Nigeria, Netherlands to increase investments in economic sectors

Netherlands is planning to increase its investment in strategic sectors of Nigeria’s economy, Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Johannes Maria, has said.

He said companies in the European country had shown interest in investing in Nigeria, noting that the volume of trade between the two countries last year was encouraging.

Maria, who was represented by the Head, Lagos Office, Embassy of Netherlands, Mr. Mitchel Deleen, spoke in Lagos at a business luncheon organised by the Nigeria-Netherlands Chamber of Commerce.

As part of the European country’s commitment to Nigeria, Maria stated that the Dutch government had set up the Dutch Withdrawal Fund to support upcoming Nigerian entrepreneurs.

The ambassador said the two countries would benefit immensely from the planned increased economic activities as more jobs would be created, among other benefits.

He said, “We want to move from doing trade to doing more investments. So, business is on the increase, there’s huge interest from Dutch companies doing business with Nigeria, there is interest from Nigeria companies doing business with the Netherlands. But what we now need to focus on is to see actually if we can get more Dutch investment in Nigeria.”

Maria identified the areas of focus to include agro business and urbanisation, among others

Underscoring the need for more investment, Maria stated that the 2014 trade volume between the two countries was €7b.

He added, “That’s a lot of money. Part of that is oil and refined product. That is market on its own.”

The envoy said, “So, what we are focusing on is actually on the agriculture, on horticulture, products like dairy but also vegetables, improve quality, improve system of delivery, improve the whole value chain. Another thing we are focusing on is infrastructure.”

The Chairman of Council, NNCC, Dr. Reginald Ihejiahi, said the organisation was established to encourage, facilitate and boost bilateral trade between Nigeria and Netherlands.

The former managing director of Fidelity Bank said, “Most people don’t know that Netherlands is frequently as the largest trade partner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Fidelity Bank Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo, submitted that the relevance of banks in facilitating trade between nations was germane.

“So, we play that facilitation role by being a well-respected bank in area of trade processing. About three weeks ago, we are one of the winners of Straight Through Processing of Deutsche Bank.

“So, the customers you see here today are beneficiaries of our efficient trade processes.”

He said the successful election in Nigeria in 2015 was beginning to have positive impact as it has boosted the confidence of foreign investors.

The managing director noted that though there were more than 17 million registered Small and Medium Enterprises in the country, their mortality rate was alarming because some of the operators did not understand the business.

“But we have created specific product for them. We took time to understudy their businesses, train them and lend to them. It is no wonder therefore that the default rate in our SME business today is far below the regulatory limit,” Okonkwo maintained.

Father exonerates principal accused of impregnating daughter

JOS—The father of a 19-year-old student of Federal Government College, FGC, Jos, allegedly impregnated by the Principal of the College, Mr. Muhammad Manko, has denied the allegation.

According to him, the allegation is an attempt by detractors to defame the character of his daughter and that of the principal.

The girl’s father, Alhaji Suleiman Ahmad, explained that his family had a close relationship with the said Principal, adding that their daughter, Aisha, an SSS 3 student, was handed over to the principal to be her guardian while in the boarding house.

It would be recalled that some media houses, (notVanguard) reported that the Principal of Federal Government College, FGC, Jos, had impregnated the student and offered to pay her dowry so she could become his wife.

Report also had it that the Parents Teachers Association, PTA, of the college was seeking the transfer and punitive measures against the principal, while some parents were thinking of taking their wards out of the college to avoid sexual harassment.

Alhaji Ahmad said:  “When the school was on boarding, I made Muhammad to be her guardian, and up till now I made him to be her guardian, so I can say that a relationship exists between them, but not in area of marriage.

“I know that the principal is very much aware of the rule that says he cannot seek for marital relationship with any of his students and therefore, cannot talk of marrying my daughter.”

