China steps up judicial efforts to punish corruption in 2024: supreme court president

China enhanced judicial efforts in the fight against corruption last year, trying more cases of corruption including embezzlement of public funds and bribery in the year, Supreme People's Court President Zhang Jun said on Saturday.

A total of 30,000 cases of duty-related crimes, such as bribery and embezzlement, were concluded by courts at all levels nationwide in 2024, up 22.3 percent from the previous year, Zhang said in delivering the work report of the Supreme People's Court at the ongoing third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) -- China's national legislature -- in Beijing.

"In 2024, we severely cracked down on corruption in accordance with law. We concluded a total of 30,000 cases of duty-related crimes, such as embezzlement of public funds and bribe-taking, involving 33,000 individuals, up 22.3 percent from the previous year, and approved the death penalty for [senior corrupt official] Li Jianping in accordance with law," Zhang said.

Li Jianping, former secretary of the Communist Party working committee of the Hohhot economic and technological development zone in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, was executed in December 2024 after being convicted of corruption, bribery, misappropriation of public funds, and collusion with a criminal syndicate.

"In the year, we also concluded about 2,400 bribe-offering cases, involving about 2,800 individuals, a 18.6-percent year-on-year increase. We also tried corruption cases in areas such as football match, and severely cracked down on crimes that cause grave public concern, such as corruption in agricultural aid and the school meal program," Zhang continued.

The third session of the 14th NPC runs from March 5 to 11.

China steps up judicial efforts to punish corruption in 2024: supreme court president

China steps up judicial efforts to punish corruption in 2024: supreme court president

China steps up judicial efforts to punish corruption in 2024: supreme court president

China steps up judicial efforts to punish corruption in 2024: supreme court president

China steps up judicial efforts to punish corruption in 2024: supreme court president

European countries and international organizations have widely condemned Israeli air strikes on Lebanon which have resulted in more than 1,000 civilian casualties, including children, and have caused damage to civilian infrastructure.

Israel launched large-scale air raids across Lebanon on Wednesday, saying it had carried out 100 strikes within a matter of minutes on positions they claimed belonged to the Hezbollah group.

Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health reported more than 300 had been killed in the attacks, with roughly 1,150 wounded.

The attacks came after a two-week ceasefire agreement was reached by the United States and Iran. However, both Israel and the United States have maintained Lebanon is not included in the truce.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on Thursday accused Israel of violating international law to carry out the air strikes on Lebanon, calling the attacks "a shame on the conscience of all humanity".

Earlier on Thursday, Albares announced that Spain would reopen its embassy in Tehran in the hope of achieving peace in the region.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that Israel had "disrespected" the two-week ceasefire with Iran by carrying out the strikes.

Meloni also warned of further economic turmoil if U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran flare ​up again, and said the European Union should consider a temporary suspension of the Stability and Growth Pact, an agreement which ensures economic stability within the European Union, in order to handle the potential monetary consequences.

Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday warned that Israel's military operations in Lebanon could cause the entire peace process as a whole to fail, telling a press conference in Berlin "that must not happen."

Merz announced that the German government will resume direct talks with Iran in order to support the newly agreed two-week ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.

He also stated that a window of opportunity for a negotiated solution has opened for the first time since the outbreak of the conflict, though he cautioned that the situation in the Middle East remains "fragile."

The UK's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Thursday that she is "deeply troubled" by Israel's escalating attacks on Lebanon, expressing hope that Lebanon will be included in the current ceasefire arrangement.

Cooper also reiterated the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying that the effective closure of the vital shipping chokepoint had been "deeply damaging for the world", while stressing how crucial the passageway is to the entire global economy.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot described the Israeli strikes on Lebanon as "intolerable."

In a radio interview, Barrot said France strongly condemns "the massive strikes" which seriously undermine the temporary ceasefire reached earlier between the United States and Iran. The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday that Israel's latest strikes on Lebanon, which killed hundreds overnight, could not be considered as an act of self-defense.

"Israel's right to defend itself does not justify inflicting such massive destruction," Kallas said in a post on the social media platform X. She warned that the strikes risk further destabilizing the region and added that Israel's actions were putting the U.S.-Iran ceasefire under severe strain.

Despite this widespread criticism, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted on Thursday there would be no ceasefire in Lebanon, signaling that Israel will continue its military operations while pursuing planned negotiations with Beirut.

"There is no ceasefire in Lebanon," Netanyahu said in a video address to residents of northern Israel, adding: "We continue to strike Hezbollah with force and we will not stop until we restore your security."

Netanyahu said he had instructed his cabinet to open direct talks with Lebanon following what he described as repeated requests from the Lebanese government.

The negotiations, which are expected to begin next week in Washington, aim to disarm Hezbollah and reach a "historic and lasting" peace agreement, Netanyahu added. Delegations will be led by the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States.

Israel and Lebanon have no formal diplomatic relations and technically remain in a state of war.

European Leaders widely condemn Israeli attacks on Lebanon