Image source, AFP

Any news line about cruise ships nowadays seems to be linked to coronavirus - and this is no exception.

This time it's the Zaandam, a ship with more than 70 passengers reporting Covid-19 symptoms.

The ship left Buenos Aires on 7 March with around 1,800 people, and was heading for a port in Chile from where everyone would fly home.

But Chile didn't want to take the risk and said no. All other ports in the region did the same - and so the Zaandam is heading for Florida to reach Fort Lauderdale on 30 March.

Owner Holland America has sent a ship to meet the Zaandam to bring extra supplies - and test kits for the virus.

Vikas Pandey
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

Lockdowns across the world may be encouraging people to keep in touch or re-connect with old friends, but that's a luxury for India's poor.

Most of them rely on pre-paid or pay-as-you-go subscriptions - in fact, these account for 95% of India's more than a billion mobile phone connections.

Millions of daily-wagers can no longer top up their accounts at street kiosks because these are shut. And many don’t use the internet or have an online bank account, so they can't go online to top up either.

They are also likely to run out of money as they now find themselves out of work.

It will be devastating because they are stuck in cities, miles away from their families in villages. And they are fast losing the option to contact their loved ones.

Hopefully, mobile phone companies come up with a plan to keep these subscriptions going.

Shaimaa Khalil
BBC News, Sydney

Last year's Christchurch mass shooting was the deadliest attack in New Zealand's recent history. A total of 51 people were killed in two mosques.

All eyes were going to be on gunman Brenton Tarrant’s trial in June. The families of victims had asked for it to be held after the holy month of Ramadan so they could attend.

But all of this changed today when the 29-year-old Australian pleaded guilty to all charges. Survivors could not be there, however, because New Zealand is in lockdown to contain the spread of Covid-19.

The judge said the restrictions were regrettable, but added the killer would not be sentenced until victims' relatives and survivors could be there in person. Earlier this month, a memorial marking the attack's anniversary was cancelled.

Aya Al-Umari's brother Hussein was killed at Al Noor mosque. I met her and her parents in Christchurch two weeks ago. They said they were looking forward to the trial but also dreading it and the prospect of seeing the killer.

"We're all a bit stunned," Aya told me today. "It's a shame we’re stuck at home in this lockdown."

The number of people with Covid-19 who have died in the US has passed 1,000, according to a running total from Johns Hopkins University. , external

The most recent total was 1,050 deaths with 69,171 cases.

Image source, AFP

Authorities in Tokyo have urged people to stay at home on the weekend, warning the city might otherwise see an "explosion" of new infections. Wednesday had seen a record 41 new cases discovered.

The Japanese capital has so far been spared the draconian measures seen in other major global cities, but governor Yuriko Koike said the city was at a "critical stage".

"We urge people at all costs to refrain from going out this weekend if it's not urgent," she said, encouraging residents to work from home during weekdays and refrain from going out at night.

"Starting this week, there are increasing concerns that we could see an explosion of infections," Koike warned.

Across all of Japan, around 1,200 people have tested positive, including some 200 in Tokyo, and 43 people have died.

Here are the latest developments across the region:

• India enters its second day of a strict lockdown after PM Narendra Modi said there was "a ban on stepping out of your homes". The country has confirmed over 550 cases and 10 deaths. But concerns over how such a strict ban on a population size of over a billion can be carried out remain
• Pakistan continues to be the worst-hit country in the region as cases have surged to over a 1,000. More than 400 positive cases were reported from Sindh, the worst hit region
• Bangladesh confirmed its fifth death as positive cases climb to 39. But it wasn't all bad news as the country also said it hadn't recorded a new case in 24 hours after it suspended all domestic flights and public transport
• Cases in Sri Lanka tipped over to a 102 on Wednesday, as a strict and indefinite curfew remains in place, preventing residents from stepping out of their homes even for essentials

Yvette Tan
BBC News, Singapore

Feeling bored while self-isolating? Don't worry, you're not the only one. In fact people (cough, definitely not me) are so bored, they're turning to social media challenges for ways to pass time.

