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As the 2023 MLB All-Star Game unfolds in Seattle, follow along live with updates from the FanSided team, including Kevin Henry in the press box.The 2023 Midsummer Classic is upon us, with the American League playing host to the National League at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington. Vladimir Gu...

Russia appears to have stepped back from the brink of a full-scale armed mutiny, after the Wagner Group, one of the world’s most powerful private armies, halted a march on Moscow started by a vow for revenge. While the immediate threat seems to have been averted, the unprecedented attack on the Russian military establishment marks the most serious challenge to President Vladimir Putin in the 23 years he has ruled with an iron fist – and the crisis is unlikely to just disappear just because the military convoy halted 125 miles from the Russian capital. Earlier in an extraordinary day, a visibly angry Mr Putin made an emergency address to the nation railing against the attempted coup and said the very existence of the Russian state was at stake. "We are fighting for the lives and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence,” he said, comparing the Wagner “mutiny” to the 1917 revolution that led to the collapse of imperial Russia. The source of his ire was Yevgeny Prigozhin, the outspoken leader of the Wagner mercenary group, who had vowed to avenge attacks he claimed were perpetrated by the Russian military against his men in eastern Ukraine. Mr Prigozhin vehemently denied accusations of treason and spent the day vowing to fight “until the end.” However, late on Saturday his band of mercenaries halted their march and would turn back “to avoid shedding Russian blood” – in a deal broken by Belarusian president and Russia’s closest ally Alexander Lukashenko. “In a day, we marched to nearly 200km outside of Moscow. In this time, we did not spill a single drop of blood of our fighters,” Mr Prigozhin said in audio messages shared to his Telegram channels. “Now, the moment has come when blood may spill. That’s why, understanding the responsibility of spilling Russian blood on one of the sides, we are turning back our convoys and going back to field camps according to the plan.” It was unclear on Saturday night exactly what the agreement to halt the Wagner convoy entailed, but the Kremlin confirmed that neither Mr Prigozhin nor his troops would face criminal charges over the insurrection. The Kremlin did not confirm Mr Prigozhin’s whereabouts but said he would be moved to Belarus, a close ally of Russia. In a day of dramatic developments: Moscow’s mayor urged all residents to stay in their homes Authorities declared a “counter-terrorist regime” in the capital – enhancing security and restricting some movement. Crews dug up sections of highways to slow the movement of the Wagner convoy There was confusion over Mr Putin’s whereabouts, with the Kremlin denying he had left the city in a plane There were also unconfirmed reports that a number of Russian officials had left the capital, with suggestions that Denis Manturov, a deputy prime minister may have flown to Turkey. The crisis ignited Friday night when Mr Prigozhin, a former hotdog seller turned powerful warlord, issued a string of expletive-riddled audio and video messages. He accused the top Russian military brass of bombing his camp in the eastern region of Donbas, “lying” about the motivations for invading Ukraine, and rampant corruption. As tensions mounted, Mr Putin responded by saying his former confidante was guilty of “armed insurrection” and “treason” and promised to punish those behind the “stab in the back”. Wagner forces – deployed along some of the toughest battle lines in Ukraine – crossed back into Russia, captured the logistical hub of Rostov in the south, and then set off on a 1000km race to the capital. Videos shared on their channels purportedly showed a column of tanks mounted on armoured cars and advanced Pantsir anti-aircraft missile system making its way north accompanied by as many as 5000 men, or a fifth of Wagner’s claimed total forces. Desperate to halt an advance, Russia's military fired on the column with helicopters, deployed tanks and even tore up key motorways with diggers according to videos posted online. "We will destroy anyone who stands in our way," Mr Prigozhin originally vowed. "We are moving forward and will go until the end," he added. The spectacular eruption of violence in Russia, came after searing tensions within the country’s top command since President Putin invaded Ukraine last February. Prigozhin, once a shadowy figure who denied his role with private military companies, has fast become the most outspoken and powerful figure in Putin’s war. His forces – which first appeared in Russia’s initial invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014 – were stationed in some of the bloodiest battlefields like Bakhmut. There he would frequently post videos criticising the Ministry of Defence and top Russian generals for poor battle plans or not providing enough ammunition. This claim, his former troops say, was a ruse to allow him to stockpile weapons he ultimately used in Russia on Saturday. Speaking exclusively to The Independent, a former Wagner soldier, who was stationed near Bakhmut in November but managed to escape to Europe with the help of dissidents, said Mr Prigozhin was a “skilful manipulator”. The soldier said he had gained so much power due to the war in Ukraine. “Everyone should understand and realise that the regular army and those who serve in Wagner now are under the rule imposed by Prigozhin.” He said that Mr Prigozhin ruled by fear “in a dictatorial regime” and so people remain loyal to survive. “They are frightened reprisal if they speak out or fail to follow orders,” he said, asking to remain anonymous for his own security. He added that Mr Prigozhin’s “hysterical” statements and actions “were aimed at garnering support and creating the image of a strong leader.” “Even to this day, some people continue to view him favourably,” he added. In Ukraine, commanders, officials and foot soldiers watched with amusement, confusion and trepidation, at the events as they unfolded. The extraordinary disintegration of Russia’s top brass signalled an unprecedented opportunity on the battlefield, but many on the ground feared what forces were supporting Mr Prigozhin and the dangers of a President Putin backed into the corner. “If Prigozhin starts destroying aeroplanes and helicopters and makes it to Moscow, it means a big deal,” one Ukrainian intelligence source told The Independent. “He can’t be doing this on his own, he must be supported by someone, some oligarch, someone who wants to remove Putin and put him in power. We don’t know who that is, and that is worrying,” the source added. President Zelensky said that Saturday’s events showed the world “that the bosses of Russia do not control anything. Nothing at all”. It’s “complete chaos,” he wrote on his Twitter account. “There is complete absence of any predictability,” he added urging the West to give more support ousting Russia from Ukrainian lands. Ukrainian soldiers said Ukraine made modest gains on Saturday as the situation in Russia disintegrated. “Without a doubt, we will take advantage of this, as you will see in the near future,” Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesperson for the Armed forces in the east, told The Independent. Read More Russia-Ukraine war live: Prigozhin ‘won’t face criminal charges’ over Wagner coup against Putin ‘Let’s go home’: Wagner paramilitary troops prepare to turn around from Moscow advance Is this the end for Putin? His country now stands on the edge of civil war Putin has never looked weaker – it is hard to see how he can ever recover The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

