Protests against China's banking system are growing. An unverified video is going viral. It allegedly shows military tanks guarding a local bank in a Chinese city. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Did China bring out tanks to crush protesters?

The United States recorded a case of polio on Thursday (July 21). The case has been identified outside New York City in Rockland County, the New York State Health Department confirmed. The report of a known polio case means this would be the first in the country in nearly 10 years.&nbsp;

The health department revealed that a person living in Rockland County, (48 kilometres) north of Manhattan, had tested positive for the highly contagious disease.&nbsp;

New York's health department said in a statement: "This suggests that the virus may have originated in a location outside of the US where OPV is administered since revertant strains cannot emerge from inactivated vaccines."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/is-monkeypox-global-health-emergency-who-discusses-rise-in-cases-and-outbreaks-499584">Is monkeypox a global health emergency? WHO discusses rise in cases and outbreaks</a>&nbsp;

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the last recorded case of polio in the US was in 2013 and the last naturally occurring cases in America were reported in 1979.&nbsp;

Officials have revealed that the latest case was a type "indicative of a transmission chain from an individual who received the oral polio vaccine (OPV)."&nbsp;

In a statement, Rockland County Health Commissioner Patricia Schnabel Ruppert said: "We are monitoring the situation closely and working with the New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respond to this emergent public health issue to protect the health and wellbeing of county residents."&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scientists-develop-microrobots-that-surround-a-cancer-cell-and-kill-it-498833">Scientists develop microrobots that surround a cancer cell and kill it</a>&nbsp;

Officials have also warned healthcare providers to be on the lookout for more cases. They also urged people in the area who are not vaccinated to get the shot.

In the United States, the oral vaccine was discontinued in 2000. &nbsp;

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The United States recorded a case of polio on Thursday (July 21). The case has been identified outside New York City in Rockland County, the New York State Health Department confirmed.

The United States recorded a case of polio on Thursday (July 21). The case has been identified outside New York City in Rockland County, the New York State Health Department confirmed. The report of a known polio case means this would be the first in the country in nearly 10 years. The health department revealed that a person living in Rockland County, (48 kilometres) north of Manhattan, had tested positive for the highly contagious disease. New York's health department said in a statement: "This suggests that the virus may have originated in a location outside of the US where OPV is administered since revertant strains cannot emerge from inactivated vaccines." ALSO READ | Is monkeypox a global health emergency? WHO discusses rise in cases and outbreaks According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the last recorded case of polio in the US was in 2013 and the last naturally occurring cases in America were reported in 1979. Officials have revealed that the latest case was a type "indicative of a transmission chain from an individual who received the oral polio vaccine (OPV)." In a statement, Rockland County Health Commissioner Patricia Schnabel Ruppert said: "We are monitoring the situation closely and working with the New York State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respond to this emergent public health issue to protect the health and wellbeing of county residents." ALSO READ | Scientists develop microrobots that surround a cancer cell and kill it Officials have also warned healthcare providers to be on the lookout for more cases. They also urged people in the area who are not vaccinated to get the shot. In the United States, the oral vaccine was discontinued in 2000. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Polio case found in New York City suburb, first known case in nearly a decade

Experts on Thursday (July 21) discussed whether or not the World Health Organization (WHO) should classify the monkeypox outbreaks as a global health emergency, which is the highest alarm it can sound for any disease.

Experts on Thursday (July 21) discussed whether or not the World Health Organization (WHO) should classify the monkeypox outbreaks as a global health emergency, which is the highest alarm it can sound for any disease. Monkeypox cases are rising rapidly with nearly 15,400 confirmed cases in at least 71 countries, including India. Amid the worsening situation, a second meeting of the WHO's emergency committee on the monkeypox virus was held. Considering various factors, the WHO decides if a particular disease constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). PHEIC is the UN health agency's highest alert level. ALSO READ | More than quarter healthy teenagers are on diet to lose weight, says study Importantly, during the emergency meeting, a majority of experts advised the WHO's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus that the current situation had not met the threshold. Tedros told the start of the meeting: "I need your advice in assessing the immediate and mid-term public health implications." Symptoms of monkeypox Monkeypox is a viral infection that is more common in West and Central Africa. It is an uncommon disease as most cases occur in west and central Africa. Occasionally it spreads elsewhere. For the unversed, Monkeypox is related to smallpox, which killed millions around the world every year before it was eradicated in 1980. But monkeypox is much less severe, with a fatality ratio of three to six per cent. Most people recover within three to four weeks. The initial symptoms include a high fever, swollen lymph nodes and a chickenpox-like rash. ALSO READ | Scientists develop microrobots that surround a cancer cell and kill it WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Is monkeypox a global health emergency? WHO discusses rise in cases and outbreaks

