Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, Oct. 27

Pakistani army said that two civilians were killed on Wednesday by Indian firing and eight others injured in a latest cross Line of Control (LoC) firing.

"Two civilians embraced Shahadat (martyrdom) in Chaprar Sector on working boundary due to Indian unprovoked firing today," the military said in a statement, adding that eight villagers were injured. (Pakistan-India-Firing)

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DAMASCUS -- The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday denied the government forces' use of chemical weapons during the ongoing battles in the war-torn country, according to the state news agency SANA.

The ministry statement denied what it said "accusations" made recently in a report inquiry by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which blamed the Syrian forces for carrying out a gas attack against rebels in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib in March 2015. (Syria-Chemical Weapon)

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BRUSSELS -- NATO allies on Wednesday confirmed contributions to the multinational battalions in eastern Europe at a defence ministers meeting.

NATO defence ministers assessed progress in plans for a strengthened NATO presence in the eastern part of the Alliance, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the press conference following the meeting. (NATO-Eastern Europe)

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CARACAS -- Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro activated on Wednesday the nation's Defense Council on a permanent basis to find a solution to the country's political, economic and social crisis.

The Constitution's Article 323 says that the Defense Council is the highest advisory organ of the state to plan and assess matters related to the defense of the country. (Venezuela-Politics) Endi