The opposition says vote tallies as well as quick counts, show opposition leader, Edmundo Gonzalez had a lead of 40 percentage points over the incumbent. Opposition parties got behind Mr Gonzalez in an attempt to unseat President Maduro after 11 years in power. Opinion polls conducted ahead of the election suggest Mr Gonzalez would roundly defeat the president.

Also on the programme: Remembering the trailblazing Irish writer, Edna O’Brien; and what does it take to make an Olympic comeback?

(Photo: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro celebrates after partial results are announced by the electoral council in Caracas, Venezuela. Credit: Ronald Penar/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)