News Daily: Boris Johnson burka row and Ian Paisley recall petition

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Boris Johnson burka row: Tories 'should ditch MP'

Boris Johnson is refusing to back down after comparing women who wear burkas to "letter boxes" and "bank robbers". Conservative Muslim Forum founder Lord Sheikh has told the BBC that the former foreign secretary should have the Conservative whip taken away, removing him from the parliamentary party. Mr Johnson was not a "super human being", he said.

Prime Minister Theresa May has supported calls for Mr Johnson to apologise, but a source close to the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip said it was "ridiculous" to criticise his views. BBC political correspondent Susana Mendonca says Mr Johnson, often spoken of as a possible future Conservative leader, risks being seen as "weak" if he retracts his remarks.

Petition on Ian Paisley by-election opens

The DUP MP Ian Paisley will face a by-election if 10% of his constituents sign a petition demanding one - a process which opens today. The petition - prompted by fellow MPs deciding to ban him from Parliament for 30 days over his failure to declare two family holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan government - is the first of its kind. It's happening under a process called recall, designed to hold politicians to greater account, which was brought in in 2016.

Mr Paisley has apologised in the Commons. People in his North Antrim constituency have until 19 September to decide on the by-election. Here's a profile of the MP.

Drought declared for whole of New South Wales

The Australian state of New South Wales is "100% in drought", officials say. Less than 10mm (0.4in) of rain fell in July, worsening the struggle by farmers to water crops and feed animals. And drier than usual weather is forecast for the next few months. Here's what Australia's drought looks like from the air.

Lord's cricket wrangle rumbles on for 19 years

By Bill Wilson, business reporter

As England's players prepare to step out at Lord's for the second Test against India, they will be unaware of a long-running wrangle rumbling away not far below their feet. It is a saga that stretches back nearly two decades, and involves a dispute over a narrow strip of land at the edge of the historic complex in north London known as "the home of cricket".

The stretch of land, measuring 200m by 38m (656ft by 125ft) at the Nursery End of the Lord's site, sits above disused Victorian railway tunnels. And that area has been at the heart of a tussle between the ground's owners - Marylebone Cricket Club - and the owner of the lease on that strip of land,

What the papers say

Image source, I and Sun

Several newspapers lead on the row over Boris Johnson's remarks on burkas. The i's front page shows his eyes as if peering through a narrow strip shaped like a letter box. Metro says he's coming under pressure to apologise, while the Daily Telegraph reports that this is the first substantial rift with Prime Minister Theresa May since Mr Johnson quit the cabinet over Brexit. Meanwhile, the Times says a quarter of HS2 staff received salary and bonuses worth more than £100,000 last year. And the Daily Star informs readers that the UK's youngest Lottery winner is happier than ever having blown the lot.

Daily digest

Siddique Kamara Man charged with murdering rapper

KFC and Kellogg's Food giants told to remove junk food adverts for children

Sex slavery Anna describes beings snatched off the street, nine months of hell and her eventual escape

GDP strangeness How buying cocaine helps the government

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Lookahead

13:00 The 100th anniversary of the Battle of Amiens, which marked the start of the decisive Allied "hundred days offensive" in World War One, is commemorated at Amiens Cathedral, France.

19:45 Celtic host AEK Athens in the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

On this day

1988 The Duke and Duchess of York announce the birth of their first child, Princess Beatrice.

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