Probably one of the most common challenges is the nose drawing challenge. It is literally what it sounds like. An Instagram filter tells you what to draw and you have five seconds to do it - using just your nose.

Hey, if it's good enough for the Jonas Brothers, it's good enough for us.

Another one you've probably seen is the #10for10 push up challenge - complete 10 pushups in 10 seconds - and after you're done, nominate other people to do the same (don't even think about nominating us).

And then there's THAT trendy coffee that has taken over social media. You know what we're talking about - the Dalgona Coffee.

This iced coffee recipe has gone viral on Instagram, TikTok, and absolutely everywhere - inspired by the South Korean dalgona toffee candy.

We'll let it speak for itself:

Here's a bit of good news amidst the doom and gloom.

A 97-year-old woman has become the oldest person in South Korea to recover from the virus, according to Yonhap News.

No other details about her are available yet - but she's not the only elderly person to have beaten the virus.

Earlier in March, Chinese state media outlet Xinhua reported that a 100-year-old man in China had also recovered from the virus. The news outlet says he is the oldest recovered patient to date.

As we mentioned, the US Senate has overwhelmingly backed the $2tn (£1.7tn) coronavirus disaster aid bill. It is the largest economic stimulus in US history.

The vote was delayed by a last-minute row between Republican and Democratic senators over unemployment benefits.

The plan includes direct payments of $1,200 to most American adults and aid to help small businesses pay workers.

The Senate unanimously approved the bill with a 96-0 vote. It now moves on to the House of Representatives. It's expected to pass the House on Friday.

Jonathan Head
BBC South East Asia Correspondent

Thailand is now being ruled under a state of emergency, lasting at least until 30 April, in which normal government is suspended and power is transferred to a ruling committee headed by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.

The decree bans the entry of all foreign visitors and gives the prime minister the authority to restrict travel, ban large gatherings of people and confine some to their homes. It also confers sweeping powers to control the media, and General Prayuth warned he would use the full force of the law against anyone putting what he called "distorted" information onto social media.

Image source, EPA

How much of this power the one-time coup-leader intends to use is not yet clear. Much of the public life in the capital Bangkok has already been shut down, although there are still plenty of people on the streets and in food stores. Until now the government has been reluctant to impose tighter restrictions for fear of the huge economic damage. The closure of Bangkok’s nightlife has pushed thousands to leave for the provinces, cramming bus stations and potentially taking the coronavirus with them.

Infections have now reached 934. But doctors at one top hospital have warned of more than 7,000 deaths within 30 days if much stronger measures are not taken. General Prayuth’s leadership has been widely criticised over the past year as ineffectual and unimaginative. Now he has concentrated all decision-making in his own hands, he must take the credit, or blame, for how well Thailand weathers its coronavirus crisis.

With social distancing in full swing and many places around the world under lockdown, people have found creative ways to adjust to the new normal online.

We spoke to some Americans who are still hanging out with their friends with virtual movie nights, digital happy hours and birthdays on video messaging platforms.

There are now more than 470,000 recorded infections worldwide.

The number of global deaths is more than 21,270 while over 114,000 people have recovered.

Here's the breakdown of the worst-hit countries by number of cases:

• China (81,667 cases, 3,285 dead, 73,775 recovered)
• Italy (74,386 cases, 7,503 dead, 9,362 recovered)
• US (66,132 cases, 1,031 dead, 616 recovered)
• Spain (49,515 cases, 3,647 dead, 5,367 recovered)
• Germany (37,323 cases, 206 dead, 3,547 recovered)
• Iran (27,017 cases, 2,077 dead, 9,625 recovered)
• France (25,600 cases, 1,333 dead, 3,907 recovered)
• Switzerland (10,897cases, 153 dead, 131 recovered)
• UK (9,640 cases, 466 dead, 140 recovered)

These numbers change very frequently, you can always get the latest directly at the Johns Hopkins map. , external

If you're just joining us, welcome to the BBC's rolling coverage of the global coronavirus pandemic.

