Shots fired near Venezuela presidential palace hours after Delcy Rodríguez sworn in
Caracas: Gunfire was reported near Venezuela’s presidential palace in Caracas late Monday night, just hours after Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president following the removal of Nicolás Maduro, witnesses said.
According to a report published by NDTV, the situation was brought under control. The source said unidentified drones were spotted flying over the Miraflores Palace in central Caracas, prompting security forces to open fire at around 8 pm local time (00:00 GMT).
Bursts of gunfire rang out, but not as strong as in the pre-dawn attack on Saturday that toppled Maduro, according to a person who lives five blocks from the palace, who said the incident lasted about a minute.
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"The first thing that came to mind was to see if there were planes flying overhead but there were not. I just saw two red lights in the sky," the resident near the palace said on condition of anonymity.
“Everyone was looking out their windows to see if there was a plane, to see what was happening.”
Videos circulating on social media appeared to show tracer rounds being fired into the sky, while other footage showed security personnel rushing towards the palace after the shots.
The Communications Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Agence France-Presse.
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Bengaluru: Karnataka mulls ban social media for children below 16, says Priyank Kharge
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government is considering a ban on the use of social media for children below the age of 16, taking inspiration from steps taken by countries such as Australia and Finland, The New Indian Express reported.
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and IT-BT, Priyank Kharge, informed the Assembly on Friday that the issue is under discussion. Responding to senior BJP leader and MLA S Suresh Kumar, who expressed concern over the abuse of social media, Kharge admitted that it is a serious issue.
Finland has taken action, the UK is considering similar steps, and Australia imposed a ban two months ago. “We too in the state have launched a digital detoxification programme for responsible use of AI and social media. The IT-BT department, in collaboration with Meta, has been running it by involving over three lakh children and one lakh teachers,” TNIE quoted him as saying.
Kharge said that in March 2025, the government launched the ‘Beyond Screens’ programme to help people dealing with digital addiction. The initiative was announced during the GAFX 2025 summit, along with the opening of a ‘Beyond Screens’ digital detox centre and the launch of an official website.
The detox centre serves as a dedicated hub for resources, counselling and intervention programmes for healthier digital habits.
During the Assembly session, Suresh Kumar also referred to the Economic Survey 2025-26, which was presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The survey recommended that governments consider age-based restrictions on social media use for children.
