Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter has completed a two-week self-isolation and reunited with the first family.

First Lady Aisha Buhari’s spokesperson Aliyu Abdullahi, in a statement, said the president’s daughter was “normal, healthy and well”.

The president’s daughter returned from the UK last month and went into isolation in compliance with the country’s directive.

The first lady shared a photo of her reunion with her daughter:

Image source, Getty Images

American Jazz guitarist John "Bucky" Pizzarelli has died at his home in Saddle River, New Jersey, aged 94.

His family members told the New York Times they believed the cause of death on Wednesday was coronavirus.

Pizzarelli had an illustrious career spanning eight decades. He was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

Two other high-profile American musicians also died this week from complications linked to coronavirus: jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr, 85, and 52-year-old Adam Schlesinger, from the power pop band Fountains of Wayne.

Raiwind in Pakistan is under total lockdown with a ban on all commercial activities and transport after some 40 preachers tested positive, external.

They belong to the Islamic missionary movement Tablighi Jamaat, whose members have also been in the news in India and Malaysia as prime suspects among potential coronavirus carriers.

Here's more news from the rest of South Asia:

• After Sri Lanka saw its biggest jump in daily infections (21), there have been calls for more testing. The World Bank has just approved $128.6 in emergency funding to the country, which has 146 cases so far
• Bangladesh to convert all its stadiums to quarantine facilities or field hospitals. The country has one of the lowest testing rates worldwide
• A sixth person has tested positive in Nepal, which earlier this week extended its lockdown to 7 April

Shaimaa Khalil
BBC News, Sydney

Before Covid-19, I was fretting about how I'd arrange to see my mother in Egypt and my sister in Canada. But now, like people everywhere, we know the only way to be together is virtually.

My sister and I enjoyed a YouTube-watching marathon on one video call; we’re planning a movie night this weekend.

Video chats with my mother are more challenging – they mostly involve me asking her to centre the camera so I can see more than her ear.

Many of us are rethinking how we stay connected with family overseas as travel becomes less possible. If you’re looking for ideas, here's one article with a few suggestions.

The Perth Mint, Australia’s largest, has reported a big rise in demand for gold and silver amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Precious metals like gold and silver are considered "safe haven" assets in times of financial crises. They are perceived to hold their value during stock market volatility.

For March, sales of gold coins and bars at the Perth Mint hit their highest level since April 2013, according to Bloomberg data. Silver sales almost tripled compared to February’s figures.

The mint’s gold kilobars were sold out last week due to the surge in demand - so it has reopened its manufacturing facility.

Japan's biggest music festival - and one of the biggest in Asia - is still determined to go ahead. Fuji Rock is scheduled to kick off on 21 August this summer.

Travellers from pretty much everywhere in the world are banned from entering Japan - but organisers are clearly optimistic things will improve in four months' time.

Other festivals around the globe have already fallen victim to the pandemic.

Britain's Glastonbury, which was scheduled for June, has been called off but Lollapalooza in the US, scheduled for early August, is also still on track.

Image source, Reuters

Pakistan's Sindh province, home to the largest city Karachi, has put a complete ban on all movement of people between 12-3pm on Friday - the usual time for weekly prayers.

Authorities advised people to stay in their homes and not gather at mosques, as virus cases continue to climb. Mosques will remain open but only three to five people are allowed inside.

In many Muslim countries it is seen as a religious obligation for men to attend Friday prayers. They often use communal prayer mats, shake hands and pray in close proximity. Women, children, the sick or disabled are not obliged to attend.

A ban on congregational prayers is already in place in Sindh, but last Friday some clerics held prayers and scores of people went to mosques - despite police trying to enforce the ban.

Pakistan has the highest number of virus cases in South Asia at 2,421, with 34 deaths.

Image source, Reuters

Peter Bowes
North America correspondent

Image source, Reuters

The White House is considering guidelines to encourage Americans to use face wear when they leave home, to protect against the coronavirus.

With more than 90% of Americans under orders to stay at home, there are few people on the streets.

But officials in New York and Los Angeles have said when people do venture out, they should use protective face wear.

The mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, said it could be a scarf or a bandana but not a professional surgical mask - because they’re in short supply and are needed by health workers.

But Dr Deborah Birx, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, said a mandatory order may give people an artificial sense of protection - since the virus could still be spread by hands touching exposed parts of the face.

Sharanjit Leyl
BBC News, Singapore

We’ve all seen the devastating impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on the cruise industry. But what about the impact the virus is having on another shipping industry - container shipping?

According to the International Chamber of Shipping, tens of thousands of seafarers are stuck at sea because of lockdowns at ports around the world which are preventing them from disembarking.

Esben Poulsson is the chairman of the Chamber. The usually affable Dane, who’s been in the maritime industry for nearly half a century, is now sounding the alarm on behalf of these seafarers.

He told me that there are about 30,000 seafarers stuck at sea unable to get home. It’s "like a ticking time bomb" he warned.

Supply chains are also in grave danger of being interrupted - preventing vital necessities like food and other resources from reaching their destination.

“The supply chains that we’ve gotten used to are very efficient - but once you start interrupting them, once one link on the chain goes, you will have shortages of essential products,” he warned.

Add that to the increasingly long list of worries the coronavirus pandemic is causing worldwide.

More than 200,000 Indians logged on to Twitter to watch their Prime Minister Narendra Modi's video message, which has just concluded.

