For 21 years, the king of the Netherlands has flown twice a month as co-pilot while his passengers were in the dark, he has told a Dutch newspaper.

Willem-Alexander acceded to the throne in 2013 but his other role, in the cockpit, has continued.
"I find flying simply fantastic," he told De Telegraaf newspaper.
He intends to carry on as co-pilot but will spend the coming months learning how to fly Boeing 737s.
Until now Willem-Alexander has worked behind the joystick of a Fokker and it was already known that he had appeared as a "guest pilot" before being crowned king, in order to maintain his pilot's licence.
What was not clear was that he was co-piloting passenger flights incognito, twice a month as king, often with KLM Captain Maarten Putman.
The Dutch government said last month that he had flown Fokker 70 aircraft for both the government and KLM Cityhopper service, and that the plane was being replaced this year with a 737. Cityhopper flights are aimed mainly at business travellers in dozens of European destinations, particularly in the UK, Germany and Norway.
Willem-Alexander once said that if he had not been born in a palace, his dream would have been to fly a big passenger plane such as a Boeing 747, so it is no surprise that he intends to retrain for the updated plane.
He told De Telegraaf that he never used his name when addressing passengers and was rarely recognised in uniform and wearing his KLM cap. However, he admitted that some passengers had recognised his voice.
"The advantage is that I can always say that I warmly welcome passengers on behalf of the captain and crew," he said. "Then I don't have to give my name."
Passengers were more likely to realise they were being flown by royalty before the 11 September attacks on the US in 2001 as the cockpit door was unlocked. But there was now less contact with the cabin, he said.
The Dutch king's appetite for flying was apparently encouraged by his mother, Beatrix, who abdicated as queen in 2013. And he is on a long list of royal pilots:
In his interview, King Willem-Alexander appeared enthusiastic about his future prospects as a co-pilot.
"It also seemed nice to fly to other destinations one day, with more passengers and bigger distances. That was the real motive for training on the 737," he said.
The king explained that the most important thing for him was to have a hobby he could fully concentrate on and that flying was his biggest way of relaxing.
"You have a plane, passengers and crew and you are responsible for them. You can't take your problems with you off the ground. You can completely switch off for a while and focus on something else."


The European Commission has come up with alternatives for a "more humane and efficient" way of handling asylum in response to the migrant crisis.

The current EU system is widely thought to have failed because of the influx of a million people through Greece.
Among the options is a plan to scrap a rule for refugees to claim asylum in the country they arrive in.
The so-called Dublin regulation proved unworkable when Germany opened the door to Syrian refugees last August.
European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans argued the current system had to change, saying: "We need a sustainable system for the future, based on common rules, a fairer sharing of responsibility, and safe legal channels for those who need protection to get it in the EU."
As most irregular migrants in the past three years have arrived in the EU in Greece and Italy, the two countries have been left with the majority of cases.
Both states stopped registering every arrival and most new arrivals on the Greek islands since August continued their route through the Balkans.
Eventually several countries put up fences and border controls in an attempt to halt the influx.
Mr Timmermans said there were two options
To put a stop to "asylum shopping", rights for asylum seekers would be made conditional on being fingerprinted and remaining in the relevant EU country.
The Commission is keen to beef up the powers of the EU's asylum agency, EASO, and suggests it could carry out any redistribution of asylum seekers.
In light of the Islamist attacks on Paris and Brussels, it has also called for better sharing of intelligence among EU member states.
Several countries do not want to see wholesale changes to the asylum system.
While Italy wants to see it abolished, Germany and the UK are keen to keep the existing first-country system, which enabled the British government to deport almost 2,000 asylum seekers in 2015.
The Berlin government would like a relocation scheme established for asylum seekers to alleviate the pressure on Greece and Italy, and halt the influx of migrants.
Whichever proposal is finally agreed, the UK cannot be forced to take asylum seekers as it has opt-outs from EU asylum policies, BBC Europe correspondent Damian Grammaticas explains.
Under an EU deal aimed at cutting off the migrant route through the Balkans, Greece has begun deporting migrants to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or if their claim is rejected.
However, the Athens government paused the operation on Tuesday, a day after the first boats took 202 people to the Turkish port of Dikili.
Hundreds more are due to be removed later this week. The Greek migration ministry said the number of migrants arriving from Turkey had slowed to 68 in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, down from 225 the day before.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said it was evidence that the deal with the EU was working.
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.


Star Trek actor William Shatner has apologised to a Devon town for saying it was "laced with prostitution".

Shatner, 81, made the comments on an edition of the BBC show Have I Got News for You.
Former Mayor of Ilfracombe Paul Crabb invited Shatner to the seaside town to show him "there is no prostitution in Ilfracombe".
Shatner replied: "My apologies for having singled out Ilfracombe as a potential haven for prostitution."
He made his comments in May as panellists discussed the town as a venue in the Olympic torch relay.
When he mispronounced the town's name, guest panellist Charlie Brooker said he had made it sound "deeply sexual" and Shatner replied: "The place is laced with prostitution."
Builder Mr Crabb, 49, emailed Shatner's agents: "As Captain James T Kirk, Mr Shatner has been to places where no man has gone before, however, the episode of Have I Got News For You clearly shows he has never been to Ilfracombe.
"If he came, we could show him that there is no prostitution in Ilfracombe and that it is a lovely coastal town with spectacular scenery and a close community."
In an email signed "Bill", Shatner replied that prostitution "commonly means sex for something of value".
He added: "I would be hard pressed to believe that sex was not being had in Ilfracombe for something of value, perhaps a lengthy marriage, children or a valuable career.
"In any event, my apologies for having singled out Ilfracombe as a potential haven for prostitution. With you overseeing, I am sure that will not happen."
Mr Crabb said: "We are a fairly good natured bunch down here.
"I'm sure the vast majority of people took it as tongue in cheek humour, but there were some who were upset.
"Maybe he has gone some way to assuage their concerns."


By-election campaigns in Sleaford are into their final stages as voters prepare to go to the polls on Thursday.

The Lincolnshire seat became vacant after Tory MP Stephen Phillips quit last month over "irreconcilable policy differences" with the government.
He had a majority of more than 24,000 at the last general election.
Paediatrician Caroline Johnson will run for the Tories, taking on Labour's Jim Clarke, Lib Dem Ross Pepper and UKIP's Victoria Ayling.
Labour's Sleaford hopeful Mr Clarke is a refuse collector, while Lib Dem Mr Pepper works for an optician and UKIP's Ms Ayling is a Lincolnshire County councillor.
The Green Party is not fielding a candidate, but has given its backing to independent Sarah Stock, who is campaigning on a "Save the NHS" ticket.
In last year's election, Mr Phillips, who had held the seat since 2010, won a majority of 24,115, with 56% of the vote.
Labour finished second, closely followed by UKIP. Sleaford saw a 70% turnout.
Earlier this week UKIP's Nigel Farage was asked if his party's candidate, Ms Ayling, stood a chance of winning.
"I don't know, it's 2016, why predict anything? Only an idiot predicts things in 2016 because it's been so full of upsets," he replied.
Sleaford's by-election comes a week after the Liberal Democrats caused a major upset in the Richmond Park by-election.
Lib Dem Sarah Olney, who fought her campaign on the issue of Brexit, overturned a 23,015 majority to oust ex-Tory MP Zac Goldsmith.
The full list of candidates for the Sleaford and North Hykeham by-election is:


The beginning of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Headingley marks the start of an interesting summer for England.

