Maduro wins third term, Venezuela electoral authority says, despite exit polls

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has won a third term with 51% of the vote, the country's electoral authority said just after midnight on Monday, with 80% of ballot boxes counted.

The result announced by the authority came despite multiple exit polls which pointed to an opposition win.

The authority said opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won 44% of the vote, though the opposition had earlier said it had "reasons to celebrate" and asked supporters to continue monitoring vote counts.