Afghanistan drug trade hits $4 billion a year

AFGHAN opium poppy cultivation grew 17% last year, according to the 2008 World Drug Report, released by the United Nations.

The opium trade has soared since the 2001 overthrow of the Taliban, which had eradicated almost all of the country's opium poppies. The proceeds from the illicit trade which was planted in the '70s by the CIA to help finance the Taliban's fight against Russian invasion is now helping finance a resurgent Taliban's fight against US invasion.

CIA Director General Michael Hayden said in a statement today " how were we to know that if we gave one of the worlds poorest nations a means to make heaps of money that they would actually use it to make heaps of money."

Pigeons smuggle drugs, phones into Rio prison

A sharp increase in drugs and mobile phones found inside a Brazilian prison mystified officials - until guards spotted some distressed pigeons struggling to stay airborne.

Inmates at the prison in Marilia, Sao Paulo state, had been training carrier pigeons to smuggle in goods using cell phone sized pouches on their backs, a low-tech but ingenious way of skipping the high-tech security that visitors faced.

The ingenious plan was finally foiled when a number visitors to the prison, after being subjected to cavity searches were found to be concealing several carrier pigeons up their asses.