World News Roundup: Bolsonaro says Brazil cannot take months of isolation; British PM Johnson stays in coronavirus isolation and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Coronavirus forces cancellation of French 'bac' exam for first time since Napoleon

French high-school school students will not sit the traditional 'baccalaureat' (bac) exam this summer due to the coronavirus, the education minister said on Friday, an unprecedented move that highlights the scale of disruption caused by the pandemic. It is the first time since its inception in 1808 under Napoleon Bonaparte that the 'bac' exam will not take place in its traditional form. Even the sweeping student and labor protests of May 1968 did not prevent the exam from going ahead.

Europe's north-south lockdown divide revealed by Google data

Italy and Spain, the two European countries hardest hit by the new coronavirus, have enforced the most drastic lockdowns to curb the pandemic but one country, Sweden, stands out for allowing life to go on much as before, Google data show. An analysis of smartphone location data by the U.S. search engine giant showed that visits to shops, parks or railway stations fell steeply in most European countries between Feb. 16 and March 29 as governments sought to slow the explosive spread of the COVID-19 disease.

Bolsonaro says Brazil cannot take months of isolation

President Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday that Brazilian society will not be able to stand two or three months of shutdowns to fight the new coronavirus, denouncing social-distancing measures enforced by states and municipalities across the country. "You know my stance. It will bring massive unemployment," he told supporters outside the presidential residence in Brasilia.

U.S. sounds alarm on coronavirus in Japan, Tokyo pushes for state of emergency

The U.S. government on Friday sounded alarmed about the surge in coronavirus cases in Japan, adding to a chorus of prominent domestic voices - including the governor of Tokyo - who have called for decisive action to avoid an explosive outbreak. Amid the growing clamor for tighter curbs on people's movements to stem a rising tide of infections, the government has so far been reluctant to pull the trigger, warning of the heavy damage that could ensue in the world's third-biggest economy, already close to recession.

Countries face 'fights' over facemasks in China: German health minister

Countries' procurement agents are fighting each other in China for access to the protective equipment that must play a key role in stemming the spread of the novel coronavirus, German Health Minister Jens Spahn said. He was responding to a spate of reports of consignments of protective masks destined for European countries being bought up by United States officials, sometimes even as aeroplanes stood ready for departure on the tarmac.

Pakistan re-arrests four men acquitted in Daniel Pearl murder case

Pakistani authorities ordered on Friday four men, including a British militant, convicted of the 2002 murder of U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl, to be detained for three months despite a lower court's ruling to overturn their convictions. The High Court in the province of Sindh on Thursday acquitted the four, including Briton Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was sentenced to death in 2002 for masterminding Pearl's murder. The other three were sentenced to life.

British PM Johnson stays in coronavirus isolation with mild symptoms

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday he was remaining in isolation with mild symptoms of the coronavirus, including a high temperature, seven days after he first tested positive. "Although I'm feeling better and I've done my seven days of isolation, alas I still have one of the symptoms, a minor symptom, I still have a temperature," Johnson said in a video message posted on Twitter.

Coronavirus claims more Spanish lives, but death rate slows

Spain reported more deaths from the coronavirus tearing around the world on Friday, but the number who succumbed overnight was lower than the previous day. Adding to the world's worst death toll from the disease after European neighbour Italy, 932 people died in 24 hours, bringing the total to 10,935, the Health Ministry said.

Coronavirus cases exceed 1 million, wreaking world havoc

Global cases of the new coronavirus have shot past 1 million with more than 53,000 fatalities, a Reuters tally showed on Friday, as death tolls kept soaring in the United States and western Europe while the world economy spiraled disastrously. Just in the previous day, there were 6,095 new deaths - nearly double all fatalities in China, where the COVID-19 disease originated.

Medical aid marooned as Africa shuts borders amid coronavirus pandemic

Medical charity Alima planned to open an emergency operating theatre this week in Burkina Faso, but the project has stalled because the country closed its borders before a surgeon and anesthetist could fly in, its director told Reuters. In the Central African Republic, health officials say a measles vaccination campaign may be canceled because of a delay in the supply of vials normally flown in from France.