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 Four polls put the “Leave” campaign ahead of “Remain” as The Sun newspaper came out in favor of Britain quitting the European Union, sending stocks and the pound down. 
 
 Brexit Watch: The pound, the polls, and the probability of Brexit, all in one place 
 
 Sterling approached a two-month low against the dollar and investors rushed to havens Tuesday after a series of new polls the previous evening put “Leave” ahead with just nine days of campaigning left. The final blow came when The Sun, Britain’s biggest-selling newspaper, backed a so-called Brexit on its front page. 
 
 Prime Minister David Cameron’s strategy to keep the U.K. in the 28-nation EU is under increasing pressure in the countdown to the June 23 referendum, as the “Leave” campaign’s focus on reducing immigration appears to resonate more with voters than the government’s multiple warnings of economic recession outside the bloc. 
 
 John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University in Glasgow and one of Britain’s leading experts on opinion polling and elections, put the likelihood of a Brexit at about 33 percent, up from 25 percent three weeks ago. 
 
 “This is an issue on which the British public have always demonstrated the potential to vote to leave,” Curtice said in a Bloomberg Television interview Tuesday. Still, Curtice said, the movement in the polls is not large, and often in referendums voters move back to the status quo in the final days of the campaign. “Clearly one of the crucial things between now and June 23 is whether or not the polls do move back towards ‘Remain’ as voters look at the risks of leaving.” 
 
 The pound dropped 0.7 percent to $1.4169 as of 11:45 a.m. in London after falling as low as $1.4112. Implied volatility for one-month options on the currency climbed to 29.125 percent, more than three times the level at the end of last year. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index was down 1.2 percent. 
 
 The NumberCruncherPolitics estimate of the probability of a Brexit surged to 32.6 percent from 23.7 percent. Its creator, Matt Singh, wrote that “we have ample evidence that the move is real.” Oddschecker’s survey of bookmakers’ implied probabilities rose to 42.5 percent on Tuesday morning from 33.5 percent a day earlier. “The momentum is such that it seems inevitable Brexit will be favorite by the weekend,” said William Hill Plc spokesman Graham Sharpe. 
 
 Why the U.K. Is Voting on Whether to Leave the EU: QuickTake 
 
 “Outside the EU we can become richer, safer and free at long last to forge our own destiny -- as America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other great democracies already do,” The Sun said. “If we stay, Britain will be engulfed in a few short years by this relentlessly expanding ­German-dominated federal state.” 
 
 Cameron has turned to the opposition Labour Party to help shore up the “Remain” vote. On Monday, his predecessor as prime minister, Gordon Brown, made an impassioned plea to Labour voters not to turn their backs on the EU. On Tuesday, the party’s current leader, Jeremy Corbyn, will have his turn. 
 
 “Today I am issuing a call to the whole Labour movement to persuade people to back ‘Remain’ to protect jobs and rights at work,” Corbyn will say at an event in London, according to his office. “We have just nine days to go to convince Labour supporters to vote ‘Remain.” 
 
 The Vote Leave campaign aimed for economic reassurance, promising that spending on all the things the EU currently funds such as university research and farm subsidies, as well as cutting tax on fuel and increasing spending on the National Health Service. “We’re going to take back control of the money we send to the EU,” Employment Minister Priti Patel told the BBC. “The government of the day will have options and choices as to how to spend that money.” 
 
 For the Labour “Remain” campaign, former Home Secretary Alan Johnson described this as “fantasy economics.” “That money won’t exist,” he told the BBC. “It only takes a 0.6 percent movement in our wealth to eradicate the 8 billion pounds ($11.3 billion) that is sent to Europe.” 
 
 Polling companies were burned by their failure to predict last year’s U.K. general election result, and a yearlong inquiry into their problems found the issues would be hard to fix. But even if the absolute numbers are wrong, the direction of travel is clear. 
 
 Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who said he exchanges regular text messages with Cameron, expressed the hope that the U.K. will stay in the bloc. “I have seen many predictions, I’ve seen polls that are all counting on the result that they will leave,” Rutte said in an interview in Amsterdam. “It makes absolutely no sense, and therefore I count on the collective wisdom of the Brits, and I’ve so far never been disappointed.” 
 
 — With assistance by Alex Morales, Alan Crawford, and Corina Ruhe ||||| Global markets buckled as Britain’s vote to leave the European Union drove the pound to the lowest in more than 30 years and wiped about $3 trillion from stock market values while sparking demand for haven assets from U.S. Treasuries to gold. 
 
 Why Britain Voted to Leave the EU 
 
 MSCI’s global stock index plunged 4.8 percent in the biggest slide since August 2011. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank more than 600 points, or 3.7 percent, to erase gains for the year, while European stocks slid 7 percent in its worst day since 2008. Volume in U.S. trading topped 13 billion shares, the most this year. The yen briefly strengthened past 100 per dollar. Treasury yields had their biggest drop in more than four years and gold rallied above $1,300 an ounce. Volatility surged, with the CBOE’s measure of anxiety jumping 43 percent. 
 
 “This is going to take a large number of trading days, if not weeks, to iron through,” said Stephen Wood, who helps manage $237 billion as chief market strategist for North America at Russell Investments in New York. “‘There were a lot of surprise positions that had be unwound very, very quickly -- that’s been a significant phenomenon. Some of that will probably be re-traced. Initial reactions tend to be more extreme than long-term averages.” 
 
