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Pope Francis praised the EU's work to improve human rights

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Pope Francis

Pope Francis has warned that the world sees Europe as "somewhat elderly and haggard" during a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The Pope said the continent felt "less and less a protagonist", in a world that regarded it with mistrust.

He also called for a "united response" to the help the boatloads of migrants arriving in Europe.

Pope Francis's whistle-stop visit to Strasbourg disgruntled some, who accused him of neglecting Europe.

Many of Strasbourg's Catholics were upset that the Pope would not meet them or visit the city's cathedral.

The four-hour visit - the shortest made by any Pope abroad - was his second European trip since his election last year. He travelled to Albania in September.

'Vast cemetery'

Addressing the Parliament on Tuesday, the Pope called for action following the deaths of thousands of migrants who have drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean.

"We cannot allow the Mediterranean to become a vast cemetery," he said.

Pope Francis was greeted by the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz (right)

"The absence of mutual support within the European Union runs the risk of encouraging... solutions which fail to take into account the human dignity of immigrants, and thus contribute to slave labour and continuing social tensions."

The treatment of migrants was a subject he also touched on during a second speech at the Council of Europe, Europe's main human rights body.

His remarks came as the Greek authorities said they were trying to rescue a cargo ship, believed to be carrying some 500 migrants, that was adrift off the eastern Mediterranean island of Crete.

Grandmother

The Pope also used his visit to Strasbourg to call for the creation of jobs and better conditions for workers.

At the European Parliament, he spoke of a need to reinvigorate Europe, describing the continent as a "grandmother, no longer fertile and vibrant" and saying it risked "slowly losing its own soul".

Pope Francis was transported around Strasbourg in an ordinary family car rather than his Popemobile

"The great ideas which once inspired Europe seem to have lost their attraction, only to be replaced by the bureaucratic technicalities of its institutions," he said.

Pope Francis left his Popemobile behind on Tuesday, instead opting for a French-made Peugeot 407 family car.

Residents in Strasbourg were told they could watch both the pontiff's speeches on a giant screen installed inside the cathedral, which is celebrating its millennial anniversary.

One worshipper told Reuters: "I think there is disappointment but I think he also has reasons for making his decision.

Strasbourg's Catholics did not get to meet the Pope

"He knows what he is doing but we would have liked him to be here."

It was the second time a Pope has visited Strasbourg.

In 1988 Pope John Paul II visited the city and addressed the European Parliament, where he was heckled by Northern Irish MEP the Rev Ian Paisley.

During his speech the late Pope called Europe "a beacon of civilisation".

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The bodies have now been removed

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Ebola outbreak

• Search for cure
• Into Ebola heartland
• Orphans in pictures
• The basics

Burial workers in the Sierra Leonean city of Kenema have dumped bodies in public in protest at non-payment of allowances for handling Ebola victims.

The workers, who went on strike over the issue, left 15 bodies abandoned at the city's main hospital.

One of the bodies was reportedly left by the hospital manager's office and two others by the hospital entrance.

The workers have now been sacked for treating the corpses in a "very, very inhumane" way, an official said.

Sierra Leone is one of the countries worst affected by this year's Ebola outbreak, with more than 1,200 deaths.

Burial workers are especially at risk of becoming infected

Kenema is the third largest city in Sierra Leone and the biggest in the east, where the Ebola outbreak first emerged in the country.

The burial workers told a BBC reporter they had not been paid agreed extra risk allowances for October and November.

The BBC's Umaru Fofana in Freetown says the bodies have now been taken away but the workers had refused to end their strike.

Danger after death

A spokesman for the government's National Ebola Response Centre, Sidi Yahya Tunis, said the workers had been sacked not for striking, but for indiscipline by treating the corpses in a "very, very inhumane" manner.

He said there would be an investigation into why workers had not been paid, since both the government and World Bank had released money for high-risk pay to district health management teams.

"Somebody somewhere has to investigate where these monies have been going, who have been paid these monies... Action will definitely be taken against those who delayed their pay," Mr Tunis told the BBC.

The burial workers' industrial action came two weeks after health workers went on strike for similar reasons at a clinic near Bo - the only facility in southern Sierra Leone treating Ebola victims.

Ebola has killed more than 5,000 people in West Africa this year, mostly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a global health emergency.

People are infected when they have direct contact through broken skin, or the mouth and nose, with the blood, vomit, faeces or bodily fluids of someone with Ebola.

The virus can be present in urine and semen too.

Infection may also occur through direct contact with contaminated bedding, clothing and surfaces - but only through broken skin.

