Quito

Mexico said it has cut diplomatic ties with Ecuador after police stormed the country's embassy in Quito on Friday to arrest former Ecuadoran vice president Jorge Glas who was taking refuge there.

Police in violence-plagued Ecuador arrested 68 people Sunday who had attempted to take over a hospital in the country's southwest in the midst of a "war" between drug gangs and the security forces.

In a harrowing turn of events, Ecuador finds itself in the throes of a declared "state of war" with drug cartels, marking the third consecutive day of a brutal campaign initiated by the criminal organizations. This violent response comes in the wake of a government crackdown on their illegal activities, as reported by AFP.

Walking fast, with their eyes alert and voices low, a few Ecuadorans flitted about fearfully Wednesday on city streets all but deserted amid an escalating conflict between the armed forces and violent drug gangs.

CNN reported a dramatic interruption during a live broadcast at a Guayaquil-based TV network, where hooded and armed individuals forcibly entered the studio, compelling staff onto the floor amidst alarming sounds of gunshots and shouting. The incident occurred at the state-owned TC Television, causing a viral stir on social media as the live stream signal remains offline.

The running mate of slain Ecuadoran candidate Fernando Villavicencio will run for president in his place in August 20 elections, their party said Saturday.

"The movement will replace the presidential ticket by putting Andrea Gonzalez as president," the centrist Construye party said in a statement.

Ecuador's presidential candidate was killed during a campaign rally.

Fernando Villavicencio, who is also a former lawmaker, was shot dead in the capital, Quito. His Movimiento Construye party said on Twitter that gunmen attacked its offices in the capital, Quito.

President Guillermo Lasso vowed that the act would not go unpunished.

An Ecuadorian presidential candidate known for speaking up against cartels and corruption was shot and killed Wednesday at a political rally in the capital, amid a startling wave of gang-driven violence in the South American country.

Turkey has reshuffled dozens of ambassadors, including Deputy Foreign Minister Yavuz Selim Kıran, who has been appointed as Turkey's ambassador to Zagreb.

Officials in the northwestern province of Bursa are carrying out special efforts to ensure that tourists from South Korea visit the city more, aiming to increase the tourism income of the former Ottoman capital, which is known for its historical, cultural and natural richness.