 The victory for the “Leave” campaign prompted Prime Minister David Cameron to resign, while Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said a second referendum on independence was back “on the table.” The outcome stunned many investors who’d put wagers on riskier assets over the past week as bookmakers’ odds suggested the chance of a so-called Brexit was less than one in four. 
 
 “Market participants are right to be concerned,” said Dean Maki, chief economist of investment firm Point72 Asset Management. “This is a legitimate risk-off event, and there are concerns about what’s going to happen. We’re likely to see weaker growth as a result of this, and it’s appropriate that markets are reacting to this.” 
 
 For full coverage of the referendum, click here 
 
 Riskier assets stemmed losses amid a chorus of central bank assurances that policy makers stand ready to intervene. Mark Carney said the Bank of England could pump billions of pounds into the financial system, while the European Central Bank said it will give banks all the funding they require. The Federal Reserve said it was “carefully monitoring” financial markets. 
 
 “The central banks are saying all the right things and they’re flooding the market with liquidity so you have a more orderly move,” said Frank Maeba, managing partner with Breton Hill Capital in Toronto. His firm manages about C$1.4 billion. “You may be seeing some tactical rotation, the U.S. looks more solid now at least until the U.S. election.” 
 
 These are among the most notable moves in global financial markets Friday: 
 
 British pound falls as much as 11 percent to $1.3229, weakest since 1985 
 
 Dow Jones Industrial Average sinks more than 600 points, most since August 
 
 Yen briefly strengthens to 99.02 per dollar, first time below 100 since 2013 
 
 Yen briefly strengthens to 99.02 per dollar, first time below 100 since 2013 FTSE 100 Index slides as much as 8.7 percent, most since 2008 
 
 
 
 European stocks lose 7 percent in biggest drop since financial crisis 
 
 Gold surges as much as 8.1 percent to $1,358.54 an ounce on twice average volume 
 
 twice average volume Yield on 10-year Treasuries drops as low as 1.40 percent 
 
 New York crude oil retreats as much as 6.8 percent to $46.70 a barrel 
 
 
 
 
 
 Stocks 
 
 The S&P 500 Index fell 3.6 percent to 2,037.31 at 4 p.m. in New York, the biggest drop since August. The losses wiped out the index’s gain for 2016. The Nasdaq Composite Index tumbled 4.1 percent, for the steepest slide since 2011. 
 
 Banks plunged after rallying the most in five weeks Thursday, with Citigroup Inc. down 9.4 percent. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lost more than 6.9 percent. Caterpillar Inc. and Boeing Co. sank at least 5.3 percent after pacing the Dow’s biggest gain in three months Thursday. Energy shares lost 3.5 percent as crude fell. 
 
 The Stoxx Europe 600 Index tumbled 7 percent in the worst day since the height of the financial crisis. The volume of shares changing hands on the European gauge was almost four times higher than the 30-day average. The FTSE 100 Index fell 3.2 percent, trimming a slump of as much as 8.7 percent as exporters gained amid a plunge in the pound. 
 
 Eastern Europe led a selloff in developing-nation shares, with benchmark stock indexes in Warsaw, Prague and Istanbul retreating at least 4.1 percent. The MSCI Emerging Market Index lost 3.6 percent, the most since August. 
 
 Currencies 
 
 The pound was down 8.2 percent to $1.3652. Its biggest one-day loss prior to that was a move of 4.1 percent recorded in 1992, when the currency was forced out of Europe’s exchange-rate mechanism. 
 
 The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index jumped 1.8 percent as the euro slumped 2.7 percent, while currencies in Norway, Sweden and Australia posted even steeper losses. 
 
 The yen soared past a milestone versus the U.S. dollar for the first time since November 2013. Japan’s currency strengthened as much as 7.2 percent to 99.02 per dollar. It rallied against all 31 of its major peers as investors sought safety. 
 
 Bonds 
 
 Treasuries surged, pushing benchmark yields down the most in seven years, as demand rose for U.S. debt, traditionally a haven for global investors during periods of stress. U.S. 10-year note yields plunged 17 basis points, or 0.17 percentage point, to 1.57 percent. The yield fell as low as 1.4 percent, approaching the record low of 1.38 percent reached in July 2012. The last time it fell more was in March 2009. 
 
 U.K. government bonds surged amid speculation the Bank of England will maintain an easy monetary policy to ward off the risk of recession after the departure. Benchmark 10-year gilt yields dropped to an all-time low, while those on two-year securities plunged to the lowest since April 2013. S&P Global Ratings is preparing to remove the U.K.’s top credit grade after the country voted to leave the European Union. 
 
 Europe’s corporate-bond market may be closed for weeks as investors and companies try to divine the implications of the U.K.’s decision. Overall bond sales in Europe next week may total less than 5 billion euros, according to 81 percent of market participants surveyed by Bloomberg. Zero issuance was predicted by 37.5 percent, which would be a first for the year. 
 
 Commodities 
 
 Gold surged the most since the height of the 2008 global financial crisis. Futures for August delivery rose 4.7 percent to settle at $1,322.40, with trading volume three times the average. 
 
 Other commodities plunged, swept up in the global market frenzy. West Texas Intermediate fell 4.9 percent to settle at $47.64. Brent crude futures slumped as much as 6.6 percent and copper in London sank the most since Jan. 7 as the U.S. dollar surged. The Bloomberg Commodities Index of returns on 22 raw materials fell as much as 2.2 percent, the most since January. 
 