‘Obama replicates Sodom and Gomorah’

It’s painful, disheartening to hear that the President of the United States, Barrack Obama, approved same-sex marriage in the US and the Supreme Court ruled in its favour, making it legal in all 50 states in the country. Marriage was established by God between a man and woman and God created all animals male and female. Now, Obama equates himself with God and signs an immoral act into law thereby provoking God to anger. Whoever is involved in the act is warned to flee from the wrath of God. It’s natural for male goats to be attracted to female goats and it’s practically unnatural and insane for male goat to mate with a male goat. The same is applicable to all animals. Now other parts of the world look up to the US, but this singular act of legalising immorality is not only condemnable but has brought shame to America and to Africa because of Obama’s African roots. This is an issue all previous American presidents never toyed with. Why are we on our way to Sodom and Gomorah? Why are we inviting the wrath of God? Why are we on our way to destruction? Why are we reasoning below the levels of animals? I want to thank Nigerian senators for opposing it.

Renewed Boko Haram attacks

The renewed Boko Haram insurgency particularly in Borno and Yobe states is not acceptable. Shortly before the last elections the Nigerian Army and its allies appeared to be winning the war against the insurgents. Many lost territories were recaptured with resounding applause from all Nigerians. Regrettably, recent incessant attacks on innocent citizens in Borno and Yobe states by Boko Haram have marked a sad turn in the struggle to free the country from the menace of terrorism. During the campaigns President Muhammadu Buhari promised to hit the ground running in the fight against the insurgents. Yes, he did by embarking on journeys to neighbouring countries to seek further help. The President also relocated the Nigerian Army command to Maiduguri. But the big question is: Where are the soldiers who pushed Boko Haram out before the polls?

Re: Naira drops to 230 to dollar

As long as the nation’s gate is opened to all manners of foreign products, most of which could be produced locally, and the nation encourages its citizen to go shopping abroad, the naira will continue its downward movement. I do not see why all sorts of shoes including bathroom sandals should be allowed into the country. Let’s all be reminded that the advance nations started from producing low quality products.

Tinubu, Akande reaping what they sowed – Bode George

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Bode George, has berated the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and a former interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, over the seeming marginalisation of the Yoruba in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Buhari had since assuming office on May 29, appointed nine public officials, of which eight are from the North.

Also, Akande had alleged in an open letter that the National Assembly crisis was being sponsored by some northern elements, adding that there appeared to be a conspiracy by the North against the South-West.

Akande had said, “Most northern elite, the Nigerian oil subsidy barons and other business cartels, who never liked Buhari’s anti-corruption stance, are quickly backing the rebellion against the APC with strong support.

“While other position seekers are waiting in the wings until Buhari’s ministers are announced, a large section of the South-West sees the rebellion as a conspiracy of the North against the Yoruba.”

Reacting to the development, however, George predicted that the Yoruba would be grossly marginalised for the next four years because the Yoruba leaders within the APC did not plan properly before rushing into an alliance with the North.

He said Akande and Tinubu should have learnt from history and the politics of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who remained in the opposition all through his life because he put the Yoruba interest ahead of his personal ambition.

George, who spoke to our correspondent on the telephone, said the PDP was able to sustain democracy for 16 years because it understood Nigeria’s diversity and constantly zoned key positions among the six geopolitical zones.

He said the recent crisis in the APC started from Akande and Tinubu’s comment that the APC would not zone the positions of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

George said the absence of zoning threw the contest for principal offices in the National Assembly wide open and led to crisis.

He said, “They (Tinubu and Akande) were not cautious when they were forming their alliance. They did not understand the dynamics of national politics. They were just driven by greed. I am not saying that they should not have formed an alliance with the North but it should have been on equal basis.

“They have now been given a political circumcision. Awolowo wanted Yoruba to be equal partners with the North and not a second force. I said it that we have returned to the 1960 political era and Tinubu and Akande have been slapped. I predicted all these.

“They were not thinking of the Yoruba but their selfish interests and I have no sympathy for them. Chief Akande said he did not believe in zoning and I knew that he did not know what he was talking about.

“Zoning gives everybody, including the minorities, a sense of belonging but Akande threw zoning of out the window and that move has backfired.”