As the Asian day heads into lunch hours and Europe begins to wake up, here's what you need to know:

• the US Senate has just passed a mammoth $2tn (£1.7tn) aid package after a last-minute delay
• it comes as the country sees a rise of more than 10,000 new confirmed cases, taking the overall number to over 68,000 with 1,024 deaths
• New York, the worst hit state sees a slowdown in the hospitalisation rate, suggesting that social distancing has a positive impact
• China, where the virus emerged, has seen no new cases in Hubei province, the heart of the Chinese outbreak.
• Europe remains the epicentre of the pandemic, and Italy and Spain have the world's two highest death tolls.

A quarter of the world’s population is living under some sort of lockdown as a result of coronavirus.

But many couples, and single people hoping to find a match, are finding creative ways to date while under lockdown. They share their tips on keeping the spark alive - while staying safe.

The US Senate has passed a $2tn (£1.7tn) coronavirus disaster aid bill that is the largest economic stimulus in US history.

Simon Atkinson
BBC News, Sydney

We've been inundated with stories of Brits trying to get home from Australia.

Today Qatar Airways has added extra flights from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth via Doha. There are complaints tickets are too expensive – more than A$12,000 (£6,000) one way. We've had a quick look and that seems to be the case for the next week or so.

But prices drop to about A$3,000 (£1,500) from 4 April. Some will have to sit it out a little longer but several travellers tell us they have run out of funds and can’t find work. Others fear their visas expiring and being "illegal".

British Airways flights to London that go via Singapore are currently only allowing Singaporean citizens on board - so planes are leaving Australia almost empty. The UK's High Commissioner to Australia Vicki Treadall says they are "close" to getting a solution and that UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has been talking to his counterpart in Singapore.

It's a strange time to be living in. A lot of us are confined to our homes, anxious about our loved ones and what to do to protect ourselves. Here's where you can find the answer to some of the questions you might have.

What are the symptoms of the virus and how do I protect myself?

Read this

What is social distancing and how do I do it?

Answered here

What's the risk to young people?

Find out more

How close are we to finding a vaccine?

Read what scientists are doing

When will the outbreak end and life get back to normal?

Read our take on this

The culinary world lost someone special to Covid-19 last night. As we mentioned earlier, Indian chef Floyd Cardoz died on Wednesday at a hospital in New Jersey.

His death has prompted his many fans and those in the culinary world to mourn his death and celebrate his food.

Asha Gomez, an Atlanta-based chef, told the New York Times, external that Cardoz’s work as executive chef in New York’s Tabla restaurant inspired her and other Indian-American chefs.

“I remember walking into that restaurant and feeling this sense of pride that I had never felt as an Indian,” she said. “To see what he had done to elevate Indian cuisine to the likes of French cuisine — because it deserves to be in that same light — was at the time mind-blowing to me.”

He co-owned the hugely popular Mumbai restaurants Bombay Canteen and O Pedro. But the Mumbai-born chef was known for reinventing and bringing modern Indian cuisine to New Yorkers.

Fans, food critics and celebrities took to social media to mourn his death.

Yvette Tan
BBC News, Singapore

While many countries around the world have closed schools to slow the spread of the virus, Singapore has kept them open - with strict monitoring protocols in place. But two new clusters have now emerged in the country - one linked to a pre-school and another to an international school.

At least 18 cases were reported late on Wednesday at one PCF Sparkletots centre.

The affected branch is just one of over 300 in Singapore run by PCF Sparkletots - Singapore's biggest pre-school operator which has links to the country's ruling party.

However none of the confirmed cases are children at the pre-school - 14 are staff and four are family members of the principal.

The chief executive of the centre has now apologised, after it was revealed that staff were at work despite feeling unwell.

The centre has now been closed and all children and other staff have been put in quarantine. All 359 other centres will also be closed for four days.

Another three cases were linked to Dover Court - a British international school in Singapore. Again, all three patients are staff at the school.

While a number of children globally have been infected, the symptoms tend to be milder in children - studies show.

Image source, Getty Images

The pandemic has hit the gig economy hard, leaving tens of thousands of ride-share drivers in the United States in economic limbo.

Julie Davis is a full-time ride-share driver in Seattle, where the first cases of Covid-19 in the US were registered. In a first-person video, she chronicles the struggles faced by drivers.