House of Commons Syria debate - as it happened: Jeremy Corbyn secures emergency debate on UK military action
PM denies following Donald Trump's lead by launching air strikes
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Theresa May has faced MPs to defend her decision to launch air strikes against the Syrian government, but ducked calls to give parliament a retrospective vote on the matter.
Speaking in the House of Commons, the prime minister dismissed suggestions the government had followed the “whims” of Donald Trump and insisted she had taken the decision to launch strikes because it was in the UK's national interest.
But she faced criticism from MPs, including some on her own benches, for not seeking a vote of parliament before launching the strikes.
Instead, the Commons is likely to vote on the issue on Tuesday after Jeremy Corbyn was granted permission for a debate on intervention in Syria.
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Russia has promised not to interfere with the OPCW's work in Syria, AFP reports.
The assurance came as a US envoy claimed Russia may have tampered with the site of the alleged chemical attack.
US Ambassador Kenneth Ward called on the OPCW to act against ongoing use of banned poisonous weapons.
"It is long overdue that this council condemns the Syrian government for its reign of chemical terror and demands international accountability those responsible for these heinous acts," he said in comments seen by Reuters.
Syrian protesters hold their national flags and portraits of president Bashar al-Assad as they march in support of the armed forces (SANA via AP)
Hundreds of Syrians have gathered in the capital Damascus in support of their armed forces, which they say succeeded in confronting the unprecedented joint airstrikes by the West over the weekend.
Monday's rally in Omayyad Square was being broadcast live on Syrian state media.
The supporters waved Syrian flags at the demonstration, called a "salute to the achievements of the Arab Syrian Army".
They set off fireworks and unleashed celebratory gunfire.
Shouts of "Allah, Syria, and only Bashar," a reference to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad rang out.
Syrian media, Russian and Syrian officials have sought to downplay the impact of the joint airstrikes, saying Syrian air defences intercepted most of the missiles.
The Pentagon said no missiles were engaged.
AP
The OPCW has recorded 390 allegations of banned chemical use in Syria since 2014, the UK's envoy to the body has said.
Failure to act in the country risks "further barbaric use of chemical weapons", Peter Wilson told an OPCW executive council meeting.
He added: "The time has come for all members of this executive council to take a stand. Too many duck the responsibility that comes with being a member of this council.
"Failure to act to hold perpetrators to account will only risk further barbaric use of chemical weapons, in Syria and beyond."
Ahmet Üzümcü, the OPCW's director general, has said that while the body's fact-finding team arrived in Damascus on Saturday, Russia and Syria have not yet allowed it access to Douma, according to a tweet by the UK delegation to the body.
The Foreign Office has released Peter Wilson's full statement to the OPCW's executive council this morning.
In it, he calls Russia's claim the UK may have been behind the Douma attack "ludicrous".
He added: "The attack on Douma was not reported by just a sole source in opposition to the regime.
"There are multiple eye witness accounts, substantial video footage, accounts from first responders and medical evidence.
"This council heard similar false claims from Russia and from Syria last year. They questioned the credibility of the evidence of a chemical weapons attack in Khan Sheikhoun.
"Then they had to change their story once Syria itself had passed samples to the OPCW which Syria had already tested, and which proved that sarin had been used."
Russia's deputy foreign minister has denied claims that chemical weapons inspectors are being blocked from visiting Douma, according to the RIA news agency. Delays were due to the recent air strikes, it quoted Sergei Ryabkov as saying.
Mr Ryabkov said Russia will resist any new attempts to carry out strikes in Syria, according to Interfax, and warned of a tougher response in future.
Germany's government has rejected suggestions it failed to live up to its international responsibilities by not taking part in air strikes against Syria.
Mass-circulation daily Bild ran a full-page article under the headline: "Why does Germany shirk the dirty work?" on Monday.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government did not participate in the airstrikes but applauded them.
Merkel spokesman Steffen Seibert said Germany had not been asked to make a military contribution. He said the country, which is seeking a UN Security Council seat for 2019-20, is "active internationally in many ways" and pointed to its participating in "difficult military deployments" in Mali and Afghanistan.
Mr Seibert said: "It is nothing special for Germany to support a deployment by its allies and friends but not participate militarily."
Military deployments are unpopular in Germany and require parliamentary approval.
AP
French president Emmanuel Macron during a press conference on 16 April
Emmanuel Macron has clarified comments that he "convinced" President Donald Trump to maintain US military presence in Syria, a remark that had prompted a rebuttal from the White House.
The French president maintained on Monday that he "never said" either the US or France would stay engaged long term in Syria in a military sense, hours after saying in a live Sunday interview that he had managed to change Mr Trump's mind on withdrawing troops.
Mr Macron said both French and US positions were in line and the main aim in Syria was the "war against Isis".
However, he said that by joining forces with France and the UK for last Saturday's air strikes, the US "fully realised that our responsibility went above and beyond the war against Isis and that it was a humanitarian responsibility as well on the ground".
Here is our story from yesterday about Mr Macron's comments:
Chemical weapons inspectors cannot access the site of an alleged poison attack in Douma, near Damascus, without a UN permit, a senior Russian diplomat has said.
It comes as the UK and Russia trade claims as to whether OPCW investigators are being prevented from accessing the area or not.
Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said earlier today that any delay was due to Saturday's air strikes.
He was also quoted by the RIA news agency as saying Russia did not tamper with the Douma site following the alleged attack.
The OPCW requires the approval of the UN Department for Safety and Security in order to access the area, Mr Ryabkov said.
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