The virus is still dangerous and present in the body after death. Burial workers are at risk of infection and commonly wear protective clothing and take other precautions.

Health professionals say those who have died from Ebola should be buried promptly to lessen the risks of infection spreading.

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Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton lifts trophy in Abu Dhabi; Rosberg's challenge ended by mechanical failure.

A tearful Lewis Hamilton joined the elite ranks of double Formula One world champions after a nerve-racking drive to victory in the floodlit season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In a race overshadowed by the ever-present spectre of mechanical failure after the Briton's Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg suffered an early loss of power, Hamilton powered to his 11th win in 19 races. The 29-year-old, who took his first title with McLaren in 2008, became Britain's first multiple champion since Jackie Stewart in 1971 and only the country's fourth. Hamilton, crying on the podium as the anthem sounded and with his voice cracking in later interviews, performed a slowing down lap with the British flag fluttering from the cockpit and the words 'Hammer Time' written on it. "World champion. Oh my God, I can't believe it, thanks everyone," he had shouted over the radio before parking up and embracing his father, pop star girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger and family. The victory was a record 16th of the season for Mercedes, who had already collected the constructors' crown, and for the first time the winner took 50 points in an unprecedented and controversial double points finale. "This has been just an incredible year. I can't believe how amazing," said Hamilton. "This is the greatest moment in my life. It feels very surreal. (Winning in) 2008 was special but the feeling I have now is above and beyond. It's the greatest feeling I've ever had. Thanks so much everyone." Rosberg finished 14th after starting on pole position and 17 points adrift, the much-vaunted 'duel in the desert' becoming a nightmare after dark for the German son of Finland's 1982 champion Keke. Drivers 1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 384 2. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 317 3. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 238 4. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 186 5. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 167 6. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 161 7. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams 134 8. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 126 9. Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 96 10. Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 59 11. Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 55 12. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 55 13. Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 22 14. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 8 15. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso 8 16. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus 2 17. Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 2 18. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber 0 19. Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham 0 20. Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 0 21. Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 0 22. Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham 0 23. Will Stevens (Britain) Caterham 0 Constructors 1. Mercedes 701 2. RedBull - Renault 405 3. Williams-Mercedes 320 4. Ferrari 216 5. McLaren 181 6. Force India - Mercedes 155 7. Toro Rosso - Renault 30 8. Lotus - Renault 10 9. Marussia - Ferrari 2 10. Sauber - Ferrari 0 11. Caterham - Renault 0

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At least 30 people washed away and dozens missing as storm hits southern part of the African country.

Flash flooding in southern Morocco has reportedly killed at least 30 people, with many others still missing. Heavy storms have swept across several regions including tourist hub Marrakesh, where torrential rain destroyed many mud homes on Sunday. Roads and highways were blocked off, making it hard for emergency crew to reach people. It The "exceptional" storms also swept across the regions of Guelmim, Agadir and Ouarzazate, and a search was under way for the missing, the authorities said. Journalist Brahim Boulid, reporting from Guelmim, told Al Jazeera on Monday that the death toll stood at 31, including eight members of the same family who died after floods swept away their vehicle. The Arabic-language dailies Al Massae and Al Ahdath gave death tolls of 16 and 22 respectively. Some 130 all-terrain rescue vehicles and 335 Zodiac inflatables and other boats were being used, the interior ministry said, in a statement carried by the North African country's MAP news agency. The agency said at least 14 people remained missing in Guelmim, 200km south of Agadir. The national weather service warned that an alert over more heavy rainfall would remain in place until midday on Monday. It said around 100 mud-brick homes were partly or totally destroyed in the south, and 100 roads cut off, including six national highways. Boulid told Al Jazeera that authorities were warned that the amount of rainfall would trigger floods but choose to ignore them. "It was forecast that more than 100 millimetres of rain would fall, but nothing has been done. They just waited for the catastrophe to unfold," Boulid said. Flash floods are common in Morocco, where four children drowned in the south in September when they were swept away.