When confronted with the fact that the South-West still holds the position of vice-president which is the number two citizen in the country, George said the position of vice-president was not an influential position.

“Go and read our constitution, there is no defined job for the vice-president. He only heads the Economic Council and is directed by the President. Let all Yoruba wake up now. You don’t enter into a coalition without deep thinking,” he said.

Ending The National Assembly Crisis

SQUABBLES, even fisticuffs, are considered “normal” in legislatures all over the democratic world. Here in Nigeria, issues of power and money sharing are constant factors behind every open confrontation among our lawmakers.

The eighth National Assembly has been bedeviled from day one  with crises. Clashes between rival factions of the majority All Progressives Congress (APC) in the National Assembly have made it difficult for the federal lawmakers to settle down to serious business. The Party had fielded Senators Ahmed Lawan and George Akume as its preferred candidates for President of the Senate and Deputy President respectively. For the House of Reps, it preferred Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and Hon Tahir Monguno.

The party insisted that having its anointed candidates occupy the principal offices of the legislature would enhance party discipline and enable the APC to deliver on its campaign promises to Nigerians.

However, members of the Party interested in the posts, especially Senator Bukola Saraki (Senate President) and Hon Yakubu Dogara (Speaker of the House) argued that the constitution prescribes that officers of the legislature must be elected by the members in the legislative chamber. During the elections that took place on June 9th, Saraki was elected Senate President while a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ike Ekweremadu became the Deputy. The House of Reps elected Dogara as Speaker, with Hon Yusuf Lasun emerging as Deputy Speaker.

The fracas in the House on June 25th forced Speaker Dogara to adjourn sitting till July 21st when the House could not elect its Majority Leader/Deputy and Majority Whip/Deputy, a feat the Senate was able to achieve.

The crisis in the National Assembly has wreaked  havoc, setting the APC leadership in disarray and making it impossible for the federal legislature to effectively start work. The period of adjournment must, therefore be seen by the leadership of the Party as an opportunity to settle the differences of its members. Even though President Muhammadu Buhari has appeared neutral in this tussle, he must now wade into the crisis, bearing in mind the need to carry every stakeholder in the party along.

We are strongly in support of an independent legislative arm, which must also be prepared to cooperate with the executive for smooth governance. Undue external influence destabilises the legislature and predisposes it to manipulation and corruption.

The task of fulfilling the APC’s electoral promises is enormous. The terror attacks in the North and high crimes have ballooned since the new government took over. The economy is also waiting to be tackled. The only way forward  is for the party to present a common front and encourage the citizenry to support its efforts.

Kayode Ogundamisi raises alarm over alleged corruption going on at the various IDP camps

In a series of tweet directed to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, political activist Kayode Ogundamisi says there are many cases of corruption, abuse and neglect going in the various IDP camps.  Start from the bottom for more of his tweets after the cut...

Presidency disowns Zahra Buhari’s alleged Twitter comment

The Presidency on Sunday disowned a comment on the social media platform, Twitter, credited to one of the daughters of President Muhammadu Buhari, Zahra.

The President’s daughter was said to have made some uncomplimentary comments about some foreign leaders through a Twitter handle, @Zahra_Buhari.

But the Presidency, in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the Twitter handle has stopped being Zahra’s for a long time since it was compromised by hackers.

Shehu said comments from the handle are therefore not hers and should be disregarded and considered as the work of hackers seeking to cause mischief between Nigeria and other friendly states.

He gave Zahra’s authentic Twitter handle as @ZmBuhari, saying any other handle aside from that should be considered as fake and therefore fraudulent.

The statement added, “It is also pertinent to state at this point that neither the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, nor the other children are presently on Twitter, Facebook or the various other platforms.

“As they explore the possibilities on this new territory, we request the general public to ignore the many accounts on various platforms in their names that currently exist. 

“Such accounts, beside the authentic one cited above in the name of Zahra, are unauthorised and therefore fake.”

NO Stolen funds will pass through US banking system

ABUJA: The United States (US) has disclosed that it would ensure that no stolen funds from Nigeria are laundered through its banking system.

