Senior officials of China's ruling Communist Party approved measures to tighten discipline within its ranks, during a key meeting in Beijing that concluded Thursday, according to official media.
The New China News Agency (Xinhua) reported that the fifth plenary session of the Central Committee headed by President Xi Jinping issued a decision on “strengthening the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party,” which includes reducing corruption among its cadres.
The Central Committee includes about 300 officials, and its full sessions previously represented major milestones for Xi to consolidate his authority, according to what was reported by Agence France-Presse.
But contrary to speculation, the statement from the meeting did not describe Xi as a “people’s leader,” a designation that would have indicated a further boost to his political standing.
For 14 years, the Chinese leader has been leading an anti-corruption campaign that has toppled thousands of officials, including dozens of members of the Central Committee.
As a result of the extensive purges he carried out, this year's full session recorded the lowest attendance since the death of former leader Mao Zedong in 1976, with eight seats vacant on the Central Committee ahead of the meeting.
However, some positions were filled during the meeting, which began on Monday.
Anti-corruption official Zhang Shengmin, who serves as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, has been promoted to membership of the Politburo, the country's top decision-making body.
With his joining, the Political Bureau now includes 22 members.
Xi's anti-corruption campaign has particularly included the Chinese military.
In August, China removed Zhang Yuxia, who was then the highest-ranking general, from his post following a months-long corruption investigation.
After his dismissal, only two members remained in the Central Military Commission, Xi and Zhang, after it was supposed to include seven members.
The full session was held ahead of a major party congress next year, during which the 73-year-old Xi is almost certainly expected to secure a historic fourth term and oversee leadership changes.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime announced on Thursday that poppy cultivation and opium production will rise sharply in Afghanistan during 2026, describing this as the first significant increase since the country's ruling Taliban imposed a drug ban in 2022.
The office attributed this rise to worsening poverty, which it said had prompted some farmers to grow opium poppies secretly.
The office called on the international community to provide more support to farmers, to help reduce their dependence on illegal crops, according to what the American Associated Press reported.
The office explained that the areas cultivated with opium poppies increased by 330 percent, and the volume of opium production increased by 400 percent during the year 2026, compared to last year.
The office added that the areas cultivated with opium poppy expanded to exceed 43,000 hectares (106,000 acres) in 2026, compared to about 10,000 hectares (27,000 acres) in 2025.
The executive director of the office, Monica Juma, said in a statement, “The quadrupling of opium poppy cultivation shows how difficult it is to maintain the decline of illicit opium cultivation, in the absence of any alternatives for poor farmers that would allow them to provide food for their families.”
The South Korean military said that North Korea fired about 12 short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area on Thursday, according to the South Korean Yonhap Agency.
The South Korean Ministry of Defense had previously announced that North Korea had fired an unspecified projectile off its eastern coast, less than a week after Seoul proposed holding talks to resolve disputes related to the borders between the two countries.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense confirmed the launch, noting what “appears to be a ballistic missile.” The South Korean military said that “the North fired an unspecified projectile towards the East Sea,” which is the name Seoul gives to the Sea of Japan.
The launch comes in light of escalating tensions between the two Koreas following a landmine explosion in a border area that injured three South Korean soldiers. A joint investigation conducted by Seoul and the United Nations earlier this month concluded that North Korea had planted the mine in the demilitarized zone, angering Pyongyang, which denied it.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong, also described South Korea's demand for Pyongyang to apologize as "despicable."
In October, North Korea launched several short-range ballistic missiles, one day after US President Donald Trump hinted at the possibility of meeting leader Kim Jong Un during this year.
