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Tuesday, November 4, 2025
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’.

Punjab Police bust interstate opium smuggling syndicate operating from Jharkhand, 2 arrested

Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said they have seized 66 kg drugs and further investigations are going on to establish linkages in this case.

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.

Mephedrone & opium worth over Rs 20 lakh seized in two operations in Surat, 4 arrested

3 accused in the first operation are history-sheeters. They had brought mephedrone from Mumbai. The 4th accused in second case ​was smuggling opium from Rajasthan.

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.

On Camera

The Kapoors’ love for food is stuff of legends. Netflix gets us a seat at a table

If there is one celebrity who has made talking about food both relatable and entertaining, it is Kareena Kapoor Khan.

Nvidia worth $5 trillion: What does it mean for the market?

The chipmaker at the heart of the AI revolution may be the most influential stock in Wall Street history. Nvidia has been the primary driver of the market’s gains since the start of 2023.

Launch of India’s heaviest comms satellite is a level up for its soaring military ambitions. Here’s how

ISRO’s LMV3 rocket set off the CMS-03 satellite from Sriharikota Sunday. It weighs 4,410 kg, will primarily serve Indian Navy and has a life of at least 15 years.

Trump’s trade wars have rewritten powerplay, but India didn’t get the memo

This world is being restructured and redrawn by one man, and what’s his power? It’s not his formidable military. It’s trade. With China, it turned on him.