The US Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, who made this disclosure during his country’s 239th Independence Anniversary Celebration on Saturday in Abuja.

“As you fight corruption, we offer technical assistance, training for investigators and prosecutors, and a commitment to ensure that no stolen funds are laundered through our banking system. As you improve the business climate, we encourage trade and investment.

“As you fight Boko Haram and secure and rebuild the Northeast, we will continue to help in every appropriate way. As you lead the effort to provide humanitarian aid to those driven from their communities and help them return home, we assist with food, medical care, and education programs,” the envoy said.

Entwistle stated that the US would help companies to invest in building more electricity infrastructure, especially environmentally-friendly power generation, as the Federal Government continues privatization of its power grid, through President Obama’s Power Africa initiative.

“As you increase your commitment to healthcare and education, we support those efforts too. Every step of the way, we will fulfill the commitment of our Declaration of Independence made 239 years ago, to treat all of humanity, in peace, as friends,” he added.

He assured that the US would stand “with every Nigerian who believes that this country can be healthier, safer, and more prosperous.”

Entwistle said Nigerians have no better friends than the Americans.

His words: “As I told President Jonathan when I arrived in Nigeria in November 2013, and as Secretary Kerry told President Buhari when they met immediately after the presidential inauguration (and, as I am sure President Obama will tell President Buhari directly when he receives him in the Oval Office at the White House on July 20), the people of Nigeria have no better friend than the United States.”

“We have maintained a robust engagement in Nigeria for many years, and our partnership with your great nation runs deep. Over the years, we’ve worked with the Government of Nigeria on a host of issues—on elections, security, the Niger Delta, fighting infectious disease, and spurring broad-based, inclusive economic growth, just to name a few.

“It is clear that the future of Nigeria belongs to the people of Nigeria. More specifically, it belongs to Nigeria’s heroes — to those men and women who are brave enough to believe that they can change the world.”

Parents of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls raise alert because of fraudster

Parents of the abducted students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno state on Sunday alerted the general public on activities of some imposters using their names to scam corporate bodies and Nigerians.

Abducted Chibok schoolgirls

On April 14, 2014 more than 200 students of the school were abducted by the Islamist terror group Boko Haram  while writing their final examination.

The Chairman of the association of parents of the abducted girls,Yakubu Maina, revealed this at a news conference in Maiduguri.

READ ALSO: French Sources Say Kidnapped Chibok Girls Are Now In Central Africa

Maina said the call was necessary because the group had turned the agitation for the release the girls into a scam.

The secretary of the association, Lawan Zanna, lamented that the imposters often deceived some parents into attending their functions only to be scammed.

“Some real parents had been lured to attending meetings with highly placed individuals in Abuja and beyond only to discover that they have been short changed by these individuals.”“We have realised that the whole thing has been turned into business by individuals who pretend to be fighting our cause,” he said.

READ ALSO: Chibok Girls Are Alive But… – FG

He also said that 14 parents of the abducted Chibok girls have died due to heart related diseases.

In a related development, Babuji Ya’ari, the businessman accused of leading Boko Haram in their abduction of over 200 female students in Borno state, has been arrested.

Pastor, 4 others killed after suicide bomber attack RCCG church in Potiskum, Yobe state

A pastor, a woman and her 2 children were killed after a male suicide bomber attacked a Redeemed Christian Church of God parish in the Jigawa area of Potiskum, Yobe state this morning June 5th. Eyewitnesses say the suicide bomber forced his way into the church at about 10am while the church service was ongoing.

Confirming the incident, the Yobe state Police Public Relations Officer ASP Toyin Gbadegesin said 

“A male suicide bomber at about 10 o’clock this morning detonated a bomb at the Redeemed Church Jigawa area in Potiskum killing five persons including the suicide bomber" - he said

An eyewitness, Garba Manu while giving an account of what happened said

“I saw when the bomber alighting from a motorised rickshaw and entering the church and as soon as he entered a loud explosion ripped through the church which is under construction. I saw him walked into the church and he didn’t raise any suspicion. Five worshippers, including three females and two males were in the church when the bomber entered and they were all killed. The dismembered body of the bomber was also recovered,”

Exclusive: Liverpool will sign £32.5m Arsenal and Spurs target Christian Benteke this week

BRENDAN RODGERS will this week match the £32.5million buy-out clause in Christian Benteke’s Aston Villa contract to continue his summer spending spree.

