A security guard was killed and another was wounded in an attack early Thursday by the PKK terrorist organization on a military base in Turkey's southeastern Siirt province. 

According to a statement by the governorate of Siirt, PKK terrorists attacked the Degirmentasi Military Base in Pervari district using long-barreled weapons.

Security guard Mehmet Babat was killed and his colleague Siddik Bulut was wounded.

Bulut was taken to Siirt Training and Research Hospital.

An operation against the terrorists continues in the region.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children and infants./aa

At least 11 people were killed and many injured after a residential building collapsed late Wednesday in the country's financial capital Mumbai, officials said. 

An update released early Thursday by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the governing civic body of Mumbai, confirmed that 11 people have died in the incident.

"Rescue work is being carried out by the fire brigade," it said on Twitter

Earlier Thursday, it said a portion of a residential building collapsed, injuring 17 people.

Mumbai witnessed heavy monsoon rains Wednesday, disrupting daily life and flooding many roads.​​​​​​​

According to the India Meteorological Department, Mumbai recorded 222.2 millimeters of rain in a span of 12 hours on Wednesday./aa

Argentina’s president set off a firestorm Wednesday on Twitter after making racially insensitive comments that triggered a racial debate.  

Alberto Fernandez made the remarks to visiting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez while seeking to highlight Argentina's ties with Europe. 

"Octavio Paz once wrote that the Mexicans came from the Indians, the Brazilians came from the jungle, but we Argentines came from the ships. And they were ships that came from Europe," said Fernandez in reference to the swathes of European migrants who settled in Argentina. 

According to the Argentine newspaper Perfil, Fernandez appeared to quote the phrase mentioning Brazilians from a song by his friend Argentine musician Litto Nebbia but attributed it to Mexican poet Octavio Paz. 

In Argentina, Fernandez's comments struck a nerve for Alejandro Ariel Vilca, an indigenous activist in the Socialist Workers' Party and part of the Coya community. 

"Like millions, I did not come from Europe. I am proudly Coya. Your words are an offense to the native peoples," Vilca said on Twitter, denouncing Fernandez's comments. 

The news also had a wide impact across social media, with news media from Argentina, Brazil and Mexico condemning the comments. 

Brazil's daily newspaper Folha described the remarks as "racist.”

Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro took the opportunity to share a picture of himself on Twitter with members of an indigenous community while his third son, Eduardo Bolsonaro, took a verbal shot at the center-left Fernandez. 

"Won't they say that he was racist against the indigenous and African peoples who formed Brazil?" said Eduardo Bolsonaro on Twitter, while also describing Argentina as a "ship that is sinking." 

A Mexican journalist based in Argentina, Cecilia Gonzalez, questioned the president’s remarks, describing them on Twitter as "odd" that "Alberto Fernandez repeats in front of Pedro Sanchez the stereotype that Argentines come from ships and that they came from Europe. I believed that this false idea was already overcome, especially in this government." 

But Gonzalez noted that the meeting between the two leaders was positive in terms of establishing the International Monetary Fund’s support for Argentina and fostering solidarity to combat the global coronavirus pandemic, adding that an "unfortunate phrase overshadows the rest." 

Fernandez has since apologized for his remarks, stating that he is proud of Argentina's diversity. 

"I did not mean to offend anyone. In any case, whoever has felt offended or invisible, I offer my apologies," said Fernandez on Twitter./aa

The US on Wednesday designated four Nicaraguan officials, including President Daniel Ortega's daughter, for undermining democracy and human rights abuses, according to the Treasury Department.

They include Camila Antonia Ortega Murillo, the coordinator of the Creative Economy Commission and daughter of Ortega, head of the central bank Leonardo Ovidio Reyes Ramirez, Edwin Ramon Castro Rivera, a deputy in the National Assembly and Army Brig. Gen. Julio Modesto Rodriguez Balladares who is Executive Director of the Military Social Welfare Institute.

Ortega has imprisoned two presidential candidates in the last 24 hours, alongside opposition leaders, who have campaigned against his regime.

Juan Sebastian Chamorro, an opposition candidate in the Nov. 7 presidential elections, was detained and apprehended for "treason” on Tuesday. The businessman presides over the Nicaraguan Foundation for Economic Development and leads the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy, a civilian-based front opposing the ruling party.

Presidential candidate Felix Maradiaga was arrested on similar charges outside prosecution offices.