Belarus President Alexander&nbsp;Lukashenko&nbsp;Thursday said Russia, Ukraine and the West must agree to halt the Ukraine conflict to avoid the "abyss of nuclear war" and insisted Kyiv should accept Moscow's demands.

"We must stop, reach an agreement, end this mess, operation and war in Ukraine,"&nbsp;Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin's top ally, told AFP in an exclusive interview in Minsk.

"Let's stop and then we will figure out how to go on living," he said during the one-hour interview at the Palace of Independence.&nbsp;

"There's no need to go further. Further lies the abyss of nuclear war. There's no need to go there," he said, speaking on the 148th day of Moscow's offensive in Ukraine.

Lukashenko&nbsp;accused the West of seeking a conflict with Russia and of provoking the Ukraine war.

"You have fomented the war and are continuing it," he said.

"We have seen the reasons for this war," he added.&nbsp;

"If Russia had not got ahead of you, members of NATO, you would have organised and struck a blow against it," he said, echoing Putin.

"He just got slightly ahead of you."

Belarus has served as a staging ground for Russia's intervention in Ukraine, but&nbsp;Lukashenko&nbsp;has so far avoided becoming a party to the conflict.

'Everything depends on Ukraine'

Analysts say that he is keenly aware of the fact that most Belarusians do not support sending troops into Ukraine.

The 67-year-old leader, who has ruled Belarus for nearly three decades, insisted that Kyiv authorities can end the war if they re-start talks with Moscow and accept its demands.

"Everything depends on Ukraine," he said.

"Right now, the peculiarity of the moment is that this war can be ended on more acceptable terms for Ukraine."&nbsp;

He urged Kyiv authorities to "sit down at the negotiating table and agree that they will never threaten Russia".

Talks between Russia and Ukraine largely ground to a halt in mid-April.

Lukashenko&nbsp;said that Ukraine must accept the loss of territory occupied by Russia in eastern and southern Ukraine.

"This is no longer being discussed," he said. "One could have discussed this in February or March."

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that peace talks with Ukraine "make no sense", and announced that Moscow's military aims in the pro-Western country were no longer focused "only" on the east.

Lukashenko&nbsp;has sought to promote himself as Putin's most faithful ally, welcoming Russian troops under the pretext of military exercises before Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive.&nbsp;

Lukashenko&nbsp;insisted that the war could have been avoided if Western countries had given Putin "the security guarantees" he wanted.

"On the eve of the Ukraine war why did not you provide such guarantees?" he said. "This means you wanted war.

"You, members of NATO and Americans, needed war."

Before intervening in Ukraine, Putin had demanded that NATO stop its eastward expansion and voiced grievances over Washington's military support for Ukraine.

'Not killing people'

Despite officially being a non-belligerent, the Belarus strongman has demanded that his country be included in any talks and a deal to end the conflict.

Lukashenko&nbsp;told AFP that he considered his country to be part of the conflict, however.&nbsp;

"I am part of the operation that Russia is conducting," he said. "I am supporting Russia."

He said he allowed 20,000 Russian troops from Siberia and the Far East to use Belarus as a staging ground to attack Ukraine at the start of the war.

"Because you were ready to strike Belarus and Russian infrastructure," the Belarus strongman claimed.

"Do you want to say that I had to sit and wait until rockets start falling on the heads of the Belarusian people? No!"

At the same time he insisted that not a single Belarusian soldier was fighting in Ukraine.