With the Olympics and football's European Championship, attention will be elsewhere and cricket may end up on the back-burner. It's up to the England team to make sure people do not take their eyes off them by winning and playing in an attractive, eye-catching manner.
The last time we saw England was at the World Twenty20, when they enjoyed a thrilling ride to the final. Although this is a different format, Alastair Cook's men need to continue that momentum.
For the home side, it is about beating Sri Lanka and winning the series against Pakistan that follows, all while having an eye on an incredibly difficult upcoming winter and the tour of Australia at the end of next year.
Once again, the debate surrounding the England team concerns the batting, with the top order still unconvincing during the winter win in South Africa.
Many seemed to think Nick Compton would lose his place, but I was more surprised that Alex Hales was retained.
Before that South Africa series the old bowler in me could see his vulnerability outside the off stump and so it proved.
England rightly like to give players an extended run in the hope they can improve, iron out technical flaws and nail down a place in the side - there's nothing wrong with that. However, in the case of Hales, a terrific white-ball batsman, you wonder how much longer he will get if he does not register a big score or two in this series.
As for Compton, he ended the South Africa tour in a disappointing fashion - a wild drive in the second-innings collapse in the final Test - after starting so well in the win in Durban. I'm not sure if it was a gesture of bravado or anxiety.
There's a feeling that he can be a little high-maintenance, but this is a chance for him to knuckle down. I have reservations over him and Cook batting together - that seems a little old-fashioned now - but all he can do is play the way that he does and hope it comes off.
One selection that appears to have unanimous support is that of James Vince, who comes in at number five following the terribly sad retirement of James Taylor.
He has scored runs for Hampshire, led the Lions and I enjoyed what I saw of him at the World Twenty20. The selectors like players to go through the system and Vince has done just that. England were right to go for him over someone like Ian Bell, because this summer has to be about having an eye on the future.
Sri Lanka may be rebuilding following the retirement of batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, but they will be buoyed by fond memories of Headingley, where two years ago they secured a series victory in a remarkable last-over Test win.
In Angelo Mathews they have a seriously talented all-rounder and a ferociously competitive captain, and their bowling attack, which did very well here last time, is still decent.
However, their batting is inexperienced and, with some bad weather around, England would hope to roll them over if the tourists bat first in bleak conditions.
Sri Lanka's batsmen have not fired in the warm-up matches and Headingley under clouds can be a challenge, but Mathews will certainly ensure his men are up for the fight.
This series - and the one against Pakistan - will feature a new points system, similar to the Women's Ashes, where all of the Tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20s count towards an overall series winner.
I was all for it in the women's game and I would even like to see it used in series between the Associate nations like Ireland and Scotland, because it can add context. But I'm yet to be persuaded that it is a good idea for men's series played between Test nations - it seems to be yet another crutch for the ailing 50-over format.
The administrators might hope that the Test series is close to create tension around the white-ball games, but what if the Tests are one-sided?
It's hard to judge something until we've seen it in action, but my impression is that the 50-over game needs looking at in isolation, rather than tinkering with a Test format that is not broken.
Alastair Cook was always set to be England's highest Test runscorer - a feat achieved last summer - and then it was a case of how long he wanted to continue. With plenty of cricket left in him, the skipper stands 36 runs away from being the first England player - and 12th in all - to reach 10,000.
At 31 year and five months, he is set to become the youngest man to reach that mark, breaking the record of Indian great Sachin Tendulkar, who was 31 years and 10 months.
It would be lovely for him to reach the milestone at Headingley against Sri Lanka because on the same ground against the same opponents two years ago, the knives were out.
At that point, England were a mess, Cook was not scoring runs and he contemplated resigning, only to be talked out of it by his wife Alice. What a good job it is that she did.
Cook is one of the finest players that England have had, albeit one who plays in his own way. He's extremely disciplined in his own isolated world, fiercely stubborn and determined. He has cut through point, driven through mid-off, worked off his legs and played the occasional pull shot for 9,964 Test runs and that is exactly the way in which he will continue.
England's first objective is to win both Test series this summer in an appealing way, yet they must also have an eye on the future.
The schedule is yet to be finalised, but they could play as many as seven Test matches before Christmas in Bangladesh and India this winter, perhaps the toughest winter any England team has ever had.
That has the potential to be a very long, bruising period so they have to make sure that is not the case.
They will need a resilient, patient top order and spinners capable of bowling teams out in those conditions. A year ago Monty Panesar's England days looked done, but now he is back playing for Northants do not rule him out of the winter tours.
Then, a further year on, will be the defence of the Ashes in Australia. England have lost 5-0 on two of their past three trips down under. Now is the time when they should be identifying potential characters to defend the urn.
Win now, but build for the challenges to come.


More than 20,000 people have signed a petition demanding a Nigerian woman be allowed into the UK to donate bone marrow to her sister who has leukaemia.

May Brown, 23, from Weymouth in Dorset, said she had been told by her consultant that her sister Martha was a "10 out of 10" tissue match.
The African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT) said Martha had been refused a visa because her income was too low.
The Home Office said immigration rules were applied to all visa applications.
Karl Blick, from Smethwick, in the West Midlands, said he had signed the petition "because human lives are more important than borders and petty rules".
"I'm ashamed of my country, " said Bridget Chapman, from London, adding: "This is cruel and inhuman. Fix it now!"
Mrs Brown, a patient at King's College Hospital in London, has been told her only chance of survival is an urgent stem cell transplant.
Beverley De-Gale, co-founder of ACLT, said Mrs Brown started chemotherapy on Friday in the hope the surgery would go ahead.
"The hospital has no choice but to commence with chemo so the transplant can take place in three weeks," she said.
"We have no idea whether Martha will be here by then, but we are hoping common sense prevails.
"Martha will need to go through a medical assessment before the donation itself can take place."
Medical tests identified Martha as a perfect match, the ACLT said, but she was refused a visa because her teacher's salary of £222 per month was too low.
The charity, which has set up the petition, said mother-of-one Mrs Brown had offered to cover all of her sister's costs.
The Home Office said it could not comment on individual cases.


A man is in a serious condition in hospital after being found with stab wounds at a house in Renfrewshire.

Police were called to the property in Bridge of Weir Road, Linwood, at about 03:20 on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old man was taken by ambulance to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.
Police said that the incident was being treated as attempted murder and appealed for anyone with information to get in touch.
Det Sgt Michael Lochrie said: "Our inquiries are at an early stage to establish more information on the circumstances surrounding this incident, and to establish where it took place in the local area.
"At this time, I would urge anyone who was in the area of Bridge of Weir Road in Linwood in the early hours of this morning, who witnessed anything suspicious, or who has information that may assist police inquiries to contact Paisley Police Office."


The decision not to prosecute Sir Cliff Richard over claims of historical sex offences has been upheld, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced.

Claims the singer had assaulted four men were dropped on 16 June on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
The CPS reviewed the evidence following an application by one of his accusers but concluded the decision was correct.
Sir Cliff, 75, who always denied the allegations, said he was "pleased" with the decision.
He added: "As I have said previously, I'm innocent, so I'm obviously pleased with today's CPS decision and the speed with which they reached it. I hope that it brings this matter to a close."
Sir Cliff was the subject of a long-running South Yorkshire Police investigation that centred on sexual abuse allegations made by four men dating between 1958 and 1983.
In June, the CPS announced no criminal charges were to be brought as a result of Operation Kaddie.
It subsequently received applications to review two of the charging decisions under the Victims' Right to Review scheme.
The CPS said in a statement: "In accordance with the scheme, a CPS lawyer who was not involved in the original decision-making process has completed a full review of the evidence and has concluded that the decisions not to charge were correct."
Following the decision to take no further action against the singer, Sir Cliff said he felt "tarnished" by the allegations and that being named in the media meant he had been "hung out like live bait".
Officers were filmed searching Sir Cliff's apartment in Berkshire in 2014, after the allegations came to light, which was broadcast live by the BBC.
The entertainer has subsequently made formal legal complaints to South Yorkshire Police and the corporation.
In 2014, a parliamentary committee found the BBC had acted "properly" in the way it has reported the story.
Last year an independent investigation concluded that South Yorkshire Police should not have released "highly confidential" information to the BBC about the planned search.
The force apologised "wholeheartedly for the additional anxiety caused" to Sir Cliff by the force's "initial handling of the media interest" in its investigation.
The BBC later said it was "very sorry" Sir Cliff "suffered distress" after its coverage of the police raid but said it "stands by the decision to report the investigation undertaken by the South Yorkshire Police and the search of his property."


The Floyd Mayweather v Conor McGregor fight brought boxing and the mixed martial arts head to head, but while Mayweather won on the night, whose organisation is winning the battle of the world's most popular combat sport?

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When Carli Lloyd scored from the halfway line to complete a hat-trick in the first 16 minutes of the 2015 Women's World Cup final, her United States team-mate Hope Solo ran from her goal to scream: "Are you even human?"

Having already scored winning goals in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic finals, Lloyd was already one of the most celebrated players in the United States.
But earning America's first World Cup in 16 years and scoring such a spectacular goal pitched the midfielder's status to almost superhero level, with 2015 and 2016 Fifa World Player of the Year awards following.
After spending years training on her own in a sparse field in Delran, New Jersey, and showing a single-mindedness which led to a relationship breakdown with her parents, Lloyd had finally proven her doubters wrong to reach the pinnacle of her sport.
Now a new journey begins for the 34-year-old US captain after leaving Houston Dash for a short-term deal with Manchester City, which former England striker Kelly Smith, a former club team-mate of Lloyd's, calls a "coup".
City will now hope Lloyd's undoubted stardust and renowned dedication rub off on a team who are gunning for the Champions League title in their competition debut.
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For those unfamiliar with Lloyd's story, her 55-yard lob in the World Cup final victory against Japan was no fluke.
It was the product of a feverish commitment to training - which included smashing shots from the halfway line - with her coach and mentor James Galanis. He has been credited with moulding a young player with serious confidence problems and a body not built for an elite midfielder into the world's best player.
As detailed in her autobiography, When Nobody Was Watching, it is clear nothing gets in the way of Lloyd's ambition to continually improve. And the good news for Manchester City fans is that, even after her World Cup triumph, she believes she can get even better.
"Her determination exceeds anyone I've ever met," Smith, who played with Lloyd for the New Jersey Wildcats in 2004 and spent the majority of her playing career in the US, told BBC Sport.
Fuelling that drive is a quest for perfection and a desire to prove people wrong. It began when she was dropped from the Under-21 national team and was ready to quit football altogether, toying with the idea of becoming an FBI agent.
But then she met Australian coach Galanis, a trainee electrician, who offered a turning point in her career and proved a lifelong mentor. In 2004 he concocted a 12-year plan, which included Lloyd becoming World Player of the Year by 2016.
While her relationship with Galanis has been the backbone of her success, some of her family have blended into the background.
Her golfer husband, Brian Hollins, whom she met in her teens, has learned to stay away from big tournaments to prevent any distractions. And Lloyd's long-running feud with her parents dates back to the beginning of her career when she chose to do things her own way.
They disapproved of her aloofness around US team-mates and a choice of agent, and weeks before her triumph at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, asked her to move her possessions out of their home.
Lloyd hints in her book they may have been jealous of the part Galanis has played in her career and despite calling the situation "heartbreaking", has not spoken to them since 2012.
Lloyd says she "doesn't do fake" and has had disagreements with former US coaches but current manager Jill Ellis, who has had a long-standing connection with her captain since she managed the under-21 team, has said Lloyd is "team-orientated" and "real".
Washington Spirit midfielder Joanna Lohman, who has known Lloyd since they were 14 and played in the same US youth team, told BBC Sport: "It's great to have that edge, look where it's taken her.
"When you don't back down on things and you see things as challenges as opposed to failures, it pushes you even harder."
As a big Liverpool fan, Lloyd has always looked up to former Red Steven Gerrard as the player she wanted to emulate: a box-to-box midfielder with an eye for goal and a fearsome shot.
Smith likens her more to former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard for her "goalscoring ability, and how she arrives late in the box" but says it has taken time to develop those skills.
"She wasn't the most technical back when we played, she isn't like Brazilian forward Marta, who beats two or three players at a time," Smith adds. "But she was always very fit, had a fantastic work-rate and was a winner."
That much has been proven in her international career, with three major titles and 96 goals in 232 appearances, making her the national team's all-time highest goal-scoring midfielder. Current US boss Ellis calls Lloyd "incredible for her consistency in big games".
Club success for Lloyd has been less impressive. She is yet to win a US domestic championship - the closest she came was a runners-up medal with Western New York Flash in 2013, so winning the Champions League or FA Cup with Manchester City would be a glittering addition to her CV.
Can she help City achieve that success in the twilight of her career? Lloyd has already proven that age has little effect on her work-rate.
"Carli's a leader on and off the pitch and her winning mentality will help them reach the next level," Smith says.
Former England captain Casey Stoney says Lloyd will have a massive influence on City and the league.
"She's not past her peak," the Liverpool defender said. "Look at [Manchester United forward] Zlatan Ibrahimovic - he's playing some of the best football of his career and he's 35.
"Experience buys you time on the ball and better decision-making. It wouldn't surprise me if she was playing in the next World Cup in two years' time."
If Manchester City were looking for a marquee signing to demonstrate their growing status in women's football, then Lloyd is a stunning addition to their squad.
Lloyd is one of several US players who have recently left their country to ply their trade in Europe.
The best paid player in women's football, Alex Morgan, joined French side Lyon, lightning-fast winger Crystal Dunn signed for Chelsea and midfielder Heather O'Reilly, who recently retired from international football, joined Arsenal.
But according to Stoney, Lloyd will be "the biggest overseas player to have played in England, without a doubt". It is likely she will have a salary to match.
City, who only played their first season in the FA Women's Super League in 2014, won the title last season, and with the club's wealthy owners investing more in players and facilities than any other English side, a period of dominance looks likely.
Part of that masterplan is to make inroads in Europe in their debut Champions League season, which continues with a quarter-final tie against Danish side Fortuna Hjorring on 23 March.
But as much as Lloyd can benefit City, they can also provide a new chapter for the attacking midfielder.
US boss Ellis, who was born in England, has encouraged American players to experience European football in a year when there are no major tournaments. It comes at a time when US players are in a pay dispute with the national federation, but Smith believes it has more to do with the quality of the football on offer in Europe.
"The game in America can often be quite back to front and long ball, but players are more technical in Europe and nowhere more than in the Champions League so players want to sample that," she says.
"Lloyd will also experience the best facilities around. Sometimes in the American league you use university pitches and changing rooms, so to be part of a club like Manchester City can be quite precious to Carli."


