Fire in Brazilian port of Santos burns tonnes of raw sugar
A fire in Brazil's largest port has burnt some 180,000 tonnes of raw sugar, damaging six warehouses and pushing international prices to a one-year high.
The authorities in the port of Santos said it took six hours to bring the fire under control.
The cause of the blaze is still being investigated.
Brazil is the world's main sugar exporter, accounting for nearly half of international sales.
The terminal affected by the fire belongs to Brazilian sugar giant Copersucar.
Four other sugar terminals are operating normally, port authorities said.
Analysts say Brazil has enough port capacity to carry on with its usual export levels.
"International markets react because they know there will be a temporary drop. But other terminals will certainly make up for the accident," sugar market analyst Plinio Nastari told Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.
Sugar prices in New York future markets went up by 6% when news of the fire broke, dropping later in the day.
Port authorities said that the fire began at around 06:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on a conveyor belt taking raw sugar into one of the warehouses.
They say this is the biggest fire in the history of the port of Santos, which exported 12.8 million tonnes of sugar in the first eight months of the year.
England stunned by Italy in Rugby League World Cup
England suffered a shocking 15-14 defeat by Italy only one week before the start of the Rugby League World Cup.
Josh Mantellato kicked a drop-goal 90 seconds from time to give Italy - at 13 the second-lowest ranked team in the World Cup - victory in Salford.
England, ranked third in the world, trailed 12-4 at one stage in the first half before two Sam Tomkins tries put the home side ahead.
But a Ray Nasso penalty and Mantellato's drop settled it.
England meet Australia in the World Cup's opening match in Cardiff on 26 October with Carlo Napolitano's Italy facing Iestyn Harris' Wales at the same venue later that day.
"I'm really disappointed," said England coach Steve McNamara. "We've certainly not played anywhere near what we are capable of. That's quite clear to see."
"I just think our mentality was really wrong for this game. We were probably guilty of looking towards next week and we took our eye off this game. I don't think we were fully focused.
"I'm glad it's happened this week in a way rather than next week. I'm sure we will be a whole lot better for it next week.
Italy, coached by Salford-born and raised Napolitano, deserved their victory as England failed to impress on a rain-swept afternoon.
The only bright spot for England against Italy was provided by full-back Tomkins, who scored twice in the first half before watching his team-mates slump to defeat from the sidelines.
Source-BBC
Jorge Lorenzo wins as Marc Marquez disqualified in Australian MotoGP
Jorge Lorenzo's MotoGP world title hopes remain alive after he won a dramatic Australian Grand Prix which saw championship leader Marc Marquez disqualified.
Yamaha's Lorenzo, who started from pole and led throughout, now trails his fellow Spaniard by 18 points going into next week's penultimate race in Japan.
Riders had to change bikes mid-race because of safety concerns over tyres.
But Marquez failed to pit by the required time and scored no points.
Dani Pedrosa was second while Valentino Rossi held off the challenge of Britain's Cal Crutchlow for third.
Lorenzo described the race as "crazy" because of the compulsory bike change but his maximum return of 25 points, coupled with Marquez failing to register, means the title race has been opened up.
"We were lucky," said Lorenzo. "Without the mistake from Marc I think he would have been first or second - now the championship has changed so much.
"Before the race we had no chance - a 2% or 3% chance - and now it's 20% or 30%.
"Let's see what happens in Motegi."
World Championship standings are as follows:
Marc Marquez (Spa) - 298
Jorge Lorenzo (Spa) - 280
Dani Pedrosa (Spa) - 264
Valentino Rossi (Ita) - 214
Cal Crutchlow (GB) – 179
The venue for next Sunday's race in Japan.
Manchester United boss not blaming Sir Alex Ferguson exit
Manchester United boss David Moyes has rejected claims that the Premier League champions have lost their fear factor since he succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson.
United are eight points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal after being held to a 1-1 draw by Southampton at Old Trafford on Saturday.
"Sir Alex Ferguson has a great history and his experience will always work in charge of any team," said Moyes.
"But the fear comes from the team on the pitch."