Jose Adan Aguerri and Violeta Granera were also arrested under similar circumstances, also on Tuesday. Authorities said the opposition leaders were arrested for undermining and threaten Nicaraguan sovereignty and independence.

“President Ortega’s actions are harming Nicaraguans and driving the country deeper into tyranny,” said Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Andrea Gacki.

“It’s clear the Ortega regime intends to continue its suppression of the Nicaraguan people. The United States will continue to expose those officials who continue to ignore the will of its citizens,” Gacki said in a statement.

As a result of the designations, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned individuals that are in the US or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked./aa

The UN's top expert on human rights in Myanmar warned Wednesday of "massive loss of life" due to starvation and disease in eastern Kayah state as junta forces continue a deadly crackdown. 

"The junta’s brutal, indiscriminate attacks are threatening the lives of many thousands of men, women and children in Kayah state," Tom Andrews said on Twitter. "Let me be blunt. Mass deaths from starvation, disease, and exposure, on a scale we have not yet seen since the February 1 coup, could occur in Kayah state absent immediate action"

He condemned the junta's indiscriminate attacks against civilians. 

"More than 100,000 people have been forced to flee their homes and villages to escape bombing raids and artillery fire by junta forces in Kayah state. Many have been forced into neighboring forests without food, water, and shelter," he said.

Andrews urged all regional actors and NGOs to take action to avoid a "catastrophic loss of life" and said: “It has been reported that junta forces are stopping aid from reaching these desperate people by setting up military blockades and laying landmines on public roads."

"Now more than ever, the international community must cut off access to the resources the junta needs to continue these brutal attacks on the people of Myanmar," he added.

Amid continuing chaos in Myanmar since the military coup, the junta launched a brutal crackdown on civilians in various areas of the country and Kayah has become the epicenter of recent violence.

The military, or Tatmadaw, overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, detained her and other leaders of the National League for Democracy party, then cracked down with lethal force on anti-coup protesters.

Suu Kyi's party won a second term in November, but the military said rigging in the polls forced it to seize power.

Kayah state has been the epicenter of fierce fighting between the military and a regional armed resistance group since May 21, when troops opened fire in residential areas of Demoso and arrested 13 people./aa

Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA), a state-run aid organization, gifted on Wednesday a minibus to Bangladesh’s refugee authorities to facilitate swift services to the persecuted Rohingya community.

Turkish ambassador to Dhaka Mustafa Osman Turan handed over a symbolic key to Bangladesh's State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md. Enamur Rahman. Ismail Gundogdu, the TIKA coordinator in Bangladesh, was also present.

Addressing the ceremony, Rahman referred to Turkey as a “very long and faithful friend” of Bangladesh. “We want to move together, work together and cooperate with each other," he said.

The minister thanked the Turkish government for helping his country in many sectors, especially in support of the Rohingya in the field of health, education and rehabilitation.

Turkey increased its aid activities in 2017, as a new wave of Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh. More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled from the western Rakhine state of Myanmar to the neighboring Bangladesh as the Myanmar military launched a crackdown that saw villages being burned down, extrajudicial killings, and rape.

Turkey has always supported the community, repeatedly drawing attention to their plight.

Ambassador Turan said Ankara has close, friendly ties with Dhaka and both the countries share many common cultural and religious values. He said Turkey is the country with the highest number of refugees in the world.

Underlining TIKA's efforts in Bangladesh, he said Turkey is interested in further strengthening bilateral relations. “Many Turkish companies are interested in investing in Bangladesh in the near future.”

TIKA was founded in 1992 and now has 60 offices worldwide. Its Bangladesh office was opened in 2014./aa

The US administration of Joe Biden will purchase 500  million doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine to donate globally, according to a report Wednesday.

The Washington Post cited three people familiar with the plans who said Biden will announce the plan at the Group of Seven (G7) meeting in Britain later this week.

Speaking to reporters before departing for the UK trip, Biden said he would have a vaccine strategy for the world and announce it, without elaborating.

According to an Associated Press report, which cites a person familiar with the matter, 200 million doses would be shared this year.

Last week, Biden said the US would donate 75% of unused COVID-19 vaccines to the UN's COVAX global vaccine sharing program.

The administration announced its framework for sharing at least 80 million vaccine doses globally by the end of June and the plan for the first 25 million doses, according to White House.

COVAX aims to deliver 2 billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021./aa