Gaza Conflict: Israeli Military Warns Palestinians to 'Evacuate Homes for their Own Safety'

Smoke and debris from an Israeli explosion rise above the northern Gaza Strip.Reuters

The Israeli military has ordered Palestinians living in the northern Gaza Strip to evacuate the area "for their own safety".

Chief military spokesman Brigadier General Motti Almoz said Israel planned to hit the region with heavy force in the next 24 hours, as an offensive against militants is stepped up.

The military says it will send messages to residents overnight telling them to leave the region.

"Tonight we will send messages to northern Gaza residents urging them to leave their homes for their own safety. It's unsafe to be near Hamas," the army statement said.

Television channels are broadcasting non-stop coverage of the violence, while radio broadcasts are interrupted with every air raid siren warning of incoming rockets.

Following a five day offensive that began on Tuesday, (8 July) Israel widened its air assault against the Gaza Strip's Hamas rulers today (12 July), striking a mosque, Hamas-affiliated charities and an Islamic home for the disabled, killing two young girls.

Gaza health officials say 15 people were killed in the latest Israeli airstrike in an attack on the home of Gaza's police chief.

The death toll from the five day conflict now stands at 140. Most of the victims were children.

By comparison, the "Iron Dome," a U.S. funded, Israel-developed rocket defence system, has intercepted more than 130 incoming rockets, preventing any Israeli fatalities so far.

As Israel begins mobilising troops on the border with Gaza, ahead of a possible ground offensive, there are growing calls from the international community to reach a ceasefire.

The United Nations Security Council has expressed serious concerns about civilian welfare on both sides. The UN has estimated that 77% of the people killed in Gaza were civilians.

Britain's foreign minister William Hague has denounced the violence stating that it is a cause of "deep concern." Calling for a de-escalation of the conflict and a restoration of the 2012 ceasefire, Hague will be discussing cease-fire efforts with his American, French and German counterparts on Sunday.

Egypt's state news agency has reported that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair in an attempt to secure a truce.

A Palestinian family flees after an air strike in Gaza city.Reuters

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon warned his country should ready itself for several more days of fighting.

"We have accumulated achievements as far as the price Hamas is paying and we are continuing to destroy significant targets of it and other terror organizations," Yaalon said after a meeting with top security officials. "We will continue to punish it until quiet and security returns to southern Israel and the rest of the country."

An Israeli official said the goal of the operation is to restore quiet to Israel for a continuous period. "This goal will be achieved whether it is done militarily or diplomatically. Israel will consider any suggestion that will bring the accomplishment of this goal," the official said.

Prime Minister Netanyahu has said he will not end the campaign until he achieved his goal of stopping the Hamas fire.

Restaurant Chain Pizza Express Sold to a Chinese Firm for £900 million

Hony Capital have acquired Pizza Express for £900 million.AFP / Getty Images

Restaurant chain Pizza Express has been sold to a Chinese firm for around £900 million.

Chinese investment group Hony Capital has acquired the pizza chain from the UK Gondola Group, which also owns UK pizza chains Zizzi and ASK Italian.

Hony struck the deal after an auction process that included interest from rival Chinese investment firm Citic and private equity groups Carlyle, CVC, Advent and former owner TDR.

The sale values Pizza Express at around ten times its £88.5m of earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation.

In a joint statement released by the two firms, Hony Capital said it planned to expand the brand in the UK and in China.

John Zhao, chief executive of Hony Capital, said his group's local expertise would "accelerate its growth in the Chinese market".

Richard Hodgson, who runs Pizza Express, said Asian expansion was a key part of the chain's growth strategy.

He described the sale as a "very positive development at an exciting time for the business."

The Chinese acquisition comes two months after Pizza Express expanded its empire of 500 restaurants to include a restaurant in the Chinese capital Beijing earlier this year.

There are 436 Pizza Express restaurants in the UK along with 68 internationally - including 22 in China - employing more than 9,000 workers.

The group already runs 12 restaurants in Hong Kong and nine in Shanghai, as well as outlets in India, Saudi Arabia and Bali.

Hony's acquisition is the latest in a growing list of Chinese firms taking over British businesses. In 2012, Chinese company Bright Foods bought a 60pc stake in cereal Weetabix.

In 2013, Chinese property and entertainment conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group acquired a takeover of Dorset luxury yacht maker Sunseeker International.

Fifa World Cup 2014: The Ecstasy and The Agony of the Fans

An Argentine fan celebrates at the end of the 2014 World Cup semi-final soccer match against the NetherlandsReuters

As Argentina prepares to take on Germany in the World Cup final, fans cheer on the victories or suffer the bitter sting of defeat.

