Drug-related death rates in Canada and the United States have increased about six times over the past two decades, according to World Health Organization estimates. The rise has been driven largely by synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which are far more potent than heroin and are often mixed into other drugs without users knowing. Because a tiny dose can be lethal, overdoses have climbed even where total drug use has changed less. The trend has pushed public health agencies toward naloxone distribution, supervised consumption and treatment access.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.