European Union leaders have been unable to agree on setting up a back-channel with Moscow to ensure that the bloc's interests are protected should progress be made in negotiations to end Russia's war on Ukraine, some of them said on Friday.

European Council President António Costa, who chaired their two-day summit, had directed his office to reach out to the Kremlin and proposed a senior official to make contact. Costa said his aim was not to mediate or set up a parallel negotiating track to the one led by the United States, which is making little progress.

Iran has informed Hezbollah that it will not continue the negotiations with the US without a comprehensive ceasefire in Lebanon, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said.

Israel’s military struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight into Friday and Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area, threatening the nascent agreement between Iran and the United States to end their war. Lebanese media reported at least 18 people killed in the strikes, and Israel said four soldiers died, vowing to make Hezbollah pay a heavy price.

The Israeli military said strikes were ongoing on Friday after four of its soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed in an attack on a tank in a village near the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh. An explosive drone attack wounded another five, it added.

Israel then launched multiple strikes against "Hezbollah infrastructure sites" in Nabatiyeh and other areas, according to a military statement, which accused the militant group of "blatant ceasefire violations."

Israel's military said Friday its forces struck targets throughout southern and eastern Lebanon overnight into Friday as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area, threatening the nascent agreement between Iran and the United States to end their war.

Talks planned for Friday in Switzerland between Iran and the United States, which Vice President JD Vance had been scheduled to attend, found themselves postponed as the fighting intensified. Mediators worked to reschedule the meetings crucial for starting talks over a permanent end to the Iran war, with much of the attention focused on Lebanon, regional officials said.

The European Union has reached out to Moscow in a tentative bid to open a line of communication so the continent is not sidelined in any potential talks to end Russia's grinding war in Ukraine, officials said Thursday.

The news emerged as Ukraine launched one of its biggest drone attacks since Russia's all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago, Russian officials said Thursday. A major Moscow oil refinery was hit for a second time in a week and commercial flights at Moscow airports were disrupted.

Adnan Kaour returned on Thursday to check on his home in southern Lebanon's coastal city of Tyre — once known as an idyllic summer getaway spot — just a week after Israel issued warnings for all of its residents to evacuate.

The warnings were followed by sweeping airstrikes on the city.

Over the past two and a half years, Israel has taken control of swaths of Gaza, Lebanon and Syria that amount to its biggest expansion of militarily occupied lands in decades.

It is an area larger than many major cities — roughly 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) — and Israel has said it plans to stay indefinitely.

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hailed Russia's ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as he hosted a summit intended to strengthen economic and political ties with the bloc.

The leaders who took part in the meeting in Kazan agreed to further expand "strategic partnership" between Russia and ASEAN nations that include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor and Vietnam.

It's number-crunching time when it comes to formations at the World Cup.

Every team starts with a goalkeeper in front of the net, but then it's up to the 48 coaches to try to arrange their lineups to optimize their players and match up effectively with opponents.

Real Madrid says it has reached a deal with Ibrahima Konaté to sign the France defender to a four-year contract.

The Spanish powerhouse announced the deal on Thursday while the central defender is with his national team at the World Cup.