Israel’s acceptance of a ceasefire in Lebanon was a "strategic defeat" for the Jewish state and a sign that the country will disappear, Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Hossein Salami stated in a message to Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese media reported on Thursday.According to the reports, Salami’s message stated Israel failed to achieve its military goals in Lebanon.Throughout the war, Hezbollah had repeatedly reiterated that it would continue its attacks on Israel until Israel ceased its military operation in the Gaza Strip.

Germany, France, and Britain called on Israel to extend the indemnifications for essential services between Israeli and Palestinian banks for at least a year in a joint statement released by Berlin on Thursday.In the statement, the foreign ministers of the three countries called on Israel to immediately extend the indemnifications as the deadline of November 30 approaches."The issue of cross-border payments must not be leveraged to undermine the Palestinian Authorities," said the statement.

Liberian former warlord Prince Johnson, who oversaw the brutal murder of former president Samuel Doe as civil wars rocked the country before later serving as a senator and political kingmaker, has died at the age of 72."It is true that he died this morning," family member Moses Ziah told Reuters on Thursday. Family spokesperson Wilfred Bangura also confirmed that Johnson, who suffered from high blood pressure, had died earlier in the day.More than 200,000 people were killed and thousands more mutilated and raped as over 1 million were displaced in brutal civil wars that tore apart Liberia between 1989 and 2003 in which Johnson played an active role.Johnson rose to notoriety after his men captured, tortured and mutilated former president Doe before executing him.In a now infamous video from 1990, Johnson was seen celebrating with cans of Budweiser and looking on as his fighters sliced Doe's ear off with a knife before executing him.Johnson subsequently said he regretted the murder and sought reconciliation with Doe's family.While Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission named him among those recommended for prosecution for war crimes, saying his group had committed rapes and killings, Johnson never faced trial.After the war, he remained in politics and was elected as a senator in his Nimba county stronghold in 2006. He went on to play a role as kingmaker in various presidential elections.

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off the east coast of North Island, New Zealand on Thursday, the German Research Centre for Geosciences said.The quake was at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles), GFZ said.