Britain will not join any military action against Syria after a stunning parliamentary defeat on Thursday of a government motion on the issue, dealing a setback to US-led efforts to punish Damascus over the use of chemical weapons against civilians.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to use the UN Security Council to get a quick international reaction to Syria’s conflict. This is according to a statement made by her spokesman

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held a phone conversation with his British counterpart William Hague on Wednesday night.