Two police officers have been injured - one seriously - in an attack involving "electrical power tools".

Devon and Cornwall Police said the men were hurt when they responded to reports of a man making threats to another resident in Kingsbridge, Devon, at about 17:00 BST.
A 53-year-old man, named locally as Stephen Yabsley, was arrested on suspicion of assault.
Both officers sustained arm injuries and had operations in hospital.
The injuries were said to be non-life-threatening.
Armed officers from the force were involved in negotiations with a man at a house in Retreat Close,  which ended at about 20:30 BST.
A spokesman said they "safely brought the incident to a close". Police said a total of 35 officers were involved in the operation.
The road was cordoned off and people in the "immediate vicinity" were evacuated from their homes.
One of the police officers was taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth and the other to Torquay Hospital.


Andrew Marr has said he is not yet sure whether a new treatment he received in Florida has helped to alleviate some of the effects of his stroke.

The BBC presenter suffered a stroke in January 2013 and took a nine-month break from his Sunday morning show.
Writing in The Spectator earlier this week, Marr revealed his plans to travel to Florida for a new treatment.
Marr said the procedure involved having the drug injected into the spinal fluid while hanging upside down.
"I can't run or cycle or swim, and I walk very unsteadily and slowly," he wrote.
"I drop things and take ages to get dressed. It's a bit of a sod. So I'm inclined to give new treatments a go."
He added: "I'm not complaining too much. I can work, drink, see friends, paint, listen to music and irritate my children like before. I'm a lucky fellow."
But, Marr said, he is still semi-paralysed on the left side of his body four years after the stroke, which has encouraged him to try the new treatment.
He explained: "There is a new drug called etanercept, an anti-inflammatory developed for arthritis but now being used in a clinic north of Miami to treat stroke survivors."
He wrote the column before travelling to Florida and has now received treatment.
On Wednesday, he told The Telegraph it was still too early to see whether the treatment had had the desired effect, and said results would become clearer over time.
This is an unproven treatment for disability after stroke, which has not yet been tested in clinical trials.
This means there is no national or international evidence that it is safe and that it works.
Etanercept is normally used to treat arthritis.
In the case of strokes, the drug has to be injected into the patient's spine when they are upside down so that it gets to the central nervous system as quickly as possible.
Small improvements in movement have been observed in a small number of cases after treatment.
But earlier this year, the American Academy of Neurology said the evidence was "insufficient" to say whether there was any benefit from the treatment.
And it said doctors should advise patients that the treatment could have serious side effects.
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Three British men, including an ex-police community support officer and a Muslim convert, have been jailed for preparing acts of terrorism.

Richard Dart was jailed for six years, Imran Mahmood received nine years and nine months and Jahangir Alom was jailed for four years and six months.
The London-based trio, who pleaded guilty in March, discussed targeting the town of Royal Wootton Bassett.
The judge said the three were "committed to acts of terrorism".
They were arrested in the capital city weeks before the Olympic Games.
Dart, 30, of Broadway, Ealing, west London, and Mahmood, 22, from Dabbs Hill Lane, Northolt, west London, were both born in the UK. Alom, 26, of Abbey Road, Stratford, was born in Bangladesh but is a British citizen.
Mr Justice Simon told them they held "radical Islamist beliefs and have shown yourselves to be committed to acts of terrorism".
Dart refused to stand when he was sentenced, and said: "I don't wish to stand up, I believe ruling and judging is only for Allah."
The judge said that they were all "committed fundamentalists" who would have been prepared to kill.
Mahmood and Dart were both given extended sentences, meaning that they will serve two-thirds of their prison terms rather than half, and they will spend five years on licence.
He told Dart and Mahmood: "I'm satisfied to the required criminal standard that neither of you had ruled out an attack in the United Kingdom, and that you, Mahmood, were looking at arming yourself with a bomb."
After the sentencing, the Metropolitan Police said the convictions followed a painstaking investigation by the Met's counter-terrorism command and security services that had uncovered secret conversations about potential attacks in the UK and abroad.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Osborne, head of the Met's counter-terrorism command, said the investigation had involved a "mixture of dedicated, diligent traditional detective work combined with the latest technology and computer techniques".
He said the trio were "dangerous men".
"This case serves as a classic example of how terrorists live in our midst while preparing their acts and their determination to travel overseas to train before returning to the UK," he said.
The three men admitted carrying out the offence between July 2010 and July last year at a previous hearing last month.
Dart and Alom travelled to Pakistan to try to get terrorist training, and took advice from Mahmood who had already visited the country.
Former BBC security guard Dart also discussed bomb making with Mahmood, and spoke of targeting the Wiltshire town of Royal Wootton Bassett - which became a focal point for the repatriation of UK soldiers from Afghanistan.
Police discovered fragments of text on Dart's laptop that revealed that the pair had used the computer to have a "silent conversation" to avoid possible surveillance bugs.
They would open a word processor document and take it in turns to type, before deleting the text and mistakenly assuming none of it would be stored on the machine.
However forensic experts were able to plough through 2,000 pages of computer code to decipher fragments of what was said.
These included Mahmood making a reference to Royal Wootton Bassett and then adding "if it comes down to it it's that or even just to deal with a few MI5 MI6 heads".
Counter-terrorism teams also believe that the pair used the same tactic walking down the street with a mobile phone.
All three had been stopped at airports while travelling to and from Pakistan.
When Mahmood was stopped at Manchester in 2010, traces of explosives were found on two rucksacks that he had with him.
He later admitted that he had received rudimentary training in explosives while in Pakistan.
Dart, who changed his name to Salahuddin al-Britani, became involved in extremism after moving from his home town of Weymouth, Dorset, to east London and fraternising with radical Muslim Anjem Choudary.
His beliefs were brought into the spotlight as part of a BBC television documentary My Brother The Islamist, by his stepbrother Robb Leech.
Alom joined the Territorial Army in 2006 as part of the G Company 7th Battalion the Rifles, but did not complete his training due to medical reasons.
The following year he became a PCSO but left the job in September 2009.
Mr Justice Simon said that he and Dart were "the object of suspicion" for their fellow radicals, and may have felt the need to prove themselves.
Alom had his own contact with a fourth man, Mohammed Tariq Nasar, a Briton now living in Pakistan, to try to get terrorist training, it is claimed. Mr Nasar has not been charged with any offence.
The trio were arrested on 5 July last year just before the start of the Olympics, and were charged on 18 July.


Plymouth came back from a goal down to beat Stevenage 4-2 in League Two ahead of Wednesday's FA Cup third round replay at home to Liverpool.