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Russian president says isolation of nation over Ukraine crisis "impossible", despite US threat of more sanctions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow will not be isolated on the international scene and has dismissed the risk of "catastrophic consequences" for the Russian economy of Western sanctions over the crisis in Ukraine. Putin told the state-run TASS news agency that Russia was aware of the fatality of a new 'Iron Curtain', referring to the ideological and physical boundary that divided Europe from the end of World War II until the end of the Cold War. Earlier the West warned Moscow of "catastrophic consequences" over Ukraine. "We will not go down this [Iron Curtain] path in any case and no one will build a wall around us. That is impossible!" said Putin. His comments came a day after Russian foreign minister accused the West of seeking "regime change" in Moscow. Sergei Lavrov spoke out against Western sanctions on Russia after US Vice President Joe Biden hinted on Friday at possible further measures over Moscow's "unacceptable" role in the former Soviet republic. "The West is showing unambiguously that they do not want to force (Russia) to change policy. They want to achieve a change of regime," Lavrov said. "Now public figures in Western countries are saying that it's necessary to introduce sanctions that would destroy the economy and rouse public protests." Western sanctions The United States and European Union have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow over Ukraine, targeting the key energy, defence and finance sectors. As a result, the rouble has lost just under a third of its value against the euro since the start of the year. In Kiev on Friday, Biden accused Russia of failing to honour a peace agreement signed in September, which included a now tattered ceasefire for eastern Ukraine. "So long as that continues, Russia will face rising costs, greater isolation," he added. About 4,300 people have been killed in the conflict in seven months, according to the United Nations, including 298 who died when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down in July. Nearly 1,000 people have died since the ceasefire came into effect.

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A 12-year-old boy shot by police in Cleveland after apparently grabbing a replica gun dies from injuries.

A 12-year-old boy shot by police after apparently grabbing what turned out to be a replica gun died from his wounds on Sunday. Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba said on Sunday that one officer fired twice after the boy pulled the fake weapon - which was lacking the orange safety indicator usually found on the muzzle - from his waistband but had not pointed it at police. The boy did not make any verbal threats but grabbed the replica handgun after being told to raise his hands, Tomba said. "That's when the officer fired," he said. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner identified the boy as Tamir Rice. An attorney for his family, Timothy Kucharski, said the boy went to the park with friends on Saturday afternoon, but he did not know the details of what led to the shooting. "I don't want to make a rush to judgment," he said. Police investigation The police department is investigating the shooting and both officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure. The county prosecutor's office is also investigating. Kucharski said he wanted to talk to witnesses himself and get more facts. "We're ultimately going to find out what happened," he said. Police said the weapon was an "airsoft" type replica gun that resembled a semi-automatic handgun. The orange safety indicator had been removed, police said. A man who called police told emergency dispatchers before police arrived that the boy was on a swing set and pointing a pistol that was "probably fake" and scaring everyone. The caller said the boy was pulling the gun in and out of his pants. "I don't know if it's real or not," the caller said. Jeff Follmer, president of the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, said the officers were not told the caller thought the gun might be fake. Cleveland police have been under increased scrutiny during the last few years. The US Justice Department has been conducting an investigation of their pursuit and use of force practices. Federal officials said in March 2013 that their investigation would go beyond a high-profile car chase that ended with officers firing 137 shots and two deaths. US town of Ferguson erupted in protest after a black unarmed youth was shot dead by a policeman in August. A grand jury is expected to decide on whether to bring charges against a white police officer for fatally shooting the teen.

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Military and allies suffer losses in Diyala and Salahuddin as part of drives that have wrested back some territory.

The proximity of Saadiyah and Jalawla to Iraq's Kurdish region and Iran underlines their strategic importance [AFP]

While Iraqi security forces have made progress in reclaiming areas that the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL) had held for months, pro-government groups have also suffered losses at the hand of the group. An operation launched early on Sunday in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, is the latest in a series of drives which have seen the return of some territory lost to a June offensive by ISIL.  Insid "Army and police and [militia] forces attacked from the southern and western sides of the Jalawla and Saadiyah [areas], while [Kurdish] Peshmerga forces attacked from the northern and eastern sides of Saadiyah," Staff General Abdulamir al-Zaidi told AFP news agency on Sunday, referring to two areas near the Iranian borders. While some sources said the two areas had been fully retaken, others reported they were still partly outside government control. According to Karim al-Nuri, a senior commander in the Shia-led Badr group which took part in the operation, 12 members of the anti-ISIL forces were killed by bombs. The recapture of Saadiyah and Jalawla is of great significance as they are "the main centres of support for [ISIL] militants" whom security forces are seeking to isolate in the nearby Hamreen mountains, an army brigadier-general told AFP. They are also important because of their proximity to the autonomous Kurdish region which is battling ISIL, and to the border with neighbouring Iran which is also helping Iraqi forces. Deaths in Beiji Elsewhere, six Iraqi soldiers were killed  on Sunday by ISIL in sporadic clashes around the northern city of Beiji, in Salahuddin province, which the military liberated last week along with Iraq's largest oil refinery after a months-long siege, but continues to face resistance from remaining pockets. Pinpointing military and humanitarian aid from nations in the international struggle against the armed group. Security forces, backed by US-led air strikes and Shia and Sunni tribesmen, also retook the Jurf al-Sakhr area south of Baghdad, which had posed a threat to both the Iraqi capital and the Shia shrine city of Karbala, which millions of pilgrims visit each year. However, ISIL still holds large areas of the country, including the key cities of Mosul, Tikrit and Fallujah. In Mosul, for instance, ISIL has taken captive 78 family members of Khalid al-Obeidi, Iraq's defence minister, according to Ismat Rajab, an official of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), quoted by the Kurdish media network Rudaw. Relatives of Obeidi, among them brothers and cousins, live in the Dindan and Bitarii areas of Mosul, Rajab told Rudaw on Sunday. "All of their homes have also been taken." Obeidi, a Sunni, was appointed defence minister by Haider al-Abadi, Iraqi prime minister, last month.

