Live Roundups Editor's Desk Insights Executive Ops Weather About 🔍
Home › Politics › Explosive devices blow up near hotel where Macron is...
Politics

Explosive devices blow up near hotel where Macron is staying in Damascus

Explosive devices blow up near hotel where Macron is staying in Damascus
The Independent World Tuesday 07 July 2026, 07:44 UTC By Alex Croft 1 min read
Key Points

Explosive devices blow up near hotel where Macron is staying in Damascus Macron is the first major EU leader to visit the Syrian capital since former president Bashar al-Assad was toppled - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Explosions have been heard in the Syrian capital of Damascus near a hotel where French president Emmanuel Macron was due to be staying, a security source has said. Roads were sealed off and security measures were implemented after the blast. A witness heard explosions in...

Explosive devices blow up near hotel where Macron is staying in Damascus Macron is the first major EU leader to visit the Syrian capital since former president Bashar al-Assad was toppled - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Explosions have been heard in the Syrian capital of Damascus near a hotel where French president Emmanuel Macron was due to be staying, a security source has said. Roads were sealed off and security measures were implemented after the blast. A witness heard explosions in the vicinity and smoke was seen rising, according to Reuters news agency. Macron was received by the Syrian president soon after the explosions occurred, according to Syrian state TV. He is the first major western leader to visit the war-torn country since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in 2024. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky visited in April but Macron is the first leader from western Europe or North America to do so. The French president’s visit comes during a period of relative calm in the Middle East after the monthlong war in Iran and Lebanon. He will travel next to Ankara, Turkey, for the Nato summit, where Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa is also expected to attend and hold a high-profile meeting with US president Donald Trump. More follows on this breaking news story... Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments
Macron (ORG) Damascus Explosive (LOCATION) Damascus (LOCATION) EU (ORG) Syrian (ORG) Bashar al-Assad (PERSON) French (ORG) Emmanuel Macron (PERSON) Ukrainian (ORG) Volodymyr Zelensky (PERSON) Europe (LOCATION) North America (LOCATION) the Middle East (LOCATION) Iran (LOCATION) Lebanon (LOCATION)
Originally published by The Independent World Read original →

Related Stories

Low-cost loans for solar panels could save households hundreds on bills – thinktanks

New Economics Foundation and Finance Innovation Lab suggest loan scheme backed by Bank of England could benefit up to 8m homesMillions of UK households could save hundreds of pounds a year on their energy bills if the government were to approve low-cost loans for solar panel installation, research has found. Solar panels with batteries are one of the cheapest ways to generate electricity and reduce energy bills, but with an upfront cost of about £6,000 they are still beyond the reach of most...

The Guardian UK 12m ago

Haitians in U.S. fear mass deportations; Haiti fears mass return

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — After the administration of President Joe Biden deported Maxin Orelien to Haiti in September 2021, he fled the country again the next month. Democracy Dies in Darkness Haitians in U.S. fear mass deportations; Haiti fears mass return Mass deportations would cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars, analysts say, and mass arrivals in Haiti would challenge a country already suffering record displacement.

Washington Post World 13m ago

Explosions rock Damascus, wounding 4, as French President Macron visits Syria

The French president's office said that Macron was safe and that his meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa would continue as scheduled.(Image credit: Ghaith Alsayed)

NPR News 13m ago

Rutte to NATO: Admit it — Trump was right.

ANKARA — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has one message for NATO allies about Donald Trump: The U.S. president was right. He was right on pressing NATO allies to boost defense spending, he was right in getting them to modernize their militaries, and he was right to launch a war with Iran, Rutte told POLITICO in an interview for “The Conversation with Dasha Burns” podcast at this week’s alliance leaders’ summit in the Turkish capital. “I just like the man.

Politico EU 13m ago