Cousin of Murdered Palestinian Teenager 'Assaulted by Israeli Security Forces'

Tareq Abu Khadair, 15, was reportedly beaten by Israeli security forces in clashes between police and Palestinian protesters.Twitter

The cousin of murdered Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khudair was allegedly assaulted by Israeli security forces during clashes between police and Palestinians protesting Khudair's killing.

Tareq Abu Khadair, 15, was reportedly punched and kicked by two police officers in an attack which was captured on amateur video in Jerusalem's Shufat neighbourhood.

Israeli police are investigating the mobile phone footage, which was released by a human rights group and shown on a Palestinian TV channel.

Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said Tareq, who is a US citizen and attends school in Florida, was in possession of a slingshot which was used to fire stones at police, and he was detained with six other protestors during clashes on Thursday before Khudair's funeral.

Samri said Khudair resisted arrest and attacked police officers – a charge denied by the teenager's parents.

Tareq's mother Sohair Abu Khadair told Sky News that at least one officer did not want her to see her son at the police station where he was detained.

Palestinians carry the body of Mohammed Abu Khudair during his funeral in Shuafat, an Arab suburb of Jerusalem on 4 July 2014.Reuters

'There was a police officer in front of his room door that didn't want to let me in to see him until my husband had spoken to him,' she said.

'And then he finally said "you can go in, just don't touch him, don't speak to him. Don't get near him." He was handcuffed. His ankles were handcuffed to the bed. I was in a complete state of shock. I couldn't believe it.'

The Palestinian attorney-general Mohammed al-A'wewy recently revealed that Khudair, who was abducted and killed in East Jerusalem on Wednesday, was burned alive.

Al-A'wewy was quoted on the Palestinian official news agency Wafa as saying: "The direct cause of death was burns as a result of fire and its complications."

An autopsy carried out by Israeli doctors in Tel Aviv discovered dust in Khudair's respiratory canal, which suggested that he had inhaled the material while being burnt alive. The 17-year-old's body was also covered in 90% burns.

Palestinians believe Khudair was killed by extremist Israelis in response to the murder of three Jewish teenagers last month, which Israel has blamed on Hamas. The group denies any involvement in the killing of the Israeli youths.

Fifa World Cup 2014: The Beautiful Game? Bizarre Moments Captured on Camera

Wayne Rooney (L) shuts his eyes and thinks of England as he fights for the ball with Costa Rica's Junior Diaz during their 2014 World Cup Group D soccer matchReuters

Brazililan footballer Pelé is attributed with coining the phrase in his 1977 autobiography, writing: "I dedicate this book to all the people who have made this great game the Beautiful Game."

However, while there are moments when footballers are graceful, sometimes are times when they are not. Here is our selection of the more bizarre moments of the Fifa World Cup 2014.

Don't look now: France's Mathieu Debuchy fights with Roger Espinoza of Honduras for the ball during their 2014 World Cup Group E soccer match at the Beira-Rio stadium in Porto AlegreReuters

Doing the hand jive: South Korea's Kim Shin-wook (R) fights for the ball with Belgium's Nicolas Lombaerts (L) and teammate Moussa Dembele during their 2014 World Cup Group H matchReuters

This pose isn't at all painful. Colombia's Cristian Zapata watches on in disbelief as Ivory Coast's Wilfried Bony jump during their 2014 World Cup Group C soccer matchReuters

I didn't touch him, says Greece's Giorgios Samaras, after committing a foul against Japan's Atsuto Uchida (L)Reuters

Croatia's goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa (C) chooses a strange time to break into song, during his country's match with MexicoReuters

France's Moussa Sissoko (R) tries to use telekinesis instead of heading the ball during the match at the Maracana stadium in Rio de JaneiroReuters

Ecuador's Walter Ayovi covers his face with his jersey after their 2014 World Cup Group E soccer match against FranceReuters

The locust has landed: Surely the strangest moment of the World Cup as a huge insect attaches itself to Colombia's midfielder James RodriguezReuters

YOU MIGHT LIKE THISSponsored Content by Taboola

Oil Ends Lower on Signs of Rising Libyan Supply and Fading Iraq Fears

Pipelines at the Zueitina oil terminal in Zueitina, west of Benghazi, Libya.Reuters

Oil prices ended lower for the week on the prospect of a revival in Libyan crude exports and as the threat of Iraqi supply disruptions receded.

