The number of fraud cases investigated jumped 540 per cent in one year.

Within a remarkable day and a half, Russia faced the very real threat of an armed insurrection, with President Vladimir Putin vowing to punish Wagner fighters marching toward Moscow and occupying cities along the way – before a sudden deal with Belarus seemed to defuse the crisis as rapidly as it emerged.

But much remains uncertain, with experts warning the rare uprising isn't likely to disappear so quickly without consequences down the line.

Putin must now navigate the aftermath of the most serious challenge to his authority since he came to power in 2000, following a series of dizzying events that was closely – and nervously – watched by the world and cheered by Ukraine.

READ MORE: The 'serious challenges' now facing Putin's regime

Outspoken Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is being sent to Belarus, apparently unscathed, but he may have painted a target on his own back like never before.

Here's what we know.

What's the latest?

Prigozhin, the bombastic head of the Wagner group, agreed to leave Russia for neighbouring Belarus today, in a deal apparently brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

The deal includes Prigozhin pulling back his troops from their march toward the capital, said a Kremlin spokesperson.

The criminal charges against him will be dropped, said the spokesperson.

Wagner fighters will face no legal action for their part in the insurrection, and will instead sign contracts with Russia's Ministry of Defence – a move Prigozhin had previously rejected as an attempt to bring his paramilitary force in line.

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Wagner troops previously claimed they had seized key military facilities in two Russian cities; by Saturday, videos showed Prigozhin and his forces withdrawing from one of those cities, Rostov-on-Don.

It's not clear where Prigozhin is now.

The Kremlin is unaware of his whereabouts, the spokesperson said.

How did this happen?

The crisis in Russia erupted on Friday (local time) when Prigozhin accused Russia's military of attacking a Wagner camp and killing his men – and vowed to retaliate by force.

Prigozhin then led his troops into Rostov-on-Don and claimed to have taken control of key military facilities in the Voronezh region, where there was an apparent clash between Wagner units and Russian forces.

Prigozhin claimed it wasn't a coup but a "march of justice."

But that did little to appease Moscow, with a top security official calling Prigozhin's actions a "staged coup d'état," according to Russian state media.

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Russia's Defence Ministry denied attacking Wagner's troops, and Russia's internal security force opened a criminal case against Prigozhin.

Then came a remarkable national address from Putin.

In a speech that was broadcast across Russia on Saturday morning local time, a visibly furious Putin vowed to punish those "on a path to treason."

Wagner's "betrayal" was a "stab in the back of our country and our people," he said, likening the group's actions to the 1917 Russian Revolution that toppled Tsar Nicholas II in the midst of WWI.

Things were tense on the ground, with civilians in Voronezh told to stay home.

Meanwhile, Moscow stepped up its security measures across the capital, declaring Monday a non-workday.

Photos show Russian forces in body armour and wielding automatic weapons near a highway outside Moscow.

All signs pointed to an impending armed confrontation in the capital as rumours and uncertainty swirled.

Then almost as suddenly as it began, the short-lived mutiny fizzled out with the Belarus deal seeming putting out the fire – at least for now.

What's next for Prigozhin and Wagner?

Much remains unclear, such as what will happen to Prigozhin's role within Wagner and the Ukraine war, and whether all his fighters will be contracted to Russia's military.

The Kremlin spokesperson said today he "cannot answer" what position Prigozhin will take in Belarus.

Prigozhin himself has provided little detail about his agreement to halt the advance on Moscow.

The Wagner group is "an independent fighting company" with different conditions than the Russian military, said retired US Army Maj. Mike Lyons.

For instance, Wagner fighters are better fed than the military – meaning a full assimilation would be difficult.

"Maybe some will splinter off," he added.

"Those people are loyal to the man, Prigozhin, not to the country, not to the mission. I think we've got a lot more questions that are not answered right now."

The danger isn't over for the Wagner boss, either, experts say.

"Putin doesn't forgive traitors. Even if Putin says, 'Prigozhin, you go to Belarus,' he is still a traitor and I think Putin will never forgive that," said Jill Dougherty, CNN's former Moscow bureau chief and a longstanding expert on Russian affairs.

