Ties set to soar higher

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will round up his trip to Brussels and Washington with a visit to Saudi Arabia on April 2 and 3, on his way back home. His visit comes at a time when the Gulf region is absorbing the ramifications triggered by falling oil prices. Uppermost in his mind is the fact that India gets its energy from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council members. In the last decade, India’s political, economic and security relations have strengthened with the Kingdom. He will also be seeking a firsthand account of the situation in the battle against Daesh and the ongoing conflict in Syria and Yemen.
Beginning with King Abdullah’s visit to India in 2006 and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s return visit in 2010, relations between the two countries have touched new heights. From a past when Riyadh was seen as supporting Pakistan, (though thousands of Indian workers were in Saudi Arabia even then), and political relations were lukewarm, ties are now thriving. They are set to improve further with across-the-board cooperative ventures which may well be on the anvil after this meeting. 
Decision by the Saudi authorities to deport Abu Hamza, an Indian national wanted for the Mumbai terror attacks, was a turning point in Kingdom-India ties on the security front. Another wanted terrorist Abu Sufiyan was handed over in December 2015, while another suspect was given a one-way ticket in February 2016. “These are some examples in which Saudi security agencies have looked after our core interests on security matters,” Mridul Kumar, joint secretary (Gulf) in the MEA has said on the eve of the historic visit.
The new areas of cooperation are clearly security, counterterrorism and defense. In fact, India and Saudi Arabia now have close security and anti-terror cooperation, and have excellent political and economic ties.
The strategic partnership agreement signed during Singh’s visit to Saudi Arabia set the framework for cooperation between the two countries. Modi’s visit will further consolidate those ties. Saudi Arabia is the fourth largest trade partner for India and it has around 2.9 million Indians working in the country.
Saudi Arabia is also a major investor in India and looking more and more toward investing in joint ventures. Prime Minister Modi’s talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman will also focus on such investments and India will wish to reassure Saudi business per se that the climate for investment in India is just right. If Modi can find support for his ‘Make in India’ project, he will be only too pleased.
Travel between the two nations will also see a spurt with medical and health tourism being a big draw for Saudi families to India. Education will be another area for mutual enterprises whether it is in setting up institutes in Saudi Arabia or dispatching students to Indian varsities.
Discussions will also be held over the current conflict against the Daesh and the advances made by the coalition in subduing the militant group.
Modi might also seek some reassurances that the slowing of the Gulf economy would not hit India where it hurts most: in remittances and jobs. There are eight million Indian workers in the area, who send home between $35 and $40 billion each year. Though there has so far been no significant drop in remittances, the fear is that if this continues, many foreign workers will have to leave the region.
States like Kerala, Andhra and Tamil Nadu are heavily dependent on these inflows from their hard working work force. Kerala alone had 2.5 million workers in the region.
In the last few years, apart from the blue collared workers, there are large numbers of Indians in well-placed jobs and in business in the region. As of now there has been no major dip in remittances, but if the slowdown continues, it will certainly affect the flow.
It would help Modi’s image a great deal on the home front if he was to bring some good cheer to the migrant population from these states.
On a personal level, the Indian PM has met King Salman on two occasions and still gratefully acknowledges the latter’s help over a call to rescue Indian nationals stranded in war-torn Yemen. The Kingdom led the successful evacuation of Indians and people of other nationalities and brought them to safety.
Saudi Arabia has also expressed its desire to upgrade relations and take them beyond the standard “strategic partnership” stage.
Modi has expressed his desire to “expand and deepen our bilateral relations.” 
The prime minister has maintained that one of the key objectives of his visit will be to convince prominent Saudi businesses to partner with India’s development priorities.

