Iceland Referendum Results Show Narrow Lead Against EU Membership Talks

Initial counts from Iceland's referendum on Saturday show 50.1 percent of voters oppose resuming EU membership negotiations, based on 152,000 of 270,000 eligible votes counted.

The vote, which concluded at 10pm local time, marks a shift from earlier Gallup polling that had suggested a slight lead for the 'yes' campaign regarding EU accession.

If the final count confirms the rejection, it would maintain the status quo established 13 years ago when Iceland paused negotiations during the 2009 financial crisis.