Ahead of a crucial presidential election, former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is attempting a political comeback with a bid to rally cross-party support “around his barely disguised self-candidacy for the presidency,” the Financial Times reports.

New York Times: “The Italian presidency, the country’s head of state, is a seven-year position usually filled by a figure of unimpeachable integrity and sobriety whose influence flows from moral authority. The current holder, Sergio Mattarella, is a quiet statesman whose brother was murdered by the mob. Another contender is Mario Draghi, the prime minister and a titan of European politics who has led the country to a period of unusual stability.”

“Then there is Mr. Berlusconi, who despite his recent bad health, waxen appearance and weakened political standing, is making an unabashed push to win a career-culminating position that he hopes will wash away decades of stains — his allies say unjustly thrown mud — and rewrite his legacy.”

“The threat to Boris Johnson’s leadership has ramped up today as more Conservative MPs said they have submitted letters of no confidence in the PM,” Sky News reports.

Reuters: “To trigger a leadership challenge, 54 of the 360 Conservative MPs in parliament must write letters of no confidence to the chairman of the party’s 1922 Committee.”

Times of London: “The irony will not be lost on Boris Johnson that the greatest threat to his leadership now comes from the MPs who owe him their political careers. That threat should not be underestimated.”