Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed to wipe Hamas “off the face of the Earth” as the new

Ukraine has suffered its most intense bombardment of Russian shelling so far this year as Putin’s troops hit 118 settlements in just 24 hours, Ukraine’s interior minister has said. Moscow fired millions of shells on cities, towns and villages on Wednesday - more than in any single day so far this year, reducing several to rubble across the east and southern parts of the country, Ihor Klymenko said in a post on social media. “Over the last 24 hours, the enemy shelled 118 settlements in 10 regions. This is the highest number of cities and villages that have come under attack since the start of the year,” he wrote on Telegram. The bombardments came as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky lamented the world’s expectation of a speedy victory on the battlefield. In response to growing criticism over Kyiv’s counteroffensive, he said: “The modern world is set up in such a way that it becomes accustomed to success quickly. When the full-scale aggression began, many in the world did not think Ukraine would endure.” It comes as Kyiv reported a Russian attack on Black Sea shipping lanes, saying warplanes had dropped “explosive objects” in an area used by civilian vessels three times over the past 24 hours. “There were three such drops registered in the last 24 hours. However, the navigation corridor continues to function under the watch of the defence forces,” the southern military command said. Ukraine is trying to build a new shipping lane without Russian approval to revive its seaborne exports. But Russia said it would consider any vessel a potential military target after it quit a UN-brokered deal allowing Ukrainian goods to pass through. Elsewhere, Russian forces carried out attacks against 13 of Ukraine’s oblasts, killing at least three and injuring at least 15, according to local officials. In the east, in Donetsk, one person was killed and two were wounded during Russian attacks on the region, the local military administration said. In Kharkiv, a Russian strike killed a man in his 50s and injured a 52-year-old woman, while one person was killed and eight were injured in a blast in the southern city of Kherson, governor’s in the areas reported. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military reported that over 260 civilians have been killed after stepping on landmines or other explosives during the 20-month-old war with Russia. Kyiv estimates that 174,000 sq km of the country - about a third of its territory - is potentially strewn with mines or dangerous debris. At least 571 people have received injuries during more than 560 incidents involving mines or explosive objects left behind by the fighting, a military spokesperson said on Telegram. Whilst Ukraine recuperated from Russian shelling, Moscow failed to regain lost ground on two fronts. Putin’s forces failed to make gains near Klishchiivka and Andriivka south of Bakhmut and near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine’s Armed Forces general said, as Ukraine forces engaged in 68 clashes with Russian troops. The clashes come as Ukraine prepares for a new wave of attacks near the besieged town of Avdiivka in the eastern region of Donetsk. It comes as Ukrainian troops advanced against Russia on two fronts, according to the military think tank, the Institute for the Study of War. “Geolacted footage posted on 30 October shows that Ukrainian forces have advanced northeast of Kurdyumivka (10km southwest of Bakhmut),” it said. And in an overnight drone and missile attack, Russia struck a Ukrainian oil refinery in the city of Poltava, central Ukraine. The Kremenchuk oil refinery burst into flames after the strike which targeted military and criticial infrastructure, the head of the region’s military administration, Filip Pronin said. Pronin added the situation was under control and the fire had been extinguished via the Telegram messaging app. Read More BBC News Arabic launches emergency radio service for Gaza Mike Johnson’s Israel test – few allies and fewer options Israeli envoy to Russia says Tel Aviv passengers hid from weekend airport riot in terminal European Commission's chief tells Bosnia to unite in seeking EU membership South Korea's spy agency says North Korea shipped more than a million artillery shells to Russia Researchers hope tracking senior Myanmar army officers can ascertain blame for human rights abuses

All of a sudden, the biggest interest-rate shock in decades is rousing traders from their slumber once again

The death toll from a grisly road crash in western Kenya has risen to 49, a government minister said Saturday, as rescuers worked to clear the wreckage...

