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Indonesia

Video | Indonesia sends home Dutch death row convict

Two Dutch nationals convicted of drug offences returned home after more than a decade in prison a week after Indonesia and the Netherlands signed a repatriation deal.

Singapore

Myanmar teen to be first foreigner deported under Singapore’s new Kpod law

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police arrest 2 over possession of suspected dangerous drugs

Fame and celebrity

US actress Tara Reid seen downing wine in footage from night of alleged drugging

The ‘American Pie’ star accused a YouTuber of spiking her drink, but he denies it and authorities say the video is clear.

Tara Reid attends a benefit gala in Los Angeles in 2023. Photo: Getty Images/TNS
Americas and the Caribbean

US admiral denies ‘kill them all’ order in Caribbean boat strike

Admiral Frank Bradley briefs US lawmakers on the September 2 Caribbean attack that did not initially kill all on an alleged drug boat.

India

Opinion | Not just China: India also a piece of the US opioid puzzle

Like China, India has a large pharmaceutical sector that provides precursor chemicals. But it lacks China’s drug policy control.

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China-Latin America relations

China says it is working ‘with all parties’ to prevent escalation in Venezuela

Beijing’s outreach comes amid a US naval build-up and a rare phone call between Trump and Maduro.

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Washington has deployed the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford and around 12,000 sailors and Marines to the Caribbean region. Photo: Reuters
Americas and the Caribbean

With US warships near, Venezuela’s Maduro describes call with Trump

Phone call occurred amid a massive US military build-up in the region and deadly strikes on alleged drug vessels.

China economy

Opinion | How China engineered the rapid rise of its drug innovation industry

A market once dominated by generics is now an AI-powered pharmaceutical hub drawing billion-dollar investments from the likes of Pfizer and GSK.

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Fame and celebrity

Doctor who sold ketamine to Friends star Matthew Perry gets 2½ years in prison

Salvador Plasencia did not provide the drugs that killed the actor, the judge says, but he exploited Perry’s addiction for his own profit.

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Salvador Plasencia arrives for his sentencing on charges of supplying ketamine to actor Matthew Perry in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
China-Latin America relations

China unlikely to aid Maduro if US acts, but may benefit from fallout: analysts

Beijing condemns US pressure on Caracas but offers limited support, prioritising its economic interests and long-term gains.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) meets with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Moscow on the sidelines of the celebration marking the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Soviet Union’s Great Patriotic War in May. Photo: Xinhua
United States

Hegseth’s Signal use posed risk to US forces, Pentagon review finds

White House ‘stands by’ Pentagon chief Hegseth, who is also under intensifying scrutiny over US strikes in the Caribbean.

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Myanmar

Myanmar’s opium poppy growing at 10-year high amid civil war, turmoil

Myanmar has overtaken Afghanistan as the world’s main known source of illicit opium.

United States

Trump’s defence chief says he didn’t see survivors or watch second boat strike

A lethal follow-up attack on an alleged drug-carrying vessel has sparked concern about the legality of the strikes.

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US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth answers a reporter’s question during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday. Photo: EPA
Donald Trump

Trump says any country trafficking drugs into US could be attacked

In response to the threat, Colombia’s Petro says his nation destroys drug labs ‘without missiles’ and warns Trump not to ‘awake the Jaguar’.

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Packages of seized cocaine lined up in Panama City, Panama in November. A tugboat carrying 13,508kg of cocaine, was intercepted in Panamanian Pacific waters as it sailed to North America from Colombia, according to Panamanian authorities. Photo: EPA
Americas and the Caribbean

Pope Leo urges Trump not to attempt military ousting of Venezuela’s Maduro

The first US pontiff spent long years as a cleric in Peru and is familiar with Latin America.

Americas and the Caribbean

Ex-Honduran president freed from US prison after Trump pardon for drug crimes

While in prison, Hernandez wrote to Trump calling him ‘Your Excellency’ and referring to their ‘shared values’.

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Americas and the Caribbean

White House defends ‘double-tap’ US attack on alleged drug boat as lawful

US military operation on September 2 killed 11 people, including those who survived the initial strike, raising accusations of a possible war crime.

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An image from a US military video shows a precision strike destroying a vessel in international waters on September 2, 2025. Photo: US Department of Defence via TNS
Hong Kong stock market

China’s 3SBio seeks US$400 million in Hong Kong to boost drug pipeline

Share placement to help Shenyang-based firm advance clinical research in China and the US, expand reach of cancer and hair-loss drugs.

Americas and the Caribbean

Trump confirms call with Venezuela’s Maduro as US military piles pressure

The revelation of the phone call comes as the Trump administration weighs its next steps in the Caribbean.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Trump interference in Honduran election stokes division, voters say

Trump endorsed the conservative candidate and then announced the pardon of an ex-president sentenced to 45 years in a US prison for cocaine smuggling.

Honduran presidential candidates Nasry Asfura of the the conservative National Party (PN) endorsed by US President Donald Trump (left), Rixi Moncada of the left-wing LIBRE (centre), and Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party. Photo: Reuters
Wellness

Could magic mushrooms help us live longer? What Bryan Johnson’s test showed

Johnson’s conclusions after taking magic mushrooms are backed by findings that psychedelics could extend life by rewiring the brain and more.

Recent research suggests psilocybin, the psychedelic found in magic mushrooms, could prolong life by improving mental health, reducing oxidative stress and improving DNA repair responses. Photo: Shutterstock
Americas and the Caribbean

Venezuela airspace should be considered ‘closed in its entirety’, Trump says

The South American nation slammed the US president’s ‘colonialist threat’, and said his comments were incompatible with international law.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Trump says he’ll pardon ex-Honduras president serving US prison sentence

Juan Orlando Hernandez was convicted in 2024 on drug trafficking and weapons charges and sentenced to 45 years behind bars.

Americas and the Caribbean

Trump spoke with Venezuela’s Maduro, discussed meeting in US, report says

The US has deployed the world’s largest aircraft to the Caribbean, sparking fears that it is seeking regime change in Caracas.

The report about the call with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (right) comes a day after US President Donald Trump said efforts to halt Venezuelan drug trafficking by land were imminent Photos: AFP
The Philippines

ICC rejects Philippines ex-president Duterte’s request for release

The court dismissed defence arguments that the 80-year-old should be released due to his advanced age and alleged declining health.

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Rodrigo Duterte addresses troops during the 82nd anniversary celebration of the Armed Forces in December 2017. Photo: AP
Americas and the Caribbean

Is the US preparing to invade Venezuela, or sabre-rattling to make a deal?

Largest Caribbean military build-up since the Cuban Missile Crisis leaves observers guessing if the US show of force is a prelude to action or a threat.

The Philippines

Philippine anti-drug unit disbanded after teen accuses officers of rape, robbery

The 18-year-old student reported that the officers had forced their way into her home, taken her jewellery and mobile phone, and raped her.

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