The West African country wants to fight Boko Haram with a regional military force. “Ghana can provide troops for this”, explained Mahama. The plans for the operation will be discussed at the next summit of the African Union. Merkel promised financial support for the planned troop deployment, and spoke of “terrible, brutal crimes that are being conducted against the civilian population in Nigeria, but also in Cameroon.”

However, there were no current plans for a direct military intervention by the European Union, Merkel said. Since the beginning of the year, Boko Haram has brought large areas of northern Nigeria under its control and has penetrated into neighbouring Cameroon. On January 4, militia fighters took over a military base of the Multinational Task Force in Baga, in the Nigerian state of Borno.

As in the past, the new “scramble for Africa” threatens not only to bring terrible suffering to the African masses but also to intensify conflicts between the imperialist powers. Early last week, an article in the political weekly Die Zeit left no doubt that the German elites are increasingly prepared to engage in confrontation with their nominal allies in order to pursue their own geo-strategic and economic interests. Under the headline “We need more Germany in Africa”, the paper asked: “Is it really enough to just contribute enough so that Paris is not annoyed? Certainly not, and there are good reasons for a stronger engagement in Africa on our own part.”

Hamas has obviously interpreted these two decisions – by the EU court and the ICC – as a green light to proceed with its plans to eliminate Israel. Hamas is convinced that these decisions will bring it closer to achieving its goal. That is why Hamas has now begun recruiting thousands of Palestinian youths to its new "Liberation Army" in the Gaza Strip.

The Hamas campaign, entitled, "Vanguards of Liberation," is aimed at recruiting young men whose ages range between 15 and 21. So far, the Hamas recruitment program has attracted hundreds of youths from the Gaza Strip who, according to the movement, will form the nucleus for the new "Liberation Army." The new recruits will undergo military training at the hands of members of Hamas's armed wing, Izaddin al-Qassam. The main goal of the "Liberation Army" is, of course, to prepare for war against Israel, according to Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri.

"The main purpose of these training camps is to prepare an army for the liberation of Palestine and its holy sites in the near future," he said. "The large turnout is a sign that our people have endorsed the option of resistance against the occupation, especially in the aftermath of our recent victories."

“They are intended to be carried out until end-September 2016 and will in any case be conducted until we see a sustained adjustment in the path of inflation," he added, meaning the package will amount to at least €1.1 trillion. Mr Draghi’s package of asset purchases, including bonds issued by national governments and EU institutions such as the European Commission, is intended to boost the eurozone’s flagging economy and to ward off the spectre of deflation.

It took a dramatic toll on the euro, which dropped to an 11-year low against the dollar at $1.14.

Greece will not be eligible for the new bond purchases until July, under existing rules and would have to continue with its austerity programme to qualify. Germany fears that by lowering the yield on sovereign bonds, the ECB’s QE will lower the cost of government borrowing for indebted eurozone members such as France and Italy.

This truth is that Islam has literally been at war with others and itself from the very beginning. Its founder, Muhammad, spent the last two decades of his life in almost constant warfare. Unlike Christ, who willingly gave up his own life to pay the penalty for the sins of others, Muhammad died taking the lives of others who would not willingly submit to Allah. This is historical fact.

Since Muhammad left no obvious heir, his followers immediately broke down into rival camps — our modern-day Sunnis and Shiites — that have been warring with each other since long before the Holy Roman Empire gave birth to what we now know as Western Civilization. Furthermore, one of the rationales for forming the Holy Roman Empire in the first place was to combat the Muslim invasion of Europe.

The first overseas war in our nation’s history was against Muslims known as the Barbary Coast Pirates, whose ambassador admitted to Thomas Jefferson they were raiding our ships because “it was their right and duty to make war upon (infidels) wherever they can be found” in the name of Muhammad. The line from the Marine’s hymn “to the shores of Tripoli” is a reference to this war. So our nation faced Islamic jihad long before we discovered Middle Eastern oil and started meddling in their affairs, contrary to the misguided view of history often espoused by Ron Paul.

There is no place in the world today where Islam dominates the culture and mankind is truly free, which is why our politically correct elites often declare Islam is in need of its own Reformation. However, what they don’t understand, because they ignore history (and thus reality) in favor of their own confirmation bias, is that violence within Islam is its Reformation.

"The Americans have taken the course of confrontation and do not assess their own steps critically at all," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference. "Yesterday's speech by the president shows that at the centre of the (US) philosophy is only one thing: 'We are number one and everyone else has to respect that’ …It shows that the United States wants all the same to dominate the world and cannot merely be first among equals."

Relations between Russia and the United States have sunk to their lowest level since the end of the Cold War, mainly because of Moscow's confrontation with the West over the crisis in Ukraine.

To counteract the foreseeable consequences of this interference - which is provoking protests and strengthening the camp of the opposition parties - Berlin is handing out money to Greek journalists, religious representatives, and artists. This interference is targeting the Greek public to neutralize the growing demands for restitution of debts stemming from Nazi crimes.

