The White House has called on Israel and Lebanon to put a high priority on restoring calm after new deadly border crossfire and Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah.

"Restoring calm along that border remains a top priority for President Biden and for the administration and it has to be of utmost importance, we believe, as well for both Lebanon and Israel," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Hezbollah fired rockets with heavy warheads at towns in northern Israel, saying it used the weapons against civilian targets for the first time Thursday in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes the night before that killed nine, including what the group said were several paramedics.

There were no reports of Israelis hurt in the rocket attack, local media said. The Israeli military did not immediately offer comment on the rocket attack.

The U.N. peacekeeping force deployed in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel has calling for ending the escalation a day after exchanges of fire killed 17 people.

The force known as UNIFIL said it is very concerned over the surge of cross-border violence between the Israeli military and Lebanon-based militant groups including Hezbollah.

Earth's changing spin is threatening to toy with our sense of time, clocks and computerized society in an unprecedented way — but only for a second.

For the first time in history, world timekeepers may have to consider subtracting a second from our clocks in a few years because the planet is rotating a tad faster than it used to. Clocks may have to skip a second — called a "negative leap second" — around 2029, a study in the journal Nature said Wednesday.

Ukrainians have expressed pride and gratitude toward their men's national football team for qualifying for the European Championship, a rare bit of good news and a welcome distraction from the war with Russia.

Though celebrations after Ukraine's 2-1 win over Iceland were muted as Russian missiles kept raining down on the country, the team's success gives Ukrainians something to cheer for this summer when the tournament kicks off in Germany.

Bayern Munich's slim title chances might depend on a win over Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga "Klassiker." Dortmund isn't the real threat though.

With Bayer Leverkusen still soaring 10 points clear with just eight games to go, dropping any more points could be fatal to Bayern's chances of a dramatic comeback in defense of the title.

Win against Arsenal on Sunday and Manchester City's path to a record fourth straight English Premier League title becomes clearer.

Lose, and Arsenal takes a giant step towards becoming league champion for the first time in 20 years.

Pope Francis urged his priests Thursday to avoid "clerical hypocrisy" and treat their flocks with mercy as he delivered a lengthy set of marching orders to Rome-based priests at the start of a busy few days leading to Easter.

A strong-looking Francis presided over a Holy Thursday Mass in St. Peter's Basilica during which the oils for church services are blessed. Later in the afternoon, he travels to Rome's main women's prison for the annual Holy Week ritual in which he washes the feet of inmates in a symbol of humility and service.

Taylor Swift's father will not be charged over a paparazzi photographer's claim that Scott Swift assaulted him on the Sydney waterfront hours after the pop star's Australian tour ended last month.

Photographer Ben McDonald had alleged that one of Swift's security guards forced an umbrella into his face and camera and that Scott Swift then punched him at the Neutral Bay Wharf, where the father and daughter had just come ashore from a yacht Feb. 27.

China on Thursday said it will lift tariffs placed on Australian wine over three years ago, in a sign of improving ties between the two countries.

China's Ministry of Commerce said the decision will take effect Friday.