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...
India will supply BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and Astra air-to-air missiles to Indonesia, an Indian government official said on Tuesday, as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi started a two-day visit to Jakarta. Indian sources earlier told Reuters that the deal, worth around $630 million, would likely be signed during Modi's visit. Indonesia would be the third country to sign an agreement to buy the missiles, which are manufactured by BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. The deal would mark a major expansion of India's defence exports and deepen strategic ties with Southeast Asia's largest economy at a time of growing competition with China for influence in the Indo-Pacific. BrahMos missiles, jointly developed by India and Russia, are among the world's fastest cruise missiles and can be launched from land, sea, and air platforms. The Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles can be integrated on Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets in the Indon...