Plus: Wildfires reach Athens suburbs, and a spectacle in the night sky ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. Donald Trump has claimed a picture of a large crowd at a Harris-Walz rally was faked. BBC Verify examines the sources showing otherwise. In Greece, Nikos Papanikolaou describes the challenges of tackling wildfires that have reached the suburbs of the capital, Athens. We're also hearing the distressing account of a woman whose surgery to lengthen her legs did not go according to plan. Finally, we review some stunning images of the Perseid meteor shower. | |
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QUESTIONS ANSWERED | Trump's false claim about Harris crowd |
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| | Local media outlet MLive covered the event and estimated that about 15,000 people were at the rally. Credit: Harris Campaign | The first rallies jointly held by Democratic presidential candidate, Vice-President Kamala Harris, and her running mate Tim Walz have attracted large crowds. But their Republican rival Donald Trump took issue with a recent image from a Michigan rally, claiming it was a fake and there was “nobody” there. |
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| | Jake Horton, Shayan Sardarizadeh and Mike Wendling, BBC Verify |
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| What do we know about the image Trump disputes? | The first version we could find of the photo Mr Trump has highlighted was posted on X by a Harris campaign staffer, Bhavik Lathia, on 7 August. Mr Lathia says the picture was sent to him by another campaign official. BBC Verify checked the metadata of this image, which confirmed it was taken on an iPhone 12 Pro Max device on 7 August at 18:28 local time. | Which other sources are available to verify what's shown in the photo? | There are multiple other images and videos, some taken by people present but also by TV news teams and agency photographers. They show a large crowd of people at the event. | Could an AI-powered software have been used to edit the image? | Prof Hany Farid, a specialist in image analysis at UC Berkeley, has examined the photograph using software designed to detect AI-generated images and says “we found no evidence that this image is AI-generated or digitally altered”. | | | Disputed account: Donald Trump said that former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown disparaged Kamala Harris during a helicopter ride that ended in an emergency landing - a story Mr Brown has dismissed as "creative fiction". Music rights: The family of the late soul singer Isaac Hayes has ordered Trump to stop playing the star's song Hold On, I'm Coming at his rallies. A similar complaint was issued on Saturday by Celine Dion's team.
Common ground: In the hotly divided US presidential campaign, a rare area of agreement has emerged - workers’ tips should not be taxed. | |
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| Wildfires reach Athens suburbs | | Strong winds are aiding the rapid spread of the fire. Credit: EPA-EFE | More than 700 firefighters are tackling wildfires that have reached the outskirts of the Greek capital after burning for more than 24 hours. Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes. |
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| | Nikos Papanikolaou, BBC News |
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| | With the sun setting, aircraft working to extinguish the flames have been forced to land, making it a ground operation overnight. Residents are complaining there are not enough fire trucks and firefighters to help, as Greek authorities request international assistance.
People in Athens are wearing masks to protect themselves from the choking smoke that has filled the air, as they try to put out flames. A human chain of firefighters, volunteer firefighters, police officers and citizens are using everything they have to try to put fires out, with some resorting to tree branches. |
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THE BIG PICTURE | When leg-lengthening surgery goes wrong |
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| | | Elaine has suffered excruciating pain after her leg-lengthening surgery. Credit: Elaine Foo/Supplied | Elaine Foo always hated her height. Going from 5ft 2in (1.57m) to 5ft 5in (1.65m) was her dream, but the surgery she spent her life savings on became a nightmare involving multiple procedures and a lawsuit against her surgeon. |
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FOR YOUR DOWNTIME | In the land of sheep | The Faroe Islands owe much of their unique identity to the hardy herbivores. | |
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And finally... up above | Every August, the Perseid meteor shower floods the night sky with streaks of light. If you missed it, or would just like to remind yourself of the spectacle, here are some of the best images from around the world. | |
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Football Extra | Get all the latest news, insights and gossip from the Premier League, weekdays to your inbox. | |
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MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS | | The Essential List: The best of the BBC, handpicked by our editors, in your inbox every Tuesday and Friday. Subscribe. | | In History: The past comes to life through the BBC's unique audio, video and written archive, each Thursday. Subscribe. | | US Election Unspun: Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday. Subscribe. | |
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