DRAMA AT TOUR DE FRANCE: Cycling's most popular rider, Peter Sagan, kicked off race after crash; sport's greatest sprinter, Mark Cavendish, forced to withdraw

 

Peter Sagan on Tuesday was kicked out of the Tour de France after he was involved in a nasty crash that sent sprint rival Mark Cavendish flying into a crowd barrier and onto the ground at high speed.

Update: Mark Cavendish was forced to withdraw from the Tour with a broken shoulder. Sagan's Bora-Hansgrohe team is protesting the ruling that disqualified him from the race.

It happened on the race's fourth stage in the finish town of Vittel, after a quiet day of racing that eventually saw the sprinters' teams setting up their fast men for the finale.

As the leaders raced for the line at speeds approaching 40 mph, Cavendish tried to come around Sagan but appeared to be knocked into the barriers and onto the ground. Cavendish was taken to the hospital for X-rays.

You can watch the crash in the video clips below:

"We've decided to disqualify Peter Sagan from the Tour de France 2017 as he endangered some of his colleagues seriously in the final metres of the sprint which happened in Vittel," said the president of the race commission, Philippe Marien.

"We will apply article 12.104 of the rules of the UCI ... in which case commissaires (the race jury) can decide to enforce a judgment to disqualify a rider."

26-year-old man charged with raping family friends' one-year-old baby

A Missouri man has been charged with statutory sodomy of a one-year-old, but not before he received a beating from the infant’s father.

Jayson Newlun, a 26-year-old family friend who was babysitting for friends, was caught inappropriately touching the child while pleasuring himself after being left alone with the baby for just 10 to 15 minutes, according to local media.

Court documents show that the mother and father had left Mr Newlun alone with their daughter while they went to the store. After realising that they had forgotten their WIC folder — which contains vouchers to assist low income families pay for food for children — they returned home.

Once they returned, the mother noticed that Mr Newlun wasn’t on the couch where he had been when they left, and that her infant daughter’s bedroom door was open.

Celine Dion, 49, poses naked for Vogue magazine

Yesterday, Vogue magazine shared a naked photo of Celine Dion on instagram, which showed the 49 year old singer sitting on a chair with her arms folded and legs crossed and wearing nothing during a trip to Paris.Vogue wrote;

"Here's a little naked fact to ponder while Celine Dion changes looks between shows: for the past five years she has worn haute couture near exclusively for her own performances (in Las Vegas and on her current "mini-tour" of Europe). She performs a minimum two hours a night, five or six nights a week, dancing and curtseying and generally gesticulating sans abandon, in handmade, hand-beaded delicacies designed solely to walk a catwalk or a carpet (and often with handlers). For Celine's orders, the houses send teams to Nevada for typically three fittings, before the garments are ultimately finished in her local, private atelier. Armani Prive, Schiaparelli, Giambattista Valli, Versace...only a partial list. Everyone,

Depressed student nurse, 22, sent final tragic text to her ex-boyfriend before killing herself at home

A promising young nursing student took her own life shortly after breaking up with her boyfriend, an inquest heard. 

Lucy de Oliveira, 22, who attended Liverpool John Moores University, was described as a bright and caring young woman.

She strangled herself at her student home in Kensington, east Liverpool, on February 27.

Lucy had a history of anxiety and depression, the Liverpool Echo reported.

According to a coroner's investigating officer she sent a tragic message to her ex before she died.

It read: 'I just want it to end, I want it to end.'

The forensic pathology registrar said that Lucy died of asphyxiation but had also overdosed on painkillers before her death.

Area Coroner Anita Bhardwaj concluded that there was no doubt that Lucy took her own life. 

She said: 'Lucy was a bright, intelligent 22-year-old with a medical history of depression and anxiety. It is so tragic - she had a bright future ahead of her.

Lucy's mum, Liz de Oliveira, 59, paid tribute to her daughter. 

She told the inquest: 'She always put everybody else before herself.

American celebrates Independence Day

From flashy firework displays for massive crowds to small-town parades, Americans celebrated the United States’ 241st birthday in both joyous and serious ways.

Crowds of people lined up along New York City’s East River for the annual Macy’s fireworks show. The display involves 60,000 shells launched from up to five barges and performances by Jennifer Lopez, Sheryl Crow, Brad Paisley and others.

