₦airaland Forum

Man found hiding in cannabis factory claimed he didn’t know what the plants were

Concerns had been raised about the property and police carried out a raid on August 13 last year.

Upon entry officers discovered almost every room was full of cannabis plants – and Ngyuen hidden away.

In his interview the 39-year-old – who originally gave an alias – claimed that he did not know what type of plant he was growing.

Sussex Police said this was “unlikely”.

Nguyen was later charged with abstracting/using electricity without authority, obstruct/resisting a constable in the execution of duty, being concerned in the production of a Class B drug, and for being concerned in the supply of a controlled Class B drug.

A jury at Brighton Crown Court last week returned a guilty verdict for the production of a Class B drug.

Nguyen was sentenced the same day to 18 months in prison.

The remaining offences were left to lie on file.

A Sussex Police spokesperson posted: “Officers found Hung Nguyen hiding in the loft of a house that was being used as a cannabis factory in Hove.

“Nguyen claimed he didn’t know what plant he was growing, but we thought that was rather unlikely.

“With 437 plants and 5kg of cannabis seized, Nguyen is now behind bars.”

Al-Qaeda still under 'patronage' of Taliban as UN team warns of 'multipolar' global jihad threat

The Taliban gave al-Qaeda safe haven in Afghanistan before 9/11 and continued to protect al-Qaeda and fight alongside it for two decades after the U.S. invasion. The Taliban, the Taliban's Haqqani Network, and al-Qaeda remain deeply intertwined in Afghanistan.

"Regional countries remained concerned about the number of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and its spillover effects, including cross-border attacks and the radicalization of vulnerable domestic communities," the U.N. team said in its new report.

[...]
Watchdog reports have shown the U.S. government continued to send billions to Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover, with the Taliban skimming millions in taxes. Just the News recently reported on how Congress is moving toward banning all U.S. funding for the Taliban.

The U.N. team also warned in its new report that the threat from Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (abbreviated as ISIL in the U.N. report) is "multipolar and increasingly complex" and that "it intensified in multiple theaters, notably in West Africa and the Sahel, and in South Asia." The report also warned that "there were growing concerns about the exploitation of commercial satellite communications by terrorist groups and their increasing proficiency in using artificial intelligence."

Al-Qaeda acts as a "service provider" for other Afghan terrorist groups
The U.N. team said that "Al-Qaeda's status and strength remained unchanged from that reported in the previous report of the Monitoring Team" - meaning the terrorist group remained under the radar but resilient - "and its appetite for external operations undiminished."

"Al-Qaeda continued to enjoy the patronage of the de facto authorities," the U.N. team said. "It acted as a service provider and multiplier for other terrorist groups in Afghanistan in terms of training and advice, principally to" the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan - dubbed the TTP or Pakistani Taliban.

The report also said that Al-Qaeda's "focus was on ‘spectacular' attacks aimed at attracting notoriety and global media coverage, rather than the lower sophistication attacks favored by" the Islamic State and its ISIS-K branch in Afghanistan.

The Taliban "continues to host and support the group," the UN team also said of al-Qaeda late last year, and "senior al-Qaeda commanders are reported to be living in Kabul.

SOURCE :
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/al-qaeda-still-under-patronage-of-taliban-as-un-team-warns-of-multipolar-global-jihad-threat/ar-AA1WDKg6?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6996f61dc1c04340aa96d5df5ffe03fb&ei=18

Washington, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Charismatic U.S. civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, an eloquent Baptist minister raised in the segregated South who became a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr and twice ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, has died at age 84, his family said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Our father was a servant leader - not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world," the Jackson family said.

Jackson, an inspirational orator and long-time Chicagoan, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2017.

The media-savvy Jackson advocated for the rights of Black Americans and other marginalized communities dating back to the turbulent civil rights movement of the 1960s spearheaded by his mentor King, a Baptist minister and towering social activist.

Jackson weathered a spate of controversies but remained America's preeminent civil rights figure for decades.

He ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, attracting Black voters and many white liberals in mounting unexpectedly strong campaigns but fell short of becoming the first Black major party White House nominee. Ultimately, he never held elective office.

