Reuters World News Summary

Speaking at the U.S. State Department, Enrique Manalo accused China of "escalation of its harassment" of the Philippines, while U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington stood with Manila against what he described as "coercion." Israel on edge for Iranian retaliation after embassy strike Israel on Friday braced for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of retaliation for the killing last week of a senior officer in Iran's embassy in Damascus.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Ecuador ex-VP Glas must stay in jail despite illegal arrest, court rules

A tribunal in Ecuador on Friday ruled the dramatic arrest of former Vice President Jorge Glas last week was illegal, but said he must remain in jail due to his previous convictions, a decision Glas' lawyer said his team will appeal. Glas, twice convicted of corruption and now facing fresh charges, was arrested a week ago during a raid by police on Mexico's Quito embassy, where he had been living since December.

Kharkiv's civilians under fire as Ukraine faces 'catastrophic' air defence shortage

Kateryna Velnychuk was having an afternoon nap when an explosion shattered the windows of her ground-floor flat, spraying shrapnel that tore holes through her walls and cupboards. A Russian guided bomb had exploded in the courtyard outside the five-storey Soviet-era building, killing a postman on his rounds. As her flat filled with thick, milky smoke, the 22-year-old turned to see blood pouring from her boyfriend Vladyslav's head.

Biden says expects Iran to attack Israel soon, warns: 'Don't'

U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel "sooner, rather than later" and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden said simply, "Don't," and he underscored Washington's commitment to defend Israel.

Russian city calls for mass evacuations due to rapidly rising flood waters

Authorities in the Russian city of Orenburg called on thousands of residents to evacuate immediately on Friday due to rapidly rising flood waters after major rivers burst their banks due to a historic deluge of melting snow. Water was also rising sharply in another Russian region - Kurgan - and in neighbouring Kazakhstan the authorities said 100,000 people had been evacuated so far, as rapidly warming temperatures melted heavy snow and ice.

Mexico sounds alarm over 'zombie drug' sedative in opioids

Mexican public health officials are sounding an alarm after a study discovered the presence of animal tranquilizer Xylazine in opioids in cities on the country's northwest border with the United States. Known popularly in English by names like "tranq dope" and "zombie drug," Xylazine cut into heroin and fentanyl has in recent years worsened the opioid scourge in U.S. cities like Philadelphia.

Fall of Myanmar town to rebels sends people fleeing into Thailand

Hundreds of refugees crossed over the river frontier between Myanmar and Thailand on Friday following the fall of a strategic border town to rebels fighting Myanmar's military junta. Some said they feared airstrikes by the Myanmar military after the rebel capture of Myawaddy, a town of around 200,000 people lying across the Moei River from the Thai city of Mae Sot.

In US meeting, Philippines says it will assert South China Sea rights

The Philippines is determined to assert its sovereign rights in the South China Sea, its foreign secretary said on Friday at a meeting with U.S. allies to show support for Manila over an increasingly fraught standoff with China in the strategic waterway. Speaking at the U.S. State Department, Enrique Manalo accused China of "escalation of its harassment" of the Philippines, while U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington stood with Manila against what he described as "coercion."

Israel on edge for Iranian retaliation after embassy strike

Israel on Friday braced for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of retaliation for the killing last week of a senior officer in Iran's embassy in Damascus. Countries including India, France, Poland and Russia have warned their citizens against travel to the region, already on edge over the war in Gaza, now in its seventh month. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the threat from Iran was real and viable.

US ex-diplomat sentenced to 15 years for spying for Cuba over decades

A former U.S. diplomat was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Friday after admitting to acting as an agent of Cuba in what the Justice Department has called one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the U.S. government. Victor Manuel Rocha, who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002, pleaded guilty to two charges including acting as an illegal foreign agent. He was initially charged in December.

Dozens of Palestinians killed in Gaza as Hamas official vows to 'break' Israel

Israeli forces fought Palestinian militants in the north and centre of the Gaza Strip on Friday as Khaled Meshaal, a senior official in Gaza's ruling Hamas movement, said its six-month-old battle with Israel would "break the enemy soon". Most Israeli troops have been pulled out of the Palestinian enclave in preparation for an assault on its southernmost city Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians are sheltering, but fighting has continued in various areas.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)