In a "pep talk" of sorts, Mr Modi thanked citizens for showing "discipline" in a three-week lockdown that was announced 10 days ago.

"The public has played a huge role - thank you for adhering to the lockdown. India is united in its fight against the coronavirus," he said.

But those expecting an announcement of new measures will be disappointed. Instead, it seemed like Mr Modi was just "checking in" and trying to boost morale.

This became more clear when he ended his message by suggesting a new way to show solidarity against the virus.

"On 5 April, at 9pm, I want nine minutes from you," he said. "I request you all to switch off the lights and for those nine minutes, light a candle, shine the light from your mobile or torch from your balconies."

A few days before the lockdown was put in place in March, Mr Modi urged Indians to show their support in the fight against Covid-19 by banging pots and pans.

While millions of Indians took to their roofs and streets to do so, a few also criticised the call-out as a "PR stunt". It seems like this might just be another iteration of that.

The central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan has announced its first Covid-19 death. The 61-year-old patient suffered from other serious diseases.

The country has 116 confirmed cases.

Tre Kwon is a nurse fighting to save lives in New York, the epicentre of the US fight against COVID-19.

As coronavirus overwhelmed hospitals, she ended her maternity leave early to return to the frontline. She tells us why she made the decision:

Japan's extended travel ban kicked in this Friday. New countries added to the list include the UK, the US, Australia and South Korea.

Nationals or travellers from more than 70 countries are now banned from entering Japan, external.

Japanese citizens and permanent residents are still allowed to enter but have to undergo a 14-day quarantine period.

Japan has 2,495 confirmed infections and 62 deaths linked to Covid-19. The highest concentration is in Tokyo and authorities have warned of an explosion of cases if people don't adhere to social distancing guidelines.

Economic growth in the developing Asian region is predicted to slump to just over 2% this year, says the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

This is a stark reduction from the 5.5% yearly growth the bank predicted in its last report at the end of 2019.

There are now over one million cases recorded worldwide, but Australia's chief medical officer has just said the true number is much, much higher.

"Worldwide we've now passed a million reported cases of Covid-19. We believe that the true number is probably five or 10 times as much as that," said Dr Brendan Murphy.

He said he trusted Australia's numbers because the nation had "the highest testing rate in the world".

But he said some nations didn't have the capacity for proper testing, and numbers reflected that other places "weren't detecting all the cases".

Australia has around 5,200 confirmed cases currently.

Image source, Getty Images

Two cruise ships on which four people with Covid-19 have died have docked in Florida - after weeks of uncertainty at sea.

The Zaandam and its sister ship the Rotterdam both arrived in Fort Lauderdale after they'd been barred from ports in South America. They'd also been told they couldn't dock in Florida - a decision later reversed.

Passengers fit for travel will disembark and fly home. Several dozen with mild symptoms will stay on board for a quarantine period. The 14 people with severe symptoms will be treated in local hospitals.

The Zaandam left Buenos Aires on 7 March and was meant to finish its trip in Chile two weeks later - but was barred from docking after a virus outbreak on board.

It was then joined by the Rotterdam for supplies, and both ships found themselves in limbo with no port accepting their call.

Another cruise ship, the Coral Princess - which also has confirmed cases on board - will arrive in Florida on Saturday.

Krutika Pathi
BBC News, Delhi

Good morning from Delhi, where we're waking up to clear blue skies and the sounds of birds chirping. It's an unusual wake-up call here, but one that residents have got used to in the past 10 days after the country was put under a 21-day lockdown.

Here's a brief look at headlines here today:

• PM Narendra Modi said all states must have a "common exit strategy" in a video conference call with various chief ministers
• Every resident in a virus hotspot may be able to get tested with a fast-track kit - if the government clears a recommendation by its medical research body
• A second person from Asia's largest slum in Mumbai has tested positive, external for Covid-19, according to reports here, after another resident from the Dharavi slum died on Thursday
• More and more reports of health workers across the country being attacked, external and harassed are emerging
• In about five minutes, Mr Modi is set to share a video message - this will be the first address of sorts since he placed the country under a surprise lockdown more than a week ago
• With just over 2,000 cases and 53 deaths in India, the government has launched an app that tracks your proximity to someone confirmed with coronavirus - and whether you've crossed paths.

Image source, ABC NEWS

Visitors in Australia on temporary working holiday visas can stay on - and seek work in rural areas - if they self-isolate for 14 days first, PM Scott Morrison has just announced.

As we've reported, there are thousands of backpackers in Australia at the moment who have been struggling to find flights home. This announcement gives them an option to stay on and earn a living.

• The British travellers stranded in Australia and NZ
• 'I just want to get home'

US President Donald Trump's position on the virus and how it should be tackled has changed quite a bit since the start of the outbreak. We take a quick look at how he's shifted his views on social distancing, his willingness to compare Covid-19 to the flu, and his message on when the pandemic will end.

Image source, EPA

Governments across the Eastern Mediterranean need to take urgent action to halt the spread of coronavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.

It said confirmed infections almost doubled to 60,000 in the past week in the diverse region.

“New cases have been reported in some of the most vulnerable countries with fragile health systems,” WHO's regional director Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari said in a statement on Thursday., external

“Even in countries with stronger heath systems, we have seen a worrying spike in the numbers of cases and deaths reported."

The WHO's Eastern Mediterranean region groups together Middle Eastern states with countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan.