Did a data centre revolt affect the US mid-term election results? A US midterms voter poll has suggested data centres were a highly motivating issue for many Americans, leading some to argue public backlash against the artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure construction boom might have helped shape the election outcome. BBC Verify has looked at its role in the campaign and examined the potential consequences for the AI industry. What did the voter poll suggest? The poll for AP and a consortium of news organisations found 56% of surveyed voters said data centres were a "crucial or major" factor in their vote, while 76% said they would oppose the construction of a new data centre in their community.

How is the US economy really doing under President Trump? President Donald Trump has been boasting about the performance of the US economy ahead of the midterm congressional elections, claiming he has boosted incomes, reduced inflation and created jobs. Trump has repeatedly said: We have the hottest country anywhere in the world. While the overall US economy is faring better than many expected after Trump launched his sweeping Liberation Day tariffs in 2025, there's evidence those import taxes and the impact of the US-Israel war with Iran have pushed up inflation, with the harmful effects felt by most American households. The US economy is also being helped by an AI investment boom, and could falter if that spending were to dry up. So how does all this feel for the average American?

BBC Verify has identified 254 incidents in which the Israeli military has been accused of killing or injuring people in Gaza, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank and Israel that it said it was investigating, but have no public outcome. Using purpose-built AI tools, BBC Verify combed through more than 60,000 news reports and examined hundreds of incidents in which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) faced allegations of harm since the start of the Gaza war. Following extensive manual checking of each incident, we found 300 cases that the military said it was looking into, only 28 of which had outcomes published on the IDF website. For a further 18 incidents it was unclear if the investigation has been concluded. BBC Verify approached the IDF about each case multiple times but only received information on two incidents, which the IDF said are still under review.

Conservative shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith has said his party, if it was returned to power, would take £50,000 off the cost of building a new home in England and Wales by cutting back on regulations. The £50,000 figure claimed by Griffith reflects estimates by the housebuilding industry of the costs of new regulations and taxes. However, construction and housing experts warn that some of the savings could ultimately lead to higher government spending on schools, roads, and affordable housing. And some analysts also warn the Conservative plans to scrap environmental regulations could potentially push up household energy bills in future. Where does the £50,000 figure come from?

Is Burnham right to blame Russia for spreading online disinformation? After Prime Minister Andy Burnham put Russia-linked disinformation campaigns under the spotlight, BBC Verify has been examining how these attempts to influence people's opinions work. We have tracked - and debunked - numerous online disinformation campaigns produced by Russia-linked groups that have attempted to shift public opinion on issues like the war with Ukraine, influence elections in the US and Germany, damage social cohesion and undermine trust in authorities or institutions. What kind of disinformation is being spread? In his UN speech, Burnham said there was an insidious campaign being carried out by the Russian government to target people in the UK .

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Figure caption, BBC Verify has confirmed the footage was filmed in western Yemen. Footage verified by the BBC shows the wreckage of a Saudi F-15 fighter jet which the Iran-backed Houthi group says it shot down over Yemen. The US-made aircraft was downed using a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile as it conducted hostile operations over the Marib region, according to a Houthi statement on Wednesday. Experts have told BBC Verify the incident is a propaganda coup that shows the Houthis' military capability has advanced and they are prepared to further escalate its conflict with Saudi Arabia.

Global energy prices have spiked alarmingly again, driven largely in recent days by the escalating conflict between Yemen's Houthis and Saudi Arabia causing chaos for the oil industry. Petrol and diesel costs have risen rapidly in most countries while the wholesale price of natural gas - used for heating homes and generating electricity - has almost doubled in the UK and Europe since July. There are growing concerns of another inflationary shock on the world economy, which could cause interest rates to rise, increase mortgage costs and raise the price of almost everything in the shops including food. So what is behind this latest surge - and what are the implications for the world economy? The global oil price is currently above $108 (£80) per barrel, up from $70 (£52) in June 2026 - a roughly 50% increase.

A sea drone was used to save two crew members of a downed US army helicopter off the coast of Oman earlier this week, according to the US military - making it the first publicly known instance of an unmanned vessel being used to conduct a rescue mission. President Donald Trump said the apache helicopter was shot down by Iran near the Strait of Hormuz - the dangerous waterway which has been largely blocked off to shipping since the start of the Iran war. The two soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition, US Central Command (Centcom) said. BBC Verify has examined what we know about the drone boat and how the mission took place. What is the US sea drone?

The Ukrainian military is stepping up its campaign to destroy vehicles supplying Russian forces along crucial roads in occupied Ukraine using new AI drone technology, experts say. BBC Verify has confirmed footage of at least 14 incidents published in the past week of vehicles carrying food, fuel and ammunition being targeted along critical routes connecting Russia to Crimea and other occupied territories in southern Ukraine. Ukraine is starting to regain more ground than it is losing for the first time since 2023, analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) indicates. After more than four years of war and increased Russian occupation of eastern and southern Ukraine, neither side has gained any significant ground in recent months. Experts say recent drone technology advancements, including the AI-enabled Hornet system, have allowed Ukraine to attack Russian targets travelling to the front lines at greater distances and with increased accuracy.

Hezbollah has increased its use of small first-person view (FPV) drones to attack Israel, including systems controlled by fibre-optic cables to evade sophisticated defences. BBC Verify has geolocated 35 videos shared by the Lebanese armed group since 26 March which show strikes on Israeli soldiers, armoured vehicles and air defence systems in southern Lebanon and northern Israel. Experts told BBC Verify the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has so far been unable to develop any effective countermeasures, as the small drones can easily bypass detection systems. The drones can also be made from commercially available and 3D-printed components - and are cheap compared to the high-value targets they can destroy, experts also said. The use of cheap FPV drones became widespread during the Russia-Ukraine war and has changed modern warfare.