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Eurozone Agrees To Extend Greek Bailout

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 21 Februari 2015 | 10.52

Eurozone finance ministers have agreed to extend Greece's rescue loans - although not by as long as the government wanted.

The deal, which will enable Athens to continue paying its bills, was reached at talks in Brussels which were delayed for four hours as ministers worked on a draft accord.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the eurozone's top official and the Dutch finance minister, said Athens had asked for a six-month extension but this was rejected.

"Four months is the appropriate delay in terms of financing and future challenges," he said.

The agreement was clinched just a week before Greece's €240bn (£178bn) bailout expires, leaving just enough time for some member country parliaments to endorse it.

As part of the deal Greece must provide a list of economic and other reforms based on the current bailout programme by Monday.

This will be reviewed on Tuesday by the European Central Bank (ECB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Commission.

If the three institutions do not believe the proposals go far enough, the list will be revised with a view to it being agreed by the end of April.

Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis said the deal would mark a new era for Athens and its relations with the European Union.

"Today was a pivotal moment because Greece for five years now has been lonely, isolated in the Eurogroup. Today that isolation has broken," Mr Varoufakis said.

He said Greece had not used any threats or bluff to get the agreement and added it was a small step in a new direction for the country.

Markets reacted positively to the deal, with the Dow and S&P 500 surging to fresh records on Wall Street.

Mr Dijsselbloem said it was a "first step in this process of rebuilding trust" between Greece and its euro partners and allows for a strategy to get the country "back on track."

"Trust leaves quicker than it comes," he said.

Mr Dijsselbloem worked flat out on Friday to secure an agreement as Germany insisted Greece stick with the austerity commitments included in its bailout programme.

The fraught discussions focused on a new package of concessions beyond those contained in the formal request for a loan extension submitted on Thursday.

Greece has ruled out another bailout like the existing one, saying the people who swept the anti-austerity Syriza party to power last month would not tolerate it.

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  1. Gallery: Art War On The Streets Of Athens

    Athens has become a Mecca for street artists as anger grows over the impact of Greece's bailout deal with Europe

Wall paintings have sprung up all over the city reflecting the general frustration at rising unemployment and falling living standards

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Fire Engulfs Dubai's Torch Tower Skyscraper

A huge fire engulfed part of the Torch Tower in Dubai on Friday night, forcing hundreds of people to flee the 1,100ft skyscraper.

Witnesses said the blaze appeared to have started in the middle of the residential building, rapidly spreading across some 15 floors.

In several videos posted on social media websites, multiple floors of the high-rise were seen ablaze.

Strong winds fanned the flames and debris from the fire could be seen falling from building, according to local media reports.

One witness said flames shot out from two sides of the building as glass and metal rained down from near the summit of the structure.

Another witness said it looked "like the Titanic going down", according to Gulfnews.com.

It is unclear what caused the fire and there were no immediate reports of casualties. 

Residents of at least one neighbouring tower were told to evacuate as a precaution because of high winds, but they were later allowed back inside.

It took firefighters several hours before they extinguished the blaze, according to a Reuters witness at the scene.

The Torch Tower has 79 floors and is one of the world's tallest residential buildings.

It is located in the Marina district of the city which is home to dozens of towering apartment blocks and hotels, many of them built over the past decade.

The apartments are popular with Dubai's large number of expatriate professionals.

Dubai, known for its skyline of hugely varied skyscrapers, has seen fires at towers in the past.

In 2012, a huge blaze gutted the 34-Tamweel tower in the nearby Jumeirah Lake Towers district. It was later revealed to have been caused by a cigarette butt thrown into a bin.


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NATO Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Bomber

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 20 Februari 2015 | 10.52

Video has emerged showing NATO fighter jets 'buzzing' a Russian Tu-95 bomber.

The footage shows three RAF Typhoons and at least one French Mirage fighter flying within yards of the Russian plane and broadcast on Russian television channel TV Zvedza, which is owned by the Russian Defence Ministry.

The time and location of the incident has not been disclosed.

However, based upon the squadron insignia seen on the aircraft, it is believed the video was shot during a close encounter on 28 January when two Russian military planes flew close to UK airspace.

Sky's Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall said: "Events of this kind have tripled in recent months but what it shows is one of these events happening from the other side.

"Once we work out when the last time the French and British worked together on one of these we might be able to date exactly when this happened.

"If the Russian bombers were flying from British air space into French air space, or the other way around, they would hand over to each other.

"It is quite fascinating seeing this from the other angle. You can see how close they get to each other and what the British and French would essentially be doing is trying to speak to the Russians and make sure they do not stray into sovereign airspace."