 “The flight to safety is very, very evident,” said Jeremy Wrathall, head of global natural resources in London at Investec Plc. “Copper is moving down, oil is moving down, it’s a reaction to the dollar. The only commodity that’s not behaving that way is gold.” 
 
 Listen to the Benchmark Brexit Special Podcast: ||||| Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha smiles as they leave after voting in the EU referendum in London, Thursday June 23, 2016. Polls opened in Britain Thursday for a referendum... (Associated Press) 
 
 Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha smiles as they leave after voting in the EU referendum in London, Thursday June 23, 2016. Polls opened in Britain Thursday for a referendum on whether the country should quit the European Union bloc of which it has been a member for 43 years.... (Associated Press) 
 
 LONDON (AP) — The Latest on Britain's historic vote to leave the European Union (all times local): 
 
 8:25 a.m. 
 
 Prime Minister David Cameron says he will resign by the fall and insists the British people's will must be respected after voters chose to leave the 28-nation European Union. 
 
 Cameron says there can be no doubt about the result of Thursday's historic vote but that he is not the "captain" that will steer the ship through difficult negotiations with the EU. 
 
 He says he will resign by the time of the Conservative party conference in the fall. 
 
 British stocks are plunging as the market opens as investors scramble to react to the news. The pound has hit a 31-year low. 
 
 ___ 
 
 8:20 a.m. 
 
 Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told Australians that Britain's decision to leave the European Union was no cause "to be alarmed." 
 
 But he said the global uncertainty and instability the decision would cause underscored the need for Australians to re-elect his conservative coalition at elections on July 2. 
 
 "This is a momentous and historic decision and we respect the wishes of the British people," Turnbull told reporters in Devonport. 
 
 "It is important to remember that the Australian economy is strong and resilient and has weathered global shocks before," he added. 
 
 Turnbull said he was "very confident" that Australia, a former British colony which maintains constitutional links, would continue negotiating a free trade agreement with the EU. 
 
 ___ 
 
 8:15 a.m. 
 
 British stocks are plunging as the market opens as investors scramble to react to the news that the country has voted to leave the European Union. 
 
 The result of Thursday's historic vote has ushered in an era of uncertainty for the country and region. 
 
 The main stock index, the FTSE 100, nosedived 8.7 percent to 5,790 points shortly after the open Friday. The British pound, which trades around the clock, has plunged to a 31-year low at $1.3706. 
 
 The German DAX index, which tends to be more volatile, dropped as much as 10 percent. If that loss stands for the day, it would be the biggest drop in the index's history. 
 
 An exit from the EU is expected to weigh heavily on the British economy in coming months and years, possibly pushing it into recession. The drop in the pound could drive up inflation, and the uncertainty over the country's future trade relations could cause businesses to hold back on investment. 
 
 ___ 
 
 8:10 a.m. 
 
 Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said that beyond "the blow" Britain has dealt the European Union, the referendum result must be seized on to fundamentally rethink the European project. 
 
 Michel said he wants a special "conclave" of EU leaders as soon as next month to reassess options, considering discontent is spreading even well beyond Britain. 
 
 He says "we need to keep a cool head and need to see what new way of cooperation would be possible. 
 
 He proposes a conclave in July to use this tough moment to look at a new perspective." 
 
 ___ 
 
 8:05 a.m. 
 
 Germany's vice chancellor says it's a bad day for Europe after British voters chose to leave the European Union. 
 
 Sigmar Gabriel, who is also Germany's economy minister, wrote on Twitter: "Damn! A bad day for Europe." 
 
 Germany is the most populous country in the 28-nation EU and has its biggest economy. 
 
 Leaders in past months have been emphasizing that while it was up to the British people to decide, Germany wanted Britain to remain in the European Union. 
 
 ___ 
 
 8 a.m. 
 
 European Union President Donald Tusk says the bloc will meet without Britain at summit next week to assess its future after British voters chose to leave the 28-nation bloc. 
 
 Tusk says the group is "determined to keep our unity at 27" nations and not have any more defections. 
 
 Speaking in Brussels on Friday, Tusk says he is confident in the EU's future, adding that "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:55 a.m. 
 
 The president of the European Parliament says he expects negotiations on Britain's exit from the European Union to start quickly. 
 
 Martin Schulz told Germany's ZDF television Friday that he expects British Prime Minister David Cameron to invoke Article 50 of the EU treaty, which would set in motion the exit process. 
 
 Schulz says years of suspense would be "neither in the interests of Great Britain nor in the interests of Germany, France, Italy or the other member states of the EU." 
 
 He says: "I assume that the negotiations on the exit will now start quickly." 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:50 a.m. 
 
 French President Francois Hollande has convened an emergency government meeting in the wake of the British vote to leave the European Union. 
 
 Hollande's office announced the Friday morning meeting, saying only that it would be about Europe's future. 
 
 Hollande has not publicly commented on the result of the British vote, which will have consequences for the whole continent. 
 
 French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who is more popular in polls than Hollande, called Friday for a similar anti-EU referendum in France. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:40 a.m. 
 
 Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn says British Prime Minister David Cameron must move urgently to stabilize the pound, which was trading around $1.3706 Friday morning after plummeting to a 31-year low. 
 
