Plus: Pollution stops Olympic triathlon swim training, and new findings about early life on Earth ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. Nicolás Maduro looks set to extend his 11 years in power in Venezuela - but the presidential election result is being queried inside and outside the country. We have the latest from the Olympics, where James FitzGerald says Parisians are warming to the Games. And scroll down for billionaires, pink frills and an eye-catching Marvel Universe reveal. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Maduro claims disputed election win | | Nicolás Maduro has been in power for 11 years. Credit: Getty Images | Before Venezuelans went to the polls, opposition supporters felt they had a real chance of ousting President Nicolás Maduro, whose PSUV party has been in power for 25 years. But with 80% of ballots counted, the National Electoral Council (CNE) has announced Mr Maduro secured 51% of the vote to win a third term in power. "I will defend our democracy, our law and our people," he told supporters. Opposition candidate Edmundo González polled 44%, according to the CNE, a body dominated by government loyalists. But his backers said their research suggested Mr González had won with 70% of the votes. Opposition leader María Corina Machado - who was barred from standing - declared him the rightful president-elect, saying: "We won and everyone knows it." Some 7.8 million Venezuelans have fled economic turmoil under Mr Maduro - many heading for the US, whose Secretary of State Antony Blinken was among those expressing scepticism at the result.
Crackdown on dissent: Ahead of polls opening, Jessica Cruz and Ione Wells were in Caracas to hear both from supporters of the government and those who say they are victims of its repression.
Economic pain: Venezuela has finally shaken off hyperinflation but with its underlying problems - chiefly a dependence on oil - persisting, the economy remained a key electoral issue, writes Robert Plummer.
Why it matters: The result will not just affect Venezuelans but could have an impact on US immigration and relations with the West, writes our Latin America online editor Vanessa Buschschlüter. | |
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WORLD HEADLINES | | Rocket attack: Israel's security cabinet has authorised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence minister to decide how to retaliate for the weekend strike that killed 12 youngsters in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Lebanese militant group Hezbollah denies Israeli claims it carried out the attack. | | Bride killing: A mother who coerced her daughter to marry a man, who went on to murder the 21-year-old six weeks after the wedding, has become the first person to be jailed under Australia’s forced marriage laws. | | North Korea: Record rainfall has left thousands of people stranded by floods, prompting leader Kim Jong Un - photographed travelling through floodwaters in a Lexus - to declare an emergency, state media has reported. | | Economic co-operation: Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has vowed to "relaunch" relations with China, as she began her first visit to Beijing since taking office. | | Life on Earth: Evidence of nutrients discovered deep within rocks in Gabon suggests complex life began 1.5 billion years earlier than thought, scientists have said. | |
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| Medals brighten the Olympic mood | | Max, left, said victory in the men's rugby sevens had made him very proud. Creidt: BBC | Ahead of the Olympics, some Parisians were grumbling. Security issues and overcrowding were among the chief concerns. But a vibrant opening ceremony and an early flurry of French medals have lifted the mood. |
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| | James FitzGerald, BBC News |
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| | The morning after France snatched its first gold of the Games, the sun finally shone on a fan zone in the city's 13th arrondissement, where couples and families lounged in deckchairs, watching a big screen. A man named Max was jubilant after the French victory in the men’s rugby sevens. "I was very proud," he said. "But I was always excited about the Olympics, even if some people are not." Another rugby fan named Vincent admitted: "I was not very optimistic about the Olympics. I was a little bit grumpy. But now I find the ambience very cool." |
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BEYOND THE HEADLINES | Timing, luck or talent? |
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| | | Italian designer Miuccia Prada is behind fashion labels Prada and Miu Miu. Credit: Getty Images | Maria Bianchi was a communist mime student before changing her name to Miuccia Prada and building a fashion empire. Ahead of the latest series of the Good Bad Billionaire podcast, host Simon Jack looks at some of the sliding doors moments in the lives of the super-rich. |
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| | | Listen up: On Good Bad Billionaire, Simon and co-host Zing Tsjeng consider the wealth, power, philanthropy and legacy of the super-rich, and whether they think they are good, bad or just incredibly rich. Listen now. | |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Ultra-girly | Pink hues, frills and bows are in. But some find the coquette trend problematic. | |
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And finally... | Fans of the Marvel Super Heroes franchise were treated to a surprise at San Diego Comic Con, with the dramatic unveiling of the actor who will play Dr Victor Von Doom, in the forthcoming Avengers: Doomsday. And it turned out a familiar face will be donning a new mask for the role. Watch the big reveal to find out who. | |
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Medal Moments | Your daily newsletter guide to the Paris Olympics, from global highlights to heroic stories, throughout the Games. | |
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MORE BBC NEWSLETTERS | | The Essential List: The week's best stories, handpicked by BBC editors, in your inbox twice a week. Subscribe. | | In History: The past comes to life through the BBC's unique audio, video and written archive, each Thursday. Subscribe. | | US Election Unspun: Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday. Subscribe. | |
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