"I shut the western and the southwestern border near Brest," he said. "So that you, the NATO troops, primarily the Poles being pushed by the Americans, do not stab the Russians in the back. I couldn't allow it."

He insisted that the West was "even more of an aggressor than me."

"It is you who are fighting there, your mercenaries and your weapons," he added.

Belarus also took part in the conflict by treating Russia's wounded troops,&nbsp;Lukashenko&nbsp;added.

"Yes, we treated the wounded. The dead were taken to Belarus," he said.&nbsp;

"We were handing over and handing over now medicines to both Ukrainians and Russians. This is how we are taking part in this operation. And we are not killing people."

Lukashenko&nbsp;said he did not plan to recognise as independent Ukraine's separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk or Russia's annexation of Crimea.

"What is the point today?" he said.

Despite his heavy economic and military dependence on Russia, he insisted he was no "puppet".

Lukashenko&nbsp;said he was ready to receive a loan from France. "But you spat on us, tried to wipe your feet on us, me, and my country."

He also denounced Western economic penalties on his country and Moscow.

"The situation with your idiotic and savage sanctions just showed how dependent you are on Russian energy resources."

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko Thursday said Russia, Ukraine and the West must agree to halt the Ukraine conflict to avoid the "abyss of nuclear war" and insisted Kyiv should accept Moscow's demands.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko Thursday said Russia, Ukraine and the West must agree to halt the Ukraine conflict to avoid the "abyss of nuclear war" and insisted Kyiv should accept Moscow's demands. "We must stop, reach an agreement, end this mess, operation and war in Ukraine," Lukashenko, Russian President Vladimir Putin's top ally, told AFP in an exclusive interview in Minsk. "Let's stop and then we will figure out how to go on living," he said during the one-hour interview at the Palace of Independence. "There's no need to go further. Further lies the abyss of nuclear war. There's no need to go there," he said, speaking on the 148th day of Moscow's offensive in Ukraine. Lukashenko accused the West of seeking a conflict with Russia and of provoking the Ukraine war. "You have fomented the war and are continuing it," he said. "We have seen the reasons for this war," he added. "If Russia had not got ahead of you, members of NATO, you would have organised and struck a blow against it," he said, echoing Putin. "He just got slightly ahead of you." Belarus has served as a staging ground for Russia's intervention in Ukraine, but Lukashenko has so far avoided becoming a party to the conflict. 'Everything depends on Ukraine' Analysts say that he is keenly aware of the fact that most Belarusians do not support sending troops into Ukraine. The 67-year-old leader, who has ruled Belarus for nearly three decades, insisted that Kyiv authorities can end the war if they re-start talks with Moscow and accept its demands. "Everything depends on Ukraine," he said. "Right now, the peculiarity of the moment is that this war can be ended on more acceptable terms for Ukraine." He urged Kyiv authorities to "sit down at the negotiating table and agree that they will never threaten Russia". Talks between Russia and Ukraine largely ground to a halt in mid-April. Lukashenko said that Ukraine must accept the loss of territory occupied by Russia in eastern and southern Ukraine. "This is no longer being discussed," he said. "One could have discussed this in February or March." On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that peace talks with Ukraine "make no sense", and announced that Moscow's military aims in the pro-Western country were no longer focused "only" on the east. Lukashenko has sought to promote himself as Putin's most faithful ally, welcoming Russian troops under the pretext of military exercises before Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive. Lukashenko insisted that the war could have been avoided if Western countries had given Putin "the security guarantees" he wanted. "On the eve of the Ukraine war why did not you provide such guarantees?" he said. "This means you wanted war. "You, members of NATO and Americans, needed war." Before intervening in Ukraine, Putin had demanded that NATO stop its eastward expansion and voiced grievances over Washington's military support for Ukraine. 'Not killing people' Despite officially being a non-belligerent, the Belarus strongman has demanded that his country be included in any talks and a deal to end the conflict. Lukashenko told AFP that he considered his country to be part of the conflict, however. "I am part of the operation that Russia is conducting," he said. "I am supporting Russia." He said he allowed 20,000 Russian troops from Siberia and the Far East to use Belarus as a staging ground to attack Ukraine at the start of the war. "Because you were ready to strike Belarus and Russian infrastructure," the Belarus strongman claimed. "Do you want to say that I had to sit and wait until rockets start falling on the heads of the Belarusian people? No!" At the same time he insisted that not a single Belarusian soldier was fighting in Ukraine. "I shut the western and the southwestern border near Brest," he said. "So that you, the NATO troops, primarily the Poles being pushed by the Americans, do not stab the Russians in the back. I couldn't allow it." He insisted that the West was "even more of an aggressor than me." "It is you who are fighting there, your mercenaries and your weapons," he added. Belarus also took part in the conflict by treating Russia's wounded troops, Lukashenko added. "Yes, we treated the wounded. The dead were taken to Belarus," he said. "We were handing over and handing over now medicines to both Ukrainians and Russians. This is how we are taking part in this operation. And we are not killing people." Lukashenko said he did not plan to recognise as independent Ukraine's separatist regions of Donetsk and Lugansk or Russia's annexation of Crimea. "What is the point today?" he said. Despite his heavy economic and military dependence on Russia, he insisted he was no "puppet". Lukashenko said he was ready to receive a loan from France. "But you spat on us, tried to wipe your feet on us, me, and my country." He also denounced Western economic penalties on his country and Moscow. "The situation with your idiotic and savage sanctions just showed how dependent you are on Russian energy resources."

