Skip to main content

Blasts rock Damascus during Macron visit

Bombs exploded near the hotel where Emmanuel Macron was staying in Syria on Tuesday, a security source said, but the French president did not hear ​the explosions, the Elysee said, and he met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa ​soon afterwards. The blasts underscore the major security challenges in Syria, ⁠where Macron is the first head of state of a European Union country to ​visit since rebels led by Sharaa toppled Bashar al-Assad in 2024. A Reuters ​witness heard explosions in the vicinity and saw smoke rising. Roads were sealed off, and security measures were implemented, the security source said. The Elysee said the blasts were not audible ​from the presidential motorcade, and a Reuters journalist with the press group ​accompanying Macron did not hear the blast or see any commotion during the French president's morning ‌events. ⁠State television later reported that Macron and Sharaa had met at the Syrian Presidential Palace. Read: Turkish foreign minister says Anka...
Post a Comment

Blasts rock Damascus during Macron visit

Bombs exploded near the hotel where Emmanuel Macron was staying in Syria on Tuesday, a security source said, but the French president did not hear ​the explosions, the Elysee said, and he met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa ​soon afterwards. The blasts underscore the major security challenges in Syria, ⁠where Macron is the first head of state of a European Union country to ​visit since rebels led by Sharaa toppled Bashar al-Assad in 2024. A Reuters ​witness heard explosions in the vicinity and saw smoke rising. Roads were sealed off, and security measures were implemented, the security source said. The Elysee said the blasts were not audible ​from the presidential motorcade, and a Reuters journalist with the press group ​accompanying Macron did not hear the blast or see any commotion during the French president's morning ‌events. ⁠State television later reported that Macron and Sharaa had met at the Syrian Presidential Palace. Read: Turkish foreign minister says Ankara summit will help shape NATO's future Macron's visit has highlighted Syria's geopolitical transformation under Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander who has established close ties with Western and Middle Eastern powers that ​shunned Assad, as ​he seeks to rebuild a country shattered by 13 years of war. During the Syrian conflict, a range of militant groups, including Islamic State, ​gained a foothold in the country. Sharaa, a member of ​Syria's Sunni ⁠Muslim majority, has pledged to build an inclusive new order in Syria since ending more than five decades of iron-fisted rule by the Assad family. But his ⁠promise has ​been tested by bouts of violence pitting pro-government forces ​against members of religious and ethnic minority groups, with many hundreds killed last year.

from Latest World News, International News | Breaking World News https://ift.tt/6UowPpY
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At least 32 miners dead after bridge fails at cobalt site in southeast DR Congo

A bridge collapsed at a cobalt mine in southeast Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 32 wildcat miners, a regional government official said Sunday. The bridge came down Saturday onto a flooded zone at the mine in Lualaba province, Roy Kaumba Mayonde, the provincial interior minister, told reporters. He said 32 bodies had been recovered and more were being searched for. The DRC produces more than 70 percent of the world supply of cobalt, which is essential for batteries used in electric cars, many laptop computers and mobile phones. More than 200,000 people are estimated to be working in giant illegal cobalt mines in the giant central African country. Local authorities said the bridge collapsed at the Kalando mine, about 42 kilometres (26 miles) southeast of the Lualaba provincial capital, Kolwezi. "Despite a formal ban on access to the site because of the heavy rain and the risk of a landslide, wildcat miners forced their way into the quarry," said Mayonde. He said ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Indian devotees splurge on jets, gold idols as Hindu temple opens

The private jet parking lots at airports near the Indian city of Ayodhya are full and the shops have run out of gold-plated idols, as wealthy devotees prepare for the invite-only opening ceremony of one of Hinduism's holiest temples. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani are among the 8,000 or so attendees at Monday's inauguration event for the Ram Temple, which devotees believe is built on the birthplace of Lord Ram, a sacred Hindu deity. The construction of the temple, which began after the Supreme Court awarded the site to Hindus in 2019 more than two decades after a Hindu mob razed a mosque there, triggering deadly riots, fulfils a key campaign promise of Modi and his Hindu nationalist party. Read BJP-promised temple transforms Ayodhya: Muslims, locals feel neglected The opening ceremony, organised by the trust that built the temple, comes months before a national election which the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to w...
Post a Comment
Read more

Arab countries, Pakistan likely to observe Eid on same day

The International Astronomy Centre confirmed on Wednesday that the crescent moon of Shawwal will be impossible to sight on Saturday, March 29, across all regions of the Arab and Islamic world. This is due to the moon setting before the sun, with the conjunction occurring after sunset. As a result, observing the crescent moon, whether by the naked eye, telescopes, or other means, will be unfeasible on March 29. For countries requiring an actual sighting to mark the start of Shawwal, Ramadan will likely extend to 30 days, with Eid Al Fitr falling on Monday, March 31. However, in some regions where the conjunction occurs before sunset, allowing the moon to set after sunset, some countries may choose to declare Eid on Sunday, March 30, following traditional moon-sighting practices. Notably, a partial solar eclipse will be visible at noon on Saturday in parts of the western Arab world, including Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. This event serves as definitive proof that the cresce...
Post a Comment
Read more