NEW YORK: US authorities have warned people visiting the United States for the World Cup that taking recreational drugs could expose them to deadly doses of fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid.&nbsp;&quot;We want to make sure that they are aware that the drugs that are on the streets and sold online are lethal,&quot; Frank Tarentino, an official with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;Almost all the drugs that we&#39;re seizing today have fentanyl in them,&quot; he said during a visit to a DEA laboratory in New York on Thursday.&nbsp;Tarentino noted that 29 percent of pills analyzed in DEA laboratories nationwide contain a lethal dose of fentanyl, which is roughly two milligrams.&nbsp;Overdose deaths have surged in the United States since the late 2010s, peaking at 108,000 in 2022 including 73,000 linked to synthetic opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.&nbsp;The total has since declined, with 80,000 deaths in 2024 -- of which 48,000 were linked to synthetic opioids, which remain the leading cause of overdose deaths.&nbsp;The nasal spray naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, can rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, and Tarentino urged people to buy it from a pharmacy.&nbsp;&quot;Because if somebody on the city street is in an overdose state, anybody walking past who has naloxone can administer that to that overdosed person,&quot; he explained.&nbsp;Tarentino dismissed the accuracy of fentanyl test strips, saying they can give &quot;a false sense of security.&quot;&nbsp;He added that the DEA had no evidence that traffickers might be specifically targeting World Cup fans ahead of the tournament, which kicks off June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Americas

US authorities warned World Cup visitors that recreational drugs in America may contain lethal fentanyl doses. The DEA said 29 percent of tested pills contain deadly amounts, urged people to carry naloxone, and cautioned against relying on fentanyl test strips.

US authorities warn World Cup visitors of fentanyl-laced drugs

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ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump has urged China to resume purchases of American soybeans and stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, warning that he would not make a trade deal unless Beijing complied, Reuters reported.&nbsp;Speaking to reporters, Trump said, &ldquo;One of the things I want is China to buy soybeans. I want China to stop with the fentanyl &mdash; very normal things. I don&rsquo;t want them to play the rare earth game with us.&quot;&nbsp;Asked whether he believed China would agree, Trump replied, &ldquo;I do believe, yeah, because otherwise I&#39;m not going to make a deal. Our farmers have been boycotted by China as a negotiating point. I want them to start buying soybeans at least in the amount they were buying before.&quot;&nbsp;Trump also claimed China was paying record tariffs, adding that he was open to lowering them only if Beijing &ldquo;does things for us too.&rdquo;&nbsp;The remarks came amid heightened US-China trade tensions after Beijing expanded export rules on rare earth materials &mdash; a move analysts say mirrors long-standing American trade controls.&nbsp;According to an Associated Press report, China&rsquo;s new export restrictions require foreign firms to seek approval from Beijing to sell products containing even small amounts of Chinese-origin rare earth materials or technology. This effectively gives China influence over the global supply chain of smartphones, electric vehicles, and advanced weapons systems.&nbsp;Analysts say Beijing&rsquo;s strategy borrows directly from US trade playbooks. &ldquo;China is learning from the best,&rdquo; said Neil Thomas of the Asia Society Policy Institute. &ldquo;Beijing is copying Washington&rsquo;s playbook because it saw firsthand how effectively US export controls could constrain its own development.&rdquo;&nbsp;The move follows a series of tit-for-tat measures since Trump relaunched his trade war earlier this year. Beijing has since blacklisted several US firms, tightened export controls on critical minerals, and imposed matching tariffs &mdash; including a 125% &ldquo;Liberation Day&rdquo; tariff in April.&nbsp;Experts warn the spiral could deepen global economic uncertainty. Jeremy Daum of Yale Law School told AP that while both governments now share a &ldquo;holistic view of national security,&rdquo; their reciprocal measures risk turning into a &ldquo;race to the bottom where nobody wins.

Says he wants China to buy soybeans and does not want them to play the rare earth game with us.

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US authorities warn World Cup visitors of fentanyl-laced drugs

Trump presses China on soybeans, fentanyl amid escalating rare earth tensions