Scotland's Parliament voted on Tuesday to seek a new referendum on independence from Britain, clearing the way for the country's first minister to ask the British government to approve such a vote. The legislature in Edinburgh voted 69-59 to seek Britain's parliamentary endorsement, which is required, for a referendum that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wants to hold within two years, before Britain has completed its departure from the 28-nation European Union.
Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday signed the historic letter that will launch Brexit when it is delivered to Brussels on Wednesday, a photo released by her office showed. Sitting in front of a lone Union Jack national flag and a portrait of Britain’s first prime minister, Robert Walpole, a serene-looking May signed the letter to begin the country’s departure from the European Union.