BBC Trending

Image copyright Twitter/@jeggit

As rescue operations continue in Texas and Louisiana, a number of fake stories and false rumours have circulated online about Tropical Storm Harvey. BBC Trending has spotted some of the most viral fakes:

Looters were not bragging on Twitter

Thousands of tweets were sent using hashtags such as #Harveylootcrew or #Houstonlootcrew. The most popular images being shared showed wrecked shops, and expensive phones and computers. Some were posted by accounts labelled as "satire" or "parody", and others were on obvious hoax accounts - ones set up in the last few days and which were tweeting exclusively about looting.

Hoaxers have used social media to exaggerate reports of looting during previous disasters and protests - for instance during Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey in 2012 and the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014.

In Houston, there were some reports of theft, but on a small scale. Police Chief Art Acevedo said four people were arrested on Monday.

This photo does not show Houston's airport

A photo of submerged planes made the rounds online, purporting to be an image of Houston's flooded airport.

Image copyright AFP/@voxdotcom

We all make mistakes at work but luckily for most of us, millions of people aren't privy to it.

American news and media website Vox published yesterday an article about an American politician's health care proposal. It is a hefty analysis of how the bill would affect millions of Americans.

When the Twitter account of a prominent Yemeni political commentator and high-profile social media user fell silent on 14 August, it did not go unnoticed.

Hisham Al-Omeisy is usually a prolific tweeter, known for his updates, in both English and Arabic, about the social and humanitarian crisis in his country.

Image copyright Shutterstock

Which nation makes the best jollof rice?

This simple question has grown into a fierce debate in some West African countries, where jollof rice is a national delicacy.

Image copyright Reuters

Since Emmanuel Macron became President of France in May 2017 he has spent approximately 26,000 euros (£24,000) on make-up, an amount that has left many social media users blushing.

The French weekly news magazine Le Point claimed this amount was spent on a personal make-up artist who was "hired to beautify" Macron.

Image copyright Twitter/Womens Aid

Far-right activists are using fake Twitter accounts and images of battered women to smear anti-fascist groups in the US, an online investigation has revealed.

The online campaign is using fake Antifa (an umbrella term for anti-fascist protestors) Twitter accounts to claim anti-fascists promote physically abusing women who support US President Donald Trump or white supremacy.

A hashtag encouraging people from the Middle East to "break the internet" has been tweeted more than 53,000 times in less than 48 hours.

Middle Eastern communities and people have been using #MiddleEasternsBreakTheInternet to share pictures, despite the grammatical error in the hashtag.

Image copyright Instagram

It's commonplace to post photos of trips and special occasions on social media, but as the actress Louise Linton found out, people didn't respond well to the hashtags she used in one of her posts.

Ms Linton, an Edinburgh-born actress who is married to the US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, posted on her Instagram account a photo of her and her husband disembarking a US Air Force jet in Kentucky, adding various hashtags of the designer labels she was wearing.

Image copyright Club Natacion Cadiz

As the buzzer signalled the start of the 200 metre breaststroke final in the FINA World Masters Championships in Budapest, one competitor stood still as others raced away.

But Fernando Alvarez had not frozen, overawed by the occasion.

Image copyright AFP

What happened in Barcelona on Thursday has shocked the world and as some have been pointing out, attacks like these are becoming increasingly common.

Gruesome images are being shared over and over on social media after a van drove into crowds at Barcelona's popular tourist spot Las Ramblas, killing 14 and injuring many more.