World News Roundup: US on high alert for Iran threat in region after Israeli strike in Syria; Mexico suspends relations with Ecuador after arrest of ex-VP and more

A kamikaze drone hit a facility belonging to the separatist authority's defence ministry six km (four miles) from the border with Ukraine, the region's security ministry said on Friday. Israeli troops recover slain Gaza hostage, Egypt to host new truce talks Israel said on Saturday its special forces had recovered the body of a hostage killed while being held captive in Gaza, as the Palestinian enclave's dominant Islamist movement Hamas said it would take part in a new round of ceasefire talks in Cairo.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Mexico suspends relations with Ecuador after arrest of ex-VP

Ecuadorean authorities arrested former Vice President Jorge Glas on Friday evening, seizing him from the Mexican embassy and prompting Mexico to suspend bilateral relations. Glas, convicted twice for corruption, had been holed up in the embassy in Quito since seeking political asylum in December, a request Mexico granted earlier on Friday.

US on high alert for Iran threat in region after Israeli strike in Syria

The United States is on high alert and preparing for a possible attack by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the region in response to Israel's strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria, a U.S. official said on Friday. "We're definitely at a high state of vigilance," the official said in confirming a CNN report that said an attack could come in the next week.

Slovaks pick between Fico ally and pro-Western diplomat for president

Slovaks went to the polls on Saturday to pick a new president, choosing between pro-Western opposition candidate Ivan Korcok and Peter Pellegrini running for the ruling nationalist left coalition. At stake is whether Prime Minister Robert Fico, who took power in October for the fourth time, will get an ally in the presidential palace or an opponent who could challenge his pro-Russian stance and plans to reform criminal law and the media, which have raised concerns over weakening the rule of law.

Alien fever dreams fuel Peruvian grave robbings

Leandro Rivera says he chanced upon the cave in Peru's remote Nazca region that contained hundreds of pre-Hispanic artifacts – including human bodies with elongated heads and what appeared to be only three fingers on each hand. The plateau is famous for the Nazca lines, incisions on the desert floor forming birds and other animals visible from the air. The ancient geoglyphs have long intrigued anthropologists and exert a powerful fascination over some believers in extraterrestrials.

Six dead, 10 injured in Russian strike on Kharkiv, officials say

A Russian strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, killed six civilians and injured 10 early on Saturday, regional officials said. Ukraine's national police said the attack was launched by drones. It published pictures of blazes that had broken out on city streets and next to buildings.

Philippines, China trade accusations over South China Sea encounter

The Philippines and China traded accusations on Saturday over an encounter in disputed waters of the South China Sea, in an escalating row over a key waterway. Manila said two Chinese coast guard vessels "harassed" Filipino fishing vessels within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, while Beijing said its vessels responded appropriately to illegal activities.

Russia calls for investigation into 'dangerous' Transdniestria drone attack

Russia on Saturday condemned as a provocation a drone attack on a military facility of pro-Russian separatists in Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region and called for an investigation. A kamikaze drone hit a facility belonging to the separatist authority's defence ministry six km (four miles) from the border with Ukraine, the region's security ministry said on Friday.

Israeli troops recover slain Gaza hostage, Egypt to host new truce talks

Israel said on Saturday its special forces had recovered the body of a hostage killed while being held captive in Gaza, as the Palestinian enclave's dominant Islamist movement Hamas said it would take part in a new round of ceasefire talks in Cairo. Almost six months into the war, Israel has faced protests at home demanding a deal to free the dwindling number of live hostages from Hamas' Oct. 7 cross-border rampage. Western countries, meanwhile, have voiced outrage over what they see as an unacceptably high Palestinian civilian toll and the accompanying humanitarian crisis.

US, China to start new talks on balanced growth amid overcapacity concerns, Yellen says

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Saturday that she and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng agreed to launch exchanges on balanced economic growth, an effort partly aimed at addressing U.S. concerns about China's excess manufacturing capacity. After two days of economic talks in China's southern export hub of Guangzhou, Yellen said she and He also agreed to start a forum to cooperate on anti-money laundering efforts in their respective financial systems.

Russia evacuates around 2,000 people from homes in flood-hit Orsk

Russia has evacuated around 2,000 people from their homes in the Russian city of Orsk, Russian officials said on Saturday, a day after rising waters in the Ural River flooded riverside villages and caused a dam to burst. The regional government said the people had been evacuated from the city of 230,000 near Russia's border with Kazakhstan after thousands of homes were flooded in the area, the TASS news agency reported.

(With inputs from agencies.)