Explosions rock Damascus as France’s Macron visits Syria

Explosions rocked Damascus on Tuesday as France’s president met with his Syrian counterpart in a landmark visit, wounding at least 18 people, Syria’s Interior Ministry said.Emmanuel Macron had entered the presidential palace to meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa when the explosions happened near the Four Seasons Hotel.Syrian media reported that Macron was staying at the Four Seasons. The French president’s office said he was safe and that his meeting with Sharaa was continuing.Macron is the first major Western leader to visit Syria since Sharaa came to power and his visit comes before he heads to a Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey.Macron played a major role in pushing Europe and the United States to drop most sanctions on Syria.He arrived in the country Monday night with an economic delegation, and is scheduled to sign memorandums of understanding with his counterpart as the battered country tries to lure investors to help it rebuild after 14 years of war.