Gay, under-40 politican to rule Ireland

Ireland is on course to elect its first gay prime minister (Taoiseach) after Leo Varadkar won a leadership battle in the ruling Fine Gael party.

Varadkar won the contest to succeed the current party leader and prime minister Enda Kenny, with 59.7 percent against 40.3 percent for his rival, housing minister Simon Coveney.

While Varadkar took the Electoral College, composed of Fine Gael parliamentarians, the vast majority of the party's "ordinary" members voted for Coveney, reflect...