One question dominates Thursday's front pages - how long will the UK's lockdown last?

It could be weeks, say the Times and the Daily Mail, while a number of headlines go further, saying there's "no end in sight".

Five chief constables want to see even tougher restrictions brought in, according to the Guardian, external.

Meanwhile, the Times reports, external that political leaders are preparing to unite to deliver a "stay at home this Easter" campaign. Government adverts carrying the message appear in several newspapers this morning.

Read our full paper review.

Good morning - if you've just got out of bed, here's what you need to know today.

• Wednesday's death toll of 938 was the highest daily number so far in the UK. In total 7,097 have died, latest figures, external show
• However, the daily number of new cases - thought to give an early indication as to whether the lockdown is working - is not "accelerating out of control", government scientists say
• Later, ministers will discuss the UK's lockdown. A decision on extending the measures is not due yet but restrictions are expected to stay in place
• Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will chair the emergency Cobra meeting, which will take place virtually and include leaders of the devolved nations
• It comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson enters a fifth day in hospital with coronavirus
• The PM "continues to make steady progress", according to the latest update from Downing Street
• Meanwhile, the public is being urged to stay at home over the Easter weekend despite warm weather

David Willis
LA correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Facing growing criticism over his handling of this crisis, President Trump is now seeking to pin the blame for the spread of the coronavirus on the World Health Organization (WHO).

Officials at the UN agency criticised his decision to impose a ban on travellers entering the US from China at the end of January - a move the president has since touted as crucial to controlling the spread of the virus. With conservative commentators and some Senate Republicans taking to the airwaves to denounce the Geneva-based body, Trump has clearly decided it would be politically expedient to join them.

He sees the WHO as being biased towards China, and believes it was too unquestioning of the early information about Covid-19 that came from the Chinese.

Although the WHO is not above criticism - particularly for its early assertion that human transmission had not been proven, and its reticence later on to declare a pandemic - even some of the president’s leading supporters are questioning the timing of his threat to withhold funding for the world’s leading health organisation - coming, as it does, at the height of a global pandemic.

You can read more about this story here.

Image source, Getty Images

India is preparing for a potential surge in Covid-19 patients by tapping into an unusual resource: its trains, which power the world’s fourth biggest rail network.

“We, at the railways, thought: how can we contribute?” spokesman Rajesh Bajpai told the BBC. “So we came up with this idea and everyone liked it.”

Work has already begun to convert 5,000 coaches into quarantine or isolation wards which will eventually provide some 40,000 beds. And the railway ministry says it’s prepared to convert 15,000 more coaches.

Click here to read our full story on this.

With much of the world in lockdown, many people look forward to their daily outdoor exercise.

But what do you do if you use a wheelchair?

Here's the BBC’s Frank Gardner, who was shot and partly paralysed in 2004, showing us how it's done.

Saira Asher
BBC News

Image source, AZIZ AHMAD RAHIMI

Abdul Maez Mohammadi was working construction in Iran, but when the Covid-19 crisis hit he decided to gather his family and go home to Afghanistan.

He is among hundreds of thousands of Afghans who have made the same decision in recent days in an unprecedented migration from Iran and Pakistan - two of the worst-hit countries.

Some may have had a basic temperature check, but very few of these people will be quarantined on arrival.

At border crossings, authorities have been overwhelmed and there are reports documents are not even being checked anymore.

Aid agencies and NGOs are warning this could lead to a dramatic rise in Afghanistan's transmission rate - something the war-ravaged and poverty-stricken nation would likely not be able to cope with.

Read more here.

Image source, Getty Images

Most share markets in Asia rose on Thursday on hopes that massive global economic stimulus and waning coronavirus infections in a US hotspot will lead to an economic rebound in the second quarter of this year.Australia's S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1.81%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up 0.50% and the Shanghai Composite index rose 0.26%.

But Japan's Nikkei 225 bucked the trend, easing 0.55% in morning trade after the government this week declared a state of emergency for Tokyo and other urban areas related to the spread of the coronavirus."There are signs that infections are peaking, which is leading to the change in market sentiment," Masayuki Kichikawa, from Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management in Tokyo, told Reuters.The upbeat view for a rebound came as New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo said the financial capital of New York City was witnessing a flattening curve of cases as social distancing measures were working.

A warm welcome from all of us at BBC News. As Europe begins to wake up, let's have a look at what's been going on so far:

• in Australia, police are investigating why passengers from the Ruby Princess were allowed to disembark although many of them were later discovered to be carrying the virus
• India has seen its highest spike yet with almost 800 new cases in the past day
• Over in the US, New York state has seen its biggest daily death toll of almost 800 people and the governor has ordered flags to fly at half-mast. Reported deaths across the US now exceed 14,600 - the highest after Italy
• South Korea and New Zealand meanwhile continue to see their number of new cases decline
• China reported two deaths in Hubei province while there were 63 new confirmed cases - 61 of which were imported
• British Prime Minister Boris Johnson remains in intensive care but his condition is "improving"

Joe Wicks who? Say hello to Evan George - a seven-year-old from the UK county of Leicestershire.

He's been uploading fitness videos twice a week onto his Instagram, saying he just "wants people to be fit".