Ukraine war must end to prevent nuclear 'abyss', says Lukashenko

At least 18 people died on Thursday during a major police raid in a dense warren of Rio de Janeiro slums, state military police said, in the latest bloody confrontation in Brazil's second-largest city.

Tactical teams from Rio de Janeiro's civil and military police raided the Alemao complex to take down an alleged criminal organization. The group was suspected of involvement in cargo theft and bank robberies and was planning incursions into rival slums, the military police said in a statement.

At least 18 people died in the raid: one police officer, 16 alleged criminals and a female bystander, police said. The operation involved around 400 officers, four aircraft and 10 armored vehicles.

The lopsided death toll ignited fears of rights abuses.

"There are signs of major human rights violations, and the possibility of this being one of the operations with the highest number of deaths in Rio de Janeiro," the state public defender's office said in a statement.

The military police declined comment beyond their statement.

Rio state police forces regularly carry out deadly raids in the city's sprawling slums. President Jair Bolsonaro supports heavy-handed tactics by police in their fight against organized crime, and has said gangsters should "die like cockroaches."

After the raid, locals could be seen bundling injured people into the back of vehicles to be taken to hospital as police watched. Gilberto Santiago Lopes, from the Anacrim Human Rights Commission, said police refused to help.

"We had to carry them away in a beverage truck, and then flag a local resident in their car to take them to hospital," he said. "(The police) don't aim to arrest them, they aim to kill them, so if they're injured, they think they don't deserve help."

Local residents were furious and yelled at the police.

"We're scared to live here," one local screamed after the raid. "Where are we? Afghanistan? In a war? In Iraq? If they want a war, send them to Iraq."

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At least 18 people died on Thursday during a major police raid in a dense warren of Rio de Janeiro slums, state military police said, in the latest bloody confrontation in Brazil's second-largest city.