 Corbyn also says Britain's main opposition party will oppose any emergency budget or expansion of Britain's austerity program resulting from the Thursday vote to leave the European Union. 
 
 The Bank of England says it's ready to take "all necessary steps" to help keep Britain stable after voters chose to leave the 28-nation bloc. 
 
 Corbyn says British manufacturing depends on trade with the EU and called for careful steps to preserve British trade. He and other senior Labour figures had urged voters to remain in the EU. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:35 a.m. 
 
 Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso said he is "extremely concerned" about the impact and risks of Britain's exit from the European Union on global financial markets. 
 
 "I'm extremely concerned about possible risks that the apparent decision would pose on global financial and currency markets, where stability is very important," Aso told reporters in an emergency news conference. 
 
 British voters have chosen to leave the EU, shattering the framework for continental unity. 
 
 Aso said he is particularly concerned about the nervous movement in the currency markets and hoped to see "firm intervention whenever necessary." The British pound has tanked to $1.3706 after hitting a 31-year low earlier Friday. 
 
 7:30 a.m. 
 
 UK Independence Leader Nigel Farage says Britain's decision to leave the European Union is "a victory for ordinary people, against the big banks, big business and big politics." 
 
 Speaking Friday morning after the shocking British vote to leave the bloc, Farage insists the EU itself is dying. He called for June 23 to be made a new national bank holiday known as Independence Day. 
 
 Far-right leaders in France and the Netherlands have already called for a similar anti-EU vote. 
 
 __ 
 
 7:25 a.m. 
 
 Commuters at the main train station in the well-heeled southwest London borough of Richmond, which voted overwhelmingly to remain, expressed anger and frustration at the British vote to leave the EU. 
 
 "I'm quite shocked really," said Martin Laidler. "My nine-year-old daughter asked me to vote to remain, so I was voting for her future." 
 
 Olivia Sangster-Bullers, 24, said the result was "absolutely disgusting." 
 
 "My best friend and his partner, one of them is from Spain. How does he feel now?" 
 
 Asked whether it would affect her life, she said: "I've just seen that the pound's crashed, so good luck to all of us I say, especially those trying to build a future with our children." 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:20 a.m. 
 
 The Bank of England says it's ready to take "all necessary steps" to help keep Britain stable after voters chose to leave the 28-nation European Union. 
 
 The results of the vote Thursday have shaken global markets and caused the pound to tank, which will cause a slide in inflation, a major concern for the central bank. Investors are also poised to dump British stocks as soon as the market opens in London on Friday. 
 
 The bank says Friday it had prepared with extensive contingency planning and "is working closely with HM Treasury, other domestic authorities and overseas central banks." 
 
 The bank says it will take "all necessary steps" to meet its responsibilities for monetary and fiscal stability. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:10 a.m. 
 
 The United States is reacting cautiously to the decision by Britain's voters to bolt the 28-nation European Union, with a White House official saying only that President Barack Obama is being kept up to date on developments. 
 
 The official said Obama was expected to speak with British Prime Minister David Cameron "over the course of the next day." 
 
 Obama has encouraged Britain to remain in the EU but has said the decision ultimately was up to British voters. 
 
 — By Kevin Freking. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:05 a.m. 
 
 Analysts are cutting their estimates for Britain's economic growth after the country voted to leave the European Union, ushering in a period of high uncertainty that is likely to shake businesses, consumers and markets for some time. 
 
 Howard Archer, the global economist for IHS Global Insight, says his research group is slashing its growth forecast for this year to 1.5 percent from 2.0 percent and, more dramatically, to 0.2 percent for next year from 2.4 percent previously. 
 
 Archer expects the Bank of England to switch from hoping to raise interest rates soon to cutting them by a quarter point to 0.25 percent before long. 
 
 He says: "Major economic and political uncertainty will be a fact of life for some considerable time, likely weighing down markedly on business and household confidence and behavior, so dampening corporate investment, employment and consumer spending." 
 
 Analysts at Capital Economics have the same growth forecasts for 2016 but are more hopeful about 2017, seeing 1.5 percent growth. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7 a.m. 
 
 French far-right leader Marine Le Pen says there should be a similar referendum about EU membership in France after Britons voted to leave the 28-nation bloc. 
 
 "A victory for Freedom," Le Pen tweeted. "We now need the same referendum in France and in EU nations." 
 
 In the Netherlands, her ally Geert Wilders of the far-right PVV party also immediately called for a similar plebiscite. 
 
 Britons voted 52 percent to 48 percent on Thursday to leave the EU to take greater control of the country's economy and its borders. The decision has shocked global markets and sent the pound plummeting to the lowest level in 31 years. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:55 a.m. 
 
 Top European Union officials are hunkering down in Brussels trying to work out how to navigate uncharted waters after the shocking decision by British voters to leave the 28-nation bloc. 
 
 European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is hosting talks Friday with the leaders of the European Council and Parliament, along with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency. 
 
 The four will try to agree a European position on the vote, which could see a member country leave the bloc for the first time ever, ahead of a summit of EU leaders in Brussels starting on Tuesday. 
 
 Parliamentary leaders were meeting separately, and European commissioners — the EU's executive body — could hold separate talks later. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:50 a.m. 
 
 Shocked investors are ready to dump British stocks as soon as the market opens at 0700 GMT (3 a.m. EDT). 
 
