“Britons headed to polling booths Thursday for a historic vote on whether to leave the European Union, a choice pitting a vision of an untethered Britain against bleak predictions of economic turbulence and global insecurity,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“After months of campaigning, most polls show a virtual dead heat between the pro-EU ‘remain’ campaign and the ‘Brexit’ camp, shorthand for those advocating Britain’s exit from the 28-nation bloc. Turnout will be crucial to determining the outcome, with stormy weather across southern England causing flooding and snarling public transport.”

Quartz: Would a Brexit be followed by a break up of the United Kingdom?

“After months of public tirades, secret maneuvering and legal appeals, the effort to impeach President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil is heading toward an outcome on Wednesday, when the nation’s Senate begins voting on whether to suspend her and put her on trial,” the New York Times reports.

“The vote is a watershed in the power struggle that has consumed Brazil, a country that experienced a rare stretch of stability over the last two decades as it strengthened its economy and achieved greater prominence on the world stage.”

“Opposition candidate Tsai Ing-wen won a landslide victory in Taiwan’s presidential election, making her the democracy’s first female president and setting back Beijing’s ambitions to reunify the island with the mainland,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“French voters turned out in droves Sunday to prevent a surging anti-establishment, anti-immigration party from capturing regional office, a week after the once-fringe group shocked many by leading the nationwide vote in the first round of elections,” the Washington Post reports.

“As the votes were counted, the initial results made clear that the National Front had been barred from office, and they reinforced the party’s narrative that a sizable minority of France’s citizens are being shut out from power. The group, which has campaigned to stop immigration, slash benefits to non-citizens and restrict France’s ties to the European Union, has already shifted France’s debate around immigration, pushing mainstream leaders to take a harder line against refugees and non-citizens.”

Exit polls show France’s far-right National Front “pulled off an historic win” Sunday, topping the vote nationally in the first round of regional elections, France 24 reports.

The centre-right Republicans party led by former President Nicolas Sarkozy appeared to be in second place ahead of the governing Socialist Party.

“The Maldives’ president appealed for calm throughout the island nation Sunday, after his deputy was arrested on suspicion of treason for allegedly plotting to assassinate him with an explosion on his boat,” the AP reports.

“The arrest marks the latest in a series of political shakedowns and power struggles in the Maldives that have seized the fragile, young democracy since it held its first elections in 2008.”

“Justin Trudeau will be Canada’s next prime minister after leading the Liberal Party to a stunning majority government win, dashing the hopes of Stephen Harper, who had been seeking his fourth consecutive mandate, but will now step down as party leader,” the CBC reports.

“This will be the second time for Canada to be led by a Trudeau, as the 43-year-old Liberal leader follows in the footsteps of his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, who served as prime minister for almost 16 years before retiring in 1984.”

“Malcolm Turnbull has ousted Tony Abbott as Australia’s prime minister in a party rebellion that could moderate the country’s stance on issues ranging from same-sex marriage to climate change and economic policy,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Voter surveys have pointed to defeat for the ruling coalition in elections due next year. As the new prime minister, Mr. Turnbull faces the challenge of convincing voters that he will be able to revive the economy as a long mining boom slows.”

Monkey Cage: “For every failed coup attempt I see from here on out, I will shake my head and wonder why the coup-makers did not read political scientist Naunihal Singh’s book, Seizing Power: The Strategic Logic of Military Coups. Though certainly not meant to be a recipe book for launching a successful coup, Singh’s study offers insights that would save potential coup-makers a lot of trouble.”