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The latest news, analysis and opinion on Drugs. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Inmates gather at a watch tower a Renovacion 1 prison as riots erupt in three Guatemalan prisons, with hostages taken, authorities said on Saturday. Photo: Reuters
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

US-Venezuela conflict

Trump prevails in US Senate showdown over Venezuela war powers

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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US military personnel observe the border area of the United States and Mexico. Photo: Reuters
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.

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.

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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.

Customs officers found 36.2kg of suspected narcotics while inspecting two seaborne consolidated containers in December. Photo: Handout
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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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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US President Donald Trump (right) speaks as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on during a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida, after he ordered strikes on Venezuela, on January 3. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were also captured by US special forces during the bombing raid. Photo: Reuters
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.

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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Protesters gather outside a courthouse in New York on Monday where ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made his first appearance after he was seized by US forces in his country. Photo: Xinhua
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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US-Venezuela conflict

Maduro says he is ‘innocent’ in court, declaring himself Venezuela’s president

Abducted strongman was indicted on narcoterrorism and weapons charges after being taken into US custody in Caracas.

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US-Venezuela conflict

After Venezuela takeover, Chinese investors brace for era of regional anxiety

Washington’s moves to assert dominance in the western hemisphere could see tighter restrictions to curb Beijing’s growing footprint.

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Pro-government, armed civilians attend a protest in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 4, demanding the release of President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores, after US forces captured and flew them to the United States. Photo: AP
Americas and the Caribbean

Power vacuum in Caracas? Venezuelans wonder who’s in charge after US operation

Nicolas Maduro’s deputy granted temporary presidential powers, but it is unclear who is running Venezuela.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Explainer | Was the US capture of Venezuela’s President Maduro legal?

Nicolas Maduro to face charges in New York - but experts question the legality of the US operation and plans to ‘run’ Venezuela.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Inside the US operation in Venezuela to capture President Maduro

Elite US troops seized the Venezuelan leader and his wife in a predawn assault involving 150 aircraft, in a mission that was months in the making.

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima after his capture. Photo: @realDonaldTrump via Reuters
United States

Explainer | US interventions in Latin America: a history of coups and conflicts

From the Bay of Pigs to Operation Condor to Venezuela in 2026: A look at the legacy of CIA-backed coups and US military action in Latin America.

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Members of Cuban Assault Brigade 2506 after their capture at the Bay of Pigs, Cuba, April 1961. Photo: AFP
China-Latin America relations

China decries ‘brazen use of force’ as US attacks Venezuela

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife will face charges in New York; US President Donald Trump says ‘much larger attack’ still possible.

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Americas and the Caribbean

Maduro open to talks with US on drugs and oil, but silent on CIA strike

Venezuela’s leader sidesteps questions about a reported US land attack while offering to talk ‘seriously’ about cooperation.

Middle East

Saudi Arabia sets executions record in 2025, putting 356 people to death

The surge comes amid Riyadh’s ongoing ‘war on drugs’ and marked the first time more foreigners were executed than Saudis in a calendar year.

Saudi Arabia’s capital city, Riyadh. Rights groups say the death penalty undermines the country’s efforts to present a modern image to the world. Photo: Shutterstock
Americas and the Caribbean

US Coast Guard searches for survivors after strike on alleged drug boats

US strike in international waters kills three people while others jumped overboard and may have survived.

A strike on one of three boats alleged to be trafficking drugs. Three people are said to have killed, as others jumped overboard. Photo: US Southern Command via AFP
Americas and the Caribbean

CIA behind drone strike on ‘big facility’ in Venezuela: sources

Sources divulge details of a US strike mentioned by Trump, as Colombia’s president says US bombed a suspected cocaine factory.

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Venezuela

Trump says US ‘hit’ drug boat loading facility in Venezuela pressure campaign

If confirmed, it would mark the first known land strike on Venezuelan soil since the US began its lethal anti-cartel campaign in September.

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