As of 2026, 10 sitting U.S. presidents have visited the continent of Africa while in office.
The presidents who have made official visits include:

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1943 1945): The first sitting president to visit Africa; he traveled to Morocco, Gambia, Liberia, French West Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt during World War II.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1959): Visited Tunisia and Morocco.

Richard Nixon (1974): Visited Egypt.

Jimmy Carter (1978, 1979): Visited Nigeria and Liberia in the first official state visit to sub-Saharan Africa, as well as Egypt.
George H.W. Bush (1990, 1992–1993): Visited Egypt and Somalia.

Bill Clinton (1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000): Conducted extensive tours, visiting countries including Ghana, Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa, Botswana, Senegal, Nigeria, Tanzania, Egypt, and Morocco.

George W. Bush (2003, 2008): Visited Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Uganda, Nigeria, Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Liberia, and Egypt.

Barack Obama (2009, 2013, 2015): Visited Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

Joe Biden (2022, 2024): Visited Egypt for COP27 in 2022, followed by a late-term visit to Cabo Verde and Angola in December 2024.

Donald Trump (2025): Visited Egypt in October 2025 during his second term.

Note on Theodore Roosevelt: While he famously spent a year on expedition in Africa (Kenya, Congo, Uganda, and Sudan), his trip occurred in 1909, three weeks after he had left office.

a rejection of a system where Western powers dictate rules they do not follow,

Leaked emails and documents, including those reviewed by Drop Site News and the U.S. House Oversight Committee, suggest that Jeffrey Epstein worked alongside former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to facilitate a deal between Israeli security firms and the Ivorian government, led by Ouattara.

Between 2012 and 2014, Epstein reportedly helped former Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak coordinate meetings with high-level Ivorian officials, including President Ouattara and his Chief of Staff, to discuss building a national surveillance apparatus.

Family Connections: Epstein’s schedules show he had an appointment in New York with the president’s son, David Dramane Ouattara, on June 18, 2012—the same day President Ouattara was meeting with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem.


Niece Link: Epstein also met with Ouattara’s niece, Nina Keita, in September 2012. Keita had reportedly known Epstein since 2002 when she was a model for Karin Models, an agency run by Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel.

Security Agreement: These efforts contributed to a 2014 formal defense and internal security agreement between Israel and Côte d'Ivoire, which critics claim helped Ouattara tighten his grip on power.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi assassinated at his home by 4 gunmen

The reports said he was killed by four individuals, though no further details were immediately available. Abdullah Othman, Saif al-Islam’s political adviser, confirmed the death in a brief post on Facebook, without specifying the circumstances or identifying those responsible.

His French lawyer, Marcel Ceccaldi, told the news agency AFP that the identity of the assailants remained unkown:

"For now, we don't know" who was behind the killing, Ceccaldi said, adding that he was told by one of Seif al-Islam's close associates about ten days ago "that there were problems with his security".

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s political team issued an official statement mourning his death, saying arrangements were underway to recover his body.
Source:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/saif-al-islam-gaddafi-assassinated-at-his-home-by-4-gunmen/ar-AA1VBiy8?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=69826da72a9a4f618afa778c5c391da8&ei=48

news
Nigeria: Soldiers face trial for alleged Tinubu coup plan

Nigeria's military will try several officers over an alleged plan to oust President Bola Tinubu last year, it said Monday, acknowledging a plot the government had initially denied.

In October, the military said 16 officers had been arrested over "issues of indiscipline".

Despite official denials, sources across the Nigerian government and military had told AFP they were arrested over a coup plot.

If successful, this would have brought an end to a quarter-century of democracy in Africa's most populous country.

"The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) wishes to inform the general public that investigations into the matter have been concluded," Major General Samaila Uba, a spokesman for the Defence Headquarters, said in a statement on Monday.

"The findings have identified several officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government," he said.

"Those with cases to answer will be formally arraigned before an appropriate military judicial panel to face trial."

No date was given for the trials. The officers could face the death penalty if found guilty, according to legal experts.

Shortly after denying the alleged coup plot, Tinubu reshuffled the country's top military brass.

A senior administration official told AFP at the time: "Normally, when such a thing happens, it means there is a gap in intelligence. No leader would accept that."