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Liverpool are set to meet Christian Benteke's £32.5m release clause

Rodgers took the number of new signings at Liverpool to six last week when he paid Southampton £12.5m for England international right back Nathaniel Clyne.

And he shows no sign of letting up with Villa’s Belgium international the next player he wants to arrive at Anfield.

Benteke, 24, has scored 49 goals in 101 appearances since arriving at Villa Park from Genk for £7m almost three years ago.

He has since emerged as a target for Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool - who are set to win the race with Benteke setting his heart on a move to Merseyside.

Liverpool have struggled to replace Luis Suarez since he moved to Barcelona last summer and Rodgers believes Benteke could provide the goals they've lacked since then.

Benteke is poised to be Rodgers' seventh summer signing and takes Liverpool's spending past the £80m mark.

How Benteke could look in a Liverpool shirt

Roberto Firmino James Milner, Danny Ings, Joe Gomez, Adam Bogdan and Clyne have already completed moves to Merseyside.

Meanwhile, former Reds defender Glen Johnson is in talks with West Ham over a return to Upton Park after he was released this summer.

Tottenham agree £11.5million fee for Chelsea and Southampton target Toby Alderweireld

Toby Alderweireld is set to complete a move to Tottenham

The Daily Mail claim the Belgian is on the brink of a move to North London after Daniel Levy thrashed out the terms with Atletico Madrid.

The chairman has been busy in talks with Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil in the Spanish capital over the weekend.

There are still some finer details to be finalised, but it is thought they could be ironed out in time for the 26-year-old to join up with Spurs in the coming days.

After spending last season at Southampton on loan, the south coast club had a £6.8m option to buy Alderweireld.

Alderweireld could be keen to link up with his Belgian team-mates at White Hart Lane

But Atletico paid £1.5m to buy out the clause in order to sell to the highest bidder after the Belgian international's impressive spell at St Mary's.

Southampton were still keen to do a deal but are set to miss out on their top summer transfer target.

Chelsea were also credited with interest in the centre-back but the Belgium star is apparently keen to link up with international team-mates Jan Vertonghen, Moussa Dembele and Nacer Chadli at White Hart Lane.

Man United wait on Angel Di Maria injury news after Copa America final

Manchester United are waiting to see how long their record signing Angel Di Maria will be sidelined for after he was injured in the Copa America final.

The £59.7 million winger suffered a hamstring problem in the first half of Argentina's game with Chile, which Jorge Sampaoli's team went on to win on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

Di Maria, who was replaced by Ezequiel Lavezzi, was hurt when he went on a solo run and his bad luck with injuries in major tournaments continued.

The former Real Madrid player missed last summer's World Cup final against Germany after being injured in Argentina's quarterfinal victory over Belgium.

Angel Di Maria is taken off in Santiago.

Now United face a wait to discover if Di Maria will be fit for the start of their Premier League campaign against Tottenham on Aug. 8.

He and his Argentina teammate Marcos Rojo were already going to miss the preseason tour of the United States, where United will play four games, as manager Louis van Gaal wanted to give them four weeks off after the Copa America.

Di Maria had been in fine form for his country in the tournament in Chile, scoring twice, after a difficult debut season at Old Trafford where he lost his place in the team.

Nollywood actress poses completely nude for sexy pregnancy shoot (photos)

Nollywood actress and video vixen Dior Chidera Adiele showed off her beautiful baby bump by posing completely nude in a new photo shoot. Quite bold. See more photos after the cut...

Do you see any ghostly face in this cloud photo?

Photo taken on July 3rd at Castlefields, Runcorn in the UK during a thunderstorm. The photographer said she spotted a ghostly face in the clouds. Please point out the face to the rest of us if you see it...