From 2-2 at the break, on-loan Bristol City striker Arnold Garita turned in playmaker Graham Carey's goal-bound 25-yard drive for Argyle's third goal on 54 minutes at Home Park.
Substitute David Goodwillie made it 4-2 in stoppage time with a close-range tap-in, keeping the second-placed side four points behind leaders Doncaster.
Plymouth may have kept a clean sheet at Liverpool but they conceded after two minutes against Stevenage as Matt Godden turned in Luke Wilkinson's nod down from close range.
Argyle levelled on 35 minutes through Jordan Slew, again from close range, as he turned in Jake Jervis' effort from Graham Carey's corner.
Jervis put Argyle ahead for the first time in the 42nd minute, swivelling on Connor Smith's flick-on after Slew's cut-back from the bye-line.
Stevenage restored parity in first-half stoppage time when Steven Schumacher's 30-yard free-kick bounced up to beat Luke McCormick.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Second Half ends, Plymouth Argyle 4, Stevenage 2.
Attempt missed. Ryan Loft (Stevenage) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
Connor Smith went off injured after Plymouth Argyle had used all subs.
Goal!  Plymouth Argyle 4, Stevenage 2. David Goodwillie (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Nathan Blissett (Plymouth Argyle) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Nathan Blissett replaces Jordan Slew.
Corner,  Stevenage. Conceded by Connor Smith.
Substitution, Stevenage. Charlie Lee replaces Ben Kennedy.
Attempt missed. Connor Smith (Plymouth Argyle) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
Corner,  Stevenage. Conceded by Luke McCormick.
Attempt saved. Matt Godden (Stevenage) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the top left corner.
Tom Pett (Stevenage) hits the bar with a right footed shot from outside the box.
Attempt saved. Matt Godden (Stevenage) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. Craig Tanner replaces Jake Jervis.
Attempt missed. Ben Kennedy (Stevenage) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Attempt saved. Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Corner,  Plymouth Argyle. Conceded by Luke Wilkinson.
Attempt missed. Jake Jervis (Plymouth Argyle) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Substitution, Plymouth Argyle. David Goodwillie replaces Paul Garita.
Attempt missed. Tom Pett (Stevenage) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Attempt saved. Ryan Loft (Stevenage) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Attempt missed. Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) right footed shot from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.
Corner,  Stevenage. Conceded by Jordan Slew.
Ryan Loft (Stevenage) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Yann Songo'o (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Ryan Loft (Stevenage).
Substitution, Stevenage. Michael Tonge replaces Kgosi Ntlhe.
Substitution, Stevenage. Ryan Loft replaces Rowan Liburd.
Jake Jervis (Plymouth Argyle) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the centre of the box.
Attempt blocked. Graham Carey (Plymouth Argyle) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
David Fox (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Steven Schumacher (Stevenage).
Attempt missed. Fraser Franks (Stevenage) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high following a corner.
Corner,  Stevenage. Conceded by Sonny Bradley.
Foul by David Fox (Plymouth Argyle).
Tom Pett (Stevenage) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!  Plymouth Argyle 3, Stevenage 2. Paul Garita (Plymouth Argyle) with an attempt from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Graham Carey.
Foul by Paul Garita (Plymouth Argyle).
Steven Schumacher (Stevenage) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Jordan Slew (Plymouth Argyle) wins a free kick in the attacking half.


Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi has announced the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.

Mr Modi made the announcement at a press conference in Paris with French President Francois Hollande.
The deal is the fruition of years of negotiation, with India intent on buying 126 jets in total for an estimated cost of $12bn (Â£8.2bn).
Mr Modi said the deal was done after talks with Mr Hollande but that terms and conditions still had to be agreed.
He added that he wished to buy the jets ready to fly. This means that they will be built in France, not India.
The Indian prime minister is in France on the first leg of a three-nation tour which also takes in Germany and Canada.
Mr Modi will visit the World War One memorial and pay tribute to Indians who lost their lives fighting alongside France.
He will then head to Germany, where he will inaugurate one of the world's biggest trade fairs and told talks with leaders to boost trade ties.
In the third and last leg of his tour, Mr Modi will travel to Canada, marking the first standalone visit by an Indian prime minister in more than four decades.


"Once there was a girl who loved school."

So begins the true story of Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Prize-winning Pakistani teenager who was shot by the Taliban in 2012, in newly published children's book Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.
The book uses illustrations and fairytale-like stories about 100 inspirational women from across the globe to teach girls to rebel against gender norms and instead follow their dreams.
Families have been describing on social media what their children think of the rebel women.
Brynn, who is five years old and lives in Chicago, was captivated by the story of Manal al-Sharif, the women's rights activist dubbed "the woman who dared to drive" after she challenged the ban on women getting behind the wheel in Saudi Arabia.
"Brynn kept asking 'So they told her she couldn't drive?'.  I would answer, 'that's right'. And Brynn would smile mischievously, 'But she did...'," explains her mum Patti.
Brynn was so inspired that she traced the picture and Patti sent it to Manal.
Another profiled star is teenage American gymnast Simone Biles, whose dazzling jumps and twists wowed the world in the 2016 Olympics.
But there are also lesser-known women in the book, including Grace Hopper, the pioneering American computer scientist, and journalist-turned-weightlifter Amna Al Haddad from United Arab Emirates.
Two Italian authors, Elena Favilli, 34, and Francesca Cavallo, 33, are behind the book, which was a hit in the US after a crowdfunding campaign raised US$1m (Â£815,700) in 2016.
In an interview with the BBC, Elena explained that they first came up with the idea when they realised that children's books are still packed with traditional gender stereotypes.
"Children's books have not changed since we were children - the men are still the protagonists and the women are still the princesses," she explained.
Disparities in the representation of men and women in children's books has long been an issue.
In 2011, academics at Florida State University found that gender bias in books has existed for more than 100 years.
They identified that in almost 6,000 picture books published between 1900 and 2000, only 7.5% depicted female animal protagonists.
You might also like:
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Grace Hopper's compiler: Computing's hidden hero
Books and pictures are crucial in defining how children see and understand the world.
By the time they are six, girls see themselves as less talented or "brilliant" as boys, according to research published in January 2017.
The report suggests that both girls and boys aged six tend to identify a "really, really smart" storybook character as a boy, not a girl.
"If all children read is about princesses waiting to be saved by a prince, then the message they learn is that women are not as valuable as men - that we are not equals," says Elena.
The authors are not the first to try to address this issue.
In 2015, American psychologist Stephanie Tabashneck published a colouring book featuring girls of diverse ethnicities in high-profile jobs such as surgeon, professor and engineer, after she grew tired of seeing girls constantly depicted as princesses.
Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole is another example of a story that defies norms, according to education expert Prof Gemma Moss.
Girl Power: How can books empower young girls?
But Elena and Francesca believe that their emphasis on real-life rebellious women who challenged social norms gives an important message to children who frequently only read about fictional girls.
"Historically women's achievements have been diminished," says Elena. "Rebels have negative connotations in all cultures - it is usually considered bad for a woman. Our message is that it is OK and even a good thing for women to break rules."
Robyn Silverman, a child development expert in US state New Jersey, curls up every night with her children Tallie (eight) and Noah (six) to read stories from the collection.
She bought the book on the day that the feminist rally cry #StillShePersisted was born, after US Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced in the Senate in February after reading a letter criticising Jeff Sessions, President Donald Trump's then-nominee for attorney general.
"I wrote a dedication to Tallie telling her to always rise up," Robyn explains.
"She has already been told 'girls can't do this'.
"But in this book there are concrete examples of women who fought for girls' education when it was illegal, or who fought to vote when women were not allowed in politics - this shows to girls that whatever she is up against, we can overcome it," Silverman says.
Robyn says that her son also loves listening to the stories:
"It's really important because men need to see that women use their skills and pursue their dreams to make progress in the same way as men - it's not about saying women are better then men."
Elena says other parents told her how their young sons loved reading the book: "We need to start early and show children of a young age that men and women are absolutely equal."


After 11 days of interminable speeches, followed by ritualistic voting to approve everything put before it, China's annual parliamentary gathering will, once again, leave little worthy of note in its wake.

