil and gas Vital purchases. Now, Russia has lost other big markets in Europe. So should we read anything into the timing of these two visits? I heard more from our China correspondent, Laura Bicker.

[Laura Bicker]

I think it's worth looking at where we are supposed to be in terms of timing. Remember, President Trump was supposed to arrive back in March.

[Lily Jamali]

So it is a little bit of

[Laura Bicker]

a coincidence that Mr. Putin is arriving on the 25th anniversary of a key Sino Russian treaty agreement. His visit was always going to be on the calendar around this time, but certainly fortuitously, it comes for Beijing just a few days after they've waved goodbye to Donald Trump. I think for China's point of view, I think what it basically looks like or allows them to portray themselves as this kind of polar axis where you have, you know, various world leaders coming and walking the red carpet in Beijing and trying to meet President Xi and coming to a deal. And that's how China will try to portray this visit.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah. With Russia's war in Ukraine dragging on, is this visit rather more important for Mr. Putin than it is for Xi Jinping?

[Laura Bicker]

So I think you said at the beginning there that these two are longtime allies, and they are. They've met each other more than 40 times. Vladimir Putin has been in China more than 20 times. But when it comes to this relationship, it is becoming increasingly lopsided in terms of trade. Russia is becoming far more reliant on China. After Mr. Putin invaded Ukraine, it meant that the west imposed sanctions, stopped sending the likes of technology, any equipment, and obviously sanctioned Russian banks. So when it comes to any kind of trade, Russia is now very heavily reliant on China. And what Mr. Putin will want China to do, certainly, is buy more oil and gas. There's going to be a big discussion about a Siberian pipeline that will run all the way through Mongolia into the north of China. And that's been in discussion for years. But perhaps Mr. Putin will want to push this for China. President Xi will want to appear close, but it's a strategic alliance. Mr. Xi wants to keep ties with the west stable while still keeping his close relationship with Mr. Putin.

[Alex Ritson]

Laura Bicker, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo says the number of deaths from the current outbreak of Ebola is rising and that the cases are spreading over a wider area. It's announced that more than 100 people have so far died. The authorities are not just working to control the spread of the disease, but also the increasing panic. Dr. Craig Spencer, professor of public health at Brown university in the US contracted and survived Ebola while working as a doctor in guinea during an outbreak in 2014. He's been speaking to Samantha Simmons about what it was like treating patients with the deadly disease.

[Dr. Craig Spencer]

It was every day from 7am until late in the evening, spending a bunch of time inside personal protective equipment in the middle of the heat, sweating profusely, doing anything you can to hook people up to IVs, make sure they have intravenous fluid, or getting them to eat or drink, or giving them medicines to help their symptoms, or treating malaria, Whatever we could do to make people more comfortable and have a better chance at survival. And this was really tough. You know, when I was treated for Ebola in New York City, I probably had 30 to 40 people on call at any time to take care of me. But when I was working in Guinea, I was probably taking care of 30 to 40 patients by myself at any point.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

So right now, what we see unfolding in the drc, there is no cure or vaccine for this strain.

[Alex Ritson]

So how do medical teams there try and manage this?

[Dr. Craig Spencer]

Do you think this is going to be really tough? Look, this outbreak would have been hard to respond to in ideal conditions, but right now, what we have is anything but ideal. I say that because we detected this outbreak long after it had been spreading. The official index case is April 24, but I suspect it was probably weeks, if not months before that, that we started having some spread just due to the number of cases that have already been detected. And I suspect the actual toll is probably quite higher. Yeah. As you mentioned, this is a different strain than the outbreak that caused the 2014 Ebola outbreak. For that strain, the Zaire strain, we have vaccines and we have treatments now, but for the Bundibudio strain, we do not. That means we're going to rely a lot on bread and butter, public health. So contact tracing, finding the people who have had contact with the people who are sick, get them into treatment if they're unwell, get them tested, follow their symptoms and their temperature to see if they need to be treated or isolated. And I can tell you just with a number of cases we have so far, how quickly we learned so much in such a short period of time. There is no doubt in my mind that this is going to get much worse before it gets any better.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

There have been major cuts to international aid over the past number of years.