Jubilation as Argentina are through to the World Cup Final 2014Reuters

A masked fan holds her breath and prays for Argentina to beat GermanyReuters

Argentina hope for a flower power victoryReuters

An Argentine fan holds a replica of the World Cup trophy in anticipation of a victory over GermanyReuters

The shock 7-1 defeat of Brazil by Germany left many fans in complete despairReuters

A young girl offers comfort for the biggest humiliation in the history of Brazilian footballReuters

Drowning in tears: A Brazil fan walks in the rain after watching a broadcast of her team's loss against GermanyReuters

Who says chivalry is dead? A Germany fan consoles a Brazil supporterReuters

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Alibaba Group's 27-Member Partnership Can Expand Board After IPO

Alibaba's 27-member partnership can expand board post IPO.Reuters

A group of 27 top executives and investors in Alibaba Group Holding, including executive chairman Jack Ma, can appoint two additional directors to the company's board once it goes public, Alibaba said in an 11 July US regulatory filing.

The move will expand the Chinese e-commerce giant's board to 11 members from nine post its planned New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) floatation, expected this year.

The 27-member group, dubbed the "Alibaba Partnership", has already planned to nominate four of Alibaba's nine directors prior to its initial public offering (IPO). Now, the group can designate six of 11 directors if they expand the board, giving it full control of the board.

Ma holds an 8.9% stake in Alibaba. Japanese telecoms major SoftBank and Yahoo own 34.3% and 22.5% of the company respectively.

In its updated prospectus filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Alibaba also boosted its estimated value to $130bn (£76bn, €95bn), from some $116m in earlier filings.

The figures were computed to affix employee reparation and do not necessarily represent the IPO price, Reuters reported.

NYSE IPO

Alibaba on 26 June said that it had picked the NYSE over rival Nasdaq for its US IPO.

Alibaba, which handles over 80% of all online commerce in China, the world's second largest economy, will list under the symbol "BABA".

Alibaba's stock sale could value the Chinese firm upwards of $200bn. The impending share sale could trump social networking giant Facebook's $15bn floatation in 2012.

Operations

Earlier in June, Alibaba disclosed details about the 27-person partnership that will run the firm post its US listing.

The firm, on 16 June, filed an amended prospectus for its planned stock sale, where it said its partnership structure will include 22 members of management such as chief executive Jonathan Zhaoxi Lu, chief operating officer Daniel Yong Zhang, executive vice chairman Joseph Tsai and co-founder Ma.

Alibaba also said SoftBank and Yahoo have agreed to vote their shares in favour of the so-called Alibaba Partnership's nominees.

Nigerian Army Unearths Boko Haram's Weapons and Food Stockpile in Forest Raid

Boko Haram militantsReuters file photo

Nigerian army has unearthed stockpiles of weapons and food products belonging to the dreaded Boko Haram outfit in a raid in the Balmo Forest in Borno State.

Several suspected members of the Islamic militant group have also been arrested during the operation.

"Suspects captured in the [Balmo] forest have been taken into custody and are volunteering information linking the activities in the forest with other terrorist activities in the country," the Nigerian military said.

During the raid, at least 10 rifles and 80 general-purpose machine guns were recovered.

The authorities have also seized a number of army uniforms that the Boko Haram militants often use to disguise themselves as security personnel during their attacks.

Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), launchers and thousands of assorted ammunition have also been found.

"The mopping operation being undertaken by the armed forces within the forest is yielding more discovery of arms stockpiled underground. So far, 10 riffles, 80 general purpose machine guns have been excavated from different parts of the forest," Mike Omeri, coordinator of the national information centre, told reporters.

"The men and women apprehended in the forest have continued to give useful information and the link between the activities in the forest and other terrorist activities in different parts of the federation."

Nigerian officials have revealed some of the senior political figures are under scrutiny for their alleged links to the Islamists and few army personnel are facing court martial.

Security experts have urged the Nigerian law enforcement agencies to continue to press ahead with their operation in order to wipe out the Boko Haram insurgents.

It has been nearly three months since hundreds of high school girls have been abducted by the militants. All of them are thought to be remaining captives in the forest region, which the Boko Haram uses as safe haven to launch its activities.

Air India-Operated Boeing 787 Dreamliner Grounded in Sydney Due to Landing Gear Glitch

A security personnel stands guard as Air India's Dreamliner Boeing 787 taxies upon its arrival at the airport in New Delhi.Reuters

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Air India was grounded in Sydney on 10 July due to a problem with the aircraft's landing gear.

This has been for the third time the Indian state-owned carrier is experiencing troubles with the Boeing model, the entire fleet of which was grounded earlier in 2013 owing to a battery glitch.

In the latest development, Air India's (AI) first Dreamliner, VT-ANH, which was supposed to fly from Sydney to Melbourne and then return to Delhi, could not take off after engineers detected a snag in the landing gear that made retracting wheels in air after take-off impossible.

The flight had earlier landed safely at Sydney after taking off from Delhi.

"AI is sending engineers and replacement equipment on Friday but VT-ANH is grounded for at least two to three days," Times News Network reported citing a source.

As of now, two of Air India's Boeing 787s are grounded abroad — Hong Kong and Sydney. The company owns 8 Dreamliners and leases 7.

On 7 July, Air India had to ground another Dreamliner in Hong Kong, after the aircraft was found to have an oil leak. The aircraft that was operating on Delhi-Hong Kong-Seoul-Hong Kong-Delhi route is still stuck there.