That is precisely the intention of course because it is not meant to hold power to account.
That is kept tightly in the hands of the ruling Communist Party, and the key policies have long been decided in advance.
Nonetheless, every year, the meetings do provide an occasional glimpse of something meaningful for those watching closely.
Here then are two of them for 2016; the first, a rare act of dissent that could not be stifled and the second, paradoxically, an all-too-common act of obeisance that was mysteriously hidden from view.
Much has already been written about Jiang Hong.
As thousands of his fellow delegates began arriving in Beijing two weeks ago, with their rubber stamps at the ready, Mr Jiang had different ideas.
He had already given an interview to a Chinese online current affairs magazine, Caixin, suggesting that delegates should be free to speak their own minds, rather than be compelled blithely to follow the will of the party.
Government censors promptly deleted that interview, a clear demonstration that delegates are not free to do anything of the sort.
Undeterred, Mr Jiang proceeded to give another interview to the same magazine in which he described the censorship as "terrible and bewildering".
Published along with a daring photo of a mouth gagged with masking tape, that follow-up article was deleted too.
But still far from cowed, Mr Jiang agreed to a BBC interview, conducted inside the meeting hall close to Tiananmen Square.
"If a society only listens to one voice, then mistakes can be made," he told us.
"A good way to prevent this from happening is to let everyone speak up, to give us the whole picture."
"I feel there's been an increase in things being deleted online - articles and blogs and posts on Wechat," he continued.
"This has made people worried about expressing their opinions."
Before we could finish our interview, Jiang Hong was hurried away by an official who insisted that we would make him late for his meeting - something other media outlets have experienced amid reports that delegates have been advised against impromptu discussions with the foreign media.
But Mr Jiang's determined insistence on exercising his right to free speech illustrates how China's annual parliament is not always quite so rigid and compliant as it first seems.
For the few who choose to use the opportunity, with the media access and at least the pretence of openness, it offers a precious moment in which they can push the boundaries a bit and, in doing so, highlight the debates that are often rumoured to be raging inside the ruling elite.
And Mr Jiang has done exactly that.
The response to his comments suggests that there is growing disquiet over the recent tightening of the restrictions on freedom of expression, with even one state-run newspaper weighing in with an old saying that "a thousand yes men cannot compare with one person who criticises frankly".
And so to our second moment at this year's event, one that has also lifted the curtain somewhat on the hidden tensions behind the scenes.
It came inside the Great Hall of the People as China's President Xi Jinping attended a sideline meeting of the Province of Hunan Communist Party Committee.
The Provincial Party Secretary Xu Shousheng is in mid-flow when his speech takes an unexpected change of tack.
"Before Chinese New Year," he says to President Xi, "a song by the title 'I don't know how to address you' went viral online in Hunan."
The lavish production, reportedly commissioned by the Hunan government, tells the story of one of Xi Jinping's visits to the Hunan countryside, and Mr Xu was keen to sing its praises.
"It vividly reflects [your] devotion to the poverty-stricken village of Shibadong," he tells him.
Mr Xi can be seen smiling and nodding slightly, although soon after video links of the exchange, along with references to the viral song being raised at the meeting, were seemingly deleted from the internet, with the links returning instead the familiar error message for removed content.
At a time when the main message of this year's parliament was meant to be the Communist Party's efforts to boost a flagging economy, with the looming threat of mass industrial layoffs, having the nation's top brass compose songs to each other and then crow about them, probably does not seem like the best exercise in public relations.
Nonetheless, tribute songs to Xi Jinping have become something of a musical genre in their own right in recent years, leading to speculation that such public displays of devotion are being encouraged as part of a growing cult of personality around him.
While spontaneous songs written and sung by grass roots performers - of which there are many - are one thing, for such tributes to be commissioned by senior party officials is altogether different.
Along with the crackdown on dissent and freedom of speech, as well as an increasingly ideological tone, some observers worry that Chinese politics is now taking a more authoritarian direction of the kind not seen since the days of Chairman Mao.
And with the normal political process so opaque and closed, the things we can glimpse on the edges of China's parliamentary set pieces are sometimes all we have to go on in trying to assess the truth.
The last word, perhaps, should go to Jiang Hong, the censored but still determined delegate.
"What's happening now is a lot better than what happened during the Cultural Revolution," he tells us.
"However, in terms of citizens' freedom of expression, there are still obstacles. At least I can still express my thoughts; I can voice my opinion within the boundaries of this meeting.
"But what really upsets me is that I can't express my opinion to the public. In this aspect, there's still a lot of improvement needed in our country. "


Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt's comments that he intends to give the SDLP his second preference vote in the upcoming election have sparked controversy within his party.

Senior UUP figure Danny Kennedy has urged voters in the Newry and Armagh constituency not to follow that lead.
He tweeted that he would advise his supporters to transfer their vote to "the only other unionist candidate".
He said it was "important to protect pro-union seats".
Northern Ireland goes to the polls on 2 March to elect 90 members of the Assembly - the snap election was called after the power-sharing executive collapsed over a botched green energy scheme.
Under Northern Ireland's single transferable vote system, voters rank candidates in order of preference.
On Sunday, Mr Nesbitt said he would select the SDLP as his second preference after the UUP on his ballot paper in March's election.
But he said he would not tell supporters to follow his example.
"I think I understand Ulster Unionist voters and they don't like being told what to do," he told BBC's Sunday Politics show.
Sinn Féin's Carál Ní Chuilín has criticised Mr Nesbitt's comments.
"Mike Nesbitt has no right to tell people how to vote," she said, adding that it would be "interesting to see what his position is in relation to implementing the Good Friday Agreement and equality."
Stewart Dickson of Alliance said that in the past Mr Nesbitt had urged people to vote Conservative, and "got into bed with the DUP".
He said the UUP leader was now "all over the place", and was "not bringing his party along with him".
By BBC NI News Political Editor, Mark Devenport
Why shouldn't the opposition advise its voters to back their respective parties with the aim of pushing the old governing partners out, or at least weakening their hand in future negotiations?
However Northern Ireland elections are never that simple.
Traditional unionist and nationalist voting habits die hard.
In some seats Mr Nesbitt's candidates will no doubt be living in hope that the generosity of other unionists will see them returned in the later stages of a count.
In this context,  it's easy to understand the decision by the veteran Newry and Armagh MLA Danny Kennedy to advise his voters to transfer to other unionists, even if it does jar with his leader's attitude.
Read more of Mark's analysis here.
On Monday's BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan Show, Mr Nesbitt defended his comments.
"This isn't about a pre-election pact with the SDLP. There is no such thing. What I'm looking forward to is the far side and the fact that there will have to be a partnership if we are to have a devolved government," he said.
"I think it strengthens unionism to celebrate our diversity in Northern Ireland and on the far side there has to be a cross-community partnership government."
His comments have caused a stir among his own party faithful and other unionist parties.
Writing in the Belfast Telegraph, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster said following Mr Nesbitt's logic could mean fewer unionists in the Assembly.
"The UUP leader is personally supportive of voting in a way that helps elect nationalists who will take their election as an endorsement of support for their united Ireland position," she wrote.
The DUP's Jim Wells tweeted: "If voters follow Mike Nesbitt's advice they will guarantee that the 5th seat in South Down will go to Sinn Fein and not a unionist. Madness."
In a letter to The News Letter, sent before Mr Nesbitt made his comments, former UUP MP Lord Kilclooney said unionists should vote all the way down candidate list.
"A unionist should vote for all pro-UK parties in descending order and then also vote for united Ireland parties placing the one you dislike most at the very end of your preferences," he wrote.
"This would result in a unionist being elected and the more acceptable nationalist being elected rather than one who supported terrorism or violence."
The UUP and SDLP were both opposition parties in the last Northern Ireland Assembly.
Speaking on the Sunday Politics show, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said he would transfer to the UUP, but would be using his top preferences for the SDLP.


Captain Wayne Rooney will not face disciplinary action following his late-night conduct while on England duty.

The Manchester United striker apologised over "inappropriate" pictures of him a day after England's World Cup qualifying win over Scotland.
The Daily Mirror has reported the FA found Rooney was invited to a wedding reception and that there was no curfew.
Rooney, 31, has been assured from "high levels within the Football Association" that he will not be charged.
An investigation followed the publication of images in The Sun which it said showed Rooney drunk at a party late on Saturday, 12 November.
The FA is also looking into claims several England players were out until late on the same Saturday night after the 3-0 win over Scotland - less than three days before they drew 2-2 with Spain in a friendly.
England's players all reported back at 11:00 GMT on the Sunday as they were instructed to, and attended training in the afternoon.
England players have since been banned by the FA from having nights out while on international duty.


The West End production of hit musical Hamilton has found its leads - though we still don't know who'll be playing Alexander Hamilton himself.

Could show creator Lin-Manuel Miranda be persuaded to play the role when the show opens in London in November?
The 37-year-old is in London shooting Mary Poppins Returns and is understood to have sat in on auditions.
According to the Daily Mail, however, he will not be available "until some time in 2018".
A press spokesperson for the show acknowledged there had been speculation but did not comment any further.
The hip-hop musical about one of America's founding fathers dominated last year's Tonys, walking away with 11 prizes.
Yet none of its award-winning stars will be reprising their roles in the show's initial run at London's Victoria Palace theatre.
The role of Aaron Burr will be played by Giles Terera, who was seen at the National Theatre last year in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
The actor, who has also appeared in Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon, will play Hamilton's political rival, a role that saw Leslie Odom Jr win the Tony for best actor in a musical.
Miranda himself described Terera as "CRAZY good" on Twitter.
Hamilton's wife Eliza will be played by Rachelle Ann Go, the Filipino actress who played Gigi in Sir Cameron Mackintosh's 2014 revival of Miss Saigon.
Go will be reprising that role on Broadway this March, after which she will travel to London to begin Hamilton rehearsals.
Fellow Filipino Christine Allado will play the dual role of Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds, while Rachel John will play Angelica, the oldest of the show's three "Schuyler Sisters".
Actress Lea Salonga, Miss Saigon's original star, welcomed the casting of "two Pinay Schuyler Sisters" in the West End production in a congratulatory tweet.
Jason Pennycooke will play the dual role of the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, while Cleve September will double up as John Laurens and Hamilton's son Philip.
George Washington, America's first president, will be played Obioma Ugoala, currently to be found playing Smokey Robinson in Motown the Musical.
Newcomer Tarinn Callender, meanwhile, will make his professional stage debut in the dual role of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison.
There is no news yet on who will play the role of King George III, the British monarch who was on the throne at the time of the American Revolution.
Set during the American War of Independence and its aftermath, Hamilton uses hip-hop, rap and R&B to chart the life of the new nation's first treasury secretary.
Tickets that went on sale earlier this month are being offered on resale sites at more than 10 times their face value, despite the official retailer introducing measures to combat touts.
Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.


A teenager who was stabbed after he was hit by a car in Manchester was "loyal and caring" and "brought so much joy" to others, his family has said.

Abdul Hafidah, 18, died in hospital from a stab wound to the neck after the attack in Moss Side.
Police believe he had been chased by a group of men near Greenheys Lane before he was hit by the car and then attacked.
His family said they were experiencing "the most difficult time in our lives".
They added: "Abdul was a composed and caring son, who bought us all so much joy. You felt his presence when he was there and you missed it whenever he wasn't.
"His strength was in his loyalty to his family and friends, and honesty whenever he spoke."
Mr Hafidah's family also urged young people to spend time with their parents and think about the community they wanted to grow up in.
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
A 17-year-old boy was also arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and later bailed.


