Donald Trump launched an unprecedented attack on Vladimir Putin for Russia's role in propping up the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad as he demanded urgent action to help the victims of what he called a "mindless" chemical attack. Syrian opposition activists and rescuers said on Sunday that a poison gas attack on a rebel-held town near the capital had killed at least 49 people, according to local estimates. Mr Trump took to Twitter on Sunday morning to condemn the reports and say that Mr Assad's backers would face a high price.