Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Nearly four years after Britons voted to leave the European Union, members of the European Parliament on Wednesday gave final approval to Britain's departure on Friday.
The European Parliament voted 621-49 during a plenary session in Brussels, Belgium, to approve the withdrawal agreement brokered by London and the EU and passed by British lawmakers. It was the final hurdle to Britain's exit from the 28-nation bloc after nearly a half-century of membership.