Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar announces surprise resignation

Leo Varadkar, the prime minister of Ireland and leader of the Fine Gael party, unexpectedly announced his resignation from both positions on Wednesday. He cited personal and political reasons for stepping down, with the main reason being political. Varadkar plans to remain in parliament as a backbench lawmaker. His departure comes just ten weeks before the European parliament and local elections, and Ireland must hold a general election within a year. Varadkar's resignation was described as a "political earthquake" by pundits. He made the announcement during a press conference and asked for a new leader of the party to be chosen on April 6. Varadkar suffered two defeats in referendums on changing the country's constitution, which may have contributed to his decision to resign. He will remain as prime minister until a successor is elected after parliament returns from recess.