Manchester City ready to break the bank with record bid for Chelsea target Paul Pogba

MANCHESTER CITY could break the British transfer record with a £71million bid for Paul Pogba.

The former Manchester United man has been linked with a move to Chelsea and Barcelona but City could steal a march on their rivals with a bumper offer.

The Mirror claim Barca can only afford to spend £57m, which has paved the way for a City swoop.

And the Juventus star could arrive in Manchester as early as next week as Manuel Pellegrini is keen to do a deal before their two-week tour to Australia.

Neighbours United would get a £1.25m windfall under FIFA rules as the Frenchman spent three years at Old Trafford.

Manchester City could break the British record transfer fee to sign Paul Pogba

There were concerns that City could breach Financial Fair Play regulations, but sanctions have been lifted and the 2014 Premier League champions are now free to pursue a deal.

They are believed to be the only club who can match the Turin outfit's asking price, as well as the 22-year-old's demands of a contract worth £240,000 a week.

If City complete a deal, the fee would surpass the biggest fee paid by a British club by some distance.

United are the current holders of that record after bringing Angel di Maria to Old Trafford from real madrid for £59.7m last summer.

Kano Govt. debunks rumour on stopping Christians from going to Church on Sundays

Kano – The Kano State Government on Saturday described as false report in some national dailies and online media that Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje has banned Christians resident in the state from going to church on Sundays.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mallam Muhammad Garba, who made the remark while briefing newsmen on Saturday in Kano, said the report was false and unfounded.

“Our attention has been drawn to the rumour making the round, particularly in the online media, regarding the restriction of movement of people, Christians or Muslims to attend places of worship in the name of a direct policy or under the guise of any other policy.

“I want to state here categorically that the story is a complete lie, false and lacks any iota of truth and substance,’’ he said.

He said that the state government was very much aware and mindful of the freedom of religion as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We in Kano State as a people and a government cherish and respect our religious differences and therefore will never introduce any policy that will be inimical to our peaceful co-existence and mutual respect,’’ he said.

He then called on journalists to always check facts and balance their stories and report with high sense of fairness and responsibility.

Garba said that the government extended the monthly sanitation exercise up to Sunday but only for the staff of the Refuse Management Board to enable them clear up the heap of refuse in the state.

The commissioner expressed the determination of the state government to implement people’s oriented programmes.

He emphasised government’s determination to develop infrastructure in the state as part of the initiatives to improve the welfare of the people.

Heavy US-led raids on IS Syria stronghold kill dozens

A US-led coalition has carried out some of its heaviest air strikes yet on the Islamic State group’s de facto Syrian capital, killing more than 30 people, including six civilians.

The strikes on Saturday night and Sunday morning also damaged infrastructure in Raqa city, the group’s bastion in northern Syria.

Elsewhere, regime forces backed by Lebanon’s Hezbollah advanced on the last rebel-held town in the Qalamun region by the Lebanese border.

And fighting continued between government troops and two rebel coalitions seeking to capture territory from the regime in northern Aleppo city.

In Raqa, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 30 people had been killed in US-led coalition strikes late Saturday and early Sunday.

The dead included six civilians, among them a child, but the rest were IS fighters, the Britain-based monitor said.

The US-led coalition said the strikes were some of its heaviest since it began carrying out raids against IS in Syria last September.

“The significant air strikes tonight were executed to deny Daesh (IS) the ability to move military capabilities throughout Syria and into Iraq,” spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gilleran said in a coalition statement.

“This was one of the largest deliberate engagements we have conducted to date in Syria and it will have debilitating effects on Daesh’s ability to move from Raqa.”

Coalition forces “successfully engaged multiple targets” throughout Raqa, the statement said, destroying IS structures and transit routes.

The strikes “have severely constricted terrorist freedom of movement,” it added.

– IS executions in Palmyra

The raids came after IS released a video Saturday showing the execution of 25 Syrian soldiers in the ancient amphitheatre in the city of Palmyra.

