Newspaper headlines: 'PM without shame' and 'Tory MPs told to block inquiry'

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By BBC News
Staff
Reuters

The front pages are dominated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's apology in the House of Commons over being fined for breaking Covid lockdown rules.

The Metro goes with the headline "I'm Truly Sorry", while the I quotes Tory backbencher Mark Harper, who said Boris Johnson is "not worthy of great office"".

The Guardian opts to reflect comments from Sir Keir Starmer, after the Labour leader called the prime minister "a man without shame". The Daily Star calls Mr Johnson a 'Klingon PM' alongside a mocked up picture of him as a Star Trek villain.

Meanwhile the Daily Mirror has printed a front page appeal to Tory MPs to remove Mr Johnson from office. It says Conservative backbenchers can either "vote for integrity and decency... or for a liar and a cheat" when a motion to refer the matter to the Commons privileges committee goes before MPs on Thursday.

The Times looks at efforts by Conservative whips to win that vote, with some MPs telling the paper they've been ordered to attend Parliament to block the inquiry - despite previously been given permission to be absent.

The Daily Express comes to the PM's defence, with its headline calling the issue a "waste of time" when "so much more is at stake".

The Daily Mail makes no reference to the story on its front page, focussing instead on what it calls the 'Road Revolution' - which will see people using self-driving cars allowed to watch television and films.

The Daily Telegraph says the new guidance in the Highway Code has been introduced ahead of the anticipated approval of driverless cars in the UK later this year.

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Meanwhile, the Financial Times says President Biden is being urged to sanction lawyers in the UK who've worked for Russian oligarchs.

It reports that Democratic congressman Steve Cohen has written to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for US travel bans for those who've helped rich individuals close to the Kremlin to take action against investigative journalists.