World News Roundup: Britons fear leaving homes even if lockdown lifted, poll shows; Trump confident that coronavirus may have originated in Chinese lab and more

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Australian PM says no evidence coronavirus originated in China laboratory, urges inquiry

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who has angered Beijing by calling for a global inquiry into the coronavirus outbreak, said he had no evidence to suggest the disease originated in a laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was confident the coronavirus may have originated in a Chinese virology lab, but declined to describe the evidence he said he had seen.

Britons fear leaving homes even if lockdown lifted, poll shows

Many Britons would be uncomfortable leaving their homes even if the government ordered the lifting of strict coronavirus lockdown restrictions in a month's time, according to a poll on Friday. Britain has been on lockdown since March 23 but on Thursday Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country was now past the peak of the pandemic and promised to set out a plan next week on how it might start gradually easing restrictions to allow a return to normal life.

Spaniards to stroll out of lockdown as temporary hospital, symbol of pandemic battle, closes

Spain closed a giant temporary hospital in Madrid that had become a symbol of its fight against the coronavirus pandemic on Friday and people prepared to emerge from their homes for walks in the street after seven weeks of strict lockdown. The developments showed that Spain was pulling out of the crisis that has now claimed the lives of 24,824 people. The death toll rose by 281 overnight, according to the health ministry, a small rise from the previous day but still one of the lowest daily tolls in weeks.

India to keep restrictions in big cities under staggered exit from lockdown

India's big cities will stay under tight restrictions after a nationwide lockdown ends on Sunday, while areas less hard-hit by the coronavirus will be allowed to resume some activity, according to a government letter and state-level officials. Indian authorities are trying to chart a path out of the world's biggest lockdown, imposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 25, which they credit with preventing an exponential surge in coronavirus infections.

Trump confident that coronavirus may have originated in Chinese lab

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was confident the coronavirus may have originated in a Chinese virology lab, but declined to describe the evidence, ratcheting up tensions with Beijing over the origins of the deadly outbreak. Trump did not mince words at a White House event on Thursday, when asked if he had seen evidence that gave him a "high degree of confidence" the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Life won't be normal after May 11, Macron tells French

President Emmanuel Macron warned on Friday that the end of the national lockdown on May 11 would only be a first step as France looks to pull out of the crisis created by the outbreak of the coronavirus. Traditional Labour Day protests that usually see thousands of demonstrators on streets were cancelled this year due to the virus outbreak that has killed 24,000 people across France.

Afghanistan likely facing coronavirus 'health disaster': U.S. watchdog

Afghanistan, beset by a poor healthcare system, malnutrition, war and other vulnerabilities, likely is facing a "health disaster" from the coronavirus, a watchdog report to the U.S. Congress warns. The report released late on Thursday by Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko could heighten concerns among U.S. officials and lawmakers that the pandemic threatens to derail stalled U.S.-led peace efforts.

Japan PM Abe leaning towards extending state of emergency, to decide May 4

Japanese Prime |(Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday he was leaning towards extending the country's state of emergency for about a month as experts said coronavirus restrictions should remain in place until the number of cases falls further. The emergency is now due to expire on May 6 but Abe said the situation remains tough and further cooperation is needed from Japanese citizens, although he would make a final decision on May 4 after consultations with experts.

Putin's critics try to tap discontent over coronavirus lockdown pain

Emboldened by a dip in President Vladimir Putin's ratings, the Kremlin's critics are campaigning for the government to step up economic support for individuals hit by the coronavirus lockdown as they try to tap signs of discontent. Three petitions launched by Putin critic Alexei Navalny that have garnered over 1.2 million signatures between them accuse the government of failing to provide adequate economic aid and demand it provide more from its vast reserves.

Imported by the rich, coronavirus now devastating Brazil's poor

Imported by the Brazilian elite vacationing in Europe, the new coronavirus is now ravaging the country's poor, ripping through tightly-packed neighborhoods where the disease is harder to control. Public health data analyzed by Reuters for the cities of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Fortaleza show a shift in recent weeks from the wealthy boroughs that seeded the outbreak to the gritty urban outskirts.