[Alex Ritson]

Do you think that will have an impact on this?

[Dr. Craig Spencer]

I don't think there's any way. It can't have a big impact, and I don't think that it already hasn't had an impact, quite frankly. Look, over the last year, there's been massive cuts not only on behalf of the US but many other countries to their humanitarian support for places like Congo. I've worked a lot in eastern Congo. It is a very tough place to work. There are a lot of NGOs that are already there providing healthcare and other support. Many of those have lost their funding over the past year. I know of some who have stopped training their nursing and healthcare staff on things like infection prevention and control, the essential things that we need to detect outbreaks like this. Many clinics are missing a lot of personal protective equipment or gloves or maybe even running water. So we're in a scenario where we have too few healthcare providers in too few healthcare clinics and hospitals that are going to be dealing with pretty immense challenges without the resources they need.

[Alex Ritson]

Dr. Craig Spencer here in Britain. Two women have told the BBC they were raped during the filming of one of the biggest shows on the Channel 4 television network. Married at First Sight UK, the British edition of the global reality TV phenomenon achieves viewing figures of over 3 million. But now two women have told the BBC's Panorama program that they were raped during filming and a third woman has alleged her on screen husband engaged in a sex act against her will. After an 18 month investigation, the BBC has learned Channel 4 was aware of some allegations before broadcast and the shows were still available on its streaming service. Now all episodes have been taken down and an external review is underway. A warning this report from Nur Nanji contains upsetting details of alleged sexual offences and misconduct.

[Lizzie (Voice Actor)]

My hope was to find someone kind and nice.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Lizzie, not her real name, went on Married at First Sight UK we're using an actor to voice her words as she wants to remain anonymous. The show sees single people agree to marry total strangers after meeting for the first time at a mock wedding. It's one of Channel 4's biggest shows and a highly successful global TV franchise. Lizzie and her on screen husband started having sex, but Lizzie says it turned violent and left her bruised.

[Lizzie (Voice Actor)]

He said that if I told anybody what had happened that he would get someone to throw acid at the knee.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

One night, she says he went further.

[Lizzie (Voice Actor)]

We were in our apartment on the sofa and he tried to have sex with me and I kept saying no, that I didn't want to do it.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

She met the welfare team the next day who took photos of her bruises. She describes some of what she says happened, but not the allegation of rape. The series was broadcast as planned.

[Lizzie (Voice Actor)]

After airing. I took a total nosedive with everything because of how it came across and then it got to the point that I was so low.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Lizzie then told the show psychiatrist that she'd been raped. Lawyers for cpl, the production company that makes the series, say the acid throwing remark had been reported as a passing comment, not a threat. Channel 4 says it was only made aware of the rape allegation once the series had gone out, so it would be wrong to criticized decisions it and CPL made based on knowledge they did not have at the time. Lawyers for Lizzie's on screen husband say he denies rape, that all sexual contact was entirely consensual, and he denies being violent or making violent threats towards her.

[Alex Ritson]

Oh, my God. Hello, babe.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Shona Manderson was matched with Bradley Skelly in 2023 as part of the program's format. They shared a flat in London. Shona says she and her on screen husband were having consensual sex, but on one occasion, she says, he went too far in bed.

[Shona Manderson]

We were being intimate, consensual, and a boundary was crossed.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Shona says he ejaculated inside her without asking her permission.

[Shona Manderson]

I was shocked. I was confused. We said that we weren't doing that.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

She says she was taken to get the Morning after pill by a welfare producer and whose job was to help look after cast members. Channel 4 and CPL said Shona told them she had no issue with what he did. Bradley Skelly said he understood she was consenting and denies any allegations of sexual misconduct. What would you say to people who say, well, it's just reality TV and didn't you expect something like this to happen?

[Shona Manderson]

I don't think that because you're going on reality TV you deserve in any way for things like this to happen to you.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

As well as Lizzie, Panorama has spoken to another woman on the show who says she was also raped. None of the women we've spoken to have gone to the police. Channel 4 has now removed all previous seasons of Married at First Sight UK from its streaming service. Its chief executive, Priya Dogra, said she had commissioned an external review of welfare on the show last year. Last month, she said, I want to express my sympathy to contributors who have clearly been distressed after taking part in Married at First Sight uk. She also said that when concerns about contributor Welfare were raised, Channel 4 acted quickly, appropriately, sensitively and with well being front and center. Lawyers for CPL say its welfare system is gold standard. The women we've spoken to say they should have been better protected and are calling for things to change.