The Ministry of Defence have confirmed the video shows RAF Typhoons from 1 Squadron, 6 Squadron and 11 Squadron.

The increase in close encounters between Russian military planes and RAF fighters comes amid increased tension between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine.

The video was released as it was revealed RAF jets intercepted a Russian Tu-95 bomber off the coast of Cornwall on Wednesday evening, and two weeks after British jets were scrambled to see off a similar Russian plane which flew down the English Channel.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "It is the first time since the height of the Cold War that has happened and it just shows you the need to respond each time he does something like that."

Speaking earlier about the crisis in Ukraine, Mr Fallon said there was a "real and present danger" Russia could repeat its covert campaigns in the Crimea and Ukraine to destabilise former Soviet bloc countries.

He added NATO must be ready for Russian aggression against alliance members including Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

David Cameron said: "When this happens, what we do, we launch our Typhoon aircraft escorting these planes out of the area of UK interest. At no time did the Russian military aircraft cross into UK military airspace.

"This illustrates we have the fast jets, the pilots and the systems in place to protect the United Kingdom.

"The Russians are trying to make a point and we should not dignify it with a response."


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US Reveals Mosul Assault Timing In Rare Move

An Iraqi military operation to retake the country's second largest city from Islamic State is likely to begin in April or May, according to a US official.

A force of 20,000-25,000 Iraqi and Kurdish forces will aim to seize back Mosul from an estimated 1,000-2,000 IS fighters, who took it last June after government forces melted away in the onslaught.

The planned spring assault on the city, with a population of over a million, will involve about 12 brigades, five of whom will soon have coalition training, the official at US Central Command added.

No decision has been made on whether small numbers of US military advisers might need to be on the ground close to Mosul to direct close air support.

The main attack force would include five Iraqi army brigades, the official said.

Three smaller brigades would act as a reserve force, and three brigades of Kurdish Peshmerga troops would contain the city from the north and isolate it from Islamic State forces further west.

A so-called Mosul fighting force consisting mainly of former Mosul police officers and tribal fighters also is being assembled for the assault, the official said.

A brigade of counter-terrorism troops would also be employed in the fight, he said, adding if Iraqi forces were not ready by April or May the operation could be delayed.

Details of the planned assault were revealed as it emerged a serving British soldier had left his base to join Kurdish forces fighting against IS in northern Iraq.

It is very unusual for the US military to openly discuss the timing of an upcoming offensive, especially to a large group of reporters.

Sky's US correspondent Dominic Waghorn said: "Defence correspondents attending the briefing were described as 'scratching their heads' in astonishment.

"It is highly unusual for US military planners to reveal the timing of planned offensives and troop numbers.

"US Centcom justified the move as a sign of renewed Iraqi military confidence.  But many will remain unconvinced, given the Iraqi military's total collapse before IS forces despite years and millions of dollars worth of training by the US."

The Sunni extremists have taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria and have declared an Islamic caliphate spanning both countries.

The terror group has murdered thousands of people, including beheading western hostages.

US President Barack Obama has vowed to degrade and ultimately destroy the jihadist group.

Over the last few months, the US-led coalition has carried out hundreds of airstrikes targeting militant positions in northern Iraq and Syria.

There are also American and British military personnel on the ground training Iraqi and Kurdish forces.


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Video Shows Front-Line Gun Battle In Ukraine

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 19 Februari 2015 | 10.52

Dramatic footage has captured a fierce gun battle showing pro-Russian rebels fighting Ukrainian forces in the country's east.

The video, obtained exclusively by Sky News, begins with a Ukrainian soldier who was being held prisoner by the separatists.

He is interviewed by a TV crew in a house before the sound of heavy gunfire erupts nearby.

The rebels are then filmed using assault rifles to shoot through windows before some open fire outside.

At least one fighter attacks the pro-Kiev forces with rocket propelled grenades.

The video, which lasts several minutes, was filmed less than a mile from the strategic town of Debalseve which has seen the withdrawal of hundreds of Ukrainian forces.

They were ordered to leave following intense gun battles in which at least 22 pro-government troops were killed and more than 150 hurt in recent days.

The transport hub of Debalseve is crucial in the conflict because it links the two rebel-controlled regions in the east of Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk.


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Ukrainian Troops Withdraw From Key Town

Hundreds of Ukrainian troops have pulled out from the besieged eastern town of Debaltseve following fierce fighting with pro-Russian rebels.

Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said his soldiers had left in a "planned and organised withdrawal" from the strategically important area.

A Russian TV station showed separatists hoisting their flag over a building in Debaltseve, as they seized the railway hub in defiance of a ceasefire brokered by France and Germany.

Some 2,000 pro-government forces have been fighting there but Mr Poroshenko denied claims the troops were encircled, and said they were leaving with weapons and ammunition.

However, some troops were believed to be trapped in the town, which links the two rebel-controlled regions in the east of Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk.

Sky's Stuart Ramsay spoke to a Ukrainian commander who said there were still pro-Kiev troops inside but they had put down their weapons.

"They are trying to walk out, crossing fields to join others who were able to drive out earlier in the day", Ramsay said, adding there was still fighting taking place despite a ceasefire coming into force at the weekend.

At least 22 Ukrainian troops have been killed and over 150 were wounded in the fighting in recent days.

A rebel military spokesman, Eduard Basurin, reportedly told Russian television that more than 300 Ukrainian soldiers had surrendered.

Kiev has admitted that soldiers have been taken prisoner, but has not said how many.

Journalists reported seeing dozens of tanks and vehicles carrying haggard soldiers leaving for the nearby town of Artemivsk.

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  1. Gallery: Ukraine Troops Leave Debaltseve

    Pro-Russian separatists take position near the eastern Ukrainian city of Uglegorsk, 6 kms southwest of Debaltseve

Pro-Russian rebels stationed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Gorlivka, Donetsk region, launch missiles from Grad launch vehicles

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Why Ukrainian Town Is So Crucial In Conflict

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 18 Februari 2015 | 10.52

Why Ukrainian Town Is So Crucial In Conflict

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The capture of the Ukrainian town Debaltseve would represent a critical prize for the pro-Russian fighters.

The town of just over 25,000 people is a communications hub with a railway junction connecting the rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Everything going in and out of the region passes through Debaltseve.

Take it, and the separatists have a supply route to and from their key strongholds for food, fuel and ammunition.

So while the ceasefire is being observed elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, fighting has intensified in Debaltseve and the surrounding area.

Rebels began their siege of the town last month.

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  1. Gallery: Debaltseve Has Become Centre Of Ukraine Conflict

    Ukrainian armed forces take up positions near the eastern town of Debaltseve.

A ceasefire came into effect on Sunday, but fighting has continued in Debaltseve, where pro-Russian rebels claim to have surrounded thousands of Ukrainian fighters.

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Buildings damaged by fighting are pictured in the village of Nikishine, south east of Debaltsev

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A convoy of Ukrainian forces drives in the direction of the embattled town, which is a major rail and road junction northeast of the city of Donetsk.

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Pro-Russian rebels stationed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Gorlivka launch missiles towards Ukrainian forces in Debaltseve last week.

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Why Ukrainian Town Is So Crucial In Conflict

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

The capture of the Ukrainian town Debaltseve would represent a critical prize for the pro-Russian fighters.

The town of just over 25,000 people is a communications hub with a railway junction connecting the rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Everything going in and out of the region passes through Debaltseve.

Take it, and the separatists have a supply route to and from their key strongholds for food, fuel and ammunition.

So while the ceasefire is being observed elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, fighting has intensified in Debaltseve and the surrounding area.

Rebels began their siege of the town last month.

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  1. Gallery: Debaltseve Has Become Centre Of Ukraine Conflict

    Ukrainian armed forces take up positions near the eastern town of Debaltseve.

A ceasefire came into effect on Sunday, but fighting has continued in Debaltseve, where pro-Russian rebels claim to have surrounded thousands of Ukrainian fighters.

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Buildings damaged by fighting are pictured in the village of Nikishine, south east of Debaltsev

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A convoy of Ukrainian forces drives in the direction of the embattled town, which is a major rail and road junction northeast of the city of Donetsk.

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Pro-Russian rebels stationed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Gorlivka launch missiles towards Ukrainian forces in Debaltseve last week.

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Ukraine: Rebels Take PoWs After 'Seizing' Town

Pro-Russian rebels have taken Ukrainian troops prisoner as they seized control in parts of the key transport hub of Debaltseve.

Ukraine's defence ministry admitted some soldiers had been captured after an ambush - but said the number was lower than the 300 stated by Russian media.

While the internationally brokered ceasefire that came into force on Sunday is holding elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, fighting continues in Debaltseve, where thousands of government troops had been encircled by rebels.

The defence ministry said: "Street fighting is continuing, rebels are attacking the town with assault groups backed by artillery and armoured vehicles.

