By JOE ROSSITER, REPORTER

Published: 12:22 BST, 25 July 2026 | Updated: 14:41 BST, 25 July 2026

Twenty firefighters were hospitalised after a fire which followed an explosion at an industrial unit housing fertiliser in Essex yesterday.

More than 100 fire crew had responded to the fire, which came after an explosion heard across the county thought to have come from the industrial unit which housed fertiliser.

Three fire engines and two fire officer cars were also wrecked, according to Rick Hylton, chief fire officer at Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.

Four of the hospitalised firefighters were treated for minor injuries, while the rest were checked for hearing loss.

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All have now been discharged, Mr Hylton said, adding crews would remain at the scene but that the fire had been put out.

He said it was one of the ‘most challenging and complex incidents’ his force had responded to in years.

Firefighters worked ‘tirelessly in extremely challenging and hazardous conditions’ from yesterday to this morning to stop the ‘large and rapidly developing’ fire from spreading further, he added.

Residents described hearing loud booms from a farm estate just before 6pm yesterday and were warned by emergency services to keep doors and windows closed. 

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An aerial image of the site showed the extent of the blaze yesterday which involved more than 100 firefighters

Aerial footage showed buildings and vehicles on fire by Southend Road, between East Hanningfield and Rettendon, as dozens of fire engines and ambulances lined the roads nearby. 

According to reports, the explosion was heard up to nearly 15 miles away from the scene of the fire. Some said they heard the blast in Southend, around a 30-minute drive away.

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Another resident reported on social media that a relative’s house had been damaged by the sheer force of the shockwave.

The first emergency call about the fire was made at around 4.50pm yesterday before a major incident was declared just under an hour later following the fertiliser unit explosion. 

It is understood a field and industrial units caught fire before fertiliser inside one of the units exploded while fire crews were on the scene. 

At a press conference today, Mr Hylton said an investigation into the fire’s cause was underway and urged the public not to speculate.

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He said: ‘The fire and explosion has also destroyed three fire engines and two officer cars that were being used to respond to the incident. This underlines the scale and intensity of the conditions our crews faced.

‘I also want to provide an update on the welfare of our firefighters. I can confirm that 20 firefighters attended hospital following the incident.

‘Of that 20, four suffered minor injuries, and the remainder were precautionary assessments, including checks for issues such as hearing loss following the explosion.

‘I am pleased to confirm all of those firefighters have now been discharged from hospital.’ 

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An explosion rocked homes across Essex as the fire erupted at an industrial unit in Southend Road, between East Hanningfield and Rettendon

The chief fire officer added: ‘The incident is now under control, although firefighters will remain at the scene, dealing with the remaining hotspots and supporting the transition into the recovery phase.’

‘Firefighters arrived quickly and were faced with a large and rapidly developing fire involving several units and surrounding farmland.

‘At 5.46pm, following an explosion involving fertiliser within one of the industrial units, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident.

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‘We took that decision because of the scale and complexity of the incident, the significant resources required to bring the fire under safe control, and the need to co-ordinate a multi-agency response.’

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I would never touch the milk, ever.

Tatiana Terekhina via Getty Images

Newcastle-based Lumo is increasing its support across England and Scotland during Pride season, using digital billboards and dedicated train branding to highlight LGBTQ+ organisations.

The initiative is being amplified with outdoor advertising support from Ocean Outdoor, which has donated screen space in the city.

How the screens will look in Newcastle city centre (Image: Lumo)

Richard Salkeld, director of communications and partnerships at Lumo, said: “At Lumo, we believe everyone should feel able to be themselves and travel with confidence, which is why we’re proud to be supporting more Pride events and organisations than ever before this year.

“We’re delighted to be working alongside Pride Radio, Ocean Outdoor and our many Pride partners to help celebrate the incredible LGBTQ+ communities across the North East of England and beyond.

“Whether that’s through our Pride train, showcasing Pride organisations across the UK or supporting Pride Radio’s broadcast to audiences around the world, we hope our contribution helps ensure more people can feel included, represented and connected.”

