A new message purporting to come from the leader of Islamic State said air strikes by Russia and a U.S.-led coalition had failed to weaken the group. “Be confident that God will grant victory to those who worship him, and hear the good news that our state is doing well. The more intense the war against it, the purer it becomes and the tougher it gets,” said the audio recording, described as by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The authenticity of the message, posted on Saturday on Twitter accounts that have published Islamic State statements in the past, could not be verified. It slammed Saudi Arabia’s efforts to set up a coalition of Muslim nations to fight his group.”If it was an Islamic coalition, it would have declared itself free from its Jewish and Crusader lords and made the killing the Jews and the liberation of Palestine its goal,” the message […]