[Alex Ritson]

Nur Nanji still to come in this podcast, oh My God.

[Carter Sherman]

People ask me that question for a long, long time ago. I know the answer. You should know the answer. You know, I'm here and I'm so, you know, here at the end of the season, the Premier League. So that's good.

[Alex Ritson]

Despite having insisted he's staying, the BBC understands that Pep Guardiola, Cuba, is about to leave Manchester City. This is the global news podcast. Tensions between the United States and Cuba have intensified with the president of the communist country Miguel Diaz Canal warning of a bloodbath if Donald Trump orders an attack on the island. In the Caribbean, speculation is mounting that the US is considering military action to topple the communist government as Washington continues continues to pile pressure on Havana after cutting off its oil shipments from Venezuela, causing an energy and economic crisis in Cuba. On Monday, the U.S. treasury placed sanctions on Cuba's intelligence agency as well as on Communist party officials, generals and the ministers for communications, energy and justice. For more, I spoke to our global affairs reporter Mimi Swaby.

[Shona Manderson]

These were announced or kind of threatened earlier last week and now come into play with the U.S. treasury. Announc them just days after the head of the CIA was actually in Havana speaking with Cuban officials, including the head of the intelligence agency. So a huge switch going from having talks together to imposing more sanctions with someone the head of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, was actually probably speaking with.

[Narrator/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Alex Ritson]

It's being reported that Havana has got hold of military drones from Russia and Iran. What have you heard? And why would Cuba even want these?

[Shona Manderson]

So this report is coming from Axios, and it says that Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones and has recently been discussing plans to attack or use them to attack U.S. bases, including Guantanamo Bay and U.S. military vessels. Now, this is supposedly according to classified U.S. intelligence from senior U.S. officials. Telling the media this is important because this intelligence could essentially become justification, pretext for U. S. Military action. And that is something we've heard repeatedly from Washington.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah, but I mean, it's pretty unlikely, isn't it, Cuba taking on the might of the US military.

[Shona Manderson]

It's very unlikely.

[Alex Ritson]

Winning. Surely there aren't people in Havana who really think that that could be done?

[Shona Manderson]

No. And President Miguel d' Escanael has repeatedly said that Cuba doesn't pose as a national security threat to the US and 300 drones. Putting this into a picture is nothing compared to the US's vast military capability. And it's worth noting that drones aren't anything new to Cuba. They've been buying them essentially from Russia and Iran since 2023. And stashing them in strategic locations across the island. That is something the US official has said. But it's within the past month specifically that officials have sought more drones and military equipment from Russia, according to this US intelligence. And they're also trying to supposedly learn how to use them like Iran has done in resisting the us. But this does come as President Trump has repeatedly said that he's going to take over Cuba with almost immediate kind of swiftness, posing real threats of military aggression against the island. So anyone would think, well, if you're being threatened with military or kind of any kind of invasion, as we've seen him do with Venezuela, you would try and protect yourself like any other nation would. And that is something the Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has posted on social media. Cuba, like any other nation around the world, is entitled to self defense.

[Alex Ritson]

Why is the US doing this? What does it want?

[Shona Manderson]

The US has been very open in that it wants, wants a change to Cuba's communist system. And Cuba doesn't have large, vast resources like Venezuela did. But it's becoming seemingly more clear that the US is trying to align the whole of the Western hemisphere with its allies, essentially governments that it deems favorable that it will do trade with, that it will work with the US or under the US. So it is against the US's kind of foes, such as Russia and Iran, which Cuba is currently allies with with

[Alex Ritson]

Mimi Swaby and staying in Latin America. The former President of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernandez, had been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison in the United States after he was found guilty of smuggling 400 tons of cocaine into America. But he was controversially pardoned by President Trump after claiming that he was the victim of a witch hunt by the previous U.S. administration under President Biden. Our Central America correspondent, Will Grant has obtained an exclusive interview with Mr. Hernandez, who's in hiding,

[Narrator/Ad Voice]

meeting in an undisclosed location in the United States at his request over security concerns. I sat down with Juan Orlando Hernandez and began by asking him about the pardon from President Trump.

