kriti: marc chandler, -- marc chandler, we thank you.looking at live images from italian parliament. we will keep you updated with the headlines. for now, let's get to first word news with mark crumpton. mark: in the u.k., the race to succeed boris johnson is narrowing. trust ousted kenny borden today, pitching the foreign secretary into a final runoff against the former chancellor. the focus now shifts to 175,000 grassroots tory members who will make a final choice before the winner is announced on september 5. trust sold two of the most senior positions in boris johnson's administration. the former u.s. secretary of defense said now is not the time to ease sanctions against russia. >> the united states and our allies have to continue to tighten up on sanctions with regards to russia. we are in this. we have made it clear that we are going to confront russia and apply not only sanctions, but arms and reinforcement of our nato allies as a message to russia that they are not going to have their way. we cannot afford to back away from thos