London faces a high stakes diplomatic balancing act going forward given its desire to form closer post-Brexit economic ties with Beijing, writes Andrew Hammond

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he wants to hear what incoming British prime minister Boris Johnson has to say about how he intends avoiding a hard Brexit.

Irish politicians have been congratulating Boris Johnson following his election victory today.

However, other political parties in Northern Ireland expressed concern at Mr Johnson’s election as Conservative Party leader, particularly in terms of the potential implications for Brexit.

They did it. Despite knowing all that they know about him, they still voted for him.

Boris Johnson has been elected the new leader of the Conservative Party after beating out rival and British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt

She made the announcement about an hour before the new leader of the Conservative Party is set to be confirmed.

If, as is expected, Boris Johnson becomes the new Prime Minister this week, he will find himself engaged in a political fire-fight almost before he has even got his feet under the desk at 10 Downing Street.

The race to become the UK’s next prime minister is challenging our usual assumptions about what is important when people choose a leader. The rule book has been thrown out of the window.

DIGI recommended that the government reduce the excise tax on alcohol by 15% over the next two years in order to deal with this issue.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney has doubled down on Ireland’s red lines in the Brexit stand-off and warned that new demands to unravel the UK’s EU exit deal will not be considered.

For a politician who once declared as a child that he would like to be ‘king of the world’,the leadership of his country may have to suffice, writes David Hughes.

As the winner between the two Tory leadership candidates is announced, Brexit remains the key battleground for the next UK prime minister.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney has indicated Ireland and the EU are prepared to open up fresh talks on ways to avoid the backstop amid fears of a looming no-deal Brexit.

Irish banks are facing into a key two weeks to convince investors about their investment merits after a turgid year when their shares have again lagged most of their European counterparts.

The Government has insisted Ireland is not backing down on the backstop, despite Taoiseach Leo Varadkar admitting he is willing to consider workable alternatives to the plan.

I have been quite puzzled for some time about just how complacent the markets have been about the prospects of a disorderly Brexit.

British MPs have approved an amendment which aims to strengthen measures designed to try and stop the UK's Parliament being suspended to force through a no-deal Brexit.

The Taoiseach said he is looking forward to meeting with the new British Prime Minister and hearing how they plan to secure a withdrawal agreement.

Sterling resumed its dive amid warnings that a crash-out Brexit in late October would sink the currency — and the prospects for many Irish firms.

There aren’t too many images in modern history as sad, as forceful a reality check as the 1938 one of British prime minister Neville Chamberlain waving his peace-in-our-time note on an English airfield after talks with Hitler in Munich.

Ursula von der Leyen has been elected as the next European Commission President.

Sterling tumbled against the dollar and slid to a six-month low of under 90 pence against the euro as fears over a Halloween exit for Britain from the EU haunted investors.

Ursula von der Leyen should not put forward "flyer" arguments, Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly said.

A no-deal Brexit could see the entire island of Ireland treated as one economic zone for food and agriculture trade, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has signalled.

The incoming European Commission president has pledged to defend the Brexit backstop and the peace process amid calls for communities to be informed about possible border controls if there is no deal.

It may overstate the case to suggest that David Axelrod, the chief strategist for former US president Barack Obama’s election campaigns, regrets his sneering during the 2016 presidential election every day but it is certain he, and maybe millions of others, will never forget it.

Sterling fell sharply against both the euro and the dollar over the heightened scare that Britain will crash out of the EU at Halloween.

With polls indicating Boris Johnson could win the Tory leadership battle by a landslide, the irony is that his hold on power may be extremely fragile, says Andrew Hammond.

The start of any European Commission brings with it a sense of hope, a sense of new beginnings and new possibilities and a feeling curiosity in the face of the unknown personalities taking up the lead roles for the 27 countries of Europe.

The cost for the Irish State for any long-term borrowing is fast approaching zero as markets reacted to the nomination of Christine Lagarde to head up the ECB.

A push for Irish reunification and Scottish independence are "real threats" of a no-deal Brexit, UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has said.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said whoever becomes the UK's next prime minister will get a "fair hearing" from the EU.

Costas Pitas, Andy Bruce and Guy Faulconbridge Britain’s car industry has called for the country’s next prime minister to secure a Brexit deal which keeps frictionless trade with the EU, warning a no-deal exit risked billions of pounds in tariffs and border disruption which could cripple the sector.

So that’s Tuesday nearly wrapped up. Here are some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

Britain posted a larger-than-expected budget deficit last month as government spending rose, a reminder that the country’s next finance minister may have limited options to cushion any Brexit blow to the economy.

Leo Varadkar has said Ireland will be under an obligation to protect the single market if Britain crashes out of the EU in October.

Catch up on today's headlines.

Johnson got 114 votes, a massive 71 votes ahead of second place Jeremy Hunt.