Ukraine

There were echoes of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, which also followed a discredited referendum and was heralded by a presidential victory speech from a stage.

During the 77th Session of the UN General Assembly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday expressed his support for India, becoming a permanent member of the Security Council.

Barcelona star and Polish icon Robert Lewandowski expressed his increased support for Ukraine by pledging to wear an armband with the nation's blue-and-yellow flag colours to the Qatar World Cup in November 2022.

"If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we use all available means to protect our people -- this is not a bluff," the Russian president said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country's first mobilisation since World War Two and warned the West that if it continued its "nuclear blackmail", Moscow would respond with the might of all its vast arsenal.

"I think what you heard in Uzbekistan from both Chinese and Indian leaders is indicative of the fact that Putin doesn't have a lot of sympathetic ears out there to what he's been doing in Ukraine," said John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House's National Security Council.

The Union Health Ministry said Indians who scored poorly in NEET or could not afford medical education in India chose foreign universities in such countries. If students with poor NEET scores were allowed in premier colleges here, it would result in litigation by students who could not get seats here, the Centre said in an affidavit.

Nuclear operator Energoatom said that one of the power lines was restored late on Saturday, allowing plant operators to shut down the last reactor.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi saidEastern Economic Forumhas become one of the major global platforms for the development of the Russian Far East.

Russia announced on Monday that the Vostok 2022 military exercises, which will involve more than 50,000 troops from China, India, and numerous other nations, will take place from September 1 to 7 in several locations in the Far East and the Sea of Japan.