Decisive Storm shows the way to fight terror

It is now a year since the Kingdom led the military coalition of Gulf states to save Yemen. Operation Decisive Storm surprised a watching world. The speed and effectiveness of the intervention was total. Yemen’s second city Aden had been on the verge of falling to Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The thousand-mile Saudi-Yemeni border had descended into lawlessness. Yemen was on the brink of chaos. It had the potential to become another Afghanistan. The regional instability brought on by such a collapse would have been extremely serious.
Twelve months on and the position has been dramatically reversed. The insurgents have been driven back on all fronts. The border is now secure. Yemen’s President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has been restored firmly to power. Only the capital Sanaa and a few pockets of territory remain in their hands. It is to be hoped that the remaining rebels will see the helplessness of their position and negotiate an end to their insurgency.
It is therefore no surprise that grateful Yemenis have taken to the streets to celebrate their liberation. Pictures of Gulf leaders, most frequently of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman were paraded by joyous crowds. They were not simply marking their escape from the grim consequences of Iranian control. They were also demonstrating their appreciation for the huge aid and economic program that the Kingdom has established. The new Yemen will not stay a place of poverty which can be exploited by outside meddlers. 
It will not be long before all of Yemen will have been restored to the legitimate government. At that point the task of rebuilding can begin in earnest. As the happy crowds all over the country demonstrated, hope is once again rising in people’s hearts. Yemen is no longer a country of despair. 
There are many lessons that have been learned from the success of Decisive Storm. Not the least has been how the military forces of the Gulf states can work together. It has required substantial efforts of cooperation and coordination. Perhaps one of the most significant requirements has been the timely sharing of information.
What has been achieved in Yemen signifies the wider battle against terrorism. It has led to a highly significant new development. The formation of the Islamic Military Counterterrorism Coalition is of huge importance. It currently brings together 34 Muslim states with more expected to join. At the coalition’s inaugural meeting in Riyadh this week, four other Muslim countries came as observers.
The coalition’s goals are ambitious. It is focusing on every aspect of the terrorism menace. It is looking at the ideology that is used to fuel terror. It is looking at the media manipulation. It is looking at terrorism funding. Last but not the least, it is looking at the military aspect. It is seeking how armies that are trained for conventional warfare can best adapt their tactics to fight the shadowy terrorist menace.
The new coalition is sending a strong message to Daesh. It can no longer use its perverted version of Islam to maneuver Muslim states into confrontation with the rest of the international community. The coalition is there to counter the terrorists at every level. Daesh and Al-Qaeda are doomed to defeat. There is no room for their obscenities in a decent world. The only question is when that defeat will come. How many more lives be lost or ruined at the hands of these monstrous organizations? How much more destruction will they and their like be able to inflict?
The way to defeat them is through coordination and cooperation. The Kingdom has been a prime supporter of the United Nations Center for Counter-Terrorism. It first gave $10 million to help its establishment in 2014. It then gifted a further $100 million to fund its operations. And it has been about far more than just writing generous checks. Saudi counterterrorism officials from the start have played a key role in the UNCCT. 
Terrorists respect no borders. Once they could hide in one state and attack another. The coalition means that in the Muslim world, ultimately there will be no hiding places. Thanks in no small measure to the Kingdom’s pioneering counter terrorism coordination, the enemy is being tracked down and dealt with. Saudi Arabia is sharing its own understanding of terrorism gained in its hard-won battles here in the Kingdom. Now through the UNCCT every country can benefit from those insights. And in the Muslim world, the Islamic Military Counterterrorism Coalition is readying itself to deliver decisive blows against the enemy.

Trump needs to learn lessons in diplomacy

Donald Trump in the last several months has garnered a tremendous amount of attention due to his headline grabbing remarks on a variety of different issues. As a businessman, but a skillful entertainer who knows how to play the system, he has tapped into a segment of American voters who are incensed with the perceived lack of leadership under the Obama administration. A key element of this anger stems from the notion the US has not brokered fair agreements or arrangements whether it is pertaining to the Iranian nuclear deal, or economic issues related to trade with Mexico or China.
His candidacy has relied on portraying this image of a very strong leader and businessman, that is going to turn the tide on the Obama years, as some believe various foreign leaders and nations were able to exploit a weaker Obama and conduct themselves in a manner that effectively took advantage of the US.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Trump stated he would probably stop oil purchases from Saudi Arabia and other allies to the US, if they didn’t provide ground troops to fight Daesh.
Trump could certainly use a history lesson, as the relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia has typically been a two-way relationship since the 1930s, and has been both in and outside of the public view.
In more recent years, Saudi Arabia has been a key ally during various other conflicts including the first Gulf War, war on terrorism and also countering Iranian influence throughout the region. It goes without saying the ability to provide free flow of oil to the global economy benefits everyone, but there is a lot of effort that takes place behind the scenes in order to maintain it.
Unfortunately, the Obama years have created an environment within the US where comments such as Trump’s gain traction and noticeable support. However, Trump’s style, rhetoric and approach to communicating his thoughts have certainly alienated many people in the country, including a sizable number of members within his own Republican Party.
Donald Trump will most likely receive the Republican nomination for president, but in my own opinion, it will be very difficult for him to gain enough support overall to win the 2016 election. His ego and mouth got in the way for what would have been a golden opportunity for the Republican Party to take back the White House and strengthen America, as the country desperately needs good leadership. However, Trump is not the right person for the job and could use a few lessons in diplomacy

