BBC News Briefing

12 August, 2024

Sofia Lotto Persio

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.

GET UP TO SPEED

Russia is evacuating residents from a second border region, Belgorod, as Ukraine claims it now controls 1,000 square kilometres of Russian territory.

A task force of historians and archaeologists has said the wreck of the Clotilda, the last known US slave ship, should remain under water as a memorial.

A same-sex flamingo couple has successfully hatched an egg at a zoo in England.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Trump's false claim about Harris crowd

A large crowd of people is seen taking pictures of Vice-President Kamala Harris's plane

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.

Jake Horton, Shayan Sardarizadeh and Mike Wendling, BBC Verify

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”.

Get the details

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.

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Common ground: In the hotly divided US presidential campaign, a rare area of agreement has emerged - workers’ tips should not be taxed.

AT THE SCENE

Athens, Greece

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.

Nikos Papanikolaou, BBC News

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.

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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.

Keep reading

Red alert: Several areas of the country are facing the highest level of fire risk due to high temperatures and strong winds expected over the coming days.

From the archive: This explainer on how wildfires start and how they can be stopped was first published a few years ago, but remains as relevant as ever.

THE BIG PICTURE

When leg-lengthening surgery goes wrong

Elaine Foo woman lays across a patch of grass, bruising and scarring on her tight is visible, and one leg appears longer than the other

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.

Find out more

Sheep of different colours - white, brown, and a mix of the two, graze a cliff

FOR YOUR DOWNTIME

In the land of sheep

The Faroe Islands owe much of their unique identity to the hardy herbivores.

Take a look

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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– Sofia

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