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Wednesday, January 28, 2026
TopicOpium

Topic: Opium

Afghanistan is starving—and its farmers are fighting to save the poppy

The world has a shared interest in helping Afghan farmers move on from poppy. But time and again, it has abandoned them and the young Afghans killed by the poisonous harvest to their fate.

Is ‘Ice’ becoming the new ‘chitta’? Hit hard by Taliban’s opium ban, Punjab is breaking bad

Recoveries indicate shift in smuggling of narcotics from India-Pakistan border into state, with smugglers veering more towards pushing 'Ice' or crystal meth than heroin or ‘chitta’.

Indian opium paid for Chinese tea. It pushed wealthy Asia into poverty

In 'Asia after Europe', Sugata Bose explores developments in Asian thought, art, and politics that challenged EuroAmerican dominance.

Afghanistan’s opium cultivation grew by 32% after Taliban takeover last year, finds UN report

The report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime also found that farmers' income from opium sales have tripled to $1.4 billion in 2022, from $425 million in 2021.

Bajaj Healthcare is first private entity to enter highly-regulated opium processing sector 

Although India is one of the few countries that permit opium cultivation, its processing has so far been highly centralised.

Empire of poppies: Why countries think stopping Taliban’s narco-state is not worth the cost

Even as ordinary Afghans are reported to be selling their organs — and their daughters — for food, the Taliban-led opium industry is blossoming.

Opium production in Afghanistan crosses 6,000-ton mark for 5th year, says UN report

Uncertainty after Taliban takeover of Afghanistan pushed up opium prices in August & September 2021. But output is up by 8% and incentives for cultivation have risen, report adds.

Desperate Afghans have found a ‘new treatment’ for coronavirus – opium

Covid-19 is spreading rapidly in Afghanistan, and with no vaccine and scant medical resources people are turning to older remedies in the hopes of beating the pandemic.

India’s opium crop is drying up in lockdown, but the parrots are not complaining

Poppy farmers say opium harvest is drying up due to which their produce is losing weight and this can lead to cancellation of their cultivation licence.

What are opioids — the highly addictive drugs that wreaked havoc in the US

John Kapoor, the Amritsar-born Indian American & founder of pharma company Isys, was sentenced for leading a conspiracy that led to the opioid crisis in the US.

On Camera

India-Pakistan ready for lehenga diplomacy. Maryam Sharif has made the first move

Sometimes, we end up embroidering the truth as we overthink and overanalyse a fastidious lady’s personal wardrobe preferences for significant occasions.

Most EU firms eye India expansion post-trade deal, 90% say profitability to go up—FEBI survey

FEBI survey reveals Europe’s big bet on manufacturing, innovation hub amid ‘mother of all trade deals’, but flags regulatory concerns.

India, EU sign security & defence pact. How it links Indian firms to ‘ReArm Europe’ network 

The agreement comes despite differences between India and the EU on issues such as Russia-Ukraine war, showcasing the intent to deepen strategic ties. 

Non-alignment is coming back in a new avatar: Trump-peedit alliance

No nation other than China can negotiate one-on-one with Trump on an equal footing. That’s why the middle powers who so far formed the core of multilateral bodies now feel orphaned.