How the screens will look in Newcastle city centre (Image: Lumo)

The operator has made a £1,000 donation to Gateshead-based Pride Radio, a not-for-profit station that broadcasts across the UK and internationally.

Pride Radio is broadcasting Newcastle Pride to audiences in 127 countries, including 38 where it is illegal to be LGBT+ and seven where it is punishable by death.

Peter Darrant, CEO of Pride Radio, said: “Pride Radio and Lumo share something special.

“We’re both proudly based in the North East but connect people far beyond our region every day.

“Together with Lumo and Ocean Outdoor, we’re taking Pride beyond the streets of Newcastle, helping more people experience the energy of Newcastle Pride, share in the celebrations and feel connected to our amazing city and its LGBTQ+ community wherever they are.

“That’s what Pride is all about.”

Lumo is also supporting Newcastle Pride by assisting with travel arrangements for headline artists and performers attending the city centre event.

Earlier this month, the company launched a dedicated ‘Pride train’ featuring artwork and branding from the LGBTQ+ groups it supports.

Keith Crisp, representing Ocean Outdoor, said: “Like Lumo, Ocean has a long tradition of supporting Pride events in the communities where we live and work.

“We are pleased to extend that to Newcastle using five of our large format screens to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community.”

Earlier this year, Lumo was named Best Small Employer in Scotland, in part thanks to the company demonstrating a clear commitment to inclusivity from how it supports customers, colleagues and the communities served.

A scientist says he has found a mathematical formula that does what philosophers and theologians have tried to do for centuries: prove that God exists.

Using equations based on orbital speeds, distances in space and the physics of turbulence, Dr Nathanael-Israel Israel claimed he uncovered evidence that the biblical account of creation was literally true.

His calculations suggested that the Earth formed in 2.82 days and that the sun and moon were completed in 3.69 days, figures he said closely mirrored the timeline laid out in Genesis.

Israel clarified that his formula produced separate figures of 3.32 days for the moon and 3.69 days for the sun, placing the completion of both celestial bodies on the fourth day.

Because he believed no other major religion offered the same sequence of events, he argued that his work pointed specifically to the existence of the Christian God.

‘People say you can’t prove God, but the question is, “How can you prove God?” I’m the first person in history to offer this mathematical framework,’ Dr Israel told the Daily Mail.

The Georgia-based scientist insisted that his formula was so simple that even schoolchildren could perform the calculations using publicly available NASA data.

The NASA measurements used in his equations included the sizes and speeds of celestial bodies and the distances separating them, with a particular focus on the Earth, moon and sun. 

However, Israel’s conclusions have not been independently verified or accepted by the wider scientific community, and using official NASA measurements does not itself validate the assumptions or conclusions behind his formula. 

Mainstream astronomy holds that the sun formed before the Earth over billions of years, sharply conflicting with Israel’s claim that the planet was completed in less than three days and before the sun. 

He said the findings overturned the long-held notion that faith and science were fundamentally incompatible.

And after spending more than a decade developing his theory, Israel believes he has finally produced scientific evidence for the existence of God.

The scientist laid out his theory in his self-published book, Boldest Scientific Formula of God and Creation, in which he argues that mathematics and physics can be used to demonstrate the literal truth of the Genesis creation account.

Israel, who was born and raised in the West African nation of Benin before moving to the US two decades ago, said he had never viewed science and religion as opposing forces.

Instead, he spent 12 years examining scientific data and compiling variables from astronomy, physics, and other disciplines in an effort to understand the mechanics of creation itself.

‘When it comes to science, I know what I’m talking about. I’m not a preacher, I’m not a pastor, I’m not a novice who is just doing some pseudoscience. It took me 12 years of hard work,’ he said.

His calculations suggested that the Earth formed in 2.82 days and that the sun and moon were completed in 3.69 days, figures he said closely mirrored the timeline laid out in Genesis 

Israel earned a PhD in Plant, Insect and Microbial Sciences with an emphasis on Plant Biology and Genetics from the University of Missouri.

He also earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Abomey-Calavi in Benin and became a member of several scientific organizations in the US, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Chemical Society.

‘My PhD is in plant, insect and microbial science, so I’m a life scientist. But I’m not afraid or shy to say I’m a Christian. I believe in God,’ he said.

