The opening salvo has been fired in the Fine Gael leadership battle after Leo Varadkar called for a TV debate and took a swipe at rival Simon Coveney about when the upcoming contest will begin.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been accused of being a “spoofer” and of making an “eejit” of himself over his claim that he was advised the Army might have to guard ATMs during the eurozone crisis.

The leaders of the 28 EU countries took a few hours off bickering over who should lead the European Commission to remember the day, 100 years ago, when the First World War began, taking 16m lives in just four years.

PLANS are going ahead for a protest over the threats posed to Irish farming and agri business by the world trade talks, when the European Commission president José Manuel Barroso visits Dublin next Thursday.