Iceland rejects EU-accession talks in close-fought referendum

In a close-fought referendum, voters in Iceland have rejected a government push to resume membership talks with the European Union. The "No" camp secured a victory with nearly 53 percent of the vote, compared to just over 47 percent for the "Yes" side, resulting in a narrow margin of roughly 9,500 votes separating the two factions.

While the Nordic island nation already participates in the EU’s single market and the Schengen area, full EU membership would have fully integrated the country into the bloc. Voters ultimately sided with opponents of integration who argued that Iceland's vital fishing waters were too important to risk.