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Officials say bomber targeted volleyball tournament match attended by large crowd in province

A suicide bomber has killed dozens of people in an attack on a volleyball match in Afghanistan's east, officials say. Mukhles Afghan, spokesman for the governor of Paktika province, bordering Pakistan, said the attack happened late on Sunday afternoon during an inter-district tournament match attended by a large crowd in the Yahya Khel district district. Officials said at least 49 people were dead and about 50 more were wounded in the attack, adding that most casualties were civilian. INTERACTIVE: Drawdown in Afghanistan The suicide bomber was on foot in the crowd, Afghan said. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach condemned the "cowardly" attack. "It is an attack on sport itself and on the positive values it can bring to help build strong communities and foster peace and reconciliation around the world," he said in a statement. Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from Kabul, said the toll was expected to rise as the target was a well-attended match. No group has claimed responsibility yet, but Paktika has been targeted by the Taliban before, he said. The Taliban and other fighters have mounted multiple suicide attacks and assassinations in Afghanistan this year, as foreign forces continue to withdraw after 13 years of war. International troops Pakistan has condemned the deadly attack. "No cause justifies such acts of terrorism and taking of innocent lives," its foreign ministry said in a statement. Sunday's attack is one of the deadliest so far this year, a time when attacks are escalating following a controversy-marred election and the inauguration of President Ashraf Ghani in September. Afghanistan's parliament approved agreements on Sunday with the US and NATO allowing international troops to remain in the country past the end of this year. According to the deals, about 12,000 international troops will remain in Afghanistan next year to train and support Afghanistan's security forces. Ghani's first act after becoming president was to sign the agreements, which are opposed by the Taliban and other armed groups. US President Barack Obama wants all American troops to be out of Afghanistan by the end of 2016, as his presidency draws to an end.

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The bill that defines country as "Jewish state" now heads towards parliamentary vote in a blow toIsraeli Arabs

The Israeli cabinet has approved a bill declaring Israel a Jewish state in a controversial move seen as intensifying discrimination against Arabs residing in occupied territories. Ministers voted 14 to six in favour of the bill, which is threatening the unity of the governing coalition. The bill will now be referred to the Knesset, or parliament, where legislators will see it for the first time on Wednesday. The Times of Israel, which described the bill as "controversial", said it was debated by cabinet members behind closed doors but their screams were "loud enough for reporters in the hallway to hear much of the discussion". Addressing his cabinet, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister, said: "Israel is the Jewish, nationalist state for the Jewish people with equal rights for all citizens." "The reason why the bill is so divisive is this language of defining Israel as a home state for the Jewish people alone," Al Jazeera's Imtiaz Tyeb, reporting from Jerusalem, said. "What is problematic about the law in its current form is that if it does get passed, and is enshrined in Israel's legal system, it would effectively mean that those who do not self-identify themselves as Jews become second class citizens," he said. The law would grant the government the authority to strip all rights off any Arab resident who took part in, or incited, violence, even stone-throwing. Read more of our coverage on Palestine  Netanyahu said the proposed bill would complement the policy of demolishing the family homes of those involved in attacks on Israelis which his government adopted in annexed Arab East Jerusalem earlier this month despite condemnation by human-rights watchdogs. "It cannot be that those who attack Israeli citizens and call for the elimination of the state of Israel will enjoy rights such as national insurance, and their family members as well, who support them," Netanyahu said. "This law is important in order to exact a price from those who engage in attacks and incitement, including the throwing of stones and firebombs," his office quoted him as saying. But critics see it as a bid from the PM "to score cheap points now that he is sensing that the elections are nearing," Al Jazeera's correspondent said. Yesh Atid, finance minister and head of the Yair Lapid party, said: "This is a law that Ben-Gurion and Jabotinksy would have opposed." Local media said several ministers accused Netanyahu of "wanting a religious state", and proposing a legislation that "will ruin our democracy". The debate, which took place during the cabinet's weekly meeting, happened at the same time as Gilad Erdan, interior minister, used existing powers to revoke the residency of a Palestinian who had already served 10 years in prison for his role in a 2001 bombing. Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem has been hit by months of unrest, which has spread across the occupied West Bank and to Arab communities inside Israel. Palestinians in East Jerusalem have residency rights but not Israeli citizenship. Their residency entitles them to freedom of movement as well as social benefits, such as national insurance or health insurance, and its revocation entails loss of those benefits.

