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BREAKING NEWS: Britain has voted to exit the E.U. It is a historic decision sure to reshape the nation’s place in the world.

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UK Leave EUBritain’s EU referendum looks to be headed towards a Brexit outcome. Markets are volatile, with the pound on a rollercoaster ride as results come in from around the UK. Read the latest from our teams.

Britain has voted to leave the European Union, a historic decision sure to reshape the nation’s place in the world, rattle the Continent and rock political establishments throughout the West.
With 309 of 382 of the country’s cities and towns reporting early on Friday, the Leave campaign held a 52 percent to 48 percent lead. The BBC called the race for the Leave campaign shortly before 4:45 a.m., with 13.1 million votes having been counted in favor of leaving and 12.2 million in favor of remaining.
The value of the British pound plummeted as financial markets absorbed the news.

 

EU referendum live – Britain has voted on leave or remain

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UK LeaveEarly results in Britain’s EU referendum showed stronger-than-expected support for Brexit. But votes will be counted throughout the night until a final result is declared in the morning. Read the latest from our teams.

While two different polls put “Remain” ahead of “Leave,” some of the first results declared in the EU referendum were disappointing to the Remain campaign. Unlike in general elections, there is no exit poll and the referendum’s final result is not expected until Friday morning. So here’s some key background information as we go into the night:

– The British enclave Gibraltar, located at the southern tip of Spain, became the first to declare, and came out with a overwhelming majority for “Remain.” Yet other council results appeared to point to a “Leave” direction.

– After initial gains, the pound plummeted in trading, reflecting trader beliefs Britain might in fact have decided to leave the EU.

– Roughly 46.5 million people were eligible to vote. Preliminary assessments indicated a very high voter turnout – as high as 80 percent in some areas.

– Rain and thunderstorms were impacting ballot casting early in the morning as well as in the evening: A few polling stations had to close because of the rains, and voters were re-directed to other stations. With public transport hampered in London in the evening, some voters were stuck, which may have impacted turnout among those intending to cast their ballots after work.

– German Chancellor Angela Merkel, among other European leaders, has said she would “like for Britain to remain in the EU.”

DW’s online and TV teams in London and Brussels will keep you abreast of developments during counting night and into Friday as the UK and EU’s futures become clear. Scroll down to our live blog below.

Prominent Azerbaijani Human Rights Defenders Allowed To Leave

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FB3160B9-2032-470D-B11C-6526493CBE94_w640_r1_s_cx0_cy10_cw0By RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service

April 19, 2016

Two of Azerbaijan’s most prominent human rights defenders, who supporters say have been persecuted and jailed at home for their activist work, have arrived in the Netherlands after the authorities in Baku granted them permission to leave.

Leyla Yunus and her husband, Arif, were greeted by their daughter, Dinara Yunus, who lives in the Netherlands, upon landing at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on April 19, according to Dutch media reports.

Welcoming the two, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said Leyla and Arif Yunus, who are seeking asylum in the Netherlands, “had put their own safety and happiness at stake in the struggle for democracy and human rights,” according to local reports.

No further details were immediately available.

Leyla Yunus and Arif Yunus were sentenced to 8 1/2 and 7 years in prison, respectively, in August 2015 for “fraud” and other purported crimes related to their NGO work.

Supporters said the charged were trumped up. Amnesty International recognized the couple as prisoners of conscience.

International rights groups, the United States, and the European Union routinely criticize Azerbaijan’s poor record on human rights and freedom of speech under President Ilham Aliyev, who critics say has cracked down on independent media since succeeding his long-ruling father in 2003.

The decision by authorities in Azerbaijan to let them travel comes as something of a surprise.

Last month, an appeals court in Baku ruled the two could not travel to Europe because of their suspended prison terms.

Toward the end of 2015, the Yunuses were released from jail and their sentences were suspended due to their poor health.

Leyla Yunus, 59, suffers from a number of ailments including diabetes and hepatitis C.

She had complained of being beaten several times by prison guards since being detained in July 2014.

She appeared frail as she left the courtroom on December 9, walking with difficulty and leaning on her husband.

Arif Yunus was released in November, also on health grounds.

The prosecution of Leyla and Arif Yunus has been condemned by the international community as part of a deepening crackdown on dissent in Azerbaijan.

Numerous other activists, journalists, and government critics — including investigative journalist and RFE/RL contributor Khadija Ismayilova — remain imprisoned in Azerbaijan on charges that Western officials and international rights groups have called politically motivated.

Baku has repeatedly rejected the accusations, insisting that the cases in question are strictly criminal in nature.

The Yunuses, who had worked for the unregistered Peace and Democracy Institute in Baku, were still facing treason charges in a separate case stemming from allegations of spying for Baku’s archrival, Armenia.

Israel urges citizens to leave Turkey due to terrorist threat

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defaultThe counterterrorism bureau of Israel has urged its citizens visiting Turkey to leave because of a terrorist threat in the country.

The aforementioned is noted in a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

According to this document, the recent terrorism in Istanbul showed yet again that there is a high level of threat that the Islamic State would attack Turkish tourist attractions.

Thus, the Israeli authorities have raised the warning against travel to Turkey to “level 2.”

Four people, including three Israeli citizens, had died in the March 19 suicide bombing in Istanbul.

US Speaker Boehner to leave Congress

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bhn.thumbSpeaker of the US House John Boehner will resign from his leadership position and give up his seat at the end of October.

Mr Boehner has been under pressure from the conservative wing of his party, and in particular over government funding for Planned Parenthood.

Aides say the speaker had planned to resign last year.

The announcement comes one day after the speaker hosted Pope Francis for a major address to the US Congress.

The BBC’s Anthony Zurcher says Mr Boehner has been walking a knife’s edge for years, trying to balance the business of Congress with a grass-roots conservative faction in his caucus that demanded confrontation and saw compromise as weakness.

Mr Boehner is expected to make a public announcement at 10:00 local time (15:00 BST).

Rep Bill Huizenga said in a tweet that the speaker made the announcement to his conference this morning.

In a statement, Mr Boehner’s staff said that he had intended to resign at the end of last year, but the surprise defeat of then House Majority Leader Eric Cantor “changed that calculation”.

The speaker’s resignation comes as Republicans have been deliberating over plans to defund women’s healthcare provider Planned Parenthood.

The organisation has come under fire from anti-abortion activists who claimed its employees were selling foetal organs.