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The rebel Wagner mercenary force threatened to march on Moscow on Saturday before announcing a stunning pull-back, as Kyiv seized on the chaos to launch new assaults against Russian positions in Ukraine.

Petra Kvitova on Saturday reached her 42nd tour final in Berlin where she will face Donna Vekic for the title.

Stefanos Tsitsipas on Saturday denied making racist comments over bitter rival Nick Kyrgios, claiming his remarks that the Australian firebrand played "uneducated" tennis have been "misinterpreted".

Kyiv residents told AFP on Saturday that they were "very happy" with the Wagner mercenary group's mutiny against Moscow and hoped the infighting would weaken Russian troops on the battlefield.

Alexander Bublik eased past home hope Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-5 to reach the final of the Halle ATP tournament on Saturday.

Carlos Alcaraz moved to the brink of his first grass court title and reclaiming the world number one ranking from Novak Djokovic after sweeping aside Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-4 to reach the final at Queen’s Club on Saturday.

President Vladimir Putin has long profited from the actions of the Wagner mercenary group, but the mutiny led by its chief Yevgeny Prigozhin presents the Russian strongman with a challenge that could irreparably damage his authority, analysts say.

Rebel mercenaries advanced north towards Moscow after seizing a key military base Saturday, just as Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin's vowed to defeat the revolt and head off the threat of civil war.

Sebastien Ogier held off an onslaught from world championship leader Kalle Rovanpera on Saturday to maintain his lead in the Safari Rally going into Sunday's final stage.

Pole-sitter Marco Bezzecchi won the Dutch MotoGP sprint race at Assen on Saturday ahead of world champion Francesco Bagnaia.

Top two seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Jelena Ostapenko will meet in the final of the Birmingham Open after coming through their semi-finals in contrasting fashion on Saturday.

A year after US Supreme Court scrapped the constitutional right to abortion in the United States, President Joe Biden on Saturday vowed to fight against the "extreme and dangerous" effort by Republicans to curb access to the procedure nationwide.

Alexander Bublik eased past home hope Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-5 to reach the final of the Halle ATP tournament on Saturday.

Artillery fire, air strikes and gun battles rocked Sudan's capital on Saturday, witnesses told AFP, as the UN urged a stop to "wanton killings" that have left decomposing bodies in Darfur.

Rebel mercenaries advanced north towards Moscow after seizing a key military base Saturday, just as Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin's vowed to defeat the revolt and head off the threat of civil war.

Former Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova edged Caroline Garcia 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) to seal her spot in the semi-finals of the rain-hit WTA German Open in Berlin on Saturday.

Marco Bezzecchi won the Dutch MotoGP sprint race at Assen on Saturday ahead of world champion Francesco Bagnaia.

Hundreds of people wearing pink attended Singapore's annual "Pink Dot" LGBTQ rally on Saturday, the first to be held since the city-state decriminalised gay sex last year.

The sound of ambulance and police sirens filled the air on Saturday in Rostov-on-Don -- a hub for Russia's Ukraine campaign -- where the rebellious Wagner mercenary force said it had taken over key facilities.

Bangladesh police have arrested the leader of an Islamist organisation at his hideout in Dhaka, officers said Saturday, months after the launch of a crackdown against the group.

The Canterbury Crusaders claimed a seventh straight title with a 25-20 win over the Waikato Chiefs in the Super Rugby Pacific final Saturday on coach Scott Robertson's swansong.

President Vladimir Putin warned Saturday that treason against his rule threatens Russia with civil war, as Moscow's military launched an operation to tackle a revolt by the Wagner mercenary group.

All Blacks-bound Scott Robertson signed off as head coach of the Canterbury Crusaders on Saturday by breakdancing again after his side won a seventh straight Super Rugby title.

Marco Bezzecchi nailed pole for the Dutch MotoGP in record style on Saturday as Marc Marquez suffered more misery.

The hajj pilgrimage has given Sudanese faithful Kamal Kabashi a brief respite from his country's bloody conflict. Having safely arrived in Islam's holiest city, he was praying for peace.

Plunging necklines and naked backs are no longer reserved for femmes fatales, becoming regular features of menswear shows at this Paris Fashion Week, with plenty of skin on show right down to the tips of toes.

President Vladimir Putin vowed Saturday he would not allow Russia to slip into civil war, after the leader of the Wagner mercenary force seized a key military headquarters overseeing the offensive in Ukraine.

Sierra Leone voted Saturday in a fiercely contested general election, with President Julius Maada Bio seeking a second term amid a crippling economic crisis that sparked deadly riots last year.

The Organization of American States (OAS) called Friday on Nicaragua to "cease all human rights violations" and to release its political prisoners, in a resolution adopted unanimously during its annual meeting in Washington.

Sierra Leoneans will vote Saturday in fiercely contested presidential and parliamentary elections, amid international calls for peace and a cost-of-living crisis that helped spark deadly riots last year.

The head of the Wagner mercenary group said Saturday he had crossed into Russia with his forces to topple Moscow's military leadership, saying he and his 25,000 fighters were "ready to die".

Denmark will on Saturday host a meeting organised by Ukraine bringing together several nations -- including those who have remained neutral on the Russian invasion -- to discuss a path towards peace.