Pope Francis is opening a global gathering of bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the Catholic Church, including some hot-button issues that have previously been considered off-limits for discussion

Zendaya and her reps called out the Daily Mail report for being 'completely false' and a 'bald head lie'

A pensioner arrested after a British schoolgirl was shot dead in France had allegedly been in a dispute with the neighbouring family for years. Details of the build-up to Saturday’s attack emerged following the killing of the 11-year-old - who has been named as Solenne Thornton by French authorities. Her parents were also shot during while enjoying a family barbecue in the French hamlet of Saint-Herbot. The victim’s father Adrien Thornton is in critical condition and her mother Rachel was also wounded. Solenne’s sister Celeste watched in horror as her older sibling was shot while playing on swings, before the eight-year-old ran from the scene screaming: “My sister is dead, my sister is dead.” French police launched an investigation for the murder of a child under 15, and two attempted murders. A 71-year-old Dutchman, who has not been named, is in custody along with his wife after both were arrested by firearms officers. Have you been affected by this story? If so email tara.cobham@independent.co.uk Officers from the GIGN – the Gendarme National Intervention Group – arrived to support local police during the fatal incident. “The shooter locked himself in his home after the shooting so there was a brief siege,” a source said. “After some negotiation, the suspect gave himself up without a struggle, and he was arrested, alongside his wife. He had retired to Saint-Herbot around six years ago.” Marguerite Bleuzen, Mayor of Plonévez-du-Faou, revealed there had been ‘some trouble with a neighbour dispute’ between the two families since at least 2020, while locals claimed the pensioner had previously threatened the family with a .22 rifle the same year. “That’s what the dispute three years ago was all about – police were called because he was threatening the family with his rifle,” one unnamed resident said. “The two families were always arguing, and the rifle escalated matters, but nobody ever believed that he would use it.” The weapon was a licensed hunting rifle, and no effort was made to confiscate it by the police, or council officials. The Dutchman - whose wife was said to be a “pleasant neighbour who said hello to people” - was described as “gruff and withdrawn”, regularly complaining about the family cutting down trees to make way for children’s play equipment, including swings. “He was also regularly upset about the noise the family made, even though it didn’t bother anyone else – it was mainly just kids having a nice time,” a resident said. Following an official intervention three years ago, there had been “no emergency”, but Ms Bleuzen was aware that arguments continued to simmer. “I intervened with my deputies when we were elected,” she said. “There was a problem with the land around their properties, and with noise pollution – it started from there. “I think they all had a little trouble getting on with each other.” Ms Bleuzen added: “The family was well known and liked. There is a village fête every year and they always came. “It’s incomprehensible to have shot a child. No one can understand how that could have happened.” All of the Thorntons were in the garden of their property when shots were fired at around 9pm on Saturday. They had lived in the property – a converted sawmill close to the local Catholic Church – for around five years. Mr Thornton was well known around the hamlet and surrounding countryside for helping out with DIY tasks, while Mrs Thornton was a home help. Solenne was believed to be a pupil at Jean Jaurès College, in the town of Huelgoat. Quimper prosecutor Carine Halley said: “An investigation has been opened into the murder of a minor under 15, and two attempted murders.” She said she believed the Thorntons were originally from the Manchester area. The UK Foreign Office said it aware of the shooting and “offering consulate assistance”. Read More Watchdog: Nuclear states modernize their weapons, Chinese arsenal is growing Paris street submerged by water as heavy rain hits French capital From GPS-guided bombs to electronic warfare, Russia improves its weaponry in Ukraine France shooting – latest: British girl killed during barbecue in Brittany as father fights for life British girl, 11, shot dead as she played on swings in family home in France Man accused of knife attack on four children in Annecy held on attempted murder charges

Pressure mounted Saturday on the leaders of a coup in Niger on the eve of a deadline set by the West African regional bloc ECOWAS for the military to relinquish...

The Georgia Supreme Court has dismissed a longshot legal bid from former President Donald Trump to essentially shut down the Fulton County criminal probe into his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state.

Earlier, Taylor Swift called off Saturday's show due to what she described as 'extreme heat' in the city

Metallica got an extra four-legged fan after a runaway dog arrived at the band's Los Angeles concert

South Korea's military says North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missile into its eastern sea, adding to a recent streak in weapons testing