Brent crude was down 36 cents to finish at $110.64 a barrel on 4 July.

The contract lost over two percent for the week as a whole.

US crude was down 29 cents to $103.77 a barrel on 4 July amid thin trade owing to the Fourth of July holiday.

The contract lost 1.9% for the week.

Commerzbank Corporates & Markets said in a note to clients: "At less than $111 per barrel, the price of Brent oil has come down by almost $5 over the past two weeks. On the one hand, market participants are less concerned about oil production in Iraq; on the other hand there are hopes that Libya will ramp up its supply. According to the EIA, Libyan output in June totalled just 200k barrels.

Brent picture.Bloomberg, ICE, Commerzbank Research

"The country hence accounted for half of [Opec's] unplanned production outages. Now, however, two occupied ports with a shipping capacity of approximately 500k barrels a day have been reopened. Provided Libyan supply were to rise sustainably, Brent oil prices are likely to slip below $ 110 per barrel, as the recent price uplift was above all driven by speculative investors. At the ICE, net long positions in Brent hit a new record high in June."

"Moreover, both [Opec] and IEA will release their first estimates for 2015 in the week ahead. The expected uptrend in global oil demand should be roughly in line with this year's increase. However, with non-OPEC output growth likely to ease slightly, oil markets ought to tighten somewhat, which would underpin our view of moderately rising oil prices next year," Commerzbank added.

Standard Chartered said in a note: "Geopolitical and policy risk in key commodity-producing regions is likely to remain high. We do not expect a swift resolution of the domestic conflicts in Iraq, Libya and some other MENA countries.

"The ability or otherwise to maintain normality in commodities exports when there is abnormality in the ability of central government to govern will likely become a more important theme in driving longer-term energy supply expectations. We also do not expect a swift process of detente between Russia and the G7 group in particular..."

Middle East Crisis

Sunni militants from the Islamic State (IS) control all the main oil and gas fields in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzor province which borders Iraq, according to a monitoring group.

IS, formerly known as Isis, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, had previously seized control of the major al-Omar oil field but smaller oil facilities remain in the hands of local tribesmen, said the director of Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, as quoted by AFP.

While the group's advance through Iraq appears to have been checked by government-backed resistance, IS remains in charge of a number of revenue generating energy facilities across the two countries. Selling oil provides a vital economic lifeline for the group, which has been branded a terrorist organisation by the US.

Convicted Killer Weds Pregnant Lover in Peru Prison

Leidy Figueroa arrives for her wedding to Joran Van der Sloot, which was held in Piedras Gordas penitentiaryReuters

Convicted killer Joran van der Sloot has married his pregnant girlfriend in a maximum security prison in Peru's capital Lima.

Van der Sloot, who is serving a 28-year sentence for the murder of 21-year-old Stephany Flores, married Leidy Figueroa, 24, in a private ceremony at Piedras Gordas penitentiary in the district of Ancon on Friday.

Van der Sloot's lawyer Maximo Altez said prison officials prohibited filming and photography during the ceremony and none of the groom's relatives attended.

'It was a very simple ceremony,' he said. 'They made their respective vows, they signed the documents and that is all.'

Altez served as a witness during the ceremony and was one of just four people who attended, including the bride's mother and another lawyer.

He said Van der Sloot, 26, met Figueroa while she was selling goods inside the prison.

Joran van der Sloot confessed to murdering 21-year-old student Stephany Flores in 2010.Reuters

The wedding was officiated by John Barrera, mayor of Ancón. He said Van der Sloot told his partner, who is seven months pregnant, that he wants to marry her again after he is released from prison.

Van der Sloot murdered Flores, a business student from Lima, in 2010. He is also the chief suspect in the death of US teenager Natalee Holloway, who disappeared in Aruba in 2005 while on a high school graduation trip. Van der Sloot was the last person to be seen with Holloway.

The Dutch national is expected to remain in prison until 2038, after which he will be extradited to the US to face charges of extortion and fraud, for allegedly falsely promising to lead Holloway's mother to her daughter's body in exchange for payment.

Peruvian media reports have suggested that Van der Sloot may have decided to get married in order to avoid extradition at the end of his prison sentence.

His lawyer dismissed these claims, saying Van der Sloot married because he was in love and that there are no "hidden agenda".

Gold Prices Hinge on Policy Decisions by Second Largest Consumer India

Gold prices are expected to trade sideways next week.Reuters

Gold prices are expected to trade sideways next week as the precious metal could contend with opposing forces.