[Juan Orlando Hernandez]

There was a combination of operators at play from the Deep State, as it's called, and a narrative created by leftist politicians in Honduras in tandem with left wing politicians in Venezuela. There is a very strong connection between the two. What happened was that narrative turned into a campaign in which Democratic Party leaders also participated, but all of it was based on the testimony of drug traffickers.

[Laura Bicker]

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is here in New York City.

[Narrator/Ad Voice]

A month after Juan Orlando Hernandez was pardoned, the US military forcibly removed Nicolas Maduro from power in Venezuela. He is now facing drug trafficking charges in the US. I asked Mr. Hernandez if he and Nicolas Maduro could be considered just two sides of the same coin, that is both Latin American presidents with alleged links to organized crime. The only difference being the conservative could count on the support of President Trump, while the leftist could not. It's an argument he robustly rejects.

[Juan Orlando Hernandez]

My case is totally different to Maduro. If you review all the declassified cables, the secret communications between the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa and the State Department, they say Juan Orlando is a man of his word. They also said not only did he approve an extraditions law, but he was also the first president to use it. We've never had such an effective anti drug trafficking relationship than we have with President Juan Orlando Hernandez. It's the best we've had.

[Narrator/Ad Voice]

The evidence against Mr. Hernandez involved the case against his younger brother, Tony Hernandez, who was filmed in a meeting with one of Central America's biggest drug lords, Davis Rivera Maradiaga, one of the co founders of Los Cacheros cartel. Why was the President's brother even at that meeting? I asked him

[Juan Orlando Hernandez]

what was he doing here? I ask myself the same question. It was a grave mistake, but at the time the brand Los Cachiros was well known. But identifying the individuals involved wasn't easy because they were based in the north of the country.

[Narrator/Ad Voice]

Mr. Hernandez's party, the National Party, is now back in power in Honduras. However, he continues to face corruption charges at home. I asked him if he planned to return to Honduras.

[Juan Orlando Hernandez]

Yes, the charges against me are part of the political prosecution against me by the previous regime in Honduras. I have no interest in returning to politics there.

[Narrator/Ad Voice]

If he does return to his country, the former president faces a challenge to persuade people that the years long investigation into him and his family and the subsequent guilty verdict were all just a politically motivated campaign by his enemies.

[Alex Ritson]

Will Grant with that report, the German authorities have arrested a murder suspect in one of the country's longest running cold cases. The death of a teenage girl found in river 25 years ago. The breakthrough came during an Interpol campaign to identify female suspected murder victims across Europe. The newsroom's Stephanie Zakrissen has more.

[Stephanie Zakrissen]

In July 2001, a group of people along the River Main near the German city of Frankfurt noticed something floating in the dark water. It was a bundle of bedding in brown leopard print weighed down by a parasol stand. And inside it, police found the body of a ghost. No older than 16. She had multiple injuries, burn scars and other signs of having been violently assaulted. The girl in the river Mine, as she's been called for a quarter of a century, has finally been identified as Diana S. Interpol says renewed efforts through their Identify me campaign has led to a breakthrough and to German authorities being able to arrest a suspect. The girl's father, a 67 year old German national, was placed in pre trial detention on suspicion of murder last week. The Global Policing Agency said that following the appeal, several tips from members of the public allowed investigators to pursue new leads. The case marks the sixth successful identification linked to the operation launched in 2023 to find the names of women who had been murdered or died in suspicious or unexplained circumstances in six European countries.

[Alex Ritson]

Has someone you know or close to you gone missing?

[Stephanie Zakrissen]

The first woman to be identified through the initiative was a British citizen murdered in Belgium in 1992. Her family identified her after seeing a photograph of her tattoo on the BBC last month. A woman whose body was discovered in France two decades ago was identified through DNA analysis and a murder suspect arrested. The Identify me section of the Interpol website lists the 41 cases yet to be solved. The burned body in the forest, the woman with the butterfly tattoos, the girl with the 10 pence coin. The public files contain pictures of tattoos, a black leather satchel, a pair of cartoon duck socks and a wedding ring dated in June 1960. Traces of lives ended too soon, but items and details that Interpol hopes could finally lead to justice for the women and girls, in some cases decades after their bodies were found.