 Futures for the benchmark stock index FTSE 100 are down 7.5 percent and the pound, which trades 24 hours a day, has already fallen to its lowest level since 1985 after British voters took the historic decision to pull their country out of the 28-nation European Union. 
 
 The British currency was down 7.9 percent against the dollar at $1.3406, the lowest level in 31 years. It was down 5.1 percent against the euro, at 1.2193 euros. 
 
 Britain's decision to leave the EU launches what will be years of negotiations over trade, business and political links with the EU. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:40 a.m. 
 
 The head of the biggest political bloc in the European Parliament says the U.K. vote to leave the EU is damaging but that the decision is for Britain, not the European Union. 
 
 European People's Party chairman Manfred Weber says Friday that the vote "causes major damage to both sides, but in first line to the U.K." 
 
 Weber added that "this was a British vote, not a European vote. People in the other states don't want to leave Europe." 
 
 Britons voted 52 percent to 48 percent on Thursday to leave the EU to take greater control of the country's economy and borders. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:30 a.m. 
 
 One of the leaders of the victorious 'leave' campaign has reassured the European Union that Britain will continue to be a good neighbor after its unprecedented vote to leave the bloc. 
 
 Labour lawmaker Gisela Stuart, who was born in Germany, spoke in German to say that "Britain is an open society, it is a welcoming society and we will continue to be cooperating with European countries on an international level." 
 
 As the British pound and global stock markets fell at the shocking result, Stuart says "it is incumbent on all of us to be very calm, remember that our responsibility is to the future of the United Kingdom, and work together to start a process." 
 
 She says "in the long run, I think that both Europe and the United Kingdom will emerge stronger as a result." 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:25 a.m. 
 
 Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders is calling for a plebiscite in the Netherlands about leaving the European Union after Britons voted to ditch the 28-nation bloc. 
 
 Wilders tweeted: "Hurrah for the British! Now it is our turn. Time for a Dutch referendum!" 
 
 EU officials have long suspected that a British decision to leave the bloc would be quickly claimed as a victory among the far left and right in European politics. 
 
 The British vote is considered a political earthquake that will shatter the stability of the continental unity forged after World War II. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:15 a.m. 
 
 As dawn broke over London, those who wanted Britain to stay in the European Union woke up to grim news: voters had chosen instead to leave the 28-nation bloc. 
 
 Veteran Labour lawmaker Keith Vaz says "this is a crushing, crushing decision. This is a terrible day for Europe." 
 
 Green lawmaker Caroline Lucas said she was devastated by the news, blaming "alienation, anger and frustration" for the results of Thursday's vote. 
 
 "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling, a prominent "remain" campaigner, says "I don't think I've ever wanted magic more" in a Twitter message. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:05 a.m. 
 
 Britain has voted to leave the European Union to take greater control of its economy and its borders, shattering the stability of the continental unity forged after World War II. 
 
 The decision launches what will be years of negotiations over trade, business and political links with the EU, which will shrink to a 27-nation bloc. 
 
 Results released early Friday show the "leave" side prevailed 52 percent to 48 percent in Thursday's vote as tallied by British broadcasters. The vote had a turnout of 72 percent. 
 
 The U.K. is the first major country to decide to leave the bloc, which evolved from the ashes of the war as the region's leaders sought to build links and avert future hostility. 
 
 Financial authorities around the world have warned that a British exit will reverberate through a delicate global economy. 
 
 ___ 
 
 5:50 a.m. 
 
 Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon says her country cast an "unequivocal" vote to remain in the European Union — a result that raises the specter of a new referendum on Scottish independence. 
 
 Sturgeon said "the vote here makes clear that the people of Scotland see their future as part of the European Union." 
 
 All 32 voting areas in Scotland voted to stay in the EU, but they were outnumbered by a strong English "leave" vote. 
 
 Scotland rejected independence from the UK in its own 2014 referendum, but Friday's result gives new momentum to the cause. 
 
 ___ 
 
 5:40 a.m. 
 
 Britain's vote to leave the 28-nation European Union is likely to cost Prime Minister David Cameron his job. 
 
 The leader of the ruling Conservative Party had staked his reputation on keeping Britain in the EU. 
 
 Former London Mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent supporter of the "leave" campaign, is now seen as a leading contender to replace Cameron. 
 
 Cameron promised the referendum to appease the right wing of his own party and blunt a challenge from the U.K. Independence Party, which pledged to leave the EU. After winning a majority in Parliament in the last election, Cameron negotiated a package of reforms that he said would protect Britain's sovereignty and prevent EU migrants from moving to the U.K. to claim public benefits. 
 
 Critics charged that the reforms were hollow, leaving Britain at the mercy of bureaucrats in Brussels and doing nothing to stem the tide of European immigrants coming to the U.K. Those concerns were magnified after more than 1 million people from the Middle East and Africa flooded into the EU last year. 
 
 ___ 
 
 5:25 a.m. 
 
 The result of the British referendum has shocked the markets but delighted "leave" campaigners. 
 
 "The dawn is breaking on an independent United Kingdom," U.K. Independence Party leader Nigel Farage declared to loud cheers at a "leave" campaign party. "Let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day!" 
 
 As results poured in Friday morning, a picture emerged of a sharply divided nation: Strong pro-EU votes in the economic and cultural powerhouse of London and semi-autonomous Scotland were countered by sweeping anti-Establishment sentiment for an exit across the rest of England, from southern seaside towns to rust-belt former industrial powerhouses in the north. 
 