General Christopher Musa was dropped as chief of defence staff in the shuffle, though he has since come back as defence minister.

- Government denials -

The West African country has seen several military takeovers in its history and spent much of the 20th century under junta rule after its independence from Britain.

It transitioned to civilian rule in 1999 and has had a democratic government since.

Hints of the affair first became public when Nigeria's Defence Headquarters issued a statement on October 4 about the arrest of 16 officers, citing cases of indiscipline and perceived career stagnation.

Reports of a foiled coup later appeared in the Nigerian press.

News around the alleged plot faded from view amid strong government denials and as the country was swept up in a diplomatic crisis, as US President Donald Trump criticised Nigeria for allegedly not doing enough to protect Christians from violence.

The Nigerian military is fighting a long-running insurgency against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province in the northeast.

While the violence has waned since its peak a decade ago, attacks continue -- including deadly assaults on military bases -- seemingly with no end in sight.

Analysts warned of a rise in violence in 2025, while troops have at times reported unpaid wages and poor conditions.

The military is stretched thin on other fronts as well, including fighting armed gangs known as "bandits" in the northwest that kidnap for ransom, and separatists in the southeast.

The United States has since launched joint strikes against Islamic State Sahel Province militants in the northwest and pledged increased intelligence sharing to help Nigeria carry out air strikes across the north.

Source: https://www.africanews.com/2026/01/27/nigeria-soldiers-face-trial-for-alleged-tinubu-coup-plan//

Trump seeking ‘regime change’ in Cuba by end of the year: US media report.
United States President Donald Trump aims to remove Cuba’s leadership and is actively seeking government insiders in Havana who are willing to make a deal with Washington to “push out the Communist regime”, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

The US newspaper, quoting unnamed US officials, reported on Wednesday that the Trump Administration does not have a “concrete plan” for Cuba, but that the recent abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the US military was “left behind as a blueprint and a warning for Cuba”.

A US official told the newspaper that meetings have been held with Cuban exiles and civic groups in Miami and Washington, DC, in a bid to identify a government official in Cuba who might “want to cut a deal”.

Trump has also directly threatened Cuba, writing on his Truth Social platform earlier this month: “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”

David Smith, an expert in US politics and foreign policy at the University of Sydney’s US Studies Centre, told Al Jazeera that the White House may be “too optimistic” in thinking that threats alone will be enough to topple the Cuban government, which is led by President Miguel Diaz-Canel.
SOURCE: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/22/trump-seeking-regime-change-in-cuba-by-end-of-the-year-us-media-report

Trump says "armada" of warships is headed toward Iran "just in case"
By Eleanor Watson
January 23, 2026 / 1:43 PM EST / CBS News

CBS News
President Trump said Thursday an "armada" of U.S. warships is headed toward the Middle East, as he continues to watch the Iranian regime's response to massive protests that began in late December.

"We have a lot of ships going that direction just in case," Mr. Trump said when he was asked by reporters on Air Force One where things stand with Iran. He said it was a "good sign" Iran had decided not to hang protesters, adding that "we have an armada heading that direction and maybe we won't have to use it."

The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and its escort ships were in the Indian Ocean as of Friday morning, according to defense officials. The carrier strike group brings about 5,000 sailors and Marines with squadrons of fighter jets, helicopters, and electronic attack aircraft.

The Lincoln was in the Pacific when the president first issued a warning on social media that the U.S. was "locked and loaded" to hit Iran if the regime killed anti-government protesters.

Since the demonstrations began, the Human Rights Activists in Iran), a U.S.-based non-governmental organization, estimates that more than 4,000 protesters have been killed so far and says that number is likely to rise.
Source https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-armada-of-warships-headed-towards-iran/

LordIsaac:
Do you have nuclear weapons and launchers?

Brain54 :
It's called international waters or high sea.You saying Africa, not the countries boardering the oceans shows your deeper confusion on the issue and makes your point more awkward.
After a certain point of nautical miles ( maybe 200 nautical miles. I'm not sure again) from shore a country has no claim over.
International waters put very crudely and for layman's understanding is like no man's land (or sea/water actually).