The executions had been reported earlier, in the days after IS seized the town from government forces on May 21, but the video was the first evidence of the killings.

The soldiers were shot in the head by boys and teenagers in military uniforms, with a large IS flag hung behind them on the amphitheatre’s stage.

Palmyra’s ancient ruins are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and there has been concern that IS might seek to destroy the city’s heritage, as it has done elsewhere in Syria and Iraq.

In Syria’s Qalamun region, regime forces backed by fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah movement advanced against rebels in an operation to capture the town of Zabadani.

The town was one of the first to fall to the opposition in 2012, and is now the last major town in the Qalamun area near Damascus that remains in rebel hands.

The Observatory said at least 14 regime forces and Hezbollah fighters had been killed in fighting for the town in the last 24 hours, along with at least 11 rebels.

The monitor said regime forces had pounded the city and its surroundings with dozens of aerial attacks, as well as rocket fire and heavy artillery in the last 48 hours.

In Aleppo, fighting continued between government forces and two rebel coalitions seeking to capture regime-held districts in the west of the city.

The Observatory said an assault by a grouping of Islamist fighters and Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front on the Zahra neighbourhood had largely failed, but that fighting on the outskirts of the district was ongoing.

A second coalition, known as Conquest of Aleppo and grouping more moderate rebels, has captured a military barracks in one neighbourhood, though regime forces were battling Sunday to recapture the facility.

Aleppo city, once Syria’s economic powerhouse, has been divided into government-held territory in the west and rebel-held territory in the east since shortly after fighting arrived there in mid-2012.

The situation is largely reversed in the countryside surrounding the city, and both sides have at times attempted to encircle the other portion of Aleppo and lay siege to their opponents.

The latest fighting in western Aleppo began earlier this week and is some of the fiercest seen in the area since mid-2012.

More than 230,000 people have been killed in Syria’s conflict, which began in March 2011.

Russell Brand says he'll move to Syria if someone buys him a first class ticket, people immediately start an online fundraising

40 year old controversial comedian and Katy Perry's ex-husband, Russell Brand has said he has a 'good mind' to go to Syria, but only if he can fly first class.

The self-styled revolutionary, 40, made the comment in a string of sick jokes about the Tunisian beach massacre, hours after denouncing Friday's minute of silence in the UK as 'total bulls***'.

Brand raged:

"There is no point in having a minute’s silence. It’s a minute of bull****. If you respect those people then demand that your government stops selling arms to countries on its own human rights abuse list."

He sparked outrage earlier in the week by blaming Seifeddine Rezgui's (The Tunisian beach murderer) murderous rampage on the UK Government and dismissing the tribute to the 38 victims as an 'empty, hollow gesture'.

And he decided to open his new standup show on Thursday by reading out a news story about his seven-minute YouTube, telling his 100-strong audience he was trying to be deliberately provocative.

Brand mocked people who had commented on his video during the show at The Proud Archivist in Hackney, London, and highlighted one message which suggested he should go and live in Syria.

Hundreds have slammed his comments on social media, saying he was being disrespectful to the 38 tourists who lost their lives, including 30 Britons.

Zoë Kirk-Robinson ‏said: 'As if Syria doesn't have enough problems, here comes Russell Brand!'

Graham Eden ‏tweeted: 'I'm off to Syria'. After his election performance what could possibly go wrong!'

Adrian Owlett said: 'Bye bye and don't hurry back.' 

Gavin Sutton said: 'And do please stay there.'

Brand highlighted reader StevHilsley’s message: "If he feels so strongly why does he not go and live in Syria and I would pay his fare for him. Anyone else contribute?"

A GoFundMe page has now been set up which aims to raise £1,000 for his one-way ticket.

It said:

'Is there any chance we can all put money in to send the tremendous c***womble that is Russell Brand to live in Syria, just because he has an ego the size of the sun and he annoys the absolute **** out off me and many others I'm guessing?

'Your help would be much appreciated. If he doesn't accept said ticket to leave, at least he know's he not wanted and it will be donated to a good cause.'