 Deputy Labour Party leader John McDonnell says "a lot of people's grievances are coming out and we have got to start listening to them." 
 
 ___ 
 
 5:15 a.m. 
 
 Britain has entered uncharted waters after the country voted to leave the European Union, according to a projection by all main U.K. broadcasters. The decision shatters the stability of the continental unity forged after World War II in hopes of making future conflicts impossible. 
 
 The decision raises the likelihood of years of negotiations over trade, business and political links with what will become a 27-nation bloc. In essence the vote marks the start — rather than the end — of a process that could take decades to unwind. 
 
 The "leave" side was ahead by 51.7 percent to 48.3 percent Friday morning with more than three-quarters of votes tallied, making a "remain" win a statistical near-impossibility. 
 
 The pound suffered one of its biggest one-day falls in history, plummeting more than 10 percent in six hours, from about $1.50 to below $1.35, on concern that severing ties with the single market will hurt the U.K. economy and undermine London's position as a global financial center. ||||| LONDON (Reuters) - To leave, or not to leave: that is the question. Still. 
 
 A woman holds a sign in Westminster, in central London, Britain June 24, 2016. REUTERS/Phil Noble 
 
 After Britain’s historic vote to leave the European Union, there is no indication that a so-called Brexit will happen soon. It maybe never will. 
 
 Prime Minister David Cameron, who is resigning, has said he will not take the formal step to an EU divorce on the grounds that his successor should. Because the referendum is not legally-binding, some politicians are suggesting a parliament vote before formally triggering Brexit. 
 
 A petition on the UK government’s website on holding a second referendum has gained more than 3 million signatories in just two days. 
 
 European leaders, facing the biggest threat to European unity since World War Two, are divided over how swiftly divorce talks should start. Paris wants haste and German Chancellor Angela Merkel is urging patience. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he wanted to “start immediately”. 
 
 And on Sunday, Scotland’s leader said Scotland may veto Brexit altogether. Under devolution rules, the parliaments of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are required to consent to any EU divorce, according to a report by the House of Lords. 
 
 Most British politicians agree such a decisive 52-48 win for Leave in the referendum means a divorce must happen. Anything less would be a slap in the face of democracy. 
 
 “The will of the British people is an instruction that must be delivered,” a choking Cameron said in his resignation speech, which marked the most tumultuous end to a British premiership since Anthony Eden resigned in 1957 after the Suez crisis. 
 
 Still, the upswell of chatter - #regrexit is trending big on twitter - over whether Britain might be able to reconsider speaks to the disbelief gripping this continent in the wake of a vote that has unleashed financial and political mayhem. 
 
 Sterling has plunged, and Britain’s political parties are both crippled. Cameron is a lameduck leader, and the main opposition Labour party on Sunday attempted a coup against its leader, with nine top officials resigning. 
 
 “The kaleidoscope has been shaken up not just in terms of our relationship with the EU but in terms of who runs our parties, who governs the country and what the country is made up of,” said Anand Menon, Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s College London. 
 
 “It is very hard to see where the pieces are.” 
 
 ARTICLE 50 
 
 The law provisioning an EU member country’s exit from the union is Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty that is effectively the EU’s constitution. It has never been invoked before. 
 
 Before the vote, Cameron had said Article 50 would be triggered straight away if Britain voted to leave. Over the weekend, several EU officials also said the UK needed to formally split right away - possibly at a Tuesday EU meeting. 
 
 But officials of the Leave campaign - including former London mayor Boris Johnson - are stepping on the brakes. They say they want to negotiate Britain’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU before formally pulling the trigger to divorce. 
 
 European officials and observers say such a deal is unlikely, especially considering the thorny issues involved. 
 
 For example, it is unlikely that the EU would grant Britain access to the single market - key to allowing Britain trade goods and services in the EU - without London accepting the free movement of EU workers. But the biggest issue for those who voted to leave the bloc was limits on immigration - something the Leave campaigners promised. 
 
 DIVIDED UK 
 
 On Sunday, a petition to call for a second referendum was gaining supporters, reaching 3.3 million signatories by the afternoon. David Lammy, a lawmaker for the opposition Labour Party, said it was within parliament’s powers to call a second referendum and urged that it be done. 
 
 Perhaps the most vocal resistance to a British exit is coming from Scotland. 
 
 Scotland, a nation of five million people, voted to stay in the EU by 62 to 38 percent, compared to the 54 percent in England who voted to leave. 
 
 Under the United Kingdom’s complex arrangements to devolve some powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, legislation generated in London to set off an EU divorce would have to gain consent from the three devolved parliaments, according to a report by the House of Lords’ European Union Committee. 
 
 Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC on Sunday that she would consider urging the Scottish parliament to block such a motion. It is not clear, however, whether such a scenario would ever materialize or be binding. Sturgeon’s spokesman later said that the British government might not seek consent in the first place. 
 
 Moreover, Sturgeon is simply laying out the groundwork for a new referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom —something the first minister said was “highly likely.” 
 
 Slideshow (5 Images) 
 
 WITHDRAWAL 
 
 While there is no precedent for Article 50, the House of Lords has discussed how any Brexit would work. In May, it published a report after consultations with legal experts. 
 