Swiss watch-maker Tag Heuer has unveiled its first smartwatch - a $1,500 (Â£990) timepiece that runs the Android Wear operating system.

In an unusual pitch, the company says buyers will be able to exchange the titanium-cased device for a mechanical counterpart after two years if they pay an additional fee.
One expert said the company was "smart" to offer its customers a Plan B.
However, he added, its use of Google's OS could limit its appeal.
"It will only work with iOS handsets to a limited extent - to show messages and do basic things - but as soon as you want to add additional apps from the Android Wear store, you need to be on the Android platform," said Alexander Linz, from the Watch-Insider news site.
"That's a big disadvantage because a lot of people who buy luxury products use iPhones and not Android technology."
Tag Heuer is the first of the high-end Swiss watchmakers to sell what most people would recognise as a fully functional smartwatch.
However, other Swiss brands - including Breitling and Mondaine - have shown off mechanical models that wirelessly communicate with smartphones.
Tag Heuer has indicated it intends to highlight its 155-year-old history to help sell its device.
However, it is unable to brand the device "Swiss made", because the majority of its components - including an Intel processor - were made elsewhere.
The Tag Heuer Connected watch was revealed at an event in New York, eight months after it was first announced.
The device is modelled on the company's Carrera family of timepieces and comes with three digital watch faces not legally available to other Android models.
When in time mode, the display always shows its digital hands and hour markers - unlike many other models that turn off the screen to save power - and the built-in lithium battery is said to last a day between charges.
Owners are offered a range of sports-themed exclusive apps, including golf, motor-racing and trail walking-focused titles, as well as software available to other Android Wear models.
But the company's marketing campaign is focused on buyers' ability to switch to a more traditional watch at a later point.
"The Tag Heuer Connected watch gives you the means not only to connect to the future, but also to connect to eternity," said chief executive Jean-Claude Biver.
The upgrade will cost a further $1,500 and involves trading in the Connected timepiece for a special edition analogue model.
"It's very clever as it offers customers a sort of exit strategy and also provides an opportunity to attract new clients to their mechanical watches," said Mr Linz.
Apple does not offer its Watch operating system to third-parties, although it has formed a partnership with French fashion brand Hermes.
That left Tag Heuer little option but to opt for Android because of the costs of developing a new OS.
"It would be absurd, it would be arrogant to believe that we could develop our own," Mr Biver told the BBC earlier this year.
Apple has shipped about seven million smartwatches since June, according to a recent estimate, with its prices ranging up to Â£9,500.
By contrast, Tag Heuer is estimated to sell about 350,000 analogue watches a year.
That might suggest the LVMH-owned brand has spied an opportunity to boost sales, but one analyst said he thought the launch was more likely a defensive manoeuvre.
"Tag is one of the most sports-orientated Swiss Watch brands and it wants to protect its core business," said David Sadigh, founder of The World Watch Report.
"The Apple Watch has proved particularly popular with consumers who like sports because of the related functions it offers.
"So, Tag is making a defensive move to defend its market."
Another industry-watcher also expressed doubts.
"Its biggest hurdle is acceptance from the tech community," said Ariel Adams, editor of Ablogtowatch.
"Tag Heuer, among other luxury companies, has entered the electronics industry a number of times over the years with lukewarm products that might have been pretty and well made but were not known to compete as state-of-the-art items.
"It will also have to prove to consumers that it isn't only able to launch a tech device but to also support it with software updates and other performance enhancements over time."


The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are to visit Northern Ireland later this month.

The Royal couple will attend a series of public engagements from 23 to 25 June.
No other details have been announced so far.
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said she was "absolutely delighted".
"This will be a wonderful opportunity to show Her Majesty and His Royal Highness some of the best that Northern Ireland has to offer and demonstrate the work being done to bring different parts of the community together and build a more prosperous future," she said.
The Queen and Prince Philip last visited Northern Ireland in June 2012 as part of her Diamond Jubilee tour.


Two men have been charged with murder after a 60-year-old man died from multiple stab wounds in Lancashire.

Keith Passmore's body was found at a property in Clifton Road, Burnley shortly after 18:30 GMT on Saturday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Paul Howarth, 47, of Clifton Road and Gary Burley, 44, of Herbert Road, Burnley, are due to appear before Burnley Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
Mr Burley has also been charged with making threats to kill.
A post-mortem examination found Mr Passmore died from multiple stab wounds.


Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said cool heads and focus are required ahead of talks between his party and Fine Fael, the two largest in the Republic of Ireland.

The parties have agreed to meet for discussions on how a minority government would work.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil made the announcement on Saturday.
Mr Martin told Irish state broadcaster RTÉ that he welcomed the start of more substantive talks.
He said Fianna Fáil had received a good reception from independent TDs (Irish parliament members).
However, he refused to comment on reports that a number of independents were leaning towards a Fianna Fáil-led minority government.
The fresh talks follow failed attempts by Fine Gael's Enda Kenny and Fianna Fáil counterpart Micheál Martin to be elected the country's taoiseach (prime minister) on Wednesday.
It was their second attempt since February's general election.
The focus of the upcoming talks would be on how a viable minority government would work.
Mr Kenny's preferred option has been for an equal partnership government.
Independent TDs were not involved in the talks.
Each party will continue separate talks with the independents.
The Irish parliament, known as the Dáil, last met on 10 March, when TDs failed to elect a taoiseach to form a government.
After the February election to the Dáil, Fine Gael has 50 seats, Fianna Fáil has 44, Sinn Féin has 23 and the Labour Party has seven.


An Argentine businessman has pleaded not guilty in a US court over the corruption scandal that has rocked football's world governing body Fifa.

Alejandro Burzaco is among 14 people accused by US prosecutors of paying and receiving millions of dollars in bribes.
Mr Burzaco had been president of sports marketing firm Torneos y Competencias.
He was freed on bail set at $20m (Â£12.7m), and is the third person to appear in court over the case.
Prosecutors allege the Argentine conspired to win and keep hold of lucrative media rights contracts from regional football federations by paying up to $110m (Â£72m) in bribes.
Mr Burzaco faces charges of racketeering and wire fraud conspiracy.
He disappeared after the case was launched in May, turning himself in to Italian police before being extradited to the US.
Jeffrey Webb, a former Fifa vice-president, and Aaron Davidson, another former sports marketing executive, who were both also among the 14 indicted in the US have also pleaded not guilty.


Comedian Freddie Starr has lost his High Court claim against Karin Ward, who said he groped her when she was 15.

Ms Ward, 56, alleges that the assault took place in 1974 behind the scenes of Jimmy Savile's Clunk Click TV show.
Mr Starr, 72, of Studley, Warwickshire, denied the claims and sought damages for alleged slander and libel.
Judge Mr Justice Nicol said the case failed because Ms Ward's testimony was found to be true, and because too much time had lapsed.
The entertainer says he has lost Â£300,000 from shows being cancelled over the allegations.
He sued over interviews given to the BBC and ITV in October 2012, statements on a website and those made in an eBook about Ms Ward's life.
Mr Starr is now reportedly facing a Â£1m bill in costs.
A previous criminal investigation into Ms Ward's claims by the Crown Prosecution Service decided no charges would be brought.
Mother-of-seven Ms Ward - a pupil at Duncroft Approved School, in Staines, Surrey, in March 1974 - told the court Mr Starr had also made a lewd comment about her chest.
"I carried that phrase with me all my life and it certainly helped to wreck three marriages," she said.
She also said she was sexually abused by Savile more than once in return for going to BBC Television Centre in London and being in the Clunk Click audience.
She said she had been given lithium while at her school, which had affected her memory, but that she "very vividly" remembered that Mr Starr smelled of alcohol and cologne.
She also said Mr Starr "behaved in the same way that every red-blooded male behaved in 1974 when it was perfectly acceptable" and because of this acceptance, she had not complained.
"It was known back then as a 'goose', when a man would put his hand under a girl's buttocks and give it a squeeze and usually say 'goose' and, at the same time, reach for her breasts and say 'honk, honk'," she told the court.
"He got as far as the 'goose' and I recoiled because, while I expected that kind of behaviour from all men and was used to it, I was distressed because the smell reminded me of my stepfather."
Ms Ward told the judge, who heard the case without a jury, that she was "not prepared to apologise to the claimant or retract what I have said, because I have told the truth about him".
Speaking after the ruling, she said she was "relieved" at the outcome.
"For anyone who hasn't yet dared to come forward, I say - do not take this case as a reason not to do so. Stand tall, it wasn't your fault, and you have a right to be heard without fear or threat of not being believed.
"You may have had no voice and no choice when you were younger, but now you do. Don't give in to bullies."
During the hearing Mr Starr had rejected the allegation that he had groped the teenager in Savile's dressing-room, saying his "moral compass" would not allow him to perform such an act.
He also said he had never groped anyone and denied having "wandering hands".
In his ruling, Mr Nicol said that the claim in slander based on Ms Ward's interview to the BBC failed because it was brought outside the legal time limit.
The claim in libel was based on the broadcast of a clip from a BBC interview in Panorama and Ms Ward was not liable for the composite broadcast, it was ruled.
The interview with ITV, which had given rise to a slander claim, failed because Ms Ward had proved that it was true that Mr Starr groped and humiliated her, the judge said.
"His behaviour and smell also frightened her because it reminded her of her stepfather who had sexually abused her as a child. Because her words were true, this claim fails," Mr Nicol said.
And the claim over the eBook related to allegations which Ms Ward had proved were true, the judge also ruled.
Ms Ward's solicitor, Helen Morris, said in a statement after the ruling that the allegation about Mr Starr was made during two interviews Ms Ward gave about the sexual abuse at the hands of Jimmy Savile.
She added: "I have never come across a case where a source has been abandoned by a publisher or broadcaster to defend a libel claim on their own.
"It is particularly egregious for the BBC and ITV/ITN to have done so when Karin Ward put her head above the parapet to speak out about Savile.
"Without sources like Karin there is no investigative journalism. On any view, Karin has been treated disgracefully by our national broadcasters, who continue to refuse to fully indemnify her."
She also said journalists from the Newsnight and Exposure television programmes had given evidence, in which they said Ms Ward had performed a public service by being the first victim of Savile to speak out and that her actions had resulted in 500 victims of Savile coming forward.
The police undertook a full investigation into the allegation made by Ms Ward and a further 13 additional complainants who also put forward allegations against Mr Starr.


An SNP MP has argued that allowing Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to retain its decision making powers would be the right thing to do.

Ian Blackford's proposal comes in the wake of plans for a single board to oversee Scotland's enterprise agencies.
HIE supports economic growth in the Northern Isles, Western Isles, Highlands, Moray and Argyll.
A Scottish government spokesman said the body would continue to provide its locally-based support.
Concerns were raised about the future of HIE when a phase one review of the country's enterprise and skills support recommended an over-arching statutory body to co-ordinate the work of Scottish Enterprise and HIE.
MSPs, including Conservative Donald Cameron, Labour's Rhoda Grant and Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott expressed fears of centralisation by government ministers.
Mr Blackford said that while he "fully endorsed" the establishment of one board, he also wanted HIE to have a "management or advisory board" which would "reflect the priorities" of the Highlands and islands area.
The MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber explained to BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "I have spoken to a number of people in the Highlands and islands over the course of the last few weeks and one of the things I have taken time to do is to make sure we can come up with something which gives us the best of both worlds.
"One of the things we all want to do is make sure we strengthen Scotland's economic growth and that is exactly what the government is trying to do.
"What I have come up with, and what I hope has broad support within government, is something that recognises that we have to change but at the same time protects that uniqueness of HIE and the ownership that the Highlands and islands have for that.
"So this is something that will work well and it is one that I know colleagues will happily support as well."
HIE began as the Highlands and Islands Development Board 50 years ago and its current structure was established in 1990.
The CairnGorm Mountain ski resort and its funicular railway are among the assets it manages.
The Scottish government spokesman insisted HIE would continue giving "dedicated support to the local economy".
He added: "Our reforms will protect the unique service that HIE delivers for our Highland and island economies and - as Ian Blackford observes - will enhance the support that is available to businesses, employers and employees across the region."


Real Christmas trees are "better for your health" than artificial ones, an academic has claimed.

University of Surrey environmental psychologist Dr Birgitta Gatersleben said people who live near nature "report higher wellbeing".
She said real trees give the sense of bringing something "alive" indoors.
"There is plenty of evidence to suggest that exposure to natural environments has beneficial effects on people," she said.
She added: "There is a lot of evidence to suggest that people recover more quickly from stress and mental fatigue when exposed to natural, as opposed to built-up and "fake" environments.
"Indeed, plants in offices have been shown to have a positive effect on the wellbeing and creativity of workers."


Luton Town have signed Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Christian Walton on a season-long loan.

The 20-year-old has not featured for the Seagulls since the end of the 2014-15 campaign, and had spells on loan at Bury and Plymouth Argyle last season.
Walton has won 12 caps for England's Under-19 and Under-20 sides, having come through Plymouth's youth system.
"I am delighted to have signed a player of Christian's quality and pedigree," said Luton boss Nathan Jones.
"I worked close to him at Brighton and I know he has the potential to be a top keeper. It is a real coup for us as he had many options, but he's chosen us as he believes in what we do."
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The last of three Finnish police officers charged with negligence over the appearance of Vladimir Putin's name on a crime database has been cleared.

There were red faces in the police department when it emerged in 2013 that Mr Putin had wrongly been put on the database as a suspected contributor to Russian gang-related crime.
An appeal court cleared the last of them and charges against two others were quashed earlier by a lower court.
The Kremlin has not yet commented.
Russia has occasionally had prickly relations with its neighbour, but when the mistake first emerged, the Kremlin was said to have reacted with "irony" and not pressed for action to be taken.
Finnish prosecutors established that a list of those suspected of crimes which could carry a sentence of at least six months was full of errors. The Russian leader happened to be on it, though it is not clear why.
Clearing the officer, the appeal court found that, though in charge of the internal database, he could not be held criminally liable because his duties has not been clearly enough defined.
The revelation by Finnish media of Mr Putin's presence on the list led police to apologise for a "serious error".
An investigation was launched and the list examined to expunge erroneous entries.


Woking came from behind twice to grab a share of the spoils from a six-goal thriller against Eastleigh at Kingfield Stadium.

The in-form away side took the lead early on, as midfielder Luke Coulson netted his fourth goal from the last three games from close range after finding himself in plenty of space in the box.
Debutant Matthew Tubbs flicked in an equaliser for the Cards midway though the first half but goals from Adam Dugdale and Joe Partington put the visitors back in control at the break.
Partington turned from hero to villain on the hour mark as he felled Anthony Edgar inside the Eastleigh half and Delano Sam-Yorke poked home the resulting free-kick to reduce the deficit before second-half substitute Luke Chike Kandi fired in an equaliser to make it 3-3 for Garry Hill's hosts with 10 minutes remaining.
Report supplied by the Press Association.
Match ends, Woking 3, Eastleigh 3.
Second Half ends, Woking 3, Eastleigh 3.
Goal!  Woking 3, Eastleigh 3. Luke Chike Kandi (Woking).
Substitution, Woking. Max Kretzschmar replaces Ismail Yakubu.
Substitution, Woking. Luke Chike Kandi replaces Charlie Carter.
Substitution, Eastleigh. Adam Dawson replaces Jai Reason.
Substitution, Eastleigh. Jamie Cureton replaces James Constable.
Goal!  Woking 2, Eastleigh 3. Delano Sam-Yorke (Woking).
Substitution, Woking. Anthony Edgar replaces Frankie Sutherland.
Second Half begins Woking 1, Eastleigh 3.
First Half ends, Woking 1, Eastleigh 3.
Frankie Sutherland (Woking) is shown the yellow card.
Goal!  Woking 1, Eastleigh 3. Joe Partington (Eastleigh).
Goal!  Woking 1, Eastleigh 2. Adam Dugdale (Eastleigh).
Goal!  Woking 1, Eastleigh 1. Matt Tubbs (Woking).
Joe Partington (Eastleigh) is shown the yellow card.
Goal!  Woking 0, Eastleigh 1. Luke Coulson (Eastleigh).
First Half begins.
Lineups are announced and players are warming up.


Sacked Sale Sharks winger Tom Arscott has been found guilty of passing on confidential team information to Bristol by the Rugby Football Union.

The 29-year-old met with his brother, Bristol back Luke, at their team hotel the night before Bristol's 24-23 Premiership win at Sale on 1 January.
The RFU investigation found Bristol were aware of some of Sale's defensive tactics but there was "no evidence to demonstrate" a change in strategy.
Arscott was given a written warning.
In addition, Arscott - who was suspended by Sale on 4 January and sacked 16 days later after an internal investigation - will be required to undertake a relevant World Rugby education module.
The RFU interviewed 25 people from both clubs after it was alleged Arscott breached regulation 17, which relates to anti-corruption and betting.
He was cleared of breaching that law as there was no evidence of betting or fixing, but the details that were passed were "inside information" relating to regulation 17.2.
Bristol boss Mark Tainton insisted "nothing of any sporting value" had been passed on to his coaches when it was claimed initially that Arscott had provided them with confidential details.
The RFU stated that two Bristol coaches were aware of Sale's proposed defensive structure and line-out details, but it was found that they "did not fail to comply with the relevant reporting requirements in relation to the inside information that the club received".
Neither Tom nor Luke Arscott entered the field during the match.
RFU head of discipline Gerard McEvilly said: "In determining what action should be taken following the investigation, we have taken into account that Tom Arscott has already paid a heavy price for his conduct in having been dismissed from his employment by Sale Sharks.
"These issues have arisen because of the inappropriate sharing of information while players were socialising in the same hotel before the match.
"Therefore, the RFU is strongly recommending to both clubs that all their players are reminded of their contractual and ethical obligations to their employing clubs and of the problems that may arise should confidential/inside information be passed between individuals."
Arscott, who has played for Bristol, Plymouth, Worcester and London Welsh, has responded to the decision by saying he wants to start playing again.
"I wish to state that although I am disappointed with the outcome, I would now like to draw a line under this episode," he said in statement from the Rugby Players Association.
"This has been an extremely difficult period for me, my family and friends and I would like to thank all those who have supported me. I look forward to resuming my playing career as soon as possible.
"I will not be making any further statement on the matter."


The agreement between Google and HMRC to pay back-tax covering the past 10 years has been described as "derisory" by the Labour Party, and by the Chancellor, George Osborne, as "a victory for the action we've taken".

