World News Roundup: Turkey's Erdogan tells supporters he does not 'recognise' LGBT; China expels former Bank of China chairman from Communist Party and more

Turkey this week said all targets belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militia and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia were "legitimate targets" for its forces, after the PKK claimed responsibility for Sunday's bombing in Ankara which wounded two police officers and killed the two attackers. Israel 'at war' as Hamas gunmen launch surprise attack from Gaza Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday, killing more than 20 people and wounding hundreds in a surprise assault that combined gunmen crossing into Israel with a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Visiting China, Schumer urges fair treatment of US firms

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Saturday Washington did not seek to decouple from China, but wanted reciprocal and fair treatment for U.S. companies, as he kicked off a rare trip to the world's second-largest economy. Schumer, who made the remarks at a meeting with Chen Jining, Shanghai's Communist Party Secretary, said the United States did not seek conflict and wanted to achieve a level playing field, "as we compete economically."

Factbox-What is the Palestinian group Hamas?

The Palestinian group Hamas has launched a surprise attack from Gaza into Israel, in one of the most serious escalations in the Israel-Palestinian conflict in years. What is Hamas?

'Half the village is gone': Ukraine hamlet reels after missile strike

In a burial plot next to a field outside the remote Ukrainian hamlet of Hroza, residents removed undergrowth and cleared away litter to make space for more graves. Working quietly, it was something to distract them from the horror of what happened the day before.

Six suspects in assassination of Ecuador candidate murdered in prison

Six men suspected of involvement in the murder in August of Ecuador's anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio were killed in prison on Friday, the prisons agency said, barely a week before a crucial run-off election. The killings took place in a penitentiary in Guayaquil, the South American country's largest city, the attorney general's office announced earlier on Friday.

Turkey's Erdogan tells supporters he does not 'recognise' LGBT

Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday he did not "recognise LGBT" and vowed to combat "perverse" trends which he said aimed to destroy the institution of family in the country. Turkey's government, led by Erdogan and his Islamist-rooted AK Party, has toughened its stance on LGBTQ freedoms in recent months, particularly while campaigning for this year's elections in May.

China expels former Bank of China chairman from Communist Party

China's ruling Communist Party has expelled the former chairman of the state-owned Bank of China from the party, accusing him of illegal activities and taking bribes, the top anti-graft watchdog said on Saturday. Liu Liange was accused of illegally granting loans and causing significant financial risks, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) said in a statement on its website.

Turkey says it 'neutralised' 58 Kurdish militants in northern Syria

Turkish forces have "neutralised" 58 Kurdish militants in northern Syria in overnight attacks on militant targets, the Defence Ministry said on Saturday, as conflict in the region escalated nearly a week after a bomb attack in Ankara. Turkey this week said all targets belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militia and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia were "legitimate targets" for its forces after the PKK claimed responsibility for Sunday's bombing in Ankara which wounded two police officers and killed the two attackers.

Israel 'at war' as Hamas gunmen launch surprise attack from Gaza

Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched the biggest attack on Israel in years on Saturday, killing more than 20 people and wounding hundreds in a surprise assault that combined gunmen crossing into Israel with a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza. Israel said the Iran-backed group had declared war as its army confirmed fighting with militants in several Israeli towns and military bases near Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate.

Madagascar presidential candidate shows injury after opposition rally teargassed

Former Madagascar president Marc Ravalomanana said he had sustained a leg injury on Saturday when police and soldiers fired teargas to disperse a gathering of his supporters and those of other candidates challenging the incumbent president. Ravalomanana, who is among 11 candidates cleared to challenge President Andry Rajoelina in elections set for Nov. 9, showed on his Facebook page a photo of an injury on his left leg with blood dripping from it.

Russia to reverse nuclear test ban pact ratification, envoy says

Russia's envoy to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) said on Friday that Moscow will revoke its ratification of the pact, a move that Washington denounced as endangering "the global norm" against nuclear test blasts. The announcement by Mikhail Ulyanov added new fuel to tensions between Russia and the United States over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and arms control disputes between the world's largest nuclear weapons powers.

(With inputs from agencies.)