 In the report, Derrick Wyatt, one of the professors involved, said that while it would be politically difficult, the law allows the UK to change its mind after invoking Article 50. 
 
 “In law, the UK could change its mind before withdrawal from the EU and decide to stay in after all,” said Wyatt. ||||| Voters have voted in favor of Brexit: British exit from the European Union. That means that in the coming months, British and European leaders will begin negotiating the terms of Britain's departure. 
 
 Britain's exit will affect the British economy, immigration policy, and lots more. It will take years for the full consequences to become clear. But here are some of the most important changes we can expect in the coming months. 
 
 The process of leaving the EU will take years 
 
 Britain's vote to leave the EU is not legally binding, and there are a few ways it could theoretically be blocked or overturned. However, as the BBC notes, "it would be seen as political suicide to go against the will of the people as expressed in a referendum." 
 
 Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union establishes the procedures for a member state to withdraw from the EU. It requires the member state to notify the EU of its withdrawal and obliges the EU to then try to negotiate a withdrawal agreement with that state. 
 
 Britain's "Leave" vote, however, does not represent that formal notification. That notification could take place within days — for example, when EU member countries meet for a summit that is scheduled for June 28 to 29. Or British officials might wait a few months to pull the trigger. 
 
 Once Britain invokes Article 50, it will have a two-year window in which to negotiate a new treaty to replace the terms of EU membership. Britain and EU leaders would have to hash out issues like trade tariffs, migration, and the regulation of everything from cars to agriculture. 
 
 In the best-case scenario, Britain may be able to negotiate access to the European market that isn’t that different from what it has now. Norway is not a member of the EU, but it has agreed to abide by a number of EU rules in exchange for favorable access to the European Common Market. 
 
 The vote has forced Prime Minister David Cameron to resign 
 
 British Prime Minister David Cameron didn’t want to hold a vote on Brexit at all. But in 2014, he faced growing pressure from the populist right over immigration and Britain’s EU membership. To mollify dissenters in his own party and stop the rise of the far-right UK Independence Party, Cameron promised to hold a referendum on leaving the EU if his Conservative Party won the 2015 election. 
 
 The Conservatives surprised pollsters by winning an outright majority in Parliament, and Cameron kept his promise. But he wasn’t personally in favor of exiting the EU, and he campaigned vigorously for a "Remain" vote. At the same time, he allowed other members of his government to campaign on the other side. This created the spectacle of senior members of the UK government, from the same party, campaigning on opposite sides of one of the biggest issues in British politics in decades. 
 
 Not long after Thursday's results became clear, Cameron announced that he would resign by October. It's unclear what will happen next, but one likely outcome will be for Cameron to be replaced by Boris Johnson, a member of Cameron's Conservative Party and former London mayor who campaigned for a Leave vote. It's also possible that the Conservative Party will splinter so badly that no one is able to claim a parliamentary majority, forcing early elections. 
 
 The Brexit will cause problems for Britain's economy 
 
 In the short run, uncertainty about Britain’s future relationship with the EU, its largest trading partner, could push the UK into a recession. Friday saw huge market volatility. The British pound has lost about 9 percent of its value since Thursday's vote, and Britain's FTSE 100 stock index lost 3 percent of its value in Friday trading. When you consider that the FTSE is priced in pounds, that means British stocks are down more than 10 percent in real terms. 
 
 And that volatility reflects market worries about more severe consequences in the months ahead. With Cameron out of power, Britain’s prospects of negotiating a favorable deal with the EU could be weakened. The EU may decide to strike a hard bargain to discourage other countries from leaving the EU. Or the UK’s new leader might not be willing to accept the kind of restrictions that come with a Norway-style deal. 
 
 And that could create serious problems for businesses based in the UK. 
 
 "If you are Nissan or some other car producer with major production in the UK, today, the same safety standards and environmental standards allow you to sell everywhere in the European market," Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, an economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told me. But if the UK leaves the EU, "you would no longer be able to sell into other European markets, not because you face a small tariff but because you'd have to go through another set of safety certifications. This kind of thing would be repeated in every industry you can think of." 
 
 Critics say the economic effects could be large. The UK government has estimated that exiting the EU could cause the British economy to be between 3.8 and 7.5 percent smaller by 2030 — depending on how well negotiations for access to the European market ultimately go. Other reports have found smaller but still significant impacts. 
 
 The Brexit means significant uncertainty for migrants 
 
 One of the most important and controversial achievements of the EU was the establishment of the principle of free movement among EU countries. A citizen of one EU country has an unfettered right to live and work anywhere in the EU. Both Britons and foreigners have taken advantage of this opportunity. 
 
 Currently there are about 1.2 million Brits living in other EU countries, while about 3 million non-British EU nationals live in Britain. Thanks to EU rules, they were able to move across the English Channel with a minimum of paperwork. Britain’s exit from the EU could change that profoundly. 
 
 It’s possible, of course, that Britain could negotiate a new treaty with the EU that continues to allow free movement between the UK and the EU. But resentment of EU immigrants — especially from poorer, economically struggling countries like Poland and Lithuania — was a key force driving support for Brexit. So the British government will be under immense pressure to refuse to continue the current arrangement. 
 
 At a minimum, that would mean that people moving to or from Britain would need to worry about passports and residency rules. And it could mean that some British immigrants may lose their right to continue living and working in the UK and be deported. 
 
