Idlib: at least 13 dead (two children) and more than 30 wounded in Russian air raid

Today's headlines: Taliban supreme leader claims "necessary" measures taken by Kabul to improve women's lives; Over 120 thousand in Pyongyang to commemorate 73rd anniversary of Korean War, threats to US; Tourism in China grows at Dragon Boat Festival, but absolute numbers still lower than pre-Covid;  Vietnam on Gafi "gray list" on WMD control. Turkish companies in Ukraine for weapons production.

SYRIA
The Russian air force struck a market in Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in northwestern Syria. The toll speaks of at least 13 casualties, nine of them civilians. Among them were reportedly two children. More than 30 were wounded, some of them in serious condition. Moscow has thinned out attacks in Syria in recent years, committed to the Ukrainian front. Yesterday's is the bloodiest in 2023. 

AFGHANISTAN
Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a (rare) message claiming that Kabul has taken the necessary steps to improve the lives of women in Afghanistan, where they are banned from public life and work, while women's education is severely restricted. Their rights, he added, are "protected" by sharia, Islamic law. 

THAILAND
Thai authorities promoted a ceremony in front of Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai province to mark the fifth anniversary of the global mission to rescue 12 trapped young soccer players and their coach. They displayed photos of the "three heroes" involved in the rescue, including former Navy Seal diver Saman Kunan who died in the effort.

CHINA
Tourism travel during last week's Dragon Boat Festival rose 32.3 percent over 2022 to a total of 106 million, 12.8 percent higher than even the pre-Covid figure for 2019. The numbers are closely watched because they are a litmus test of consumer demand. In contrast, the overall numbers on tourism are still 22.8 percent lower than pre-Covid. 

VIETNAM
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has added Vietnam to its "gray list" of countries under scrutiny, along with some 20 others in the world including the United Arab Emirates, Syria and Panama, albeit against a broad commitment to preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Myanmar, Iran and North Korea are the only countries on the "blacklist." 

NORTH KOREA
The North Korean regime held a mass rally yesterday in Pyongyang, with slogans and threats to the United States against which a "war of revenge" will be unleashed. The event was attended by about 120 thousand workers and students and was organized to mark the 73rd anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. Among the signs displayed the U.S. "is our firing range."

TURKEY - UKRAINE
Turkish company Baykar has received a license to produce "Bayraktar TB2" and "Akinci" drones in Ukraine, with an investment of 0 million by 2025. Huge gains are expected, as assured by director Haluk Bayraktar, who already planned to open two factories in 2019. The "Kizilelma" fighter jet and other technologies will also be assembled in Ukraine.

RUSSIA - UN
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has placed the Russian military on the "list of shame," blaming Moscow for the deaths of 136 children in Ukraine in 2022. The document will be sent to the Security Council; Guterres added that he was "particularly shocked" by the total number of children killed and injured and the large number of attacks directed against schools and hospitals.

• AsiaToday