FOOTBALL: RUMOUR - Diego Simeone agrees Chelsea deal to take over from Hiddink

The Argentine will see his wages double to €12 million at Stamford Bridge and will take over from interim boss Guus Hiddink ahead of the 2016-17 campaign.

FOOTBALL: Neymar's assets frozen by federal court in native Brazil

The federal court in the state of Sao Paul, Brazil has taken action against Neymar who has been accused of tax evasion back in his homeland with his assets frozen.

The 24-year-old is facing charges of tax evasion between 2011 and 2013, but has denied any wrongdoing.

Weird News: India - (Photo) Indian leopard that mauled six at Bangalore school escapes

A male leopard that mauled six people at a school in India before it was captured has escaped its enclosure, officials said.

The eight-year-old leopard strayed into a closed school in Bangalore on 8 February, injuring several people before being tranquilised.

NEWS: NIGERIA - One of 26 Sacked DGs in trouble for blowing N200b on poll, more could be charged

Of the 26 Directors-General and Heads of parastatals sacked yesterday, no fewer than 10 may be handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission(ICPC) for investigation, The Forefront learnt from a source last night.

It was gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari opted to give some of the chief executives the push, following reports of large-scale fraud in their agencies. One allegedly spent N200 billion on last year’s Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) presidential campaign.Some of the former chief executives also awarded contracts to cronies.

NEWS: NIGERIA - HALLIBURTON SCANDAL; Lawyers admit taking $3.5m as EFCC closes in on suspects

It is understood detectives are making progress in their resolve to find the $200m (N66billion) penalty fines paid by five companies involved in the $180million Halliburton bribery scandal.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked the lawyers who handled the settlement agreement to account for the fines and about $12million (N3.960billion) collected as “legal fees”.

WORLD NEWS: TECH - Adobe Pulls Update Which Deletes Important Files

Adobe has pulled an update for one of its desktop programs after it randomly deleted important files from people's machines.

During installation of a Creative Cloud update, the program deleted the first folder on many users' machines when listed alphabetically.

Users of backup software Backblaze were particularly badly affected by the error, as the backup system is stored inside a folder called ".bzvol".

WORLD NEWS: HEALTH RESEARCH - WOW!!! EXTRAORDINARY CANCER THERAPY BREAKTHROUGH REVEALED IN SEATTLE US

The Forefront whose host blogger is a Research Scientist in determination to help get the world aware of the latest in health breakthrough, research and discoveries has yet again come across a recent update on cancer therapy in Seattle United States.  This time around, tests of a potentially revolutionary cancer therapy have had "extraordinary" results on terminally ill patients, Seattle scientists have revealed.

In one study, more than nine out of ten participants with a severe form of leukaemia saw their symptoms completely vanish.Four out of five patients with some other blood cancers responded positively to the treatment and more than half ended up symptom free.

FOOTBALL: Nicky appointed Head of Academy at Manchester United

Manchester United have announced former midfielder Nicky Butt will become the club's new head of academy.

Butt, 41, is a graduate of the club's academy himself, having come through the ranks as a part of the famous Class of '92.

FOOTBALL TRAGEDY: ARGENTINA - Referee killed moments after showing red card

The Forefront has learnt that a referee has been murdered in Argentina by a young player for showing him the red card and the player is on the run.

Referee Cesar Flores, 48, was shot three times by a player moments after giving him his marching orders and the killer is still on the loose and the subject of a police hunt.

FOOTBALL: No doubt Manchester United are looking at Jose Mourinho says Luiz

David Luiz is sure Manchester United are looking at Jose Mourinho, and does not think his former coach would have any problems replacing Louis van Gaal.

Mourinho has been heavily linked with the Old Trafford club as Van Gaal comes under increasing pressure, and has suggested he will be back in management soon.

NEWS: NIGERIA - BUDGET 2016 ERRORS; President Buhari fires Budget Director General and 26 others

President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, in a move to douse the tension over the 2016 budget controversy, fired the Director-General for Budget, Mr Yaya Gusau, and announced a replacement in the person of Mr. Tijjani Abdullahi.

Also, Mr. Ben Akabueze was appointed Special Adviser to the President on National Planning. The two appointments take immediate effect.

President Buhari also appointed former House of Representatives member, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa as his Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora.
Again, yesterday, the President sacked heads of 26 federal parastatals, agencies and commissions.

NEWS: NIGERIA - 2016 BUDGET CONTROVERSY AND SOME DETAILS

It will be recalled that 2016 budget had sparked off controversy, with the legislature accusing the Executive of padding and doctoring provisions made by ministries departments and agencies of government.

The controversy deepened when the Federal Ministry of Health disowned the budget proposal submitted on its behalf by the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.

NEWS: NIGERIA - Omeri hands over at National Orientation Agency, Ekeoba becomes Acting DG

Mr. Mike Agbo Omeri, immediate past Director General of NOA, has handed over the leadership of the agency to Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoba who is the most senior director and in charge of Political, Civics, Ethics and Values at the agency.

NEWS: NIGERIA - Oh boy!!! Naira slides significantly to N345/$ in parallel market

The Forefront has authoritatively learnt that the Naira yesterday suffered its biggest daily depreciation against the dollar as the exchange rate rose to N345 per dollar in the parallel market.

This represents N20 depreciation when compared with the closing exchange rate of N325 per dollar in the market on Friday.

WORLD NEWS: SYRIA - Missile strikes on hospitals and schools kill 'up to 50' in Northern Syria

Up to 50 people have been killed in missile attacks on schools and hospitals in northern Syria, according to the United Nations.

"Such attacks are a blatant violation of international laws," the UN said.

One of the raids was on a Medecins Sans Frontieres clinic in Maarat al-Numan, which the group called a "deliberate attack".

TOUCHING STORY (HEALTH): UK - Social media boosts cell donor search (#Match4Zara)

The family of a 13-year-old girl urgently seeking a blood stem cell donor are "amazed" by the response they have received on social media.

Zara Al Shaikh, who has acute myeloid leukaemia, opened a Twitter account with her father to appeal for help.

Her second tweet has been shared more than 8,000 times.

FOOTBALL: FIFA SCANDAL - Michel Platini says he is ready to 'fight against injustice'

Suspended Uefa president Michel Platini arrived at his appeal hearing on Monday saying that he is fighting not for his future but "against injustice".

Platini, 60, was banned for eight years by the world governing body's ethics committee in December, as was president Sepp Blatter.

FOOTBALL: Juventuse Chief Marotta says Pogba and Dybala are not leaving the club

Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta has made it clear the club have no intention of selling Paulo Dybala or Paul Pogba.

Dybala has developed into one of the Serie A champions' undisputed stars since joining from Palermo at the start of the season and has recently been linked with a move to Barcelona.

WORLD ENTERTAINMENT - Kanye West appeals to Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg over $53m debt

Kanye West has appealed to Silicon Valley billionaires to help bail him out after claiming to be $53m in debt.

He revealed on Twitter on Sunday that he is $53m in debt, writing: "Please pray we overcome. This is my true heart."

He followed up by appealing directly to one of the world's richest technology entrepreneurs - Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

WEIRD NEWS: England - Digger Crashes Into Bank In Attempted Raid

A digger was left embedded in a bank branch after at least four people attempted to steal a cash machine.

Raiders used the vehicle to smash into the front of the Santander branch in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, on Monday.