It's possible we could see Prigozhin "get killed in Belarus," she added – but it's a tough dilemma for Moscow because as long as Prigozhin "has some type of support, he is a threat, regardless of where he is."

What does this mean for Putin?

Putin now faces real problems, too.

Multiple experts told CNN that while the Russian president survived the stand-off, he now looks weak – not only to the world and his enemies, but to his own people and military.

That could pose a risk if there are skeptics or rivals within Moscow who see an opportunity to undermine Putin's position.

"If I were Putin, I would be worried about those people on the streets of Rostov cheering the Wagner people as they leave," said Dougherty.

READ MORE: Tech giants could be fined billions in fake news crackdown

One video, geolocated and verified by CNN, showed crowds cheering as Prigozhin's vehicle departed Rostov-on-Don.

The vehicle stopped when one individual approached and shook Prigozhin's hand.

"Why are average Russians on the street cheering people who just tried to carry out a coup?" Dougherty said.

"That means that maybe they support them or they like them. Whatever it is, it's really bad news for Putin."

Who is Prigozhin? Why would he do this?

Prigozhin has known Putin since the 1990s, and was nicknamed "Putin's chef" after winning lucrative catering contracts with the Kremlin.

But Russian-backed separatist movements in Ukraine in 2014 set the foundation for Prigozhin's transformation into a warlord.

Prigozhin founded Wagner to be a shadowy mercenary outfit that fought both in eastern Ukraine and, increasingly, for Russian-backed causes around the world.

Wagner was thrust into the spotlight during the Ukraine war, with the fighters appearing to win tangible progress where regular Russian troops failed.

However, its brutal tactics are believed to have caused high numbers of casualties.

As the war dragged on, Prigozhin and Russia's military leadership have engaged in a public feud, with the Wagner boss accusing the military of not giving his forces ammunition and bemoaning the lack of battlefield successes by regular military units.

He was repeatedly critical of their handling of the conflict, casting himself as ruthless and competent in comparison.

Prigozhin was always careful to direct his blame towards Russia's military leadership, not Putin, and had defended the reasoning for the war in Ukraine.

That was, until Friday as the insurrection kicked off.

In a remarkable statement, Prigozhin said Moscow invaded Ukraine under false pretences devised by the Russian Ministry of Defence, and that Russia was actually losing ground on the battlefield.

Steve Hall, a former CIA chief of Russia operations, said even seasoned Russia watchers were taken aback by recent events.

READ MORE: Fire destroys home in Sydney's south west, hours after police raid

"Everybody is scratching their heads," he said.

"The only sense I can make from a day like today, you have two guys who found themselves in untenable situations and had to find their way out."

Hall said Prigozhin may have felt he had bitten off more than he could chew as his column of troops marched towards Moscow.

But at the same time Putin faced the very real prospect of having to defeat some 25,000 Wagner mercenaries.

Sending Prigozhin to Belarus was a face saving move for both sides.

But Hall said Putin comes out ultimately worse off and weakened.

"Putin should have seen it coming literally months ago. We'll see how it ends up. I don't think the story is over yet," Hall said.

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‘I’m really not impressed that my petrol bill is going to go up’.

Plastic made from seaweed and milk that doesn't come from a cow.

Those ideas may once have been seen as fanciful science fiction, but a boom in Australian biotechnology is making these discoveries, and more, the way of the future.

Seaweed could revolutionise how humans make all kinds of plastic product, according to Perth-based start-up ULUU.

READ MORE: The serious challenges now facing Putin's regime

Founded by Dr Julia Reisser, the company has found a way to turn natural farmed seaweed into pellets that can then be extruded into any plastic form.

"It mimics plastic very well so it can really replace plastic at scale with a material that's good for the world," Reisser told 9News.

The pellets can be used in all kinds of products, from cosmetics to fabrics and packaging.

Unlike plastic, the seaweed version is completely recyclable and biodegradable, meaning it will simply break down if it ends up in landfill or back in the sea.

Seaweed farms also offset more carbon than they emit and clean pollutants from the ocean.

"It's going to help us tackle plastic pollution, climate change and ocean health," Reisser said.

The venture capital firm Main Sequence, which was founded by CSIRO, is backing start-ups like ULUU and also Eden Brew.