‘To come to this formula, I have had to go through hundreds of variables collected by scientists throughout the century, some of which were available on the NASA website and on many other space and agency websites.’

Unlike many researchers who attempted to reconcile religion and science, Israel said his work did not rely on traditional Creationist arguments.

He dismissed efforts to prove the Bible by challenging evolution or debating the existence of dinosaurs, arguing that mathematics offered a far stronger foundation.

At the heart of his theory was what he described as a simple formula rooted in orbital mechanics and turbulence.

‘The formula is based on the orbit and the orbital speed of the Earth,’ he explained.

Using publicly available measurements, including the Earth’s distance from the sun and its speed through space, Israel said he could calculate how long it took the planet to reach its current position.

To produce the figure of 2.82 days, Israel divided the distance between the Earth and sun by the sun’s escape velocity. He then added the time obtained by dividing the Earth’s circumference by its orbital speed.

The values used were an Earth-sun distance of 149.6 million kilometers and a solar escape velocity of 617.6 kilometers per second.

He calculated the Earth’s circumference using its radius of 3,963 miles, multiplying that figure by two and pi, then divided the result by the planet’s orbital speed of 18.5 miles per second. 

Written as a single calculation, his formula is: (149,600,000 km ÷ 617.6 km/s) + ([2 × π × 6,378.14 km] ÷ 29.78 km/s) = approximately 243,530 seconds, or 2.82 days.

Those calculations, he claimed, revealed that the Earth formed in 2.82 days, which the scientist suggested aligns with the Book of Genesis, which says: ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’

The same framework suggested that the sun and moon were completed in 3.69 days, corresponding to the fourth day in the biblical account.

Israel said he applied the same basic formula to the moon and sun, producing formation times of 3.32 days and 3.69 days, respectively. He did not provide the full calculations for those two figures, saying they are detailed in his book.

‘The simple formula I discussed and discovered was able to help me also to explain the variation of life and chemicals and to scientifically prove that what the Bible has been saying for 3400 years, Jesus is correct,’ Israel said.

When asked why dividing distance by speed should represent the time required for creation, Israel pointed to the apparent alignment between his results and the Genesis chronology.

He said his formula showed that the Earth’s formation was completed in 2.82 days, placing it on the third day, while the moon and sun were completed in 3.32 and 3.69 days, placing both on the fourth day.

Israel argued that this sequence matched Genesis 1:1–19, which describes the Earth before the appearance of the two lights in the sky. However, his interpretation and formula have not been established as scientific consensus.

The calculations stemmed from a broader theory about the origins of the universe.

According to Israel, everything began as a massive body of material that he called the ‘Turbulent Prima Materia.’

He theorized that this primordial mass fragmented through the forces of fluid dynamics and turbulence, breaking apart repeatedly until it formed the precursors of the sun and the bodies orbiting it.

As these fragments separated, the material that would eventually become the Earth, moon and other objects escaped from the precursor of the sun and settled into their current positions.

His formula attempted to reconstruct that process by examining the distances between celestial bodies, the speeds needed for those bodies to break away from their larger parent masses and the orbital characteristics they exhibit today.

The enormous size of the sun’s precursor, he argued, explained why the sun formed after the Earth and moon.

‘You see, so that’s the bottom line of my discovery. I’m breaking down for you in the language that even elementary school students can understand,’ he said.

Israel said his framework differed from every other scientific approach that either attempted to prove God or argued against the existence of a creator.

‘My framework is different than all other scientific frameworks that try to prove God, or deny God,’ he said.

‘It’s not a framework based on evolutionism; it’s a simple framework I break down in just a few pages.’

He believed the implications of his work extended far beyond science and could challenge the beliefs of both skeptics and Christians.

According to Israel, many believers had been searching for evidence in the wrong places.

Rather than focusing on fossils or attempting to disprove established scientific theories, he argued that the answer lay in mathematics.

He further contended that his calculations pointed specifically to the Christian God because ‘only the Bible gave us a clear chronological story of creation.’

