Monaco Journal - News from Monaco, Monte-Carlo and the world

England maintained their Six Nations title bid and all but ended reigning champions Wales' hopes of a successful defence with a 23-19 win in an error-strewn contest at Twickenham on Saturday.

Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich said Saturday he was handing over the "stewardship and care" of the Premier League club to the trustees of its charitable foundation.

Leroy Sane grabbed a late winner as Bayern Munich won 1-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday to open a nine-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga, while Germany's top-flight clubs showed solidarity in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

England maintained their Six Nations title bid and all but ended reigning champions Wales' hopes of a successful defence with a 23-19 win in an error-strewn contest at Twickenham on Saturday.

Germany on Saturday dramatically ramped up its backing for Ukraine's battle against Russia, approving weapons deliveries for Kyiv in a policy U-turn and agreeing to limit Moscow's access to the SWIFT interbank system.

Christian Eriksen made an emotional return to football on Saturday, eight months after his cardiac arrest and Premier League players and fans showed their support for beleaguered Ukraine.

France captain Antoine Dupont urged his side to guard against complacency after they moved within two matches of a first Six Nations title and Grand Slam since 2010 by sweeping aside bogey team Scotland with a thumping 36-17 victory at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Shreyas Iyer smashed an unbeaten 74 as India hammered Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the second Twenty20 international to clinch the series on Saturday.

The head of Russia's state-run RT television is in no doubt. If fellow citizens oppose President Vladimir Putin's action in Ukraine then they are no longer Russians.

Russia was on Saturday furthered targeted by the sporting world due to the invasion of Ukraine as both Poland and Sweden said they would not play the Russian team in 2022 World Cup play-offs while the Swedish Government demanded a blanket European Union sporting ban on the country.

Manchester United's challenge for a top-four finish in the Premier League stumbled once more as Watford clung on for a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford to boost their hopes of survival.

Christian Eriksen made an emotional return to football eight months after his cardiac arrest on Saturday as Manchester United dropped points in their push for a Premier League top-four place with a 0-0 draw against Watford.

An emotional Andrey Rublev said he will sleep for two days after securing his third trophy in seven days by ending the dream run of Czech qualifier Jiri Vesely with a 6-3, 6-4 victory in the Dubai final on Saturday.

Poland's Iga Swiatek swept aside Anett Kontaveit in the Qatar Open final on Saturday and dedicated her victory to "the people who are suffering in Ukraine".

Japan midfielder Genki Haraguchi finally scored his first goal for Union Berlin Saturday while around Germany, Bundesliga clubs showed solidarity in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Pro-Ukraine protests erupted across the world on Saturday, as thousands took to the streets from London to Rome to Barcelona to denounce Russia's assault on its neighbour.

France stayed on course for their first Six Nations Grand Slam and title since 2010 with a thumping 36-17 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's two decades of relations with the West, initially marked by fascination over what the ex-KGB agent stood for and then bursts of cooperation, have now reached a point of no return with his invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

Christian Eriksen made an emotional return to competitive football eight months after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch, coming on as a substitute for Brentford against Newcastle on Saturday.

Local hero Wout van Aert opened the classic season by surging away from a powerful pack to win Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday.

Russia on Saturday ordered its troops to advance in Ukraine "from all directions" as the Ukrainian capital Kyiv imposed a blanket curfew and officials reported 198 civilian deaths.

Tottenham hammered Leeds 4-0 on Saturday to put a smile back on the face of Antonio Conte and plunge Marcelo Bielsa's team deeper into Premier League relegation trouble.

England summoned Elliot Daly into their starting XV to play Wales in place of injured centre Manu Tuilagi when coach Eddie Jones announced a revised team just over two hours before kick-off in Saturday's Six Nations clash at Twickenham.

Opener Pathum Nissanka and an explosive Dasun Shanaka put on an attacking stand to guide Sri Lanka to 183 for five against India in their second Twenty20 international on Saturday.

Russian forces have made thrusts into Kyiv before falling back to the outskirts, facing tough resistance from Ukrainian troops on day three of the invasion ordered by President Vladimir Putin on February 24.

Manchester United and Watford players stood together with a sign saying "peace" in six languages ahead of Saturday's Premier League match in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russian gas giant Gazprom's contract with UEFA is in the balance after Russia's invasion of Ukraine with European football to make a decision next week, a source told AFP on Saturday.

Christian Eriksen was named among the Brentford substitutes for the visit of Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday.

Tottenham hammered Leeds 4-0 on Saturday to put a smile back on the face of Antonio Conte and plunge Marcelo Bielsa's team deeper into trouble towards the foot of the Premier League.

Joey Carbery performed well against France but Sunday's Six Nations clash with Italy gives the fly-half the chance to "make sure he grasps that next level" said Ireland attack coach Mike Catt on Saturday.

Having evacuated part of his team from Kyiv, Mike Chobanian, boss of cryptocurrency exchange Kuna, is watching the effects of Russia's invasion on his flourishing industry with a weary eye.

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen won the men's World Cup slalom in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Saturday as several top names struggled to recapture their medal-winning form from the Winter Olympics.