WATCH PRESS TV NEWS HEADLINES

Here is a brief look at Press TV newsroom's headlines from 09:00 GMT to 17:00 GMT, August 21, 2017.

Barcelona attacker identified

Spanish authorities say the driver of the van that plowed into pedestrians, killing 13 people in the Spanish city of Barcelona has been identified. Catalonia’s police announced that the attacker’s identification has been confirmed without giving his name. Catalonia’s regional authorities, however, said everything suggests the van driver was Younes Abouyaaqoub, who has been the main suspect of the manhunt since the beginning. Catalan’s officials also said that the search for the suspect has been extended to other European countries.

US destroyer collision

A joint international search-and-rescue operation is underway for 10 missing sailors of the US guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain following its collision with a merchant vessel east of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca. US Navy aircraft in cooperation with Singaporean ships, helicopters and tug boats and assistance from Malaysian authorities are conducting the mission in the South China Sea waters. According to a statement by US Navy, the American warship collided with an oil tanker while heading to Singapore for a routine port call. Initial reports indicate damages to the port side aft of the destroyer, causing injuries to at least five sailors. This is the second accident involving US Navy destroyers in Asian waters in more than two months. In June, a US destroyer was badly damaged and seven American sailors were killed in a collision off the coast of Japan.

China-US trade row

China has slammed the United States after Washington officially launched a probe into China's alleged theft of intellectual property. China's Commerce Ministry issued a statement expressing Beijing’s “strong dissatisfaction” with the US move. It added the US act to ignore World Trade Organization’s rules and use its domestic laws to probe against China is an irresponsible move. The statement said Beijing would take appropriate measures to protect China’s interests. It also urged the US to accept the facts and avoid any imprudent moves. The investigation is US administration’s first direct measure against China’s trade practices, which Washington argues are harming its industry. China says the move would harm bilateral trade relations.

South Asia floods  

Massive floods, caused by monsoon rains, have killed over 800 people in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. Millions of people have also been displaced by the torrential rains. Aid workers have warned of severe food shortages and an outbreak of water-borne diseases if immediate action is not taken. The devastating floods have also killed many livestock and caused substantial damage to properties. Seasonal monsoon rains in South Asia are a lifeline for the farmers but claim hundreds of lives every year. Authorities say the recent flooding has been one of the worst in recent years.

Battle for Tal Afar

Iraqi forces make fresh gains on the second day of an offensive aimed at liberating one of the last remaining Daesh strongholds in the country. The Iraqi army’s ninth division has recaptured several villages from the Takfiri group on the outskirts of the city of Tal Afar. Iraq’s federal police backed by the Popular Mobilization Units also managed to push deeper into areas west of the city. Dozens of Daesh terrorists have been killed in the fighting. On Sunday, Iraq announced the start of the offensive to liberate Tal Afar where an estimated 1,500 terrorists are believed to be holed up. The city, once a major supply hub for Daesh between Syria and Mosul, has been besieged for much of the past year. Iraqi forces liberated Mosul from the terror group over a month ago.

US white supremacy

In the United States, University of Texas is removing the statues of four prominent Confederate figures from campus as symbols of modern white supremacy and neo-Nazism. Statues of Robert E. Lee, the Confederate army commander, Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston and Confederate Postmaster General John H. Reagan will be moved to the Brisco Center for American History on campus while the statue of former Texas governor James Stephen Hogg will get another place. The debate over public memorials for Confederate figures became the spotlight of national conversation following August 12 violent clashes between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia. Since then, thousands of demonstrators have marched across US to protest against white nationalism and the alt-right.

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