The rebellious leader of the Wagner mercenary group said he had ordered his troops back to base, but analysts say the serious challenge to the Russian president will diminish his authority.

Yevgeny Prigozhin posted a message on social media claiming Wagner troops have agreed to stand down and return to bases. The Kremlin said the criminal case against Prigozhin will be dropped.

For years, Japanese leaders have tried to halt the country's falling birthrate. They might find lessons in the city of Akashi, whose population has been growing.

Each year in northern Pennsylvania, hundreds of stargazers attend gatherings under increasingly rare dark skies to look for faint galaxies, star clusters and nebulae.