February 6, 2020

Fiat Chrysler Profit Skids As Sales Slow

US-Italian automaker Fiat Chrysler said Thursday its net earnings fell by nearly a fifth last year as sales slowed, although both rose in the final quarter.

The firm, which is set to merge with France’s Peugeot-Citroen to create the world’s third-largest automaker by revenues, saw net earnings fall 19 percent to 2.7 billion euros ($3.0 billion) in 2019.

Sales slid 2.0 percent to 108.2 billion euros, similar to the slowdown in the global auto market.

Although sales by volume slipped in the key North American market, Fiat Chrysler said it managed to increase margins there and made record earnings before …

Tokyo Olympics Organisers Blast Virus Rumours

Tokyo 2020 Olympics organisers said Thursday the Games would “go ahead as planned”, slamming misinformation over the new coronavirus for triggering panic.

Chief executive officer Toshiro Muto revealed that organisers have set up a task force to combat the fast-spreading disease that has killed over 560 people and infected at least 28,000 — the vast majority in mainland China — but promised that the Games would be not derailed from their July 24 start date.

“The Olympics will go ahead as planned,” he told reporters after a project review of the Paralympics, which are scheduled to take place after the …

Joshua Set For Bout At Tottenham: Promoter

Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is close to agreeing a deal to fight at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium later this year, promoter Eddie Hearn said on Thursday.

Britain’s Joshua beat Andy Ruiz Jr in Saudi Arabia last year to regain the WBA, IBF and WBO titles.

Now the 30-year-old is set to fight Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev, the IBF mandatory challenger, in June at the north London home of Premier League club Tottenham.

The plush 62,000-capacity stadium, which opened last April, is believed to have beaten competition from venues including Twickenham and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

“We’re very close. I had a meeting …

South African Swim Star Schoeman Banned For Doping

Former world record holder and Olympic gold medallist Roland Schoeman has been suspended for doping, the International Swimming Federation (Fina) announced on Thursday.

The South African, who is 39 and was training for the 2020 Olympics, tested positive in May 2019 for a prohibited product from the family of “hormonal and metabolic modulators”, Fina said.

Read Also: Buhari Gives Daniel Amokachi New Appointment

Schoeman has been suspended until May 17. The swimming competition in Tokyo starts on July 25.

He was part of the winning South African 4x100m relay team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, a triple world champion …

Ibrahimovic Return Adds Spice To Milan Derby

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s return to AC Milan will add spice to the city derby against Inter Milan on Sunday with the Swede looking to thwart Antonio Conte’s side from keeping pace with Serie A leaders Juventus.

Ibrahimovic played his first Milan derby as an Inter player 13 years ago, while his last was for rivals AC Milan in May 2012, when he scored a double in a 4-2 defeat.

Ibrahimovic was the top scorer that season with 28 goals but Milan lost the Serie A title to Conte’s Juventus, the first in the Turin giants’ current run of eight league crowns.…

Biles Wows Fans With Video Of Vault Ahead Of Olympics

Simone Biles, the most decorated American gymnast with 30 Olympic and world championship medals, has excited fans with a four-second video clip of a training vault no woman has performed in competition.

The 22-year-old reigning world and Olympic all-around champion showed off a Yurchenko double pike vault and landed in a pit of red foam-like bricks with the Twitter caption “2020?” and three sets of widened eyeballs.

The video had been viewed more than 2.3 million times as of Thursday afternoon.

Read Also: Buhari Gives Daniel Amokachi New Appointment

It’s a hint that the world’s top gymnast might have something …

Man City Star Sterling To Miss West Ham Clash

Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling will miss Sunday’s Premier League clash against West Ham and could face a race to be fit for their Champions League showdown with Real Madrid after suffering a hamstring injury.

Sterling limped off during Sunday’s defeat at Tottenham and the club have confirmed the injury will sideline the England international this weekend.

“Raheem Sterling will miss our game against West Ham this weekend after scans revealed he has suffered damage to his left hamstring. Everyone at City wishes @sterling7 a full and speedy recovery,” City said on their Twitter account.

Read Also: Buhari Gives

Buhari, Govs, Uzodinma Others Depart Nigeria Friday

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja Friday to attend the Thirty-third (33rd) Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

President Buhari will join leaders from the 55-member countries of the African Union to participate in the Summit with the theme, “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development.”

According to his Spokesman, Garba Shehu, the President will attend the 29th Forum of Heads of State and Government of Participating States of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the 27th Session of New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Heads

33,000 Allowance: Buhari Hosts NYSC Members

President Muhammadu Buhari has described the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as a laudable one that needs to be sustained as it affords the opportunity for Nigerian youths to understand the country better.

A statement made available to DAILY POST on Thursday in Abuja by his Spokesman, Femi Adesina, quoted Buhari as making this statement, while playing host to some corps members who paid him a thank-you visit, also praised General Yakubu Gowon for the initiative.

“People come from far and wide; some from Victoria Island in Lagos have not even been to Ikeja. They now find themselves

Another OAU Lecturer Suspended For Alleged Sexual Assault

The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state has suspended another lecturer, Mr. Monday Omo-Etan, for alleged sexual assault on a 19-year-old female student.

A statement issued yesterday by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Mr. Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that the University has also handed over Omo-Etan to the police.

Read Also: Is The AU Capable Of Silencing The Guns In Africa?

The statement read in part, “Less than three weeks after the Management of OAU, Ile Ife, expressed her zero-tolerance against sexual harassment by investigating and suspending a lecturer of the Department of International Relations, Mr. Olabisi …

Local Govt Autonomy: Reps Move To Snatch LG From Govs

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the local government autonomy bill through second reading.

The bill, which seeks to amend the 1999 constitution, was passed through second reading by the House.

The bill was passed by the National assembly in the 8th assembly; however, the States Houses of Assembly rejected the bill.

It has now been sponsored again by Munir Soro and it was referred to the committee on constitution chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase.

Leading the debate on the bill, Soro said that

Police Debunks Social Media’s Rumour Of Purposed Raiding

 The Lagos State Police Command says that it is not planning any raid for Thursday and Friday throughout the state from 8p.m.

It advised Lagosians to disregard the message circulating in social media describing it as fake news.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana, gave the advice in a statement he made available to journalists on Thursday.

“The information is not only false but mischievous, calculated toward creating fear in the minds of the people,” he said.

Elkana urged the public who had received the fake news not to forward it to others.