Hope and life beyond the storm

Ibn Khaldun, the 14th century Arab founding father of social sciences, was the first thinker to theorize ideas about demography, economic growth and human society that remain relevant until this day. Just as he noted cycles in the history of civilization — where all empires eventually decline to be attacked by barbarians, who in turn contribute to the renewal of civilization and are themselves eventually attacked by the new barbarians — he observed similar cycles in nature and in human society. 
As the violent sandstorm sweeps everything away, it also cleanses the Earth for a new period of life and growth. As the forest fire consumes everything in its path, it also readies the Earth for renewal and a dramatic resurgence of life. While these events may appear deadly and destructive, they are also harbingers of a new beginning. 
The death and destruction wreaked by revolutions and wars in the Middle East over the past decade will soon give way to hope, renewal, and a fresh opportunity to build something better. 
Saudi Arabia has been lucky not to be exposed to all the dangers faced by other countries. However, our role as protector of Arabs and of Islam has put upon us momentous responsibility to tackle the disturbances and intrusions in our region. Five years ago, many analysts would not have put their money on Saudi Arabia countering Iranian intervention in the region so unequivocally, but we took on them head-on. In Bahrain, we made it clear to Iran and the world that we would not tolerate any Persian interference or agitation in Arab lands. 
Our role as the vanguard of the protectors of Arabism and Islam was unambiguous, and the Arab world reposed its trust in us. We have followed up in Syria and in Yemen, where we have again told the Iranians that while we are ready to accept them as respectful Muslim neighbors, we will not tolerate them as Persian occupiers. 
It has been a dangerous and deadly period, like Ibn Khaldun’s metaphorical sandstorm or forest fire, but Persian influence is now on the wane and there is a chance to rebuild anew. Yemenis have suffered, Syria has been reduced to rubble, but we will rebuild and our country will play an important role in the emergence of a new hopeful Syria and Yemen, with governments respectful of their populations.
If the Iranians want to build bridges of trade and cooperation, we are ready; if they are interested only in raising tactical military bridges, we will repel them. We Arabs have fought and repelled every occupier in our history, and we will continue to do so long into the future — it is part of our Arab identity and integrity. 
In Yemen, the negotiations on the horizon are allowing us to prepare for a winding down of the war and a new era for the Yemeni people. In Syria, Saudi Arabia has a clear role to play in ongoing talks to ensure the future well-being of a vast majority of Syrians who oppose the murderous Assad regime and its Iranian enablers. We are there after the sandstorm and the forest fire, ready to rebuild, ready to recreate the opportunity for life again to flourish, providing peace and stability to the people of Yemen and of Syria.
As we take a short breather and prepare for this task of rebuilding, our government is already busy coming up with fresh ideas, discussing them, and seeking input for a new era of peace and stability in the Arab world. We have seen what does not work, and we are ready to establish the foundations of a new Middle East for the good of the Arab and Muslim people. We are in control of our future and that of our region, ready to sow the seeds of new life, of peace and stability once more.

