Italy urged tourists spooked by the new coronavirus Thursday not to stay away, but efforts to reassure the world it was managing the outbreak were overshadowed by a sharp rise in case numbers.

Lithuania confirmed its first case of the novel coronavirus in a woman who returned from Italy, the government said on Friday. The 39-year-old, who returned from Verona on Monday and immediately went on sick leave, has been isolated in hospital in the Baltic state’s northern city of Siauliai and has mild symptoms. Her family members are being monitored.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has deployed its Rapid Response Teams to support the Lagos State Government, as Nigeria records its case of the Coronavirus. Director General of NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, told News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja. The NCDC, he said, had also ”escalated the multi-sectoral coronavirus preparedness group to an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), at Level II to lead response activities”.

The Lagos State State Government has begun a search for all the contacts of the Italian who brought coronavirus to Nigeria. This was contained in a press statement by the Ministry of Health in Lagos State on Friday.

The Ministry of Health in Lagos State has confirmed its first case of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), incidentally the first in Nigeria and in West Africa since the outbreak in China in January 2020. This was contained in a statement released Friday morning by the state Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi.

Justice Bello Duwale of the Sokoto State High Court, Sokoto, has sentenced a fraudster, Bashar Umar Abdullahi (a.k.a Abdu Abdullahi and Bashir Abdullahi) to one year in jail without option of fine for stealing N15, 000.00 (Fifteen Thousand Naira) from his victim via a fraudulent transfer at an ATM gallery.

Donald Trump's impeachment trial at the senate is set to end next week Wednesday after the senators on Friday night, voted 51-49 against calling witnesses to testify in the ongoing impeachment trial. The witnesses are needed by Democrats to corroborate House of Reps allegations that Trump abused his power and obstructed congress by withholding military aid to Ukraine in exchange for investigations into his political rival, Joe Biden.

Nigeria and twelve other nations have been listed as high-risk African countries for coronavirus by the World Health Organisation.

Russians were on Friday January 31, advised by the country's consumer health watchdog to refrain from greeting each other with handshakes, kisses or hugs and to wear medical masks in crowded public places.

The US State Department on Friday night announced that it has put six new countries under its travel ban list. Under a proclamation signed Friday by President Trump, citizens from Eritrea, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan and Nigeria- Africa's most populous country, won’t be allowed to apply for visas to immigrate to the U.S.

French World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe brushed aside questions about his future at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday when he said “it’s not the time to make waves” over contract talks. The 21-year-old striker, long linked with a move to Real Madrid, insisted his mind was only on helping PSG defend their Ligue 1 title and chase an elusive Champions League triumph.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday  searched  two houses and an office of the embattled Senator Shehu Sani in Abuja. The action, it was gathered, was part of the ongoing probe of the former lawmaker for alleged extortion of $24,000 from the Chairman of ASD Motors, Alhaji Sani Dauda.

The Ondo State Police Command said it had arrested a man identified as Nsem Godwin for allegedly kidnapping two kids in Okitipupa town, Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state. The suspect was arrested after he was caught with a nine-year-old and a four-month-old kids on Monday.

A Nigerian has shared a rather sad story how a woman was betrayed by her best friend of 25 years. A woman has been given the shock of her life after finding out that her husband recently got married to her best friend of over 25 years. A Facebook user named Christine Aluyi, shared the story on Facebook. Christine revealed that two women named Rukevwe and Cordelia have been friends for over 25

A former Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke has been arrested by the EFCC. Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Thursday, 19th December, 2019 arrested a former Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, on arrival from from Dubai.

World football ruling body FIFA has banned the former president of Panamanian football federation, Ariel Alvarado for life on Thursday after finding him guilty of bribery. Reuters reports that FIFA also fined him 500,000 Swiss francs (390,821.19 pounds).

A brother-in-law lost his temper at his brother's wedding reception, throwing punches at the bride and her family. A best man went on a drunken rampage at his brother's wedding and assaulted the bride, her mother and sisters, a court heard. Tomos Rhydian Wilson lost his temper at the reception - saying his sibling should never have married his new sister-in-law. Wilson threw punches at bride Erin Mason-George and even grabbed her by her wedding dress - pulling her downstairs, a court heard. District Judge Gwyn Jones found Wilson, who was working at a prison officer at the time, guilty of the five charges of assault as well as two charges of criminal damage.

Forty-one alleged prostitutes, 99 per cent of whom are Nigerians, have been arrested by the Weija District Police Command in Ghana. They were arrested around a place called Choice, where several drinking joints operate at night, according to Chief Inspector Diana Eninful, who led the operation.

‘Rinsola Abiola, daughter of late politician, Moshood Abiola, has renounced her membership of the All Progressives Congress. Abiola relinquished her membership via letter that she sent to the APC chairman in her ward, Gbagura Ward 6 in Abeokuta North Local Government.

Officers of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a ‘mentally deranged’ couple in possession of various human parts under a Lagos bridge at Cele NICA bus stop, Ojo on the Mile 2 – Badagary expressway. The bust, made by detectives attached to Ijanikin Police Station, caused panic as residents tried to catch a glimpse of the couple whom they claimed were pretending to be mad in order to shield people from knowing that they actually deal on human parts.