Police set up barriers and checkpoints, and heavily armed officers stood guard.

North Korea claims its has successfully tested a missile that can hit anywhere on Earth

North Korea claims that it has launched its first ever intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and now has the power to deliver a nuclear-capable strike on any location on the planet.

State officials announced the launch early Tuesday morning after South Korea had warned that the test appeared more advanced than usual. The missile's trajectory had an unusually steep angle, suggesting it could travel far further than previous tests.

The launch, which North Korea's state media said was ordered and supervised by leader Kim Jong Un, sent the rocket 933km (580 miles), with a flight time of 39 minutes. It reached an altitude of 2,802 km, Reuters said.

Officials from South Korea, Japan, and the US said the missile had landed in the sea near the coast of Japan after being launched near an airfield in Panghyon, about 100km (60 miles) north west of North Korea's capital, Pyongyang.

US denies visa to Gambian school robotics team

Five teenage pupils from The Gambia who built a robot for a prestigious international competition in the United States will not be able to accompany their invention to the event after being denied a visa.

The Gambian pupils become the second team of students refused entry to the US to attend the FIRST Global robotics event in Washington, DC, on July 16-18. On Saturday, it was reported that an all-girls team from Afghanistan were also denied a visa to travel to the US to showcase their creation at the same competition.

Moktar Darboe, director of The Gambia's ministry of higher education, research, science and technology, told us that the team, made up of high school pupils aged 17-18, were "very disappointed".

"They put in so much effort into building this, and now, after all the sacrifice and energy they put in, they have been left disheartened," Darboe, who is also the team's mentor, said on Monday.

Boston crash: Car plows into crowd, at least 10 hurt

At least 10 people -- all believed to be taxi drivers -- were hurt Monday after a taxi plowed into the crowd in East Boston, in a crash that investigators described as accidental.

Team Nigeria.Shines @ d just concluded 2017 Ivory Coast International.

Team Nigeria...........Shines @ d just concluded 2017 Ivory Coast International.

Breaking : Ekiti teachers staged a protest against their so called sell fish Kpomo eating Gov Ore Mekunnun Ayodele Fayose

Ekiti teachers staged a protest against their so called friend, Ore Mekunnun Ayodele Fayose today @Ado -Ekiti over the non -challant attitude of the governor to their plight as a result of being owed 7 months salary.

China makes its military more visible in Hong Kong

For years after it took control of Hong Kong from Britain, China kept its military in the city on a low profile.

Its presence was largely symbolic and People's Liberation Army troops were rarely seen outside their main barracks in Hong Kong's Central district or other smaller facilities across the territory.

South Sudan deports three American journalists

The  South Sudan government has deported Three American journalists intercepted at the Nadapal border in Namurunyang State, alleging that the journalists have visa issues.  Foreign Affairs ministry spokesman, Mr. Makol Mawien said the deportation happened last Friday, but did not give their names or the organisations they work for.

‘He colluded or obstructed’: Trump turns Russia suspicions against Obama

Under fire from Justice Department and congressional investigations, President Trump on Monday attempted to deflect suspicion of collusion with Russia and obstruction of justice onto his predecessor.

In a string of tweets, Trump said it was former President Barack Obama who “colluded or obstructed” by not taking more decisive action against Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Woman delays flight with 'lucky' coin-throw into engine

Bad weather, crowded skies and military drills...and now add coin-tossing to the growing list of reasons for China's notorious flight delays.

Police took away an 80-year-old woman Tuesday after fellow passengers reported that she was throwing coins at the plane during boarding of China Southern Airlines flight CZ380 on the tarmac of Shanghai's Pudong International Airport.

Petya ransomware attack: Five questions answered

A major cyberattack via a ransomware virus dubbed Petya has caused widespread disruption across the globe, affecting power grids in Ukraine to hospitals in the United States.

Technology experts are scrambling to prevent more damage following the attack, which experts say bears the hallmarks of Wannacry ransomware, which also caused major problems in May.

Who is to blame for the massive ransomware attack?

3m360 has spoken to Gavin Millard, the technical director at Tenable Network Security, a US-based cyber-security company specialising in spotting vulnerabilities in networks, to find out more about the latest cyberattack and how serious it is.