England stand on the brink of greatness. The European Champions are one victory away from being the best team in the world. But this has not been an easy tournament for Sarina Wiegman and her players. While the Euros saw emphatic victories – the best being 8-0 vs Norway and 4-0 vs Sweden in the semi-finals – and exultant home support, England have got into gear in a slower, more controlled way in this tournament (they did beat Sunday’s opponents Spain 2-1 a.e.t. in their toughest match in 2022 excluding the final, in case anyone had forgotten, but that was a rather different Spain team). Sarina is characterised for her consistency, bordering on stubbornness to her critics, but in this tournament she has had to change things up: the shift to a 3-5-2 against China was an inspired throw of the dice after some pretty drab stuff against Haiti and Denmark. The England head coach has also had to do without the enormously gifted Lauren James after her red card against Nigeria, having brought her in to start against the Danes. James was the best player in the group stages for England, scoring three and assisting three. But in her absence, two things have occurred. Firstly, the back three has got better, with Alex Greenwood staking a major claim to being the best player at the tournament, and one of the best ball-playing centre-backs in the world. No one has made more than Greenwood’s 563 passes at the World Cup, according to WhoScored.com, even more impressively, she’s made them at 90% accuracy. Her clipped pass to set up Georgia Stanway’s shot nine minutes in was world class and shows how important she’s been to England’s ability to generate chances. But crucially, the front two has also started to click. The final goal against Australia was sublime: Russo’s pressure caused an Australian error, which was seized on by Lauren Hemp. Hemp drove towards the heart of the Australian defence, while Russo’s cleverly drifting run took her away from a retreating Steph Catley. Hemp’s angle-changing pass was simply brilliant, and Russo’s cool, driven finish was a fitting end to an incisive attack. Hemp was the best player on the pitch against Australia, and the front two’s combination of movement, work rate, and technical ability shone against an excellently stubborn and well-organised Australia side. At times Russo has looked isolated playing for England and being asked to drop deep doesn't suite her game. She's an excellent passer but her real threat is in and around the box. In too many games she's had limited options to link up with. Alongside Hemp, though, who roams left and right as well as dropping deep, Russo always has at least one rapid option central and, often, one or both of the wing-backs and a midfielder bursting beyond. She also has support when playing higher. One of the reasons England scored that third goal was because Hemp could carry it further and release it later, leaving less for Russo to do in terms of beating players and allowing her to focus on the finish. And when she’s left to focus on her work in and around the area, Russo is lethal. She’s one of the purest ball strikers in the camp and her finishing under pressure is as good as anyone at the tournament. England’s front two can both score goals and both want to find pockets of space wide or deep, and both can create differently: Russo’s touch in tight areas, her hold-up play, and her through balls are superb, while Hemp can still show why at club level she’s one of the world’s most effective wingers with her tricky ball carrying and ability to execute technical passes while moving at speed. It’s also worth noting that now only Ellen White and Fara Williams have scored more for the Lionesses at major tournaments than Russo (10 and 8 versus 7). And they’ve been at their best in front of a midfield including Ella Toone. Toone might be less creative and more about linking play than James, but England tick over nicely with her as the more advanced midfielder of the three. Sarina won’t keep Toone in because she scored a worldy, but because she kept the ball well, found good pockets of space, and worked hard in defence. And then, once the game becomes more open and transitional, as finals tend to, James could come on and drive at a stretched defence, take the ball deep, and, although I hope England won’t need it, change the game. So while the focus might be on whether Toone or James starts, Sarina has already made the most important decision of the tournament: shifting to a back three has platformed Greenwood’s passing excellence and unleashed the front two of Hemp and Russo. If they can combine again, England have everyting they need to bring it home. Read More Women’s World Cup LIVE: England prepare for final against Spain and latest reaction to win over Australia Gianni Infantino tells women in football to ‘pick the right fights’ to utilise their ‘power to change’ What time is the World Cup final on Sunday and who will England play? World Cup final referee: Who will take charge of England vs Spain? Lauren James ‘will be ready’ for World Cup final, says Chelsea manager Emma Hayes Sarina Wiegman would be ‘perfectly capable’ of becoming England men’s manager, says FA chief

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