On 5 July, another Boeing 787 had to cancel a flight to Kolkata from Delhi due to a problem with its breaking assembly.

Since its first flight in December 2009, Boeing's flagship Dreamliner aircraft, largely made of carbon-fibre composite, suffered from a number of problems, damaging the aircraft maker's reputation across the globe.

The entire global fleet of 50 Dreamliners was grounded in January 2013 following unrelated accidents on two planes operated by Japanese carriers ANA and JAL.

On 7 January, 2013, a JAL plane caught fire at Boston's Logan International Airport. And nine days later, an ANA aircraft made an emergency landing in Japan, citing battery problems.

Boeing modified the batteries and flights resumed in April. However, further problems surfaced throughout last year, putting passenger safety at risk.

Gold Prices to Rise Further on Geopolitical Tensions in Middle East and Ukraine

Gold prices set to rise next week amid geopolitical tensions.Reuters

Gold prices are set to rise next week with geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the Ukraine expected to prop up the precious metal's safe-haven status.

US Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen's Congress testimony next week could also influence gold prices.

As many as 17 of 25 analysts polled in a Kitco Gold Survey said they expected gold prices to trade higher next week, while six predicted that prices will drop and two forecast prices to trade sideways.

Yellen will deliver the US central bank's latest report on monetary policy to Congress on 15-16 July.

In the Middle East, Israeli forces have hit over 1,000 Hamas targets in the Gaza strip over the past five days and both sides have so far not shown any signs of backing down.

Elsewhere, in Ukraine, the government is determined to avenge the death of 30 soldiers, killed on 11 July by a rocket fired by pro-Russia separatists in the east of the country.

Richard Baker, editor, Eureka Miner, said: "The divergence between copper and crude oil relative to gold has widened to levels not seen since mid-March. This four-month period overlaps Comex gold's four-month intraday high of $1,346.80 per ounce."

"More ominously, the divergence spike ... repeats a 'double-peak' characteristic that preceded the Great Recession and market turmoil following Arab Spring 2011. The witches brew this time includes multi regional conflicts -- Ukraine/Russia, Iraq/Syria, Israel/Hamas -- re-emerging anxiety about the financial health of Europe's peripheral countries and concerns about China's recent import/export data," Baker added.

George Gero, vice president with RBC Capital Markets Global Futures and a precious metals strategist told Kitco: "I'll be keeping an eye on Europe, I'll be keeping an eye on the Middle East and on North Korea, which lobbed a few rockets this week but that no one has really paid attention to."

Gold Ends Higher

US gold futures for delivery in August finished $1.70 lower at $1,337.40 an ounce on 11 July.

Prices, however, gained 1.2% for the week.

Spot gold was up 0.1% to $1,336 an ounce on 11 July.

India Import Curbs

The Indian government will consider easing its tough bullion import curbs once the nation's fiscal situation improves, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on 11 July.

He, however, said New Delhi has to be watchful of the nation's current account deficit (CAD) and its fiscal deficit. Higher foreign exchange outflows over inflows trigger a current account deficit.

Jaitley tabled the nation's annual budget in Parliament on 10 July, where he left India's record-high import taxes on gold unchanged, disappointing traders, who had expected a relaxation of the same.

India is the world's second-largest consumer of the yellow metal and it imports nearly all of its gold.

Smartphone App MediCapt Helps Doctors Collect Evidence Against War-Zone Rapists

Court martial sentenced the 39 Congolese soldiers on counts of rape and murder committed in the course of the 2012 military offensive in North Kivu province.Reuters

The latest technology in smartphones could help doctors to document sexual assault and rape in war zones.

New technology developed by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) allows medical teams to use the app MediCapt to photograph sexual assault victims' injuries and add medical examination results to an online database.

The app is being tested in the Democratic Republic of Congo to help law officials look through the database's cloud and build cases against perpetrators of sexual violence.

The app is still in development and there are plans to increase its use to other regions of violent conflict worldwide.

According to a United Nations report, dozens of women are raped or sexually assaulted in the Congo every hour. In July 2013, the UN stated that over 700 cases of sexual violence in the Congo's northern region.

For each case, doctors will use the app to fill out a digital medical form with information such as which parts of the body show signs of assault, photographs of any injuries, whether the victim was pregnant or tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease.

Other information includes data on the perpetrator – if they carried weapons, what language they spoke or belonged to a militia group.

By encouraging medical teams to record and document cases of sexual violence via MediCapt, which are then stored on a central database, PHR hopes more cases will be prosecuted.

Doctors in Nukavu, on the border with Rwanda, started training in January, each receiving an Android phone and instructions on how to use it.

"What was most useful was introducing clinicians to the promise and power of technology as a means for gathering evidence and prosecuting these crimes," Karen Naimer, PHR's Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones told ThinkProgress.

"Some of them had never even held a smartphone before, but by the end of the first day everyone was engaged in the idea of the power this technology could bring."

MediCapt was developed by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), a non-profit organisation based in New York City.

The International Criminal Court recently announced its intention to place greater emphasis on rape and other forms of sexual assault in war zones as crimes against humanity.