BBC News Briefing

14 October, 2026

Alex has short blonde hair and blue eyes. She is smiling and wearing a black turtleneck

Alex Binley

Hello. Elon Musk's Starlink internet network has been accused of limiting its coverage inside Ukraine - we explain what this means. We visit an Indonesian island where locals claim data centres are leaving them with no water. And take a look at the oldest shipwreck ever found.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Starlink restrictions in Ukraine war linked to political situation, Zelensky aide says

Two soldiers wearing gree camouflage outfits stand in a muddy field. One is holding what looks like a large red box in one hand and a wire in his other. The other soldier has his back to the camera and is holding what looks like a four-pronged grey stand.

The Starlink system has become a vital tool to give troops in Ukraine internet access. Credit: Reuters

Some of Ukraine's battlefield "missions" have been disrupted by new limits set on the speed some of its weapons can travel and stay connected to the Starlink network, Serhiy Beskrestnov, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. Starlink is vital for Kyiv's battlefield communications, and is also used to guide drones to Russian targets and protect Ukrainian skies. However, a speed restriction set overnight means that if, for example, a drone exceeds the limit of 100mph (160km/h), connection to it will be lost. Beskrestnov said the move "cannot be a coincidence and is related to the current political situation". Neither SpaceX nor Starlink have commented. In February, Musk's decision to deny Russian forces access to Starlink blunted Moscow's advance in Ukraine and caused confusion among Russian commanders.

Starlink's importance explained

GET UP TO SPEED

A woman with long brown hair in a bun wears a grey checked shirt and is putting fuel into a grey 4x4 car

US inflation rises more than expected

The pace of price rises increased to 3.7%, up from 3.4% in the 12 months to August, driven largely by higher fuel costs.

What the rise means >

A red cargo ship with multi-coloured shippng containers is seen from a distance in the sea. Two small boats are seen in the water near it.

Ship hit by projectile sinks in Strait of Hormuz - Singapore

Another container vessel flagged to the city state has been damaged following Tuesday's attack.

What happened >

Seven police officers in black stand in a TV station outside a studio.

Turkish police raid opposition TV station

The search halted live broadcasts and is the latest in a series of crackdowns on media critical of the president and his government.

Read more >

A man stands in front of a plain wall with a black and white picture on it. He has short black hair and a beard and is wearing a black suit, white shirt and red tie.

'Death sentence for man over Facebook post overturned'

Sri Lankan migrant worker Anojan Sivarasa was sentenced to death after a court in Saudi Arabia convicted him of blasphemy.

More on this >

A table is seen with wine glasses down the centre and green water glasse next to them. Cutlery and napkins are also seen.

Australia's first Michelin stars all go to one state

All of the 11 spots are in South Australia, reportedly because the state government paid for incognito inspectors to visit.

The restaurants >

NEWS FROM THE UK

Analysis: PM Andy Burnham trod carefully during Zelensky's visit, balancing US President Donald Trump and Kyiv, our correspondent writes.

Fraud case: A civil servant is accused of faking illness with make-up - which peeled off during a call with his boss - to juggle five jobs, a court has heard.

Ruth Ellis: A headstone for the last woman executed in the UK, who was convicted of murdering her abusive partner, has been installed at her grave.

AT THE SCENE

Batam, Indonesia

The island where locals say data centres are taking their water

A group of protesters in Indonesia, mainly women, stand and sit in a circle. Many appear to be cheering and raise their arms in the air.

Devoid of natural freshwater sources, Batam's 1.3 million people rely on rainwater collected in six artificial reservoirs.

As tech companies pour billions into AI infrastructure, a backlash is building against data centres. Amongst the concerns are the pressure they put on water and energy resources, with research in the US suggesting a typical data centre's elaborate cooling system consumes as much water a day as 1,000 US households.

Muhammad Islahuddin and Kelly Ng, reporters

"Water! Water!" the crowd of about 300 shouted as it stormed a compound with data centres, armed with empty plastic bottles and jerry cans. They were furious that the taps at home had run dry, while the data centres in the new Nongsa Digital Park seemed to have enough water to protect their machines from overheating.

"Not a single drop has come through our taps for the last three months... Our water supply had been reliable until the data centres came," Dewi Susanti, one of the protesters, said. People in her village, Bakau Serip, were now depending on tanker trucks that dispensed "dirty, cloudy and smelly" water, she said. Batam's water utility told the BBC it was working to improve supply.

Keep reading

Analysis: Could a growing backlash to data centres threaten the AI juggernaut?

Australia: Data centres are booming Down Under - but at what cost?

Inner Mongolia: How China's official "potato capital" has become an unlikely digital frontier.

A customer at a bakery taps their card on a reader while a woman behind the counter smiles at them.