By JOSHUA HAINING, NEWS REPORTER

Published: 10:03 BST, 25 July 2026 | Updated: 14:19 BST, 25 July 2026

A raging bull has seriously injured four spectators after it leapt into a crowd during a bullfight at a Colombian festival on Monday.

Crowds of people ran for their lives in the Castilla district of Coyaima, when the bull launched itself up into the stands and charged at festivalgoers.

The rampage took place at a ‘Corraleja’ event, a traditional bull festival where the animal is released into the ring and members of the public can dangerously tease it.

Video footage showed the bull seconds after it was released chasing people in the ring before it jumped over a tall red fence and into a large crowd.

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Cheers of excitement quickly turned into screams of panic as people fled the stands, with some even jumping into the ring to escape.

One woman was hit and trampled by the bull as she tried to run away around the stand.

A fearless man then grabbed the bull by the tail, allowing others to quickly escape.

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A raging bull injured four people at a festival in Colombia after it launched itself into the crowd

Video footage showed the bull running around the stands in the Castilla district in Coyaima on Monday

Seconds after the bull was released, it jumped into a large crowd and started charging at spectators

Bizarrely, as the carnage unfolds, a matador calmly walks across the bullring brandishing his red cape in an apparent attempt to get the bull’s attention.

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Four people were seriously injured and have since been treated by emergency responders and taken to hospital.

An investigation is still ongoing into the incident to confirm the severity of their injuries and the exact number of people hurt by the bull. 

Ricardo Suárez, Tolima’s Secretary of the Interior, told local media: ‘The bull jumped towards the barrier where spectators were standing and attacked some of them.

‘This is the consequence of the violence that we humans continue to promote.

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‘We must move towards new forms of entertainment and new spectacles that genuinely enrich Tolima’s culture.

‘This proves that such barbarity is neither culture nor bravery. Bullfighting must end in Tolima. It is a grotesque practice that contributes absolutely nothing to society.

‘We cannot seek enjoyment at the expense of the suffering of sentient beings – animals, and bulls that do not understand what is happening to them.’

This is not the first incident where a bull has gored festivalgoers this summer.

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Just one week earlier than the Colombian bull rampage, a British pensioner became the oldest participant injured at this year’s San Fermin festival.

The 86-year-old tourist, from Halesowen in the West Midlands, was one of ten people injured during the final day of the festival on July 14.

The holidaymaker suffered multiple injuries, including a goring to his left elbow and wounds to his eyebrow and right hand. 

He was then rushed to hospital and treated for his injuries. 

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William Mitchinson, 24, was the second Brit to be hospitalised after being knocked to the ground while trying to outrun the six bulls and accompanying steers.

He spoke outside Navarra University Hospital after leaving with his ankle in a brace.

‘I ran until the bull trampled me,’ he said. ‘I’d seen the festival on social media, and it looked like good fun.

‘It’s my first visit to Pamplona. I might come back another year – but only for the party.’

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Officials confirmed two other runners had suffered goring wounds during the run, which lasted two minutes and 25 seconds.

For years, pop star Ariana Grande gave away money, mostly quietly and without much structure. There were annual gifts to England’s Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Sometimes a night’s performance proceeds were handed to nonprofit groups. She anonymously funded a holiday gift drive for transgender young people in addition to launching a $3 million fundraising event for transgender youths in 2022.

Now those scattered acts of giving have a name and a public face: the Brighter Days Ahead Foundation. Launched in May, it will focus on causes Grande has advocated for in the past, including LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive health, immigrant rights, and mental health. Grande is doing this at a moment when philanthropic support for these causes is eroding, said Shauna Nep, Grande’s philanthropic adviser.

“We’re seeing the support for the kinds of issues she cares about going down drastically and the attacks going up aggressively,” Nep said.

This summer, Grande is using her Eternal Sunshine Tour to fund and promote the foundation, highlighting national and local nonprofits at each tour stop. Names of her grantee organizations are shown on screens in the center of the arena during the pre-show countdown. And fans who donate to the nonprofit can enter a sweepstake for a chance to win a trip to see her final tour date in London.

“The fan experience is still completely intact,” Nep said. “We’re meeting them where they are instead of taking them away from anything.”