[Alex Ritson]

Stephanie Zakrissen. And finally, huge news in the world of football. Pep Guardiola could be leaving Manchester City at the end of the season. The Spanish manager has dominated England's Premier League for 10 years. He has a year left on his contract and despite intense speculation, he had only recently insisted that he planned to fulfill that obligation. I've got to ask you, a lot of people speculating, commenting about your future at Manchester City.

[Lizzie (Voice Actor)]

Do you reckon you'll be here next season?

[Carter Sherman]

Yeah, definitely I'm here.

[Shona Manderson]

I have a contract next season.

[Alex Ritson]

Oh, my God.

[Carter Sherman]

People ask me that question for a long, long time ago, Dad. I know the answer. You should know the answer. You know, I'm here and I'm so, you know, here at the end of the season, the Premier League. So that's good.

[Alex Ritson]

But now the BBC understands that this Sunday's match against Aston Village will be his last in charge. I heard more from our sports correspondent, Katie Gornall.

[Katie Gornall]

The timing of this will raise some eyebrows, coming as it does in such a decisive week in the Premier League title race. But in terms of the development itself, I don't think this really comes as any great surprise because there's been constant rumours swirling around Guardiola's future at the Etihad for months. But we do understand that work is underway behind the scenes. Members of staff and players are on the understanding that he will leave, but as, as things stand, this has not been confirmed by the club. And Guardiola himself has said that he is happy at City and has one year left on his contract and goodness,

[Alex Ritson]

I mean, enormous football boots to fill. His record is incredible.

[Katie Gornall]

It really is. He doesn't just go down as the greatest manager that City has ever had. He will go down as one of the greatest managers of all time for his impact on the club and also his impact impact on the Premier League as well. He has absolutely dominated English football during his time in Manchester. He's been at the club for 10 years. In that time, he's won 17 major trophies, which includes six Premier League titles and the club's first Champions League triumph. And there's been so many records to fall along the way. Of course, they were the first team to win the English League title four seasons in a row, the only team to reach 100% points in a Premier League season. And it could yet become even more remarkable. He could cap this spell with a seventh Premier League title, potentially. But win or lose the title, it has been just a remarkable time for Pep Guardiola at City and he made

[Alex Ritson]

City into one of the greatest clubs in Premier League history. What could he possibly do next?

[Katie Gornall]

Well, we don't know whether he may stay on in some capacity at Manchester City, but you have to say, like, what else could this man achieve in football that hasn't achieved already? Maybe the one thing potentially missing from his CE would be managing a national team. But then you wonder how his very intense style of managing and intense style of football would fit when you don't have that same level of contact for players. But I think next up for him, City have this parade that they're planning on Monday the 25th, where they'll celebrate the men's and the women's teams and they'll celebrate the FA cup that they won just recently. And that looks to be the perfect send off, really, for the fans and for Pep Guardia, if this is to be his last few weeks at the club.

[Alex Ritson]

Katie Gornall. And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email [e-mail] you can also find us on X@BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. And don't forget our sister podcast, the Global Story, which goes in depth and beyond the headlines of On One Big Story. This edition of the Global News Podcast was mixed by Louis Griffin and the producers were Alfie Habershon and Mickey Bristow. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritson. Until next time. Goodbye.

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[Kai Wright and Carter Sherman]

I'm Carter Sherman. Welcome to Stateside with Kai and Carter. We're a new show from the Guardian.

[Alex Ritson]

We're talking to big thinkers and the

[Kai Wright]

best just trying to understand the world

[Dr. Craig Spencer]

through smart conversation and honest reporting.

[Kai Wright and Carter Sherman]

We don't have billionaires telling us what to say.

[Alex Ritson]

Stateside with Kyan Carter will come out

[Dr. Craig Spencer]

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[Kai Wright and Carter Sherman]

Subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.