Venezuela's national election council has announced its approval of the first step in an opposition campaign to recall President Nicola Maduro. 
It said the opposition had succeeded in gathering 1% of voter signatures in all 24 of Venezuela's states, according to the (BBC). 
The move is the first part of the opposition's push for an early end to President Maduro's term in office. 
In a further twist, the supreme court suspended opposition activity in the country's parliament. 
It said activity would be frozen until three opposition members being investigated for vote-buying were removed. 
The council did not set a date for the next stage of the lengthy recall process - when the opposition will need to collect four million signatures in just three days.

Source: QNA