Tour funds will be split among the featured local organizations, though none have been distributed yet. The grants announced so far have come entirely from Grande’s personal giving, a foundation spokesperson said.

In many ways, Grande, who also starred in the “Wicked” movies, is following in the footsteps of earlier generations of entertainers who lent their names to once controversial causes like HIV/AIDS and created their own foundations to help move large sums of money.

But today, celebrities’ platforms are larger than ever, giving them even more sway, noted Genevieve Shaker, who teaches courses on celebrity philanthropy and fundraising leadership at Indiana University’s Lilly School of Philanthropy.

“In the past, prior to social media, celebrities might be more dependent on traditional media to share stories about what they’re doing,” she said. “Now they have their own kind of media empire where they can leverage lots of channels to communicate, including about philanthropy and causes and nonprofits.”

Nonprofit Trans Lifeline is grateful for celebrity support

Trans Lifeline, which runs a crisis hotline for transgender people, is one of the nonprofits Grande has supported. The group has received $125,000 total — $75,000 in emergency funding last June and $50,000 when the foundation formally launched in May.

The money helped Trans Lifeline relaunch a microgrants program that distributed $100,000 directly to trans people across the country in partnership with five grassroots organizations, said Dante Alviar Horton, its executive director. Some of the funding also went toward improving benefits for the organization’s direct service crisis workers.

Trans Lifeline relies almost entirely on individual donors. Visibility gained from celebrity supporters has helped sustain the group, Alviar Horton said. He pointed to Trans Lifeline’s recent collaboration with designer Conner Ives on the “Protect the Dolls” T-shirt campaign, which raised more than $500,000 after celebrities like Pedro Pascal began wearing the shirts publicly.

Stephanie Beasley is fellowship director and a senior writer at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Coming from a range of backgrounds and countries, the BBC has said that they are some of the most exciting talents in dance today.

The new dancers join Strictly’s 14 returning professionals for the upcoming series.

BBC reveals 5 new Strictly Come Dancing professionals

The first is Maddie Ingoldsby from Bournemouth, who is a UK National Ballroom Champion and eight-time Amateur 10-Dance World Champion.

Maddie played Annie in the West End as a child and has also appeared on Strictly before, making her television debut on Strictly: It Takes Two – before going on to perform in a Pros’ group number on the main show’s Christmas special.

Ms Ingoldsby said: “Joining Strictly as a professional dancer is truly a dream come true.

“My heart is so full of gratitude, excitement, and anticipation as I begin this incredible new chapter.

“Dance has always been where I feel most myself, and to now share my heart, my creativity, and my love for it on a show that has inspired millions is an honour beyond words.”

The second is Aleksandra Isaeva, a multiple Ukrainian National Latin Champion currently living in Italy.

She said: “I’ve been living and breathing dance for as long as I can remember, so joining the Strictly family is a true honour.

“The thought of learning from and sharing this experience with such extraordinary dancers, choreographers, and the whole Strictly family still gives me goosebumps.

“I can’t wait to pour my whole heart into every performance, inspire others, and be inspired along the way.”

Her dance partner, Cristian Priori, is also joining the show and is a four-time Italian Latin Champion.

He said: “Saying yes to Strictly was an easy decision.

“Dance has always been my way of expressing myself, and I’m so excited to begin this new chapter.

“I’m ready to give my all, enjoy every moment of this amazing journey, and embrace everything it has to offer.

“Strictly is where passion, hard work and entertainment come together, so being part of it is a real privilege.”

Undefeated South African Latin Champion Lethabo Monametsi also joins the line-up.

She said: “This moment is bigger than me.

“I step into it with profound gratitude and deep humility, knowing it is the culmination of years of unwavering love, belief, and support from the people who dared to dream alongside me.

“Representing South Africa on the Strictly Come Dancing stage is far more than a career milestone, it is an honour beyond words, and I cannot wait to embrace every extraordinary moment of this journey.”

Two-time National Latin Champion in his native country, Canada, Mark Karmalita rounds out the newcomers.

He said: “Joining Strictly feels incredibly special, and I’m honoured to be stepping into a ballroom with so much history and heart.

