Happy to see another (relatively positive) book review of my latest book, Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs, just published in the London School of Economics by Alessandro Ford. The book was released in the UK in late 2019 so it’s pleasing to see it still being discussed (after all, the…
Synthetic drugs are here and surging
Synthetic drugs are here and the future of drug taking and trafficking. I’m quoted in this UK Telegraph story today about a massive shipment of amphetamine drug Captagon that was discovered in Italy: Watch_ Italian police seize 14 tonnes of ‘jihad drug’ pills worth €1 billion after they were shipped from Syria Here’s my full…
What will Europe do if Israel starts annexing?
As Israel flirts with annexing parts of the West Bank, Europe’s likely response is weak (at best). Global broadcaster TRT World asked me about this issue: Israel has occupied Palestinian land for over 50 years and Europe has barely mustered more than a few terse statements in opposition,” Antony Loewenstein, an independent journalist and filmmaker…
Bring Julian Assange home
I’ve been a supporter of Wikileaks since its inception in 2006. It’s been a wild ride, full of challenges and exhilaration. Right now, the life of founder Julian Assange is in danger so I’m happy to have signed a letter, alongside other prominent Australian writers and journalists, asking Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne to take…
The drug war = class war
My interview in UK newspaper Morning Star about my drug war book, Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs. The interview was conducted by writer Miles Ellingham: Independent, investigative journalist and author, Antony Loewenstein has been a maverick player on the left-field of journalism for almost 15 years, reporting on the Israel-Palestine…
War on drugs will continue long after Covid-19 is done
What’s happening to the drug war during Covid-19 and where will it lead once it’s over? My essay/analysis for British outlet Unherd: The image was startling in its brazenness and simplicity. The convicted Mexican drug cartel head Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is in a maximum security prison in the US, but his daughter, Alejandrina Guzmán,…
Making money from emergency healthcare
I’ve spent 10+ years investigating the issue of disaster capitalism around the world. Here’s my latest story, published in Australia’s major outlet The Saturday Paper, on the company Aspen Medical, its role during the Covid-19 pandemic and highly profitable contracts around the world. Aspen Medical’s Covid-19 contracts | The Saturday Paper
The world is in lockdown but Guinea-Bissau remains global drug hub
My recently released book, Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs, investigates the reality of the West African country of Guinea-Bissau and its central role as a cocaine transit hub. I further reported on the issue for Vice in late 2019. Now, in a new report in the Portuguese newspaper Publico, that…
Major Indian newspaper positively reviews Pills, Powder and Smoke
My drug war book, Pills, Powder and Smoke: Inside the Bloody War on Drugs, was recently released in India. One of the country’s bigger newspapers, Business Standard, just gave it a very positive review:
How international law fails Palestine
During the Coronavirus outbreak, “normal” Middle Eastern politics are less discussed in the media and yet Israel’s occupation of Palestine is just as brutal as ever. My interview with US outlet Fair Observer about Trump’s recent Middle East “peace deal”, the reality on the ground in Palestine and possible points of leverage for Palestinians. Here’s…