It is also aimed at undermining the lawsuit against the Federal Republic of Germany, filed by Thessaloniki's Jewish community. The German foreign ministry is in control of the payments to network the Greek "civil society" with the German elite.

Abu Saara, 49, and a resident of eastern Jerusalem, went on to make a number of other statements inciting to violence against Jews, said the indictment. Abu Saara also allegedly said, “The time has come to go to war with you, the time has come to kill you. And we, with God’s help, will destroy you. We, the Muslims, the correct ones, the faithful and the soldiers of the Islamic caliphate, will arrive to the land to free it from your soiling, and today this is close by.”

He continued, “So go on and do what you want for now,” and, “Now you have the power,” while returning more than once to the idea and terminology of slaughtering Jews, according to the indictment. He delivered the speech on November 28 in the al-Kabali Mosque and was met with calls of support from the worshipers attending.

The House speaker's office said Netanyahu will be invited to speak February 11 before a joint session of Congress. The invitation comes as lawmakers weigh legislation, supported by Republicans and some Democrats, to tee up more sanctions against Iran in case negotiations fail to curtail the country's nuclear enrichment program.

Obama vowed Tuesday during his State of the Union address to veto any such legislation. But Boehner signaled he wants Netanyahu to explain the stakes of the debate, as he pledged to press ahead with the legislation.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu is a great friend of our country, and this invitation carries with it our unwavering commitment to the security and well-being of his people,” Boehner said in a statement. “In this time of challenge, I am asking the prime minister to address Congress on the grave threats radical Islam and Iran pose to our security and way of life.”

Asked about the invite, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest described it as a breach of typical protocol since the White House wasn't involved. But he said the administration would reserve judgment until they speak with the Israelis. Critics of Obama and his foreign policy say the president has failed to keep close ties to Israel, a long-time US ally and a key country in providing Middle East stability. Among their concerns is that the Obama administration has not done enough to curb Iran's suspected pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

The picture of Bachmann posing as Hitler after a session at his hairdresser, complete with a Hitler hairstyle dyed black and parted on the right and a toothbrush moustache, went viral on Wednesday after it was published by a local newspaper, the Dresden Morgenpost.

Pegida’s popularity has led to widespread fears that Germany is in the grip of a new breed of far-right ideologues, and the picture raised questions about the group’s allegiance to the far-right scene. The image, which had appeared on Bachmann’s Facebook page, was accompanied by the line: “He’s Back,” after Timur Vermes’ best-selling 2012 satirical novel of the same name about Hitler.

Meanwhile a Catholic priest who took part in a demonstration organised by the Pegida-offshoot group Dügida in the western city of Duisburg on Monday has been banned from preaching by his religious elders, after he compared the movement to the Crusades.

But regional leaders worry that a new ultra-violent movement bent on toppling governments and establishing strict Islamic rule could be born from the stubborn Taliban insurgency that carries out frequent attacks in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Afghanistan, one militant commander said many have turned to IS, or Daish as it is also known, because they are frustrated at the lack of leadership by Mullah Mohammad Omar, the Afghan Taliban chief who has not been seen in public for years.

"Look, we have been fighting for years but we don't have an inch of land in our possession in Afghanistan," said the senior commander, who spoke from the Afghan province of Kunar. "On the other hand, Daish, within limited time, captured vast areas in Iraq and Syria and established Sharia. This is what is being discussed all the time in our circles." "We have serious doubts about whether he (Omar) is alive at all ... Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is visible and is leading his people," the commander said, referring to the IS leader.

The agreement also included a clause that would answer the rebels' demands to amend the constitution and expand their representation in the parliament and in state institutions, SABA news agency reported. The Houthis are believed to be allied with former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was ousted in 2012 after Arab Spring protests. The rebels have vowed to eradicate al-Qaeda, but are also hostile to the USA.

Their slogan is "Allahu Akbar (God is Great), death to America, death to Israel, damn the Jews and victory to Islam." "They come with a virulently anti-American agenda," said Oren Adaki, an analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracy, a Washington think tank. "They're against American interests and influence in the region."

The list of places where distrust among the general population is now dominant includes the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Russia and Turkey. The picture is particularly stark for the 1,500 business leaders convening for the January 21-24 World Economic Forum's talkfest in the Swiss Alps. Not only has overall trust in business fallen, after clawing back some ground following the 2008 financial crash, but belief in chief executives as credible spokespeople has slumped for the third consecutive year.

Richard Edelman, head of the US public relations firm Edelman, which commissioned the study, said the decrease in trust was startling and was driven by the "unpredictable and unimaginable" events of 2014. A majority of respondents believe technological innovation is happening too quickly, driven by greed among business rather than a desire to make the world a better place. But, in a worrying signal for "old media", online search engines are now more trusted as a source for general news and information than traditional media.

Across all major industries, consumers want stronger regulation of businesses but have little confidence that policymakers will develop and implement appropriate rules.