At least 18 people died on Thursday during a major police raid in a dense warren of Rio de Janeiro slums, state military police said, in the latest bloody confrontation in Brazil's second-largest city. Tactical teams from Rio de Janeiro's civil and military police raided the Alemao complex to take down an alleged criminal organization. The group was suspected of involvement in cargo theft and bank robberies and was planning incursions into rival slums, the military police said in a statement. At least 18 people died in the raid: one police officer, 16 alleged criminals and a female bystander, police said. The operation involved around 400 officers, four aircraft and 10 armored vehicles. The lopsided death toll ignited fears of rights abuses. "There are signs of major human rights violations, and the possibility of this being one of the operations with the highest number of deaths in Rio de Janeiro," the state public defender's office said in a statement. The military police declined comment beyond their statement. Rio state police forces regularly carry out deadly raids in the city's sprawling slums. President Jair Bolsonaro supports heavy-handed tactics by police in their fight against organized crime, and has said gangsters should "die like cockroaches." After the raid, locals could be seen bundling injured people into the back of vehicles to be taken to hospital as police watched. Gilberto Santiago Lopes, from the Anacrim Human Rights Commission, said police refused to help. "We had to carry them away in a beverage truck, and then flag a local resident in their car to take them to hospital," he said. "(The police) don't aim to arrest them, they aim to kill them, so if they're injured, they think they don't deserve help." Local residents were furious and yelled at the police. "We're scared to live here," one local screamed after the raid. "Where are we? Afghanistan? In a war? In Iraq? If they want a war, send them to Iraq." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

At least 18 killed in latest deadly police raid in Rio de Janeiro

Sri Lankan armed forces raided a camp set up by anti-government protesters in the capital Colombo, media reported on Friday (July 22). This comes a day after Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the new president of the crisis-hit country.

Sri Lankan armed forces raided a camp set up by anti-government protesters in the capital Colombo, media reported on Friday (July 22). This comes a day after Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the new president of the crisis-hit country. As per a report by BBC, security forces raided the main anti-government protest camp in the country's capital and started pulling down tents. Images and videos posted on social media also suggest the same as they show armed forces marching towards tents. Amnesty International South Asia tweeted: "We're receiving reports of 'Gotagogama,' the peaceful protest site in Colombo, Sri Lanka being attacked by the Police and the Military in the early hours of Friday after surrounding it and arresting demonstrators." Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos and videos shared on social media. BREAKING: Troops are storming the protest village at Galle Face in Colombo https://t.co/B1YpuldSZ7 — Maddie Klett (@maddieklett) July 22, 2022 × A tense situation was reported at the main protest site in Colombo (Near Gota Go Gama). The soldiers who stormed in have removed the tents.#lka #SriLankaProtests #SriLanka pic.twitter.com/bjcR98mNuE — Pagetamil (@Pagetamil) July 22, 2022 × Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis. On Wednesday, the country's lawmakers voted elected Ranil Wickremesinghe as the new president. In the South Asian nation, people have suffered through months of food and fuel shortages, lengthy blackouts and galloping inflation as the nation ran out of foreign currency to import vital goods. Former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled abroad last week after his palace was stormed by hundreds of angry protesters demanding that he take responsibility for acute shortages of medicines, food and fuel. Now, people hope that Ranil's experience in government will help pull the country out of a crippling economic and political crisis. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Sri Lankan security forces demolish main anti-government protest camp: Report

In Australia, residents in the northern Victorian town of Mildura were left stunned when they saw a bright pink glow in the skies. The bizarre pink light appeared to be some scene from a science-fiction movie or aurora or maybe some alien invasion.

