World News Roundup: Hezbollah to hit back at Israel but war unlikely: deputy chief

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Hezbollah to hit back at Israel but war unlikely: deputy chief

Hezbollah will respond with a "surprise" strike against Israel after drones crashed in Lebanon, but a new war remains unlikely, the Iran-backed movement said, amid heightened fears of a full-scale confrontation between the longtime adversaries. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the two drones that crashed at the weekend in the Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs of Beirut. One of them exploded, causing some damage to Hezbollah's media center in the district, but nobody was hurt.

Thailand's Central Pattana to go ahead with mall opening despite airport row

Thailand's Central Pattana (CPN) said it will go ahead with mall opening despite its unresolved dispute with state-owned Airports of Thailand (AOT), the country's top mall operator said on Wednesday. Central said in a statement that it had complied with all regulations and would not delay the mall's opening.

As maritime rows resurface, Duterte readies to raise ruling with China

When Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte visits China this week, he'll need to salvage something from a "pivot" to Beijing that has left him empty-handed, and exposed his neighbors to a new level of brinkmanship in the South China Sea. Despite his huge domestic popularity and great affection for China, Duterte is under growing pressure to push back at its growing maritime assertiveness. After avoiding the issue for three years, he has vowed to raise with President Xi Jinping a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated China's claim to sovereignty over most of the South China Sea.

Mexican president condemns arson attack in Mexican port city

Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Wednesday condemned an arson attack on a bar in the southeastern port city of Coatzacoalcos on Tuesday night which he said had claimed the lives of 25 people. Authorities in the state of Veracruz, where Coatzacoalcos is located, earlier said that 23 deaths had been registered so far.

U.S. warship sails in the disputed South China Sea amid trade tensions

A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Wednesday, the U.S. military said, a move likely to anger Beijing at a time of tense ties between the world's two largest economies. The busy waterway is one of a growing number of flashpoints in the U.S.-China relationship, which include a trade war, U.S. sanctions, and Taiwan. Reuters reported on Tuesday that China had denied a request for a U.S. Navy warship to visit the Chinese port city of Qingdao.

Brazil says South American nations to meet on Amazon, accepts Chilean aid

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday that South American countries would meet to determine a common policy in defense of the Amazon rainforest, and took another swipe at France for an offer of $20 million in aid. In an indication that Bolsonaro, a far-right conservative, is forging closer ties with neighboring countries than European nations, he also accepted an offer from Chile of four aircraft to help fight the fires sweeping through the world's largest rainforest.

Uproar as British PM Johnson cuts parliament time before Brexit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to limit parliament's opportunity to derail Brexit by cutting the amount of time it sits between now and EU exit day on Oct. 31, infuriating opponents who accused him of leading a "very British coup". In his boldest move yet to take the country out of the European Union with or without a divorce deal, Johnson said he would set Oct. 14 for the Queen's Speech - the formal state opening of a new session of parliament that is proceeded by a suspension of the House of Commons.

Lithuanian PM being treated for lymphoma, will keep working

Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said on Wednesday he had been diagnosed with early-stage lymphoma but would continue working while undergoing cancer treatment that was expected to run until early November. Skvernelis would not cancel plans for upcoming meetings in Vilnius with the prime minister of neighboring Poland and the speaker of the Swedish parliament, his advisor told Reuters.

Hong Kong protesters denounce Cathay Pacific for firing cabin crew

Hundreds of people protested in Hong Kong on Wednesday to denounce Cathay Pacific Airways for dismissing crew taking part in or supporting anti-government rallies that have swept the Chinese-ruled city for weeks. The Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) switched the protest venue, originally planned to be outside the airline's airport headquarters, Cathay City, to the central financial district after police refused permission.

Italy inches closer to new government as parties haggle

Tense talks aimed at forming a new Italian government inched forward on Wednesday as two major political parties, struggling to bury years of hostility and avoid snap elections, agreed to re-install Giuseppe Conte as prime minister. The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the opposition center-left Democratic Party (PD) entered formal coalition talks after a ruling alliance between 5-Star and the right-wing League party collapsed this month after prolonged infighting.