UK PM could face leadership challenge this week: Times

Officials in British prime minister Boris Johnson's ruling Conservative Party expect a challenge to his leadership this week and have pencilled in a vote for Wednesday, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.

A growing number of Conservative lawmakers have said they have lost faith in Johnson's government over a "partygate" scandal, with some saying they have submitted letters to officially call for a vote of confidence in their leader.

At least 54 Conservative members of parliament are required to formally request a confidence vote to the chairman of the party's 1922 Committee for one to be triggered. The letters are confidential so only the chairman of the committee knows how many have been submitted. Read full story

More than 25 lawmakers have gone public with their letters so far and the Times said party officials and rebel lawmakers believed they were on the verge of the 54 threshold, with one believing the key number had already been passed.