Eden Brew has worked out how to make milk proteins in the same way a cow does in its stomach.

But unlike a dairy milk or plant-based milk, biotechnology uses fewer resources.

Eden Brew's process requires very little land, produces none of the methane gases cows do, and uses significantly less water.

READ MORE: Stolen ATM turns up empty on South Australia country road

Chief executive Jim Fader expects demand for dairy, beef, pork, lamb and chicken to rise by 50-100 per cent over the next 30 years.

"So we need to find modern and safe ways to make the foods we know and love," he said.

Fader said Eden Brew is not trying to replace traditional milk supply, but just augment it.

There is great potential for the technology to help reduce the cost of milk and provide stable supply, he said.

Eden Brew is working on scaling up production to a commercial level and expects to be selling its milk and ice cream in 18 months time.

READ MORE: Fire destroys home in Sydney's south west, hours after police raid

An ATM stolen in an audacious ram raid on a South Australian pub has turned up empty on a rural road.

The cash machine was lifted out of a licenced premises at Cudlee Creek, east of Adelaide, in the Adelaide Hills early on Saturday morning.

Police said the machine, which had been broken apart and emptied of cash, only contained a small amount of money.

READ MORE: Two dams close to overflowing in South Australia

CCTV revealed the break-in happened around 4.30am.

A white Mazda was used to crash into the front doors of the pub and two people were seen stealing the cash machine, police said.

About 5.30am police were called to Angas Creek Road, around 10km east of Cudlee Creek, after reports of a white Mazda on fire.

READ MORE: The 'serious challenges' now facing Putin's regime

Police checks revealed the car had been stolen from a northern Adelaide suburb last week.

A few hours later, a member of the public called police to say they had seen the front of an ATM on Tippett Road, Millbrook, 15 minutes from where the rest was found.

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Luxon reached for the “red meat” law and order policies to try to win over voters.

The Hawks led at the end of each of the first three quarters but lost again at home.

About 80 people attended the meeting on Saturday night.

Residents living near two at-peril dams in South Australia are on high alert for possible flooding.

SA State Emergency Service issued a "dam failure" warning for Basket Range, east of Adelaide, stating there was a "high risk" of flooding.

Lobethal Road between Basket Range and Ashton could be impacted, they said, and road closures are being in put in place.

READ MORE: The 'serious challenges' now facing Putin's regime

Properties could also be affected along Deep Creek from Lobethal Road towards Elborough Avenue, the SES said.

The Basket Range warning follows an alert from SES last night warning residents of Hope Forest, 40km south of Adelaide, to monitor weather conditions and be ready for floods.

READ MORE: 'Bloodshed could've happened': Elite fighters mobilised over Wagner march

https://twitter.com/SA_SES/status/1672807833539338242?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

South Australia is braced for more storm activity today.

Adelaide is currently in the midst of its wettest year in four decades and more potentially heavy rain is on the horizon.

Another cold front is pushing across South Australia, bringing vigorous winds and heavy showers.

The front will continue east into Victoria tomorrow, bringing "blustery" winds," Weatherzone said.

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The Bureau of Meteorology has issued multiple severe weather warnings for South Australia, adding 7 to 15 mm of rain is expected to fall over Adelaide today.

A damaging wind warning is in place for the Mount Lofty Ranges and parts of Murraylands districts, while there is a flood watch for parts of the north-west and nort-east districts.

Adelaide itself is set to stay cold and wet with a top of 15 degrees.

The city was hit with a rain bomb over the past two days, leading to flooding and road closures.

It's been the wettest year in four decades for Adelaide, with 316mm of rainfall recorded as of today.

READ MORE: Wagner mercenary group boss turns forces away from Moscow

The deluge isn't set to stop, with some areas potentially experiencing downpours of 60-80mm, particularly during isolated thunderstorms today.

Adelaide Hill is set to cop the worst of the bad weather, along with the south-east coastal regions, and Kangaroo Island.

Melbourne can expect a "very high chance" of showers today, will a barmy top of 13 degrees.

Sydney is expected to reach 19 degrees today, Brisbane 27, Perth 16, Hobart 14, Canberra 11 and Darwin 32.

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National wants harsher sentences and to end Labour’s push to reduce prison population.