United Kingdom: Murder of British M.P. Heightens Uncertainty Over Brexit Vote | The New Yorker

As I sat down to write this post, on Thursday morning, there was a week to go until the British referendum on whether to leave the European Union, and a “Leave” vote was looking like a live possibility. Politicians who had endorsed a vote to “Remain” were getting nervous, and the financial markets were gyrating with every new opinion poll. As for the British people—well, until Thursday lunchtime many of them were busy watching the Euro 2016 soccer tournament, which is being held in France. Then, Thursday afternoon, came the shocking news about the brutal murder of a Member of Parliament by a man who, reportedly, shouted “Britain first!”—the name of a far-right organization that is virulently opposed to immigration and to the E.U. The killing took place in Birstall, a small town outside the city of Leeds, in West Yorkshire. The victim, Jo Cox, was a forty-one-year-old mother of two, and a widely respected representative of the opposition Labour Party, which has joined the Conservative Prime Minister, David Cameron, in calling on Britons to reject the Brexit option and vote “Remain.” According to eyewitness reports cited by BBC News and other media organizations, the attacker approached Cox as she was leaving a meeting with constituents, shot her several times, and then stabbed her numerous times as she was lying on the ground bleeding. Following the attack, Cox was airlifted to a hospital, but she died soon after. Police, meanwhile, arrested a suspect—news reports identified him as Tommy Mair, a fifty-two-year-old local handyman. Out of respect for Cox and her family, both sides in the referendum suspended their campaigns for the day. Cameron called Cox’s death “tragedy.” Boris Johnson, the former mayor of London, who is the leading politician on the “Leave” side, described it as “horrific.” And Cox’s husband, Brendan Cox, released a statement saying that she would have wanted people “to unite to fight against the hatred that killed her.”

Armenia: Shot Armenia presidential hopeful seeks vote delay | Boston.com

The shooting of a presidential candidate threw Armenia’s election into disarray Friday, with the wounded victim saying he will call for a delay of the vote. Paruir Airikian, 63, was shot and wounded by an unidentified assailant outside his home in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, on Thursday just before midnight. Airikian said from the hospital after surgery Friday that he would initiate proceedings as allowed by the constitution to delay the vote for 15 days due to his condition, but not longer. He is one of eight candidates in the Feb. 18 race in this landlocked former Soviet republic and wasn’t expected to get more than 1 percent of the vote. But postponing the election could help opponents of President Serge Sarkisian, who was expected to easily win a second five-year term. Sarkisian said after visiting Airikian in the hospital that the perpetrators of the attack ‘‘obviously had an intention to influence the normal election process.’’

Armenia: Assassination attempt on presidential candidate may delay Armenian elections | RT

An Armenian presidential candidate from the Union for National Self-Determination party has been shot and wounded in the center of Yerevan, the country's capital. The attempt on Paruyr Hayrikyan’s life may delay the election. Following the incident, the 64 year-old Hayrikyan was rushed to the Saint Gregory the Illuminator medical center with two gunshot wounds, in the shoulder and in the chest. The chest wound is considered serious, but not immediately life-threatening, medics said. Hayrikyan is conscious but has not yet been operated on. A number of high-profile figures visited the politician in his ward, including Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Yerevan Police Chief Vladimir Gasparyan and Speaker of Parliament Hovik Abrahamyan. Abrahamyan told the press that the presidential elections may be delayed because of the attempted assassination.