
British cyclist Mark Cavendish equals Eddy Merckx's Tour de France record
CNN
Mark Cavendish raced to his 34th stage win at the Tour de France on Friday to equal the record held by the legendary Belgium cyclist Eddy Merckx.
The victory was Cavendish's fourth stage win at this year's race. The Brit still has two opportunities to break the record before the race reaches Paris on July 18. "The boys were incredible, I can't believe it. I was so on the limit in the end," said Cavendish after the Tour's stage 13, adding no rider could be compared to Merckx.
The Trump administration is preparing to use private military contractors to protect oil and energy assets in Venezuela rather than deploying US troops, according to two sources familiar with the plans, setting up a potential boon for security firms with experience in the region and ties to the administration.

Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, arrives in Washington this week for high-stakes talks with US President Donald Trump on the future of Venezuela following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro. The meeting comes after Trump surprised many by allowing Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, to assume control, dashing opposition hopes for a new democratic era.

Most Americans see an immigration officer’s fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Good as an inappropriate use of force, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds. Roughly half view it as a sign of broader issues with the way US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is operating, with less than one-third saying that ICE operations have made cities safer.