Among the believers

The last time I had visited the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah was more than 10 years ago. But it seems like yesterday, with the memories of my young children circumambulating the Kaaba and earnestly praying still fresh in mind. My son looked cute in his ihram (the two-piece unstitched cloth that pilgrims wear during Haj and Umrah rites). It’s a shame I couldn’t capture those memories of a lifetime on camera. In the past few years, I have twice booked my tickets but couldn’t go for some reason or the other. But, as they say in "unless He summons you, you can’t make it on your own. That’s why I had been breathlessly excited when the plane landed at Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport. 
After what seemed like an endless wait on the tarmac in the airport shuttle, we were finally taken to the dedicated Haj Terminal where serpentine queues of pilgrims waited for their turn at the immigration counters. 
Most of those manning the immigration counters were young Saudi men in khaki. ‘Our’ guy appeared to be particularly jovial with perfect bedside manners of a good doctor.
The official at the next counter would excitedly come out of his cubicle to greet each pilgrim with a welcome grin and point to his wrist watch saying his shift was about to end and that they’d better hurry. The groups of pilgrims who were probably Palestinians or Syrians pleaded with him to let them in before leaving. He obliged by quickly photographing and fingerprinting them before excusing himself with a generous smile to a waiting family of Emirati pilgrims. The next batch of officials soon took over and elaborately went through the whole process of photographing and fingerprinting the new arrivals. 
One saw throngs of pilgrims everywhere, men in stunning white ihram and women in traditional attire. Large queues of buses and vans were waiting to take the faithful to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah.
An eager-looking, talkative Saudi came on to me as if he had been waiting for me for some time. He insisted on escorting me to his waiting cab. It took a while persuading him that my brother was waiting for me out there. Which he mercifully was, waiting patiently with his young children in his car. The next day we all left for Makkah early in the morning hoping to catch the Friday prayers. The first glimpse of the Kaaba, the first house of worship built by Abraham — his progeny propounded the three great monotheistic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam — and his son Ismail (Ishmael), is special, the moment when prayers are answered. 
I was too awed by the breathtaking sight of the magnificent, black cubic structure to remember any prayers. The awareness that this is where the noblest of prophets, from Abraham to Ismail and the last link of the chain, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon them, worshipped bears down heavy on you. This is where Islam and its greats were born, faced existential struggles and eventually prevailed.
This is where Abraham left his wife Hajrah (Hager) and baby Ismail after being ordained by Allah when there was nothing here--literally. 
There was no shade and no vegetation in sight and not a drop to drink. Ismail’s anguished cries and hitting on the ground of his tiny heels brought forth Zamzam, the little stream that has flowed for thousands of years and continues to quench the thirst of millions of pilgrims each year and is one of Allah’s living miracles.
This is where Ismail offered himself in sacrifice when Abraham was ordained to do so. The pilgrims and believers around the world celebrate the epic sacrifice of the patriarch and his son during Haj every year. This is where the Prophet, peace be upon him, after being hounded and persecuted for 10 long years, returned following the conquest of Makkah with a humility that remains unparalleled. 
We started our Umrah soon after Friday prayers. The sight of thousands of pilgrims in white endlessly circling and surging around Kaaba perpetually chanting Labbaik Allah humma... is strangely moving. Men, women and children, black, brown and white and Arabs and Ajamis bound together in an invisible bond of faith and humanity. There are no distinctions whatsoever of color, birth or status. 
It is the same at the Masjid Nabawi in Madinah which became the center of the new faith after the Prophet migrated to Makkah. Within 13 years, Islam conquered the whole of Arabia and beyond, humbling powerful empires like Persia and Rome. This is the mosque from where the Prophet’s successors, the caliphs, ruled the world in utter simplicity.
In Madinah too the sea of humanity never seems to ebb. There is a distinct difference between Makkah and Madinah though. At the Grand Mosque, you are overwhelmed by the all-conquering majesty of God. On the other hand, Medina is the city of love and light, as the Arabic word Al Munawwara defines it. 
The fact that the Last Messenger lies resting here makes Masjid Nabawi truly special. No wonder the faithful get incredibly emotional, especially those from the subcontinent. The Saudi Police have a hard time controlling the surging crowds of Indians and Pakistanis. 
The knowledge that you are praying where the Prophet led prayers for years and who now lies buried only meters from where you are makes the whole experience surreal. A strange sense of peace and serenity descends on you. 
Madinah is a state of mind. Few remain in control of their emotions or tears after entering the Prophet’s city that welcomed him when his own people had rejected him. It still welcomes everyone with open arms. The past few days spent here among the believers have been some of the best in a long, long time. The open, balmy nights spent in the endless courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque and at the Grand Mosque watching the faithful at their pious best have been divine. 
This is a world far removed from the maddening crowd of Daesh, Boko Haram and other abominations that claim to be the defenders of the faith although they are as different as chalk and cheese. 
What will it take for the world to discover the true, liberating message of the faith? Islam remains the fastest growing religion on earth and is set to overtake Christianity with the largest number of followers. Yet it is perhaps the least understood of all, largely thanks to its own so-called followers. 
Extremism has emerged as the greatest existential challenge to Muslim societies everywhere and a blemish on a faith that came as a blessing to all mankind and claims to have answers to all its problems. Those who came to serve and save humanity can never be the cause of its misery. 

Diyarbakir attack shows ‘ugly face’ of terrorists

WASHINGTON: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said an attack in the southeastern city of Diyarbakir on Thursday that killed seven people and wounded 27 showed the “ugly face” of militants “as they are cornered.”
“This shows terrorism’s ugly face again. The determination of our security forces will put an end” to terrorism, Erdogan said in a speech to the Brookings Institute. 
He is in the US for a nuclear security summit. A local official in Ankara said all the dead were members of the security forces.
The police officers were killed in an explosion caused by a bomb-laden car in Diyarbakir, Turkish news agencies reported. The explosives detonated as a vehicle carrying special forces and riot police passed by.
The Anadolu Agency said a vehicle carrying special forces was caught in the blast.
The private Dogan news agency blamed terrorists for the incident.
The blast damaged several cars and shattered almost all the windows of a high rise building in the area.
At least six ambulances deployed to collect casualties and security forces rushed to seal off the area.
The attack comes one day before Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is due to visit the city, including the historic Sur district where several neighborhoods are under curfew.
Turkey has been imposing curfews in several districts of the southeast since August to flush out militants linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.

Iran’s deadly plot in KSA exposed

JEDDAH: The Iranian Embassy in Riyadh was involved in a plot to recruit 200 dissidents in the Kingdom to launch operations that would undermine the country’s security, including spying for Tehran.
This was one of the main charges announced by the state prosecution recently in the case involving two defendants who had been arrested for being part of a spy cell operating in the Kingdom on behalf of Iran.
Defendant No. 21 was accused of using his house as a base to hold meetings with three Iranian intelligence agents working at the Iranian Embassy in Riyadh, and supplying them with top secret intelligence reports and information on the Kingdom in exchange for money. 
The defendant is also charged with providing Iranian intelligence operatives with an electronic device or computer used for espionage, and traveling to Turkey to meet with several others where he provided them with security information related to the Kingdom.
The prosecution also alleged that the defendant provided Iranian intelligence with reports on some public and private cases in the Kingdom, information on university students and unrest in one of the provinces. He also allowed an Iranian intelligence official to copy several pieces of vital information from his computer.
The defendant is accused of providing Tehran the names of 200 terrorists who turned against their country to support Iran, economic reports about the Kingdom and the names of Shiite families living here.
Defendant No. 22, a bank official, has been accused of discussing a request from Iranian intelligence agents to link them with Shiite investors, to encourage them to invest in Iran and support the country’s objectives in the Kingdom. 
He also allegedly discussed the situation in the Eastern Province and the region with Iranian intelligence officers, and met them in his home several times. Meanwhile, a judge at the criminal court in Riyadh has accused a lawyer working for some suspects of seeking to delay court procedures by making repeated requests to see his clients.
The judge said that it appeared the lawyer was trying to create a show for the media. He said the rules allowed ample time for lawyers to consult with their clients, within the constraints of security regulations. 