 "The withdrawal process is unprecedented," a British government spokesperson said a few weeks ago. "There is a great deal of uncertainty about how it would work." 
 
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 Brexit could trigger a breakup of the UK 
 
 Brexit could also change the United Kingdom in a more fundamental way. It's called the "United" Kingdom because it's made up of four "countries" — England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. But with Britain now on its way out of the EU, there's a danger it won't stay united for very long. 
 
 Scotland supported Remain on Thursday by a margin of 62 percent to 38 percent. And the Scots in particular have never been entirely satisfied with English domination, as shown by the 44 percent of Scottish people who voted to make Scotland an independent country in 2014. They like having the UK be part of the EU in part because it provides a counterweight to English power within the UK. 
 
 So Britain's exit from the EU could strengthen the hand of Scottish separatists. A key Scottish leader has already signaled that she wants to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence. If that vote succeeded, Scotland would likely petition for admission to the EU in its own right. 
 
 A similar, but possibly more troubling, situation could emerge in Ireland, which has long been divided between a protestant North that's part of the UK and an independent Irish republic in the South. Tensions across the border have been minimized by EU rules guaranteeing the right to move across the border. But if the UK withdraws from the EU, the border could become more important and tensions over territory could flare up. 
 
 Perhaps for this reason, voters in Northern Ireland supported Remain 56 percent to 44 percent. There's a chance that a UK exit from the EU could provide renewed momentum for Northern Ireland to try to leave the UK and unify with the rest of Ireland. 
 
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 A man backing the 'Vote Remain' campaign walks along a street in central London, Britain, on June 22, 2016. (Photo: Hannah Mckay, EPA) 
 
 LONDON — A final, frenzied day of campaigning tried to sway voters ahead of Thursday's referendum over whether the United Kingdom should remain in the European Union, as polls show a virtual dead heat on the contentious issue. 
 
 British Prime Minister David Cameron, whose job may be on the line depending on the outcome, urged voters Wednesday to "please give it everything you've got in these last few hours. Go out and vote 'remain'" in the 28-nation EU. 
 
 Speaking on British radio, Cameron rejected the notion that the EU is in decline. “We are not shackled to a corpse,” he said. “You can see the European economy’s recovery. It’s the largest single market in the world.” 
 
 Former London mayor Boris Johnson, the prime minister's chief rival who backs a British exit from the EU, or "Brexit," crisscrossed the country by helicopter to push support for leaving. 
 
 “It’s time to have a totally new relationship with our friends and partners across the (English) Channel,” Johnson said while touring London's Billingsgate Fish Market. “It’s time to speak up for democracy, and hundreds of millions of people around Europe agree with us. It’s time to break away from the failing and dysfunctional EU system.” 
 
 Dozens of leading British figures added their voices Wednesday to the "remain" camp, including James Bond actor Daniel Craig. He posted a photo on Instagram of him wearing a shirt that said: "No man is an island. No country by itself. Vote 'remain' on June 23." 
 
 Across Europe, concerned leaders weighed in with warnings. French President François Hollande said a vote to go would be "irreversible." Jean-Claude Juncker, who leads the the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said if the U.K. votes to leave, then "out was out" and there would be "no kind of renegotiation for Britain." 
 
 If the U.K. votes Thursday to sever ties with the EU, it would be the first sovereign nation to leave the bloc. Polls close 5 p.m. ET Thursday (10 p.m. local time). 
 
 Much of the debate has focused on whether Britain's economy and ability to control immigration would fare better outside the European political alliance that was formed in the wake of World War II. 
 
 As the campaigns entered their final laps, polls showed the high-stakes result could go either way. 
 
 A poll by YouGov for The Times newspaper, out late Wednesday, showed 51% would vote to stay and 49% would vote to go. Another poll by research firm Survation published Tuesday showed 45% of respondents supported "remain" and 44% backed "leave." 
 
 However, bookmaker Betfair said that based on bets placed, there was a 76% chance Britain would vote to stay in the EU and a 24% chance of Brexit. 
 
 The Electoral Commission said 46.5 million people have registered to vote. 
 
 Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-EU, anti-immigration U.K. Independence Party, urged Britons to go to the polls. 
 
 "If you've never voted before because you think voting won't change anything, then tomorrow is your opportunity to make a difference," he said. 
 
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– In Britain these days, it's all about "Leave" vs. "Remain." Those are the two choices voters will have in a June 23 referendum on whether the UK should exit the European Union—or Brexit, as it's known in shorthand. Some coverage: Rupert Murdoch's Sun tabloid just came out in favor of leaving the EU, and it urges readers to vote for Brexit here. A political professor now puts the odds of leaving at 33%, up from 25% less than a month ago. Bloomberg assesses. Along those lines, a major bookmaker predicts the Leave camp will become the majority by this weekend, per Business Insider. Yes, the Leave camp has momentum, but the Financial Times explains why it's not time for David Cameron and the rest of the Remain backers to panic. The Telegraph looks at six factors, including the often-overlooked group of voters in Northern Ireland, most of whom seem to want to stay in the EU. Still, US markets are starting to get worried about the ramifications of a Leave vote winning, reports CNNMoney. Global markets, too, notes the Wall Street Journal. The New York Times covers the broad strokes of the opposing sides' views in a basic primer here. Another Times story looks at the huge ramifications for foreign workers in Britain if Brexit prevails.