“I can’t wait to bring my own style, connect with the audience, and enjoy every moment along the way.”

Sarah James, executive producer at BBC Studios, said: “Aleksandra, Cristian, Lethabo, Maddie and Mark are all outstanding world-class dancers and we can’t wait to see them shine under the Strictly glitterball this September.”

Which professionals are returning for Strictly 2026?

Some 14 dancers have been confirmed to be returning for the new series.

They are:

• Alexis Warr
• Aljaž Škorjanec
• Amy Dowden
• Carlos Gu
• Dianne Buswell
• Jowita Przystal
• Julian Caillon
• Kai Widdrington
• Katya Jones
• Lauren Oakley
• Nancy Xu
• Neil Jones
• Nikita Kuzmin
• Vito Coppola

Four Strictly stars have left ahead of the new series, which were Karen Hauer, Luba Mushtuk, Michelle Tsiakkas and Gorka Marquez.

Meanwhile, Johannes Radebe is moving from a dancing to presenting role, alongside Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe.

Contestants for Strictly Come Dancing 2026 so far

There have been seven contestants confirmed for the upcoming Strictly series.

They are:

• Lacey Turner (EastEnders’ Stacey Slater)
• Dani Dyer  (TV personality – returning after injury in 2025)
• Delta Goodrem (Australian singer)
• Chris Appleton (Hair stylist)
• Cach Mercer (Reality TV star)
• Will Best (TV and radio host)
• Dame Sarah Storey (Britain’s most successful Paralympian)
• Jaime Winstone (Actress)

All four Strictly judges, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas (head judge), will each be returning.

Strictly is due to return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this September.

Will you be watching the new series of Strictly? Let us know in the comments.

A Tour de France rider needed 20 stitches after crashing face-first into the back of a car.

In a freak incident, Movistar’s Einer Rubio collided with the back windscreen of the car when it braked to avoid hitting a spectator during yesterday’s Stage 19.

Video footage of the incident, posted on X, showed Rubio hurtling into the UAE Team Emirates-XRG vehicle after it stopped abruptly, smashing the rear windscreen and leaving his face covered in blood.

The Colombian had been 27th in the race for the yellow jersey, but has since had to withdraw. His facial injuries were treated immediately at the scene, before he was taken to a medical truck. 

He was later seen sporting bandages on his face, and was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Grenoble, from which he was discharged last night.

In a statement, Movistar said: ‘Einer Rubio has received around 20 stitches in the face following the accident he suffered during the ascent to Alpe d’Huez. 

Rubio is sent hurtling to the ground in front of lines of shocked cycling fans

The Colombian receives medical treatment on the scene. He needed 20 stitches and was later taken to hospital in a helicopter

‘The Colombian is to be transferred to a hospital in Grenoble, where new tests will be carried out to determine the extent of the injuries.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG team manager Joxean Fernandez, who was driving the car that Rubio crashed into, apologised publicly for his actions — but clarified he was trying to save the life of the spectator. 

‘I feel the need to explain what happened from my position inside the car during yesterday’s stage,’ wrote Fernandez, commonly known as Matxin, on Instagram.

‘In the final kilometers of the Alpe d’Huez climb — with thousands of fans right next to the road and the immense pressure typical of a decisive Tour stage — a spectator suddenly ran out and fell right beneath our vehicle. My only reaction was to brake immediately to avoid running him over. It all happened in a split second, and my only thought was preventing a far worse tragedy.

‘After braking, we heard a loud impact behind us, but amidst the noise, the tension, the crowd, and the responsibility of continuing to protect the race leader, I didn’t learn the full extent of the accident — or that Einer had to withdraw from the Tour — until we reached the finish line. I immediately contacted the Movistar Team to check on the situation and ask what had happened.

‘I fully understand that seeing only part of the footage can lead to criticism and questions. However, those of us involved in cycling know that in such extreme situations, decisions are made in fractions of a second — and always with the aim of protecting human life.

