The rapid rise in coronavirus raised fears of a pandemic on Friday, with six countries reporting their first cases, the World Health Organization warning it could spread worldwide and Switzerland cancelling the giant Geneva car show.

Refugees in Turkey headed towards European frontiers on Friday after an official declared that borders had been thrown open, a response to the escalating war in Syria where 33 Turkish soldiers were killed by Russian-backed Syrian government troops.

Britain said it will be calling for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed by Russian-backed Syrian government troops in the escalating war in the area.

France on Friday called on Russia and the Syrian government to end their offensive in northwestern Syria and said Europe was ready to reinforce its assistance to help Turkey handle Syrian refugees.

Germany's Bild newspaper on Friday cited the Health Ministry as saying that its new coronavirus criteria, according to which organisers must assess the safety of their events, meant Berlin's ITB international travel fair should be cancelled.

Somali troops clashed with a regional militia on Friday in one of the most serious outbreaks of fighting yet over political rivalries that Washington says are slowing the war against al Qaeda-linked insurgents.