United have only one victory from four league games at Old Trafford since Ferguson's retirement, but Moyes insisted: "The players have always been the people that have to turn out and do it."
Ferguson, who won 38 trophies during 26 years in charge, watched from the stands in his new role as a club director, but United could not build on their win at Sunderland last time out.
Moyes had looked on course to record back-to-back league victories for the first time as United boss, only for Adam Lallana's late goal to cancel out Robin van Persie's first-half strike.
It was the first time United had failed to win in successive league home matches for six years. They have 11 points after eight games and have suffered three defeats. At the same point last season United had been beaten twice but were third with 18 points.
"I am disappointed because we wanted to get a bit of momentum going today and we weren't able to do that," said Moyes.
LeBron James wants to play in NFL
LeBron James said he wants to play a game in the NFL in a wide-ranging question and answer session with fans on Twitter Friday night.
Saying he'd answer questions for 15 minutes around 11:30 p.m. ET, the Miami Heat star stayed online for 50 minutes.
Questions were all over the map -- from basketball to video games to best friends. For the record, James answered "NBA 2k14, Madden 25 and COD" to his favorite video games and "@SavannahRB My wife" to his best friend.
Someone asked James if he would consider playing one pro football game.
"I wanna play one NFL game before it's over," said James, who did play football in high school.
In response to a question about Dwyane Wade's status, James said: "He's going to be great!! He's back."
James also lamented that Mike Miller is no longer with the Heat.
"He's awesome! Still sucks that he's gone. Memphis has a great one," he said.
The Heat did add to the roster, however, signing former No. 2 pick Michael Beasley, who has had off-court trouble in the league. James was asked about his relationship with Beasley.
"Great! I love him. Misunderstood. He can flat out hoop," James said.
Asked which players have been hardest for him to cover, James responded: "Melo, KD, Kobe, DRose, CP, DWade, TMac."
He was also asked if he likes or hates being compared to Michael Jordan.
"It's tough being compared to the greatest but I love challenges," he said.
Time trial confusion in Carib Champs
Participants of Saturday’s time trial at the Caribbean Cycling Championships (CCC) will have to wait more than 24 hours to learn their fate.
“Sunday at the award ceremony the official results will be posted,” read an advisory posted on the event’s Facebook page.
It is believed that the delay stems from an alleged discrepancy in the women’s time trial that has been brought to the attention of organisers.
But this has yet to be confirmed.
Representing Bermuda in the women’s time trial were Nicole Mitchell and Zoenique Williams while Shannon Lawrence was the Island’s sole entry in the men’s event.
The women’s time trial took place on a 16.7 kilometre course and the men on a 36.1 kilometre course.
Today’s event was held in sweltering conditions with participants having the added burden of riding into the wind on the way to the finish.
Bermuda coach Greg Hopkins gave his riders’ performance the proverbial thumbs up, in particular senior duo Mitchell and Lawrence.
“I thought Nicole had a very good, solid ride,” he told The Royal Gazette. “ She really kept her form throughout the whole ride, especially coming back.
“ It was a hilly, a very strong head crosswind on the way back to the finish on the second half and she rode it very well I thought.
As for Lawrence, Hopkins added: “Shannon had a much longer time trial and the second half of the route out was quit exposed and the wind conditions had a tremendous effect but he was obviously riding extremely well.
“He passed three riders on the way out to the turnaround and then he did go through a patch where he appeared to be in difficulty on one of the bigger hills when he was clearly having some problems with his right leg.
“ But he stuck in there and then settled down again and started to pick up the pace again and pass another two riders on the way in.”
The CCC continues tomorrow with the road race featuring all five of Bermuda’s riders.
The top eight finishers in the men’s race and top six among the women will qualify for next year’s Central American & Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mexico.
Representing Bermuda in the men’s road race are Dominique Mayho, Darren Glasford and Lawrence.
Mitchell and Williams will fly the island’s banner in the women’s event.
There are 110 cyclists from 20 countries competing in this year’s championships.
Wealthy Luxembourg Holds Early Elections
Europe's longest-serving leader faces a tough test Sunday as voters in Luxembourg go to the polls.
Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who has been in power since 1995, hopes to keep the job and lead a new government headed by his Christian Social People's Party.
Luxembourg is one of the world's smallest countries, but it is also one of the richest.
The elections, which had been scheduled to take place next June, were moved up following a scandal involving misconduct by the the secret service. A coalition partner of Mr. Juncker's ruling party withdrew support from the prime minister, insisting he take responsibility for the scandal.
Several parties are running in Sunday's elections.
Big Bank to be Penalized Big Dollars
The largest bank in the United States has tentatively agreed to pay $13 billion in fines, penalties and consumer relief to settle several investigations into bad mortgage loans it allegedly made.
JP Morgan Chase and the U.S. Justice Department still have to finalize the deal, which also requires the bank to cooperate with a continuing criminal probe into the bank's mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the 2008 financial meltdown.
The settlement would represent the largest penalty ever paid by a single company. The $13 billion total would include $4 billion in aid for struggling homeowners, such as loan modifications.
A number of federal and state regulators claim that JP Morgan Chase misled investors about the quality of the mortgages it was selling between 2005 and 2007 When the so-called housing bubble burst in 2007, investors in those mortgages lost heavily.
The bank has set aside at least $23 billion in reserves to cover settlements and legal expenses related to its actions before and after the financial crisis.
Al-Shabab Militants Claim Responsibility for Deadly Somalia Bombing
The militant Somali group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing Saturday that killed at least 15 people in western Somalia, near the border with Ethiopia.
An al-Shabab statement said the attack targeted a cafe in the city of Beledweyne where soldiers gathered, and said the dead included Ethiopian and Djibouti troops as well as Somali soldiers.
Somali Prime Minister Abid Farah Shirdon said the attack occurred near a government administrative facility, and that local intellectuals and civic groups had met nearby for the past week to debate the future of the targeted Hiiraan district. He did not provide an exact death toll, which militants placed at 25.
Beledweyne official Bashir Hussein Dhoor told VOA's Somali service that at least seven civilians were among the dead.
The attack came four weeks after a sweeping Shabab attack on a shopping mall in the Kenyan capital, which killed nearly 70 people and brought international attention and widespread condemnation to the militant group.
Al-Shabab rose to regional prominence as a nationalist movement fighting the 2006 U.S.-backed Ethiopian invasion of Somalia. The group eventually controlled large parts of the country, until driven into the countryside by the African-Union-led peacekeeping force AMISOM in 2011 and 2012.
Earlier this month, the United Nations said more military force was needed to push the militants from their remaining rural strongholds.
UN Aid Chief Pleads For Access to Besieged Syrians
The United Nations' top humanitarian official is urging both sides in the Syrian civil war to allow aid workers access to thousands of civilians trapped in one of several besieged suburbs ringing the capital, Damascus.
Valerie Amos on Saturday called for an "immediate pause in hostilities" to allow access for medical and other rescue personnel into Moadhamiya. Government troops have laid siege to the mostly rebel-held town for months.
Last week, more than 3,000 civilians, mostly women and children, were able to leave Moadhamiya in a deal brokered between government and opposition representatives. But the U.N. official said Saturday that "the same number or more remain trapped" in the community, which has been the frequent target of shelling and clashes.
In another sign of Syria's growing misery, the World Health Organization said it had detected two possible cases of polio in the eastern Deir Ezzor province. If confirmed, they would be the country's first known cases since 1999.
Meanwhile, world leaders continued to push for a peace conference in Geneva next month.
The U.N.-Arab League envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, on Saturday met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy and is due to hold talks with Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi on Sunday.
In other news, a Syrian activist group said at least 16 soldiers were killed in a suicide car bombing and ensuing clashes with rebels outside Damascus.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front carried out Saturday's suicide attack.
Meanwhile, nine Lebanese pilgrims abducted in Syria and two Turkish pilots held hostage in Lebanon returned home Saturday night, part of an ambitious three-way deal cutting across the Syrian civil war.
The conflict in Syria has killed more than 100,000 people and displaced millions more since it began in March 2011.