"Part of the town has been seized by the bandits."

It is unclear how much of the town, a critical link between rebel-held Luhansk and Donestsk, is under separatist control.

"Eighty per cent of Debaltseve is already ours," claimed Eduard Basurin, a rebel leader. "A clean-up of the town is under way."

Rebels say they have taken the key railway station.

Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko called the rebel operation a "cynical attack on the Minsk agreement".

During a phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Mr Poroshenko called for the EU and international community to take a "tough reaction against the treacherous actions of the rebels and Russia".

At least 10 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed and many more wounded in and around the town since the ceasefire took effect.

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  1. Gallery: Debaltseve Has Become Centre Of Ukraine Conflict

    Ukrainian armed forces take up positions near the eastern town of Debaltseve.

A ceasefire came into effect on Sunday, but fighting has continued in Debaltseve, where pro-Russian rebels claim to have surrounded thousands of Ukrainian fighters.

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Is Greece Edging Closer To Euro Exit?

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 17 Februari 2015 | 10.52

No-one expected the Eurogroup summit to end all the differences between Greece and the eurozone countries behind its bailout.

But, equally, no-one really expected it to end in the kind of acrimony we saw earlier in Brussels.

In the event, what we have witnessed is yet another demonstration of what happens when the euro collides with democratic politics.

It all comes back down to the key issue Syriza campaigned on in the Greek elections last month: ending the current €240bn bailout programme and replacing it with something more humane.

Most of Greece's euro counterparts have insisted that to do so is simply impossible - that if Greece wants to borrow more cash and continue to enjoy financial support from the European Central Bank, it must sign up to an extension of the existing programme, due to expire at the end of the month.

However, doing so represents what Yanis Varoufakis, the Greek finance minister, has described as a red line.

Instead, he would rather agree to a separate "bridging loan" without the full conditions attached to the existing bailout (but with, he insists, "some conditionality, to build trust").

He claims that he was privately given such a promise by the European Commissioner in charge of the economy, Pierre Moscovici, last week.

But, in Mr Varoufakis' rendering, at the Eurogroup meeting on Monday afternoon, Mr Moscovici's draft proposal was replaced by Eurogroup head, Jeroen Djisselbloem, with something else entirely - an alternative communique that pledged that Greece should continue with the existing programme.

A copy of this document, with Mr Varoufakis' disapproving penmarks scrawled all over it, was leaked to the press.

In chaotic scenes, the meeting broke down within minutes.

Given it was billed as the make-or-break moment for the euro, the collapse of talks looks, on the surface of it, to be deeply worrying.

However, the reality is that Monday's deadline was always a self-imposed one.

The talks will continue in the coming days, and there is likely to be another Eurogroup meeting to confirm things as soon as something can be hatched behind the scenes.

But with every setback, worries grow that Greece could be edging slowly towards a possible default - or indeed a chaotic exit from the single currency.

There are still many more levers to be pulled by both sides between now and then. But the fact that a key meeting could break down so easily is a reminder that things will hardly be plain sailing in the coming weeks.

In other words, things are likely to get even worse before they get any better.


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Greece Facing 'Disaster' As Talks Break Down

Greece has been warned it faces a "disaster" after talks aimed at renegotiating its EU bailout programme broke down without an agreement.

The country has rejected a draft proposal put forward by European finance ministers at a meeting in Brussels.

Greece's finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, said negotiations would continue and he had "no doubt" that an agreement on its debt would be reached that would be "therapeutic to Greece and for Europe".

However, he said his country would not implement recessionary measures such as pension cuts and VAT hikes.

The country's anti-austerity Syriza government recently swept to power on a promise to scrap the bailout as it stands.

But with Greece running out of money, Maltese finance minister Edward Scicluna said the country faces "disaster" unless it extends the bailout, which is due to end on 28 February.

"Greece has to adjust, to realise the seriousness of the situation," he said. "It all depends on the realisation by Greece of the real seriousness of the situation because time is running out."

The eurozone's top official, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, said a "positive outcome" was still possible if Greece asked for a bailout extension by the end of the week.

"Given the timelines we have... we can use this week but that is about it," he said.

Sky's Economics Editor, Ed Conway, said: "The talks have broken down in rather acrimonious fashion.

"The ball is once again in Greece's court. European foreign ministers leaving the talks said it was now up to Greece and its prime minister and ministers to request an extension to the deal.

"Otherwise the Eurogroup are not going to continue talking and there is the real prospect increasingly of Greece either defaulting or leaving the euro.

"The big problem is that Greece is potentially going to run out of money quite soon."


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Video Shows IS Militants Beheading Christians

Written By Unknown on Senin, 16 Februari 2015 | 10.52

A video has been released which purports to show 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians being beheaded by Islamic State militants in Libya.

The footage shows handcuffed hostages dressed in orange jumpsuits being murdered by black-clad terrorists.

A caption on the five-minute video says: "The people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian church".

The militants identify themselves as the Tripoli Province of the Islamic State group. The video is titled: "A message signed with blood to the nation of the cross."

In January, the Islamic State branch in Libya claimed to have abducted 21 Egyptian Christians.

Egypt's foreign ministry confirmed at the time that 20 Egyptians had been kidnapped in two separate incidents in Libya.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al Sisi has declared seven days of mourning and called urgent security talks to discuss a response.

Mr al Sisi said Egypt reserves the right to "respond in a fitting time and manner from these murderers".

Speaking on state television, he said Egyptians will be prevented from travelling to Libya "to preserve their lives", adding: "Egypt is not only defending itself, but all of humanity."

The Coptic Church issued a statement saying it was "confident" the killers would be brought to justice.

"The Orthodox church... is confident its homeland would not rest until the evil perpetrators get their fair retribution for their wicked crime," it said.

Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron has described the murders as "a cruel and barbaric act", adding: "We will not waver in our fight against terrorists and extremism."

Egypt's Copts are the largest Christian community in the Middle East and are estimated to account for around 10% of the Egyptian population.

Thousands of Egyptians have headed to Libya to work since the Egyptian uprising in 2011, despite their government's advice that they should stay away from the country.

The latest video follows the release of footage showing the burning alive of the 26-year-old Jordanian pilot Moaz al Kasasbeh.


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Ukraine Ceasefire Holds Despite Sporadic Gunfire

Ukraine Ceasefire Holds Despite Sporadic Gunfire

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The ceasefire in Ukraine appears to be holding despite occasional shelling and gunfire close to a flashpoint town in the country's east.

Artillery and mortar fire has been heard around Debaltseve, a strategically important town on the frontline of the fight between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists.

The guns fell silent early on Sunday morning as a ceasefire agreement came into effect.

The agreement was reached following talks in the Belarus capital Minsk, led by France and Germany.

Pro-Russian rebels indicated that they would not observe the truce at Debaltseve, where Ukrainian forces have been largely surrounded.

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  1. Gallery: Separatists And Ukrainian Troops Observe The Ceasefire

    Pro-Russian separatists drive a tank through the streets of Donetsk in Ukraine's east. Most of the frontline has fallen silent since the ceasefire was enforced, Kiev officials say

Two members of the armed forces from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic stand guard at a checkpoint near the town

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Another member of the Donetsk People's Republic checks on a kettle as the ceasefire holds across large swathes of eastern Ukraine

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Meanwhile, on a road leading to the contested town of Debaltseve - which has continued to see some unrest - two Ukrainian soldiers play football during the ceasefire

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Other members of the Ukrainian armed forces take a cigarette break near Debaltseve. According to pro-Kiev military leaders, separatists have shelled Ukrainian positions 10 times since the ceasefire was enforced

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Ukraine Ceasefire Holds Despite Sporadic Gunfire

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

The ceasefire in Ukraine appears to be holding despite occasional shelling and gunfire close to a flashpoint town in the country's east.

Artillery and mortar fire has been heard around Debaltseve, a strategically important town on the frontline of the fight between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists.

The guns fell silent early on Sunday morning as a ceasefire agreement came into effect.

The agreement was reached following talks in the Belarus capital Minsk, led by France and Germany.

Pro-Russian rebels indicated that they would not observe the truce at Debaltseve, where Ukrainian forces have been largely surrounded.

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  1. Gallery: Separatists And Ukrainian Troops Observe The Ceasefire

    Pro-Russian separatists drive a tank through the streets of Donetsk in Ukraine's east. Most of the frontline has fallen silent since the ceasefire was enforced, Kiev officials say

Two members of the armed forces from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic stand guard at a checkpoint near the town

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Another member of the Donetsk People's Republic checks on a kettle as the ceasefire holds across large swathes of eastern Ukraine

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Meanwhile, on a road leading to the contested town of Debaltseve - which has continued to see some unrest - two Ukrainian soldiers play football during the ceasefire

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Other members of the Ukrainian armed forces take a cigarette break near Debaltseve. According to pro-Kiev military leaders, separatists have shelled Ukrainian positions 10 times since the ceasefire was enforced

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