His father, a personal trainer, says he wanted to do it at first "just to get his school friends involved".

Watch Evan's workouts:

Aparna Alluri
BBC News, Delhi

Image source, Getty Images

Good morning from Delhi. Summer has started to arrive, and temperatures are hovering around 30C. If you're just joining us here is the latest from India:

• the country has entered the third and final week of its lockdown, but reports suggest that it's unlikely to end on 15 April as infections continue to go up rapidly
• The country saw its highest spike yet on Wednesday, with 773 cases reported in 24 hours. It has 5,095 active cases overall.

• Masks are now compulsory in at least three Indian cities - Delhi, Mumbai and Chandigarh - and violators can be arrested

Image source, Getty Images

The economic fallout from the crisis could increase global poverty by as much as half a billion people.

This bleak warning comes from a UN study into the financial and human cost of the pandemic.

It will be the first time that poverty has increased globally in 30 years, according to the report.

The findings come ahead of key meetings of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and G20 finance ministers next week.

New Zealand is now into its 15th day in lockdown, and its number of virus cases appear to be steadily decreasing.

There were just 29 new cases confirmed today - the lowest in two weeks - following 50 on Wednesday, 54 on Tuesday and 67 on Monday.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern thanked fellow Kiwis for staying home, saying "you are breaking the chain of transmission and you did it for each other... you have saved lives".

She also announced stricter quarantine measures for all people arriving from overseas. They will now go straight to a managed facility rather than being allowed home.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

With extra time for the kitchen, many people are making their own bread these days, and that's led to a run on flour in the UK.

Supermarket sales are up over 90%. "It's unprecedented," says the owner of a century-old flour mill in Oxfordshire.

They've been struggling to cope with the demand but say they're up for the challenge and are hiring new workers.

Google searches for sourdough recipes have also soared, as has interest in this BBC Food recipe on how to make bread without yeast or bread flour.

Read more about the flour shortages here.

Italy could ease lockdown measures as early as the end of the month, its prime minister Giuseppe Conte said in his first interview with UK broadcasters since the outbreak exploded.

He told the BBC that if "scientists [confirmed] it, we might begin to relax some measures already by the end of the month", adding that this was something that would have to be done gradually.

Watch our video below, or read the story here.

A warm welcome to our colleagues joining us from their homes in the Indian capital Delhi.

They are following this development in India today where 20 neighbourhoods in their city have been sealed to stop the spread of the virus.

These include Nizamuddin, the area where a Muslim congregation at a mosque happened last month, setting off several clusters across India.

"No person will be permitted inside these localities or will be allowed to leave them," deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia, said.

He said the government would make sure that all "essential items" were delivered to these areas.

India is also in the middle of a 21-day nation-wide lockdown - all public places, schools, colleges, most workplaces and transport services are shut.

Laura Bicker
BBC News

Teachers are meeting students for the first time as the school year begins in South Korea - but through a screen.

The classroom you see here was supposed to be filled with students from a first grade English class at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

The students told their teacher that they were worried about Covid-19 and many were eager to get back to school.

Image source, AAP/EPA

The decision to allow passengers off the infected vessel in Sydney last month has now sparked a police investigation. At least 15 deaths are tied to the ship - making it the deadliest virus-hit vessel so far. Here's a recap of what happened:

8 March: Ruby Princess leaves Sydney for New Zealand return trip.

17-18 March: On return, ship doctor reports cases of sick passengers to New South Wales (NSW) authorities. But health officials give it the green light to disembark

19 March: Ship docks in Sydney Harbour and 2,700 passengers disembark without knowing there is a virus threat and a dozen people have been tested.

One woman is rushed to hospital - she later dies from the virus.

20 March: NSW government announces positive cases on the ship, and scrambles to contact passengers, many of whom have already flown home.

29 March: Confirmed cases from the ship jump to over 200 in Australia, while international numbers are unknown.

State and federal officials argue over who is to blame as public anger grows.

5 April: 600 cases including 13 deaths are linked to the ship. NSW Police launch criminal probe into operator Carnival Cruises.

6 April: The ship docks at Port Kembla, south of Sydney, with about 200 sick crew on board.

8 April: Homicide investigators board ship and seize black box

The Strategic National Stockpile is almost out of N95 respirators, surgical masks, face shields, gowns and other medical supplies for front-line medical workers, says a report from the Associated Press. , external

The US Department of Health and Human Services told AP that it was in the process of deploying all remaining personal protective equipment (PPE) in its inventory.

It confirmed statements that showed about 90% of PPE in the stockpile had already been distributed to state and local governments.

The remaining 10% will be kept in reserve to support "federal response efforts", said a spokeswoman.

Image source, Getty Images

Faced with a sharp rise in daily infections, Singapore is enforcing tough social distancing guidelines. Across the city, people have been told to stay home except for urgent matters.

These pictures show the measures authorities are taking to ensure people don't gather in groups - pretty much anywhere.

In Russia, like in most countries around the globe, measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus have meant that theatres have had to shut their doors.

But for dancers of the Mikhailovsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, the show - despite isolation - goes on, as our Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg reports.