Public alert issued as bad weather set to continue

RIYADH: As cold and rainy weather hit large parts of the Kingdom on Thursday, several government agencies issued public safety alerts warning that the bad conditions were set to continue over the coming days.
The Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) stated that it has been tracking an active weather system over the Kingdom, which could trigger rain and thunderstorms in some parts of the Kingdom until Monday.
The PME predicted rain in Al-Qassim, Asir, Baha, Najran, Jazan, Madinah, Makkah and the eastern parts of the Kingdom. Hail, Tabuk and the eastern part of the country would also be affected by surface winds and sandstorms that would limit visibility.
The Civil Defense in Riyadh issued an alert that citizens should take care because of the inclement weather. 
Maj. Mohammed Al-Hammadi, spokesman for the directorate, said citizens and residents must follow safety guidelines issued.
There was rain in the morning and evening over the capital on Thursday, with some people welcoming the cooler weather that is unusual for this time of the year.
Mohammed Ali, an accountant working for a steel company in the industrial area, told Arab News that it was drizzling when he went to work in the morning, with heavy showers in the evening on Al-Kharj Road.
Seyed Hamid Moulana, an executive for a leading firm, said the uncertain weather over the last few days has seen car washers having a field day. 
“Intermittent dust storms followed by drizzle made visibility extremely poor for motorists.” However, the weather change was welcome because it was keeping the heat at bay, he said.
On Wednesday, the Civil Defense in Al-Baha region urged citizens and residents to take precautions, according to the media spokesman in the region, Col. Jamaan bin Dayes Al-Ghamdi.
He urged citizens and residents to stay indoors during the inclement weather and call the toll free number 940 in case of emergencies. 
He said that his department had made arrangements to meet any emergency.

Crown prince pays tribute to valiant security forces

RIYADH: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, opened the first phase of the Mohammed bin Naif Academy of Marine Science and Security Studies in Jeddah on Wednesday.
The opening took place following the exercise Deluge 6 and the graduation of a number of Border Guards at the Mohammed bin Naif Maritime Academy.
Upon arrival, the crown prince was received by Border Guard Director General Adm. Awad Al-Balawi, and a number of senior, civil and military officials. The ceremony began with a naval intercept with the participation of aviation security and other units.
A total of 2,412 officers and members graduated on Wednesday.
Trainers from 17 countries assisted the undergraduates in their theoretical and field studies during their course at the academy.
At the end of the exercise, the crown prince opened the first phase of the project of Mohammed bin Naif Academy of Marine Science and Security Studies.
The crown prince and other guests attended a visual presentation, entitled “Toward Integration of Smart Technology,” and were briefed on the structure of the academy and vital details about the curricula.
Addressing the audience, Adm. Al-Balawi highlighted the role of the Border Guards in defeating regional threats under the able guidance and directives of the crown prince.
Following the ceremony, the crown prince was taken on a tour of the exhibition where the Kingdom’s armament capabilities were demonstrated.

Smugglers offer Turkey to Italy boat crossings

Turkey-based smugglers have begun to re-advertise trips between Turkey and Italy, in the first hint of a shift in migration patterns since the EU agreed a deal to deport any refugees landing in Greece.

In an advert on Facebook smugglers claimed that the first boat to Italy would leave this weekend from the port of Mersin. They offered places for $4,000 (£2,780) per person, a journey that would be about four times more expensive than transport from Turkey to Greece.

“The trip is on Saturday, from Mersin to Italy, on a merchant ship 110 metres long, equipped with food, water, life jackets and medicine,” the post read, accompanied by photographs of a cargo ship. Reacting to the advert some refugees raised the possibility of the scheme being a scam, since scores of would-be migrants were tricked in 2014 and 2015 by people posing as organisers of similar trips.

In response, the advert’s author claimed that passengers’ money would be held by a third-party trusted by both the smugglers and passengers, meaning that the former stood to gain little if their clients failed to arrive in Italy.

Whatever the truth, the development nevertheless indicates increased demand for alternative routes to Europe now that it has become harder to leave Turkey for Greece.

Over the past year more than one million refugees have reached the EU by crossing the sea between the Greek and Turkish coasts. But this tactic all but ended in the past fortnight after the EU agreed a deal that in theory could mean almost all arrivals to the Greek islands eventually being deported back to Turkey.

Contacted by the Guardian, the smuggler who posted the advert claimed it was the first time he had organised a journey to Italy in months. He refused to confirm where in Italy the boat would land.

Alarmed by this lack of detail about the voyage, some travellers worried that the trip could be bogus. “Are we back in the time of fraud?” one person commented under the smuggler’s advert. If revived the Turkey-Italy trips would mark the rejuvenation of a tactic that had faded in the past 12 months. During the winter of 2014-15, about a dozen co-opted cargo boats – known as “ghost ships” for eventually moving on autopilot towards ports, abandoned by the crew – arrived in Italian waters from Turkey. But the practice almost ceased early 2015 after a crackdown by the Turkish authorities in Mersin and the emergence of the passage to Greece.

Responding to claims of a revival in the route, a spokesman for the International Organization of Migration, which monitors migration patterns in the Mediterranean, said the group had not detected any recent arrivals in Italy from Turkey. “Departures from Turkey are a possibility, but I remember that in January 2015 the so-called ghost ships were blocked at sea by Turkish authorities,” the spokesman said. “It is not going to be easy, even now.”

Migrant arrivals to Italy since the start of 2016 are higher than the equivalent periods in both 2015 and 2014, when record numbers landed in southern Italy. About 18,200 people have already arrived since 1 January, compared to 10,000 over the same periods in 2014 and 2015, according to figures released by the Italian government.

There is not yet a correlation between the rise in these arrivals and the crackdown on crossings between Greece and Turkey. The majority of those arriving in Italy are not Syrians, according to statistics compiled by the Italian government and provided by the UN human rights committee. They are primarily people fleeing Nigeria, Gambia and Senegal (there have also been 1,500 Egyptian minors). According to the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Italian officials are predicting that the number of people landing in Italy could reach 270,000 this year – significantly higher than the 150,000 in 2015, and 170,000 in 2014.

Israeli soldier who shot wounded Palestinian charged with manslaughter

An Israeli soldier who shot dead a severely wounded Palestinian assailant in the West Bank city of Hebron last week will be prosecuted for manslaughter and not murder.

The Palestinian, 21-year-old Abed al-Fatah al-Sharif, had already been shot and incapacitated during a stabbing attack on an Israeli soldier when the accused, who has not been formally identified, arrived at the scene. The soldier is seen invideo footage of the incident cocking his weapon and shooting Sharif in the head.

At a court hearing on Thursday, Lt Col Edoram Rigler said military prosecutors were reducing the expected charge from murder to manslaughter, adding the prosecution felt confident it would secure a conviction.

The soldier and his legal team have argued in hearings this week that he acted in self defence, fearing Sharif was wearing a suicide bomb – a claim that was challenged by the prosecution during its presentation. Rigler told the court that the prosecution would argue there was no operational need for the soldier to shoot Sharif.

Other soldiers present at the scene of the Hebron shooting told the hearing that the soldier had stated before the incident that “the terrorist was alive and he deserved to die”. The decision on charges comes despite the intervention of Christof Heyns, UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, who said of the Hebron shooting footage that “the images shown carry all the signs of a clear case of an extrajudicial execution”.

“Whatever legal regime one applies to the case, shooting someone who is no longer a threat is murder,” he added.

More than half of respondents to a poll carried out by an Israeli TV station earlier this week said they supported the soldier. Controversy over the army’s investigation of the soldier has prompted bitter exchanges between Israeli ministers in the government of Binyamin Netanyahu and prompted a number of demonstrations backing the soldier.

Prior to last week’s incident, a group of 11 Democratic congressmen had written to the US secretary of state, John Kerry, asking him to investigate the alleged involvement of the Israel Defence Forces and police in extrajudicial killings of Palestinians.

Israel-Palestine: outlook bleak as wave of violence passes six-month mark

Six months after it began, a deadly wave of violence between Palestinians and Israelis that has been referred to as the “knife intifada” shows no sign of ending, despite a drop in incidents from a high point last autumn.

The figures make for grim reading: since October, 211 stabbings of Israelis by Palestinians have been reported, in addition to 83 shootings and 42 car-ramming attacks, responsible in total for the deaths of 30 Israelis and two American citizens. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed, of whom more than 130 died while allegedly carrying out attacks on Israelis.

The cycle began in early October with two incidents that followed weeks of growing tensions, initially fuelled by arguments over the religious site in Jerusalem known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and site of the al-Aqsa mosque, and to Jews as the Temple Mount. On 1 October, an Israeli couple were killed in the northern West Bank by a Hamascell. Two days later, two Israeli men were stabbed to death in the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City. A spate of similar attacks ensued, many involving knives and scissors.

As the violence has dragged on, an already toxic mood of mistrust and recrimination has deepened between the two sides – a situation bleakly characterised in a confidential EU heads of mission report on Jerusalem, prepared annually by senior European diplomats and seen by the Guardian.