Rubio had been 27th in the race for the yellow jersey, but has since had to withdraw

Einer Rubio (right) alongside his Movistar team-mates earlier this month

UAE Team Emirates-XRG team manager Joxean Fernandez (left), who was driving the car that Rubio crashed into, apologised publicly for his actions

‘I deeply regret the consequences of this accident. If the decisions I made in that moment ended up affecting a rider in the peloton, I can only say that it pains me deeply. At the same time, I believe it is important to remember that the safety of riders, teams, and fans also depends on the responsible behavior of those who enjoy this sport from the roadside.

‘I offer all my support and affection to Einer; I am deeply sorry for what happened and sincerely hope to see you back competing where you belong very soon. This has not been an easy day for me.’

Former Tour de France champion Alberto Contador was among those to offer their support to Fernandez, saying: ‘Matxin, anyone would have reacted the same way — or perhaps (if they had) a second later, we would be mourning the spectator’s death. 

‘In light of the thousands and thousands of fans who (walk) the road on foot for the Alpe d’Huez, the organisation should fence the climb to ensure the safety of both people and cyclists.’

Rubio’s crash was not the first incident involving fans during this year’s Tour. On Thursday, Richard Carapaz narrowly avoided colliding with a spectator posing for a photo.

Four-time champion Tadej Pogacar has again dominated this year’s Tour, and smashed the record for fastest-ever ascent of Alpe d’Huez en route to winning yesterday’s stage. The Slovenian’s time of 35min 26sec beat the previous mark, set by Marco Pantani in 1995, by 1min 14sec.

Craig Brady and three other men died in the crash in the early hours of Friday morning.

The sister of a young dad-of-two led the tributes after his death in a horror crash in the early hours of Friday morning. Craig Brady, 26, and three other men died in the crash on Liverpool Road, Huyton, on Friday, July 24, just before 2am.

Emergency crews scrambled to the scene after black Cupra lost control and smashed into a lamppost, reports the Liverpool ECHO. Merseyside police confirmed four men, all in their 20s, were tragically pronounced dead at the scene.

A 27-year-old man, who was a passenger in the car, was rushed to hospital and remains there in a stable condition.

Craig was from a large family and had seven siblings as well as two kids of his own, Phoebe, 5, and Archie, 3, with his partner Ellie Jones. His heartbroken older sister, Kelsey Brady said the family is struggling to come to terms with his death.

The 29-year-old, from Dovecot, said: “He was my best mate. He was two years younger than me. It was just me and him growing up until the rest were born, so I don’t know life without him.”

She continued: “He was amazing. He was a big man about 6ft 2 but he was just like a teddy bear. He really was the most loving person ever. His girlfriend is absolutely distraught. I think she still thinks he’s coming home. She doesn’t believe it.”

It was younger brother Connor, 18, who received the heartbreaking knock at the door with the news about Craig’s death. He then called Kelsey to let her know.

She said: “He rang me straight away. I’d literally just woken up. I didn’t answer the first phone call because I wasn’t fully awake. Then he sent me a message saying, ‘Craig has passed’.

“I didn’t think death at all. I thought, ‘What does he mean he’s passed?’, it didn’t register. I rang him back and he told me Craig had died and I said, ‘Connor, shut up. What are you saying that for?’ Then he put me onto the family liaison officer on the phone. I just went numb. I was in disbelief. I didn’t know what to believe. I still don’t think it’s real now.”

Kelsey explained how Craig loved football, boxing and music, and had recently started going to the gym. The big sister said she is going to miss him being in touch with her every day and said he was “one of the kindest and gentlest people you could ever meet”.

She added: “He wasn’t shy to tell you he loved you. He’d make sure you knew. We’re a close knit family, the type where we speak to each other every day.

“I wake up most mornings and he’d sent me a voice note of him singing down the phone. I’ve just been listening to the one he sent me two days ago and thinking, ‘I’m going to miss this’.”

“He’d do anything for anyone, especially his family. He had the biggest heart of gold I’ve ever known in a man. He wasn’t a normal man. He was special.”

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United, though, see him as an ideal puzzle piece as Michael Carrick continues to rebuild his midfield. He has already invested some £80m in the signings of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, but are keen to add one more pair of legs. They have long since considered Tchouameni a dream target in this window.