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Drugs

Drugs
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Drugs. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Tony Mokbel leaves the Victorian Court of Appeal in Melbourne on September 3, 2025. Photo: AFP
Australia

Australian drug lord Tony Mokbel walks free: ‘I don’t regret anything’

The court dropped a planned retrial for the Melbourne mobster, who inspired the ‘Underbelly’ TV series, after the police informant scandal.

Americas and the Caribbean

US destroys another alleged drug boat in Pacific, killing 2

Medicine

‘Save a fortune’: Trump unveils TrumpRx discount drug site

Donald Trump

Trump and Colombia’s Petro appear to bury hatchet after months of tensions

US president calls Gustavo Petro ‘terrific’ after their first face-to-face encounter, following months of trading barbs.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Photo: Colombia Presidency via dpa
Germany

Chinese man on trial in Munich for raping sedated partner, echoing Pelicot case

The 27-year-old faces trial for drugging, raping, and filming his Chinese girlfriend, and is charged with attempted murder and aggravated rape.

Malaysia

Couple from China arrested in Malaysia after raid on luxury condo drug lab

Police also seized drugs worth US$41,867 from the residential unit in Kuala Lumpur.

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Spain

Spain busts cocaine trafficking ring that used ‘floating bases’ at sea

Spain seizes 10 tonnes of drugs and arrests 105 suspects, while Portugal intercepts a record haul from a ‘narco-sub’.

A semi-submersible craft carrying cocaine that was intercepted off the Azores archipelago by Portuguese authorities. Photo: Forca Aerea Portuguesa via AFP
Crime

Ex-Olympian pleads not guilty to running billion-dollar drug empire

Lawyer for FBI ‘most wanted’ fugitive denies alleged kingpin turned himself in at the US embassy in Mexico.

The Philippines

Duterte vs ICC: judges reject ‘unfit’ plea, set date for drug war case

The 80-year-old faces a February hearing on crimes against humanity after the court rejected defence arguments that he was unfit to take part.

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US-Venezuela conflict

US kills 2 in first known strike on alleged drug boat since Maduro’s capture

The attack left one survivor, and the coastguard has been notified to launch search and rescue operations.

Footage posted by US Southern Command on Friday shows a boat moving through the water before exploding in flames. Image: X/Southcom
Wellness

Weight rebound after stopping Ozempic, Wegovy? Not necessarily, new data says

New research suggests that many people who stop using GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic maintain their weight loss, countering previous studies.

New data suggests that many patients maintain weight loss after stopping GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which runs counter to previous findings cautioning that many patients will regain lost weight if treatment is interrupted. Photo: Shutterstock
Donald Trump

Diversify or die: Asian firms face trade uncertainty amid Trump’s Mexico threats

The president’s call for strikes against drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia will add to the cost of trading with the US, analysts say.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Guatemala declares 30-day state of emergency after gangs kill 8 police officers

The measure, pending approval by the opposition-led Congress, suspends assembly rights and allows arrests without a court order.

Myanmar

Video | Police find village-sized meth labs in Myanmar jungle

Junta authorities said they made the discovery after regaining control of land previously run by rebel groups.

A Myanmar police officer stands in the smoldering ruins of a captured methamphetamine lab near Namlan in Shan State on January 14, 2026. (Photo by Joe STENSON / AFP)
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US-Venezuela conflict

Trump prevails in US Senate showdown over Venezuela war powers

A 51–50 vote kills war powers resolution after Trump pressure flips two key Republican defectors.

US fighter jets parked on the apron at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. Photo: Reuters
Mexico

Sheinbaum tells Trump US military intervention in Mexico ‘unnecessary’

Mexico’s president said she rejected Trump’s offer of sending the US military after the cartels in her country.

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Malaysia

Malaysian man who used home labs to brew drug drinks worth US$246,000 arrested

The suspect was using residences to process and store drug-laced soft drinks with a street value of up to US$75 per bottle, police say.

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Donald Trump

Trump says Colombia’s Petro to visit US, in U-turn from threats to diplomacy

Just days ago, Trump had issued a warning to the South American leader for criticising the US attack that removed Venezuela’s Maduro.

US President Donald Trump (right) spoke with Colombian President Gustavo Petro over the phone on Wednesday. Photos: AFP
Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong customs seizes HK$18 million of suspected ketamine in baby car seats

Syndicate employed ‘ingenious’ methods to hide drugs in car seats shipped in two containers from Netherlands and Spain, officers say.

US-Venezuela conflict

Trump invites Colombia’s president to White House after threat of military strike

Invitation comes days after Trump accused Colombia’s Gustavo Petro of ‘making cocaine’ and warning of US intervention.

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Malaysia

Malaysian rapper Namewee defies scandals to release Lunar New Year single

Namewee is still helping police in an investigation over the death of a Taiwanese influencer and faces a drug possession charge.

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Controversial Malaysian rapper Namewee has released his latest Lunar New Year song, “Type C Malaysia”. Photo: YouTube/Namewee
Made in China 2025

Meow or never: China’s pudgy pets spark race for weight-loss drugs

Fosun and Huadong biotech labs eye feline obesity drugs as owners weigh cuteness against health risks.

The total pet population in China reached 430 million in 2024, with nearly one-third of urban cats classified as obese, according to the China Pet Industry Association. Photo: Shutterstock
United States

As I see it | Monroe Doctrine 2.0 portends the end of the US empire

The eerie return of the 19th century foreign policy doctrine indicates a declining empire seeking to consolidate power in its own backyard.

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United States

Opinion | The US now owns more than just Venezuela’s oil

A hard lesson in foreign policy comes to mind: if you break it, you own it. America is now responsible for Venezuela’s failures, factions and future grievances.

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Thailand

Thailand tightens cannabis sales as dispensaries face closure ahead of election

Thailand, the first country in Asia to decriminalise cannabis in 2022, tightens rules to appeal to conservative voters ahead of pivotal election.

A staff member prepares a cannabis flower for a customer in Bangkok in June 2025, after Thailand banned sales without a prescription. Photo: AP
United States

Editorial | US strike on Venezuela signals worrying return to gunboat diplomacy

One big concern for China is that America’s actions can create even more uncertainties than Trump’s tariff and trade policies.

President Donald Trump monitors US military operations in Venezuela, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe (left) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3. Photo: The White House via AP
US-Venezuela conflict

US ousting of Maduro prompts region to reassess China – and Trump’s next move

Trump hints at wider action as Latin American governments weigh sovereignty, China ties and US dominance.

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US-Venezuela conflict

‘Shocked’ China demands immediate release of Nicolas Maduro

At an ‘emergency’ meeting of the UN Security Council, Chinese envoy Sun Lei says Beijing ‘strongly condemns’ Maduro’s capture by US.

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