“Violence escalated particularly over the autumn and polarisation reached levels unprecedented since 1967,” its authors write, referring to the aftermath of the six-day war when east Jerusalem and the West Bank was occupied by Israel. “Prospects for peace receded further. Overall a new reality was increasingly evident in Jerusalem, one marked by growing Palestinian alienation and marginalisation, a loss of hope in the possibility of positive change, deep mutual mistrust and a sense of loss of security among both communities.”

Unlike the first and second intifadas, the current wave of violence has remained in essence leaderless, characterised largely by so-called “lone wolf” attacks, often low tech and with those involved both young and often detached from the armed factions.

If a change has taken place in recent months it is that the patterns of violence – and support for it – have been subtly transformed.

Largely focused on Jerusalem to begin with, most violent incidents are now clustered around a small number of West Bank hotspots, including the city of Hebron, the Gush Etzion and Tapuach junctions, and in the area of Ramallah and the Israeli settlement city of Ariel.

Striking too has been the drop in Palestinian support for knife attacks on Israelis – increasingly viewed as lacking in “efficacy” – despite the fact that a majority still support attacks on Israelis and widening the conflict into a full-scale intifada with broad political support.

That issue was flagged up by the most recent survey by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research, which showed a drop in support for knife attacks from 67 percent last December to 58 percent in March.

“There is a notable drop in the West Bank in the support for knifing attacks, due, it seems, to a rising perception in its inefficacy ... [in] help[ing] achieve national rights in ways that negotiations could not,” the research centre reported, while noting a majority still supported a wider armed intifada.

That change, perhaps, explains other recent transformations in the nature of the knife intifada, not least the increased visibility of firearms in attacks – often cheap, locally manufactured weapons known as “Carlos” – and the increased phenomena of attacks involving more than one assailant.

Another recent shift noted by Israeli security officials has been in what they view as the main engine for violence. That has seen individuals decide – sometimes in a time frame as short as a few hours – to embark on an attack, inspired by deaths of friends, family or someone in their village. “Often it is about wanting to react. If you check more deeply you find more personal reasons. A quarrel in the family. Problems between a husband and wife ... economic problems.”

Another factor that has changed in recent months – according to both Israeli and Palestinian officials – is the increasingly active role of the Palestinian security forces, who were largely absent from the clashes with Israeli troops and police in the early months but have been reasserting their presence.

If the volume of acts has dropped since the beginning of the year, the current trend is flat, describing a continuing, slow drizzle of violence marked by more serious incidents with a potential for new flare-ups.

The continuing violence has exposed other faultlines: between Israel’s more pragmatic military and Netanyahu’s rightwing coalition, within an Israeli publicdisappointed with the government’s handling of the situation, and between a weakened and increasingly isolated Abbas and Palestinian popular opinion.

Despite the recent drop in the number of incidents, officials on both sides are concerned that attacks might pick up again during the period of Israeli religious holidays in April.

Egyptian feminist leader Mozn Hassan resolute in face of official investigation

The head of a women’s rights organisation remained defiant after becoming the focus of an investigation launched by the Egyptian authorities as part of its ongoing crackdown on civil society.

Mozn Hassan, executive director of Nazra for Feminist Studies, said the group would continue to work, regardless of what happened to her.

Hassan has been summoned for questioning, along with other staff, over claims that Nazra has been operating illegally.

“Other people will carry on the work,” she said. “I know it’s my choice. I have this passion about feminism in my country. I know it sounds cheesy, but there is something about Nazra. It’s not about [one] person – we’ve really managed to have this collective. “I know other people in Egypt are managing things. It’s not about me existing … People who have been in this process, I think they will continue.”

Hassan, speaking during the Commission on the Status of Women in New York earlier this month, received a summons to appear before authorities during the annual two-week meeting.

She was was due to be questioned on Tuesday, but the hearing was postponed.

This week, women’s rights activists and academics from around the world signed statements denouncing the attack on Nazra and the increasing clampdown on feminist groups and rights defenders.

In a statement on Monday, 43 women’s rights organisations condemned “the escalating targeting of civil society organisations in Egypt, and in particular the targeting by the authorities of the Egyptian feminist organisation Nazra for Feminist Studies, founded and led by woman [sic] human rights defender Mozn Hassan, who is a prominent feminist and is known for her extensive work on feminist movement-building and combating sexual violence in the public sphere”.

The statement added that the summoning of Hassan followed “numerous steps taken to stifle her activism in the public space, including systemic smear campaigns against her and other civil society leaders, issuance of a gag order on the media for coverage of the foreign funding case, in addition to the lack of transparency and non-declaration of charges directed against [her] until now.” The statement called on the authorities to drop the case against Nazra. “Instead, the Egyptian state should be taking all measures necessary to acknowledge the important and pivotal work … Hassan conducts in the advancement of women’s rights, provision of support services for survivors of sexual violence and a feminist discourse that is against all forms of violence and extremism.”