In Australia, residents in the northern Victorian town of Mildura were left stunned when they saw a bright pink glow in the skies. The bizarre pink light appeared to be some scene from a science-fiction movie or aurora or maybe some alien invasion. The eerie pink light was seen in the cloudy night sky in Mildura on Tuesday night. The images went viral on social media forums and people were speculating what it could be. ALSO READ | NASA posts colourful pic of Pluto, wows netizens One user wrote on Facebook: "I read about a potential solar flare due to hit on Tuesday." Another said: "Portal to the time-space continuum…" Some went a little too far as they compared the light to alien invasion or movies. See images here: Mildura, Australia: Is it a plane.. an UFO... Superman? Turns out someone forgot to close the blinds at a Cannabis farm. pic.twitter.com/HaokIwJn2c — Jürgen "jkr" Kraus (@jkr_on_the_web) July 21, 2022 × #mildura ... looks like #strangerthings pic.twitter.com/AtOk6b12Qn — Ervin Boer (@ErvinBoer) July 21, 2022 × Hey @JaneBunn any reports of this scary but brilliant sky over Mildura tonight ?? pic.twitter.com/3WZ7FZj1zp — Tim Green (@Tim_Green78) July 19, 2022 × Apparently someone left the blackout curtains open at a medical cannabis facility near Mildura in Victoria. I see. #marijuana #hydroponics pic.twitter.com/xSm52qGkQe — Peter Clarke (@MediaActive) July 21, 2022 × #Mildura and surrounds were treated to a spectacular sight tonight when a red light appeared in the sky. Was it aliens? An aurora? No, it appears to have been the hydroponic lights from a medicinal cannabis farm reflecting off cloud which is somehow the most Mildura answer ever. pic.twitter.com/Wfy63tRrng — Sarah Tomlinson (@sarah_tomlinson) July 19, 2022 × But the light turned out to be something else. Cann Group, a pharmaceutical industry company, revealed the actual source of the pink glow to ABC Mildura-Swan Hill. CEO Peter Crock told ABC Mildura-Swan Hill Breakfast on Wednesday that last night's pink phenomenon was the lights on in Cann Group's new area of its medicinal cannabis facility. He said: "As you might know, cannabis grows on an extended day length. The flowering zone is 12 hours light and 12 hours dark, which is normally 7am to 7pm. With the new zone coming into use in the next day or two, we have had the lights on." "Normally, the blackout blinds close at the same time as the sun sets, but last night we had the lights on and the blinds hadn't yet closed, so there was a period where it created a glow. At 7pm when we put the plants to sleep the lights went off," he added. So it was a cannabis facility, not aliens. Phew! WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Aliens? Celestial phenomenon? Weed facility? Bizarre pink glow over an Australian town

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday (July 20) said that Russia’s objectives in Ukraine now extend beyond the eastern Donbas region into the country’s south. His comments came as the war in Ukraine is approaching its fifth month. Lavrov told state media that now, the “geography is different”. During an interview with RIA Novosti, which was published on Wednesday, Lavrov said, “Denazification, demilitarisation in a sense that there are no military threats to our safety from the territory of Ukraine. This task remains.” ALSO READ | Ukrainian forces 'badly damage' key bridge in Kherson region amid ongoing conflict “When the negotiators met in Istanbul, one sort of geography was discussed. Our willingness to accept the Ukrainian proposal was based on that geography, the geography of the end of March 2022,” he added. When the reporter asked off camera “Meaning DPR and LPR?”, the Russian foreign minister asserted that now the “geography is different”. He said: “It’s far from being just the DPR and LPR, it’s also Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions and a number of other territories. And the process is continuing.” ‘Peace talks don’t make sense right now’ Lavrov also said that it makes no sense to resume peace talks with Kyiv at the moment. He also mentioned the weapons and arms supplied by the West allies to Ukraine. Lavrov said, “As the West pours more and more long-range weapons, such as HIMARS, into Ukraine in an impotent rage or in a desire to exacerbate the situation as much as possible, these HIMARS, (Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii) Reznikov or someone else was boasting that they have already received 300 km ammo — well, that means the geographical tasks of the special operation will extend still further from the current line.” WATCH | Turkish President Erdogan keeps Vladimir Putin waiting ahead of talks in Iran Russia plans to annex additional Ukrainian territory: US Lavrov’s comments came a day after US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that they have “ample evidence” to claim that Russia plans to annex additional Ukrainian territory. As said by Kirby, the areas targeted for annexation include Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and all of Donetsk and Luhansk. While speaking from the White House briefing room, Kirby had said, “Russia is laying the groundwork to annex Ukrainian territory that it controls in direct violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Russia is beginning to roll out a version of what you could call an annexation playbook, very similar to the one we saw in 2014.” WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Geography is different now': Russia's objectives in Ukraine not limited to eastern Donbas region, says Lavrov

The race to become the prime minister of the United Kingdom has narrowed down to just two as Conservative MPs on Wednesday (July 20) chose former finance minister Rishi Sunak and foreign secretary Liz Truss to battle to be the party leader and the prime minister. Party members will decide the final name.&nbsp; 
In the latest Tory leadership ballot, Penny Mordaunt was eliminated after getting 105 votes. Sunak led the last of five ballots of Tory lawmakers, winning 137 votes, ahead of Truss on 113.&nbsp; 
 