As many as eight of 18 analysts polled in a Kitco Gold Survey said they expected gold prices to trade lower next week, while seven predicted that prices will rise and three forecast prices to trade sideways.

The Indian government will table the annual budget on 10 July and any indication about when New Delhi could lower the nation's tough bullion import restrictions could prop up prices.

India is the world's second largest gold consumer after China.

However, strong US jobs data which underscored a US economic recovery could dent the precious metal's safe-haven status.

Standard Chartered said in a note to clients: "Geopolitical and policy risk in key commodity-producing regions is likely to remain high...We also think the speed and nature of policy change in India will remain a key concern for gold in particular."

Sterling Smith, futures specialist, commodity research at Citibank Institutional Client Group said: "The [US] nonfarm payrolls coming in so strong for June is bearish for the gold market as this [is] another indication that some sort of tightening of the Fed's stance is on the way, which is inherently bearish for gold. The market has shown marked signs of distribution through the month of June and a break below the $1,300 level portends a test of the lows around $1,250.""

Bob Tebbutt, independent commodities consultant, said: "I believe that the gold market is on the verge of a major move. Technically support is at $1,200, with resistance at around $1,375. I believe that the market will head higher over the next year. Short term $1,375 will be broken ... next week."

Gold Ends Higher

US gold futures for delivery in August finished 50 cents higher at $1,321 an ounce on 4 July.

Spot gold traded 21 cents lower to $1,319.49 an ounce at 1750 GMT on 4 July, after dropping 1.2% to $1,309.64 on 3 July, after the release of the US labour market report.

Indian Restrictions

India's central bank on 21 May further eased gold import restrictions, while also permitting local banks to provide gold loans to jewellers.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) permitted leading trading houses to import gold, a decision that afforded permission to over 20 entities, including banks, to import the precious metal.

Meanwhile, the resumption of gold loans to the sector, banned in 2013, made it easier for jewellers to finance purchases.

Earlier, in March, the RBI allowed five private sector banks to import gold, a move that marked the first step towards easing India's gold import curbs.

The Reserve Bank allowed HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank and Yes Bank to import the precious metal, Reuters reported

Modi May Abolish Curbs

India's new government is expected to relax the nation's tough bullion import restrictions after its predecessor raised duty on gold and tightened the movement of the metal.

Narendra Modi has said any action on gold must consider the interests of the public and traders, not just economics and policy.

Imports Halve

Gold and silver imports to India plunged 40% to $33.46bn (£19.84bn, €24.46bn) in the financial year 2013-14 in the wake of hard-hitting government restrictions.

Three upward revisions to the import duties on gold in 2013, to a record 10%, and restrictions tying purchases to exports, discouraged gold buying in Asia's third largest economy last year.

While official imports in 2013 reached 750 tonnes, an additional 200 tonnes was believed to have been smuggled to India, according to estimates from the WGC.

Iraqi Isis Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi 'Severely Injured and Flees to Syria'

Militant Islamist fighters parade on military vehicles along the streets of northern Raqqa provinceReuters

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Sunni militant outfit Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis), is said to have been severely injured in the raging battle forcing him to flee to neighbouring Syria.

According to a report in the Iraqi news network Al Sumaria, the insurgent leader was injured during a raid led by Iraq's Shiite-led security forces in the west of Anbar.

"The Iraqi security forces carried out an operation in the city of Qaim on the border with Syria based on accurate intelligence and with the help of the Air Force where the leader of ISIL, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi was seriously injured," said Haidar al-Shara, a representative of the international parliament in Iraq.

However, the report has so far not been independently verified. If confirmed, it will be a severe blow to the militant group which has been marching on several Iraqi cities.

Isis leader Isis leader Abu Bakr al-BaghdadiAFP file photo

The Iraqi official said: "After being hit, al-Baghdadi, with a range of elements of his organisation fled into Syrian territory because of its proximity to Qaim," adding: "al-Baghdadi might be killed as a result of the severity of his injuries."

The extremist leader has been urging Muslims across the world to join his fight against all anti-Islamic forces. Vowing to conquer places across Asia and Europe, he has been threatening to establish an Islamic caliphate across continents.

"So take up arms, take up arms, O soldiers of the Islamic State! And fight, fight," the self-appointed caliph of the Muslim world had said in a Ramadan message.