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Symantec researchers likened the bug to Stuxnet, a computer worm that targeted Iran's nuclear program

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A leading computer security company says it has discovered one of the most sophisticated pieces of malicious software ever seen.

Symantec says the bug, named Regin, was probably created by a government and has been used for six years against a range of targets around the world.

Once installed on a computer, it can do things like capture screenshots, steal passwords or recover deleted files.

Experts say computers in Russia, Saudi Arabia and Ireland have been hit most.

It has been used to spy on government organisations, businesses and private individuals, they say.

Researchers say the sophistication of the software indicates that it is a cyber-espionage tool developed by a nation state.

They also said it likely took months, if not years, to develop and its creators have gone to great lengths to cover its tracks.

Sian John, a security strategist at Symantec, said: "It looks like it comes from a Western organisation. It's the level of skill and expertise, the length of time over which it was developed."

Symantec has drawn parallels with Stuxnet, a computer worm thought to have been developed by the US and Israel to target Iran's nuclear program.

That was designed to damage equipment, whereas Regin's purpose appears to be to collect information.

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Japanese carmaker Nissan has reported a 25% increase in half-year profits as strong sales in North America helped to offset weaker demand elsewhere.

For the six months to September, Nissan reported net income of 237bn Japanese yen ($2.08bn; £1.3bn).

It said it had seen "strong demand" for its new products, with rising sales in its key market of North America.

Carmakers in Japan have also been helped by a weakening yen, which gives them an edge in export markets.

Sales forecast cut

Nissan sold 2.58 million vehicles in the six-month period, which was up 5.8% compared with the same period a year ago.

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"Nissan successfully overcame challenging market conditions in the first-half of the fiscal year, delivering solid revenues and profitability amid encouraging demand for our latest models," said chief executive Carlos Ghosn.

Nissan said it enjoyed "strong" sales growth in North America and had seen signs of "stabilisation" in western Europe.

"This offset slower demand in Japan and continued volatility in Russia and other emerging economies."

Japan's consumers are still recovering from a sales tax hike in April, while a slowdown in China, the world's largest car market, has also affected Nissan's sales on the mainland.

Nissan revised its full-year sales forecast down by 200,000 to 5.45 million reflecting lower than expected sales in China and emerging markets.

The Yokohama-based manufacturer makes some 60 car models under its brands, which include Nissan, Infinity and Datsun

Weaker yen

The yen continued to lose value this week after Friday's surprise decision from the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to expand its stimulus measures.

The move was made as the central bank continues to attempt to boost Japan's economy and lift inflation.

The weaker yen has helped bring down the cost of Japanese goods sold abroad, and Nissan said it would help sales in China and some other nations.

Nissan's chief competitive officer Hiroto Saikawa said that while some people were voicing concern about the yen's weakening, that "all in all we think it is positive for industry and the economy".

Earlier this year, Nissan reported a 10% rise in full-year profits, boosted by better sales, cost-cutting and a weaker yen.

The Yokohama-based car manufacturer, which is Japan's second largest, makes some 60 models under its brands including Nissan, Infinity and Datsun.

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India's tea industry employs millions of workers

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Workers at a tea plantation in eastern India have killed the owner during negotiations over a pay dispute.

The owner of the Sonali tea estate in West Bengal was dragged out of talks on Saturday. He died after being beaten up and stabbed by a crowd.

Police say Rajesh Agarwal had gone to pacify the workers who had reportedly not been paid for two or three months. Two men and five women have been held.

Many workers in India's tea plantations are malnourished and poorly paid.

Several incidents of attacks on tea executives by workers have been reported in recent years.

In 2012 a tea plantation owner and his wife were burned to death in the neighbouring state of Assam.

Indian is the world's second-largest tea producer after China.

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