Russia-US tensions: Cabinet gives May the go-ahead for Syria strike 'to deter further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime'

Italy will have no direct role in any eventual Western military attack against the Syrian government but it will provide "logistical support" to its allies, the country's prime minister has said.

Caretaker leader Paolo Gentiloni had numerous "international" contacts on Thursday, including with German chancellor Angela Merkel, his office added in a statement.

"Italy will not participate in Syrian military actions," Mr Gentiloni told allies, according to the statement. "Based on current international and bilateral accords, Italy will continue to offer logistical support to allied forces."

Germany said earlier that it, too, would not join any strikes against Syria in response to a suspected poison gas attack allegedly carried out by Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's forces on an opposition enclave.

Bolivia's UN ambassador, who has called an emergency Security Council meeting on the threat of an attack on Syria, said he wants all members to agree that "no unilateral action should be taken." 

Sacha Llorentty Soliz said any unilateral action against Syria should be considered "illegal" by all countries. 

He told reporters ahead of Thursday's closed council meeting that his message to the US government "is for them to comply with international law, to at least have at first a complete investigation of what happened" in the Damascus suburb of Douma, where a chemical attack is alleged to have taken place late Saturday. 

After an investigation, he said, the Security Council should be asked "to adopt any measures" in response to the findings. 

The US, Britain and France blame Syria for the suspected gas attack in Douma, while Syria and its close ally Russia deny any attack took place. 

Syria's UN ambassador has said Bashar al-Assad's regime will facilitate a visit by international chemical weapons inspectors at "any point they want" to the town where a suspected gas attack occurred last weekend. 

Speaking in New York on Thursday, Bashar Ja'afari said an inspection team from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons was on its way to Damascus and that visas were being provided. 

Mr Ja'afari said any delay or "disruption of their visit" would be as a result of "political pressure" from Western countries, which Syria says have politicised the issue. 

He denied his government has used chemical weapons in Douma and said "terrorists" have access to such weapons. 

Only 22 per cent of Britons back airstrikes on Syria, according to a YouGov survey. Nearly twice as many are opposed, the poll found.

This is despite the fact that 61 per cent of those surveyed believe Damascus did carry out a chemical weapons attack in Douma.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has confirmed it has a fact-finding mission on its way to Syria. Its team will begin work on Saturday as they look for evidence of an alleged nerve agent attack in Douma.

US House of Representatives speaker Paul Ryan has said the United Sates had an obligation to lead an international response to a suspected chemical attack in Syria and president Donald Trump has the authority to use military force.

Syrian president Bashar al-Assad "and his enablers, Tehran and Moscow, have committed another mass atrocity," Mr Ryan told reporters. "I think the US has an obligation to lead an international response to hold people accountable for that."

He said it was not necessary for Congress to give Mr Trump a new authorisation to use military force because the existing one "gives him the authority he needs to do what he may or may not do."

Mr Trump is holding meetings on the Syria crisis today and has said decisions on what to do would be made "fairly soon".

Ministers have begun leaving Downing Street following a special cabinet meeting called by Theresa May to discuss the UK's response to alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria. 

Environment secretary Michael Gove was seen leaving Number 10 shortly after 5.30pm, followed by communities secretary Sajid Javid.

Cabinet members are expected to back the prime minister's call to join military action threatened by US.

Blood and urine samples obtained from victims of the attack in Syria last weekend have tested positive for chemicals, US officials have told NBC News.

The samples suggested the presence of chlorine and a nerve agent, the broadcaster reported.

The two officials, who were not named, said they were "confident" about the findings but not 100 per cent sure.

The Syrian regime is known to have stocks of the nerve agent sarin and is alleged to have used a mixture of chlorine and sarin in attacks.

Russia's UN Ambassador has urged the United States and its allies to refrain from military action against Syria, saying the "immediate priority is to avert the danger of war."

Asked if he was referring to a war between the United States and Russia, Vassily Nebenzia told reporters: "We cannot exclude any possibilities unfortunately because we saw messages that are coming from Washington. They were very bellicose.

"They know we are there, I wish there was dialect though the proper channels on this to avert any dangerous developments. The danger of escalation is higher than simply Syria because our military are there."

He added the situation was "very dangerous".