Another statement, signed by 130 academics, added: “As academics, university professors and scholars, who are socially and politically engaged and concerned, we consider the investigation [against] Mozn Hassan a direct threat to the feminist and activist engagement of Nazra for Feminist Studies, whose work has focused on contributing to the continuity and development of the feminist movement in Egypt. We also view the investigation as part of the larger crackdown on civil society organisations, and on fundamental freedoms and rights in Egypt, including academic freedoms.”

United Nations widens sex abuse inquiry into peacekeepers in CAR

The UN has widened its investigation into allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by foreign peacekeepers in Central African Republic and has notified authorities in France, Gabon and Burundi about the charges.

A spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, said the world body had received further sexual abuse allegations on Monday against UN peacekeepers from Morocco and Burundi in Central African Republic (CAR), including one that involved a 14-year-old girl. The UN press office said on Wednesday a team led by the peacekeeping mission in CAR, known as Minusca, had travelled to Kemo prefecture to investigate.

“The exact number and nature of these extremely troubling allegations are still being determined. The team has identified the contingents in question as those provided by Burundi and Gabon,” the UN said.

“Allegations made against the French Sangaris forces in the same area are also being investigated,” the statement added. “Alleged victims are being interviewed and will be provided with assistance and psycho-social and medical support.”

A senior UN official met with Burundi’s ambassador, Albert Shingiro, and planned to meet with representatives of Gabon.

“Allegations are allegations,” Shingiro said. “We have to wait for investigation by a national team from next week. Our national policy on sexual abuse is zero tolerance.”

The UN said the Burundian and Gabonese units accused of involvement in the abuse would remain confined to their camps for the time being.

The French and Gabonese missions were not immediately available for comment. There have been dozens of such accusations against peacekeepers in CAR, where Minusca assumed authority from African Union troops in September 2014. France has been investigating allegations against the Sangaris force, which is not under UN command, since last year.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Code Blue Campaign run by the advocacy group Aids-Free World said the UN children’s fund, Unicef, recently interviewed 98 girls who alleged they had been sexually abused by international peacekeepers.

Code Blue said three alleged victims interviewed by Minusca reported that in 2014 “they and a fourth girl were tied up and undressed inside a camp by a military commander from the Sangaris force and forced to have sex with a dog”.

Reuters could not independently confirm the allegations.

The UN has pledged to crack down on sex abuse allegations to avoid a repeat of past mistakes. Minusca’s previous head, Babacar Gaye, resigned last August and about 800 Congolese peacekeepers were repatriated last month.

In December, an independent review panel accused the UN and its agencies of grossly mishandling allegations of child sexual abuse and rape by international peacekeepers in CAR in 2013 and 2014.

Turkish army threatens legal action over anti-Erdoğan coup rumours

The Turkish army says it has no plans to stage a coup against the country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and has threatened legal action against anyone who suggests otherwise.

The rare statement aims to quash speculation over the possibility of a military coup in Turkey as Erdoğan visits the US. The military said on its website such “baseless news” was hurting morale in its ranks without naming specific publications.

The Turkish army, historically seen as a defender of secular principles, has ousted three elected governments and one prime minister.

The institution saw its power reduced through a series of measures after Erdoğan came to power as prime minister in 2003. Erdoğan is due to return to Turkey on Sunday.

Hijack 'selfie' Briton returns to face wrath of his mother

The mother of a British hostage photographed with an Egyptian plane hijacker who was wearing a fake suicide vest has branded her son’s actions “stupid”.

Pauline Innes scolded her son Ben as he arrived back in the UK less than 48 hours after the image emerged of him stood grinning next to a man who claimed to have smuggled a bomb belt on board. The health and safety auditor from Leeds was one of 72 passengers and crew taken hostage by Seif Eldin Mustafa soon after their EgyptAir flight took off from Alexandria on Tuesday.

His decision to pose for the snap, which was printed on newspaper front pages, has attracted criticism.

As Innes’s mother collected him from Manchester airport late on Wednesday she said: “I don’t know why you did it,” according to the Sun.

Mustafa, 59, is understood to have revealed the fake suicide belt soon after the flight to Cairo took off, triggering an emergency diversion to Cyprus.

Innes is said to have contacted his mother soon after the drama began to reassure her he would keep a low profile. However, at some point during the five-hour standoff, the 26-year-old decided to “throw caution to the wind while trying to stay cheerful in the face of adversity” and pose for a picture with his captor.

The snap, in which the hijacker can be seen wearing a khaki-coloured fabric belt with a series of pouches wired together, went viral after it was posted on social media.

“Mum was very upset seeing me, but I made it safe and sound,” he told the newspaper as he arrived back in the UK. “The past two days have been crazy, unbelievable. But I’m here now and things can get back to normal. I’ll be relaxing at home with Mum,” he added.