But who is right? Well both can be.
It was famously the American billionaire, Leona Hemsley who was alleged to have said "Only the little people pay taxes", a claim she strongly denied but which helped to convict her of tax evasion.
It can sometimes feel as though she was right, having just completed my annual tax return and sent my cheque off to HMRC I would just like to put on the record that I too would like to cut a deal with the taxman.
The problem is that if I or any of the other tens of millions of PAYE taxpayers try to do that, the authorities come knocking. That is why, when many of us look at the likes of Google and, to be fair, many other wealthy companies, it can look like for them paying tax is an optional extra.
However, with giant companies it is a bit more complicated than that. They are taking part in perfectly legal tax avoidance schemes, have a small army of consultants and lawyers to advise them, and a war chest for court cases that rivals that of many governments.
They are also normally multinationals, which gives them one great advantage that most of us will never have, they can play one country and its tax system off against other countries and their tax rules.
But even multinationals are not immune to the attentions of the tax collectors, and they are certainly not immune to the bad publicity that tends to result when the media discover just how little they are paying in tax and how some of the schemes they use actually work.
That helps explain why Google has decided to negotiate a deal with the British government and pay £130m in tax.
But while nearly everyone will welcome the idea that huge firms should pay tax, not everyone thinks that cutting deals is the best way of going about it.
Google's payment of £130m covers the past 10 years and means it has effectively paid £13m a year in tax. But many critics believe that this is a very low tax rate overall, "in the low single digits" according to Prem Sikka, Professor of Accountancy at Essex University, given the huge amount of business that Google does in the UK.
It might, they believe, have a deterrent effect if instead HMRC took on some of these companies in the courts and won a victory that would bring in more money not just from them but from every other company that was thinking of using a similar scheme.
But Chas Roy-Chowdhury, head of taxation at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, says if HMRC thought they could have "won a quick victory they would have done it" and that they will have done a "cost-benefit thing. They will have done the sums they might get in a court case... they probably think this is a good deal."
For HMRC this is an appallingly difficult call. Court cases involving international tax law are very complicated, very long and very, very expensive. And after all that time and expense HMRC might well lose, having spent a small fortune of taxpayers' money and deterred no-one.
This is why many believe negotiating tax payments from big companies makes sense. After all sometimes, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.


Police have confirmed that they are examining a report into allegations of collusion between Dumfries and Galloway Council and a collapsed building firm.

The report was commissioned by the local authority six years ago but has never been made public.
The document was compiled by the former chief executive of Highland Council, Arthur McCourt.
He was brought into to examine a complaint made against the authority's planning department.
It was in connection with proposed data farm developments.
It was alleged that sensitive information from one developer was passed to a competing commercial interest - understood to be the collapsed building firm R&D Holdings.
The report also looked into claims that elected members were given misleading information.
A spokesman for Police Scotland confirmed that they had now received the McCourt report from the local authority and were examining the contents to determine whether there was any evidence of criminality.


The Supreme Court has reserved judgement on the UK's breaches of EU air pollution laws.

The government admits air quality laws will be breached in 15 regions until 2020.
Londoners will have to wait until 2025 for pollution to enter legal limits.
Pollution levels in affected areas are a health risk to people on many of Britain’s busiest streets, especially those with heart or lung problems.
The government says the laws are unrealistically strict.
The BBC understands that it also believes the European Commission is partly to blame because it did not set proper limits on pollution from diesel exhausts in the first place.
The High Court and later the Court of Appeal refused to take action on the issue, ruling that enforcement was a matter for the European Commission.
An environment charity, ClientEarth, will now argue in the Supreme Court that the national courts must enforce EU environment law in the UK.
About 29,000 early deaths each year in the UK are blamed on air pollution – more than obesity and alcohol combined (although air pollution tends to shorten people’s lives by a shorter time).
Pollution from road traffic, particularly diesel fumes, is the most significant cause of poor air quality in most cities. The pollutants of most concern are tiny airborne particles, "PM10s",  and nitrogen dioxide.
Alan Andrews, for ClientEarth, told BBC News: “It’s a disgrace that we won’t achieve compliance by 2020 or 2025 – and it’s made worse that the British government is lobbying to weaken the limits because it claims they are unrealistic."
BBC News understands that the European Commission is encouraging the Supreme Court case because it would prefer to avoid a direct confrontation with the UK, which is objecting to other EU environmental rules.
The timing for the government is unfortunate. This week it was forced to issue a severe pollution warning on air quality in London, with some pollution monitors registering 10/10.
Simon Birkett, Founder and Director of Clean Air in London, said: “If the Supreme Court does not require action, the European Commission must."
A Defra spokesman said: “Our air quality has improved significantly in recent decades and most of the UK meets EU air quality limits for all pollutants.  Our plans for nitrogen dioxide set out all the important work being done to meet EU standards in the shortest possible time.”
The government says it has tried to reduce emissions of nitrogen dioxide through tax breaks and subsidies for low emission vehicles. It has invested £75m to support green bus technologies and £560m for local sustainable transport and given around £3m in grants to local authorities every year since 2010 to help them tackle pollution on a local level.
However, the government's drive to reduce CO2 emissions blamed for changing the climate has partly contributed to the problem, by encouraging drivers to turn to diesel vehicles.
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About 6,500 migrants have been rescued off Libya, the Italian coastguard says, in one of the biggest operations of its kind to date.

Some 40 co-ordinated rescue missions took place about 20km (12 miles) off the Libyan town of Sabratha, it added.
Video footage shows migrants, said to be from Eritrea and Somalia, cheering and some swimming to rescue vessels, while others carried babies aboard.
On Sunday more than 1,100 migrants were rescued in the same area.
The instability in Libya has made the country a hub for people-trafficking.
Monday's operations involved vessels from Italy as well as the EU's border agency Frontex and the NGOs Proactiva Open Arms and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).
The migrants had set off in overcrowded and unseaworthy vessels with enough fuel to reach waiting rescuers, AP reported.
Last year more than one million migrants - many fleeing the civil war in Syria - arrived in Europe, sparking a crisis as countries struggled to cope with the influx, and creating division in the EU over how best to deal with resettling people.
In March, the EU struck a deal with Turkey to try to stop migrants crossing from Turkey to Greece while Balkan nations closed their borders to migrants. As a result, the number of arrivals using the so-called eastern Mediterranean route has fallen.
However, migrants from African countries such as Eritrea and Somalia as well as west African nations such as Nigeria and the Gambia are continuing to attempt the crossing from Libya to Italy.
Some migrants are seeking economic opportunities in Europe - others are fleeing war, instability or authoritarian governments.
About 106,000 people have arrived in Italy so far this year while 2,726 have died in the attempt, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The IOM says there are a further 275,000 migrants in Libya waiting to travel.
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Overall, about 284,000 migrants have entered Europe so far this year through various transit routes across Africa, Asia or the Middle East.
Several vessels run by humanitarian organisations help patrol the route but risks were highlighted earlier this month when MSF said one of its boats was fired on by armed men.
A note on terminology: The BBC uses the term migrant to refer to all people on the move who have yet to complete the legal process of claiming asylum. This group includes people fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, who are likely to be granted refugee status, as well as people who are seeking jobs and better lives, who governments are likely to rule are economic migrants.


I hope Liam Broady is really pumped and excited for our first-round match at Wimbledon on Tuesday, because these are the moments you play for.

I obviously hope that I win the match but I know Liam pretty well and this is a big opportunity for him to go out there, give it a go and show everybody what he's got.
You want to be playing on the big courts against the best players, in front of a big crowd, and there's no pressure on him, so I'm expecting him to play good tennis.
And Liam won't be the only one who's nervous - before any of the Slams I feel the tension, and as the tournament goes on it calms down a little bit each day.
This will be my 11th Wimbledon and I would say it feels different to when I first played. Then there was no expectation and winning the first match was a good, positive start. Now, if I don't win the first match it's a disaster!
But I do feel good right now, I'm happy with the way I'm playing and practising and, yes, I'm ready.
With 15 British players involved in the singles competitions at Wimbledon this year, and the recent success in doubles for my brother Jamie and Dom Inglot, it does feel like there's a bit of a feelgood factor around British tennis at the moment.
Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect, but this tournament is a big chance for some of them to make their mark and you just hope they do themselves justice, because it's tough working your way up through the rankings.
I played a lot of Futures tournaments, below the main tour, when I was 15, 16, 17 years old, and then you come to somewhere like Wimbledon, in front of a huge crowd with a great atmosphere, and the next week you go back to playing the Futures where there can be 10 or 15 people watching.
It's a totally different feeling, a different atmosphere, and I think you need to take motivation from matches like these when you're back in the smaller events and say "that's where I want to be".
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Playing at this level, being around the top players, practising with them before the event, you learn huge amounts from that. More than you will from playing any Futures event in my opinion.
So you want them to enjoy the week but also perform, otherwise it feels like a wasted opportunity.
Hopefully everyone will enjoy the experience but fight as hard as they can for every single point, and I think there will be a few surprise performances this year from the British players.
It's three years since I last played at Wimbledon with Ivan Lendl on my coaching team, and I think we've both changed in that time.
I'm more grown up, more mature. I'm married and have a family now. Ivan's done more coaching with junior players and I'm sure that affects the way he sees things a bit too.
There's a huge difference between working with a player at the top of the game and then teenagers that you're trying to develop at a much slower rate. I'm sure that's altered the way that Ivan approaches his coaching.
We've certainly had an excellent week of practice since Queen's Club, which was a great way for Ivan to return, and it honestly hasn't felt strange having him back as part of the team again.
As the number two seed, we've known all week that I would play my opening match at Wimbledon on Tuesday, and that gives us consistency in terms of the schedule, as I know I'll play every two days.
However, that only helps if I get the job done - if I have long matches like I had at the start of the French Open, then having a couple of days off over the middle weekend can help with recovery a little bit.
My goal is definitely to try to avoid having those matches, which will hopefully set up another special couple of weeks.
Andy Murray was talking to BBC Sport's Piers Newbery.
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Dozens of fish have been found dead in the Glenavy River in County Antrim.

Gabe McGeown, from the Glenavy Conservation and District Angling Club, said he received a report that slurry had been dumped in the river on Thursday.
He said the club had restocked the river with 900 fish in April.
The Northern Ireland Environmental Agency (NIEA) said it is "currently pursuing a definite lead" and samples have been taken.