The final result will be announced on September 5. However, it is quite clear that Britain will either get its first PM of colour or its third woman leader.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/liz-truss-main-contender-against-rishi-sunak-in-race-to-become-next-uk-pm-499227">Liz Truss: Main contender against Rishi Sunak in race to become next UK PM</a>&nbsp;

After winning the latest voting, Sunak said: “We need to restore trust, rebuild the economy, and reunite our country.”&nbsp; 
His comments were made in the reference to Britain’s ongoing struggle with the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, which has gotten worse due to the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Brexit.&nbsp; 
 
On the other hand, Truss said she was “not complacent at all”. She said: “What I believe is that lowering taxes, opening up opportunities, is going to help us deliver the economic growth that Britain needs. And it’s also going to help deliver us the next election.”&nbsp; 
 
While selecting the final name, the party members will also consider how both candidates would approach some of the key issues as Sunak wants to tackle surging inflation and Britain’s pandemic debts. On the other hand, Truss wants immediate tax cuts. Overall, the economy will be a key battleground in the coming weeks. 
 
ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rishi-sunak-on-course-to-be-11th-indian-origin-head-of-state-join-6-still-reigning-499136">Rishi Sunak could become 11th Indian-origin leader in the world, joining 6 in office</a>&nbsp;

Considering the current heatwave issues in the UK, their approach to climate change will also be very crucial. Sunak has vowed to stick with Britain’s legally binding targets to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050.&nbsp; 
 
He previously said that he would maintain “green levies” on energy bills earmarked to help the renewable sector grow. Truss has vowed to scrap the levies, but says she is committed to the 2050 target.&nbsp; 
 
Besides taxation and climate change, other important factors to consider and analyse Truss and Sunak’s approach are defence, cost of living, immigration and Brexit. 
 
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The race to become the prime minister of the United Kingdom has narrowed down to just two as Conservative MPs on Wednesday (July 20) chose former finance minister Rishi Sunak and foreign secretary Liz Truss to battle to be the party leader and the prime minister.

The race to become the prime minister of the United Kingdom has narrowed down to just two as Conservative MPs on Wednesday (July 20) chose former finance minister Rishi Sunak and foreign secretary Liz Truss to battle to be the party leader and the prime minister. Party members will decide the final name. In the latest Tory leadership ballot, Penny Mordaunt was eliminated after getting 105 votes. Sunak led the last of five ballots of Tory lawmakers, winning 137 votes, ahead of Truss on 113. The final result will be announced on September 5. However, it is quite clear that Britain will either get its first PM of colour or its third woman leader. ALSO READ | Liz Truss: Main contender against Rishi Sunak in race to become next UK PM After winning the latest voting, Sunak said: “We need to restore trust, rebuild the economy, and reunite our country.” His comments were made in the reference to Britain’s ongoing struggle with the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades, which has gotten worse due to the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Brexit. On the other hand, Truss said she was “not complacent at all”. She said: “What I believe is that lowering taxes, opening up opportunities, is going to help us deliver the economic growth that Britain needs. And it’s also going to help deliver us the next election.” While selecting the final name, the party members will also consider how both candidates would approach some of the key issues as Sunak wants to tackle surging inflation and Britain’s pandemic debts. On the other hand, Truss wants immediate tax cuts. Overall, the economy will be a key battleground in the coming weeks. ALSO READ | Rishi Sunak could become 11th Indian-origin leader in the world, joining 6 in office Considering the current heatwave issues in the UK, their approach to climate change will also be very crucial. Sunak has vowed to stick with Britain’s legally binding targets to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. He previously said that he would maintain “green levies” on energy bills earmarked to help the renewable sector grow. Truss has vowed to scrap the levies, but says she is committed to the 2050 target. Besides taxation and climate change, other important factors to consider and analyse Truss and Sunak’s approach are defence, cost of living, immigration and Brexit. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

It’s Truss vs Sunak for the battle to be Britain’s next Prime Minister

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