Race To Find Girls Feared To Be On Way To Syria

Three schoolgirls are feared to have run away from east London with plans to travel to Syria and join Islamic State.

Police said the close friends were last seen on Tuesday morning as they left their homes telling their families they would be out for the day.

Instead they met and travelled to Gatwick airport before boarding a Turkish Airlines flight, which landed at Istanbul that evening.

The three - Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and a third female aged 15 who is not being named at the request of her family - are pupils at Bethnal Green Academy and have been described as "straight-A students".

Metropolitan Police Commander Richard Walton said he was "extremely concerned" for their safety.

He revealed the runaways are good friends with another 15-year-old girl who fled to Syria in December.

Kadiza Sultana, 16, Shamima Begum, 15, and an unnamed 15-year-old

"We are concerned about the numbers of girls and young women who have or are intending to travel to the part of Syria that is controlled by the terrorist group calling themselves Islamic State," Mr Walton said.

"It is an extremely dangerous place and we have seen reports of what life is like for them and how restricted their lives become.

"It is not uncommon for girls or women to be prevented from being allowed out of their houses or if allowed out, only when accompanied by a guardian.

"The choice of returning home from Syria is often taken away from those under the control of Islamic State, leaving their families in the UK devastated and with very few options to secure their safe return."

Mr Walton added the teenagers' families were "devastated" but there was a "good chance" the girls were still in Turkey.

All three have mobile phones, and police are using Turkish media and social media in the hopes of reaching them.

Salman Farsi, spokesman for their local East London Mosque, said: "They have been misled. I do not know what was promised to them. It is just sad. We have not had anything like this before in our community.

"I think the girls need to know they have done nothing wrong. They have been manipulated."

The girls are students at Bethnal Green Academy, east London

A family friend of one of the missing girls told Sky News: "It's really sad what has happened.

"Maybe they need to educate people more, tell them about the risks of going to Syria, that it's not safe out there."

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "The idea of 15-year-old British schoolgirls setting off to Syria is very disturbing, and shows that more action is urgently needed to stop young people being drawn into extremism and conflict, and to help families and communities who are trying to counteract extremist recruitment messages."

The number of Westerners who have travelled to Iraq and Syria to join IS is thought to be about 3,000, including as many as 550 women, according to the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

Former Metropolitan Police border control officer Chris Hobbs told Sky News that checks for people departing from UK airports made it a "walk in the park for jihadis and girls like this" to leave.

"At the moment you go through security, you get on the plane, you might be checked by a private security guard," he said.

"Unless you're very unlucky you won't pass under the eyes of anyone from UK law enforcement.

"If you're on a watch list then you will ping the system. If you're not on the radar then the odds are you will get on the plane without too many problems."

Police have released descriptions of the girls: 

:: Shamima Begum, 15

Shamima is around 5ft 7in tall and was wearing black, thick-rimmed glasses, a black hijab, a light brown and black leopard-print scarf, a dark red jumper, black trousers and jacket.

She was carrying a dark blue cylindrical holdall with white straps. She is a British national of Bangladeshi heritage and speaks English with a London accent. She also speaks Bengali.

:: Kadiza Sultana, 16

Kadiza is described as 5ft 6in tall and slim, and was wearing black-rimmed glasses, a long black jacket with a hood, grey striped scarf, grey jumper, dark red trousers and was carrying a black holdall.

She is a British national of Bangladeshi heritage and speaks English with a London accent. She also speaks Bengali.

:: Third Missing Girl, 15

The third girl, who is not being named, is German but living in London. She is described as 5ft 6in tall and slim. She was wearing black, thick-rimmed glasses, a black head scarf, a long dark green jacket with a fur-lined hood, a light yellow long-sleeved top, black trousers and white trainers.

She was carrying a black Nike holdall. She speaks English and Amharic.

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Fire Engulfs Dubai's Torch Tower Skyscraper

A huge fire engulfed part of the Torch Tower in Dubai in the early hours of this morning, forcing hundreds of people to flee the 1,100ft skyscraper.

Witnesses said the blaze appeared to have started at around 2am 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 burning debris from the fire could be seen falling from building.

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.

Footage shows the fire sweeping through the upper floors. Pic: Jaime Muller

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

One resident, Briton Steve Short, 53, from Liverpool, praised the work of firefighters who arrived quickly.

He said fire alarms alerted people to the blaze and building management sent workers knocking on doors to ensure residents got out.

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 witness at the scene.

Hundreds of Torch Tower residents were evacuated. Pic: Jaime Muller

The cause of the fire was not immediately clear. Officials said there were no reports of casualties.

Opened in 2011, 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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Tough Talks On Greek Debt As D-Day Looms

These could well prove the most important few days in the euro's existence.

In the corridors and meeting rooms of the Justus Lipsus building in Brussels, Greece and its euro counterparts have been charged with discussing how to keep the struggling nation in the single currency.

Their chances of success seem to be flagging.

Quite how we got here is a complicated story - it involves political and economic mistakes, financial jiggery-pokery, many decades of historical animosity and some big personality clashes.

Uncertainty continues over the Greek debt negotiations

Let's leave that aside for a moment and recall where we stand today.

Briefly: Greece is in dire need of money. The state has a series of debts to repay in March, some to the International Monetary Fund, some to the European Central Bank. 

Video: 'Confusion And Noise Over Greece'

It can't easily raise cash in the open markets (would you really want to lend to Athens right now?) so it will have to find that money elsewhere.

That means borrowing it from its eurozone colleagues. Greece is of course still receiving bailout support from the so-called Troika lenders (the European Commission, ECB and IMF), so the most straightforward thing would be to extend the existing bailout and withdraw some extra cash from it (there's about €7bn of it left, which would be very helpful right now).

However, extending the bailout would also mean extending the conditions attached to it - austerity, privatisations, labour market and pension reforms.

Syriza, the party which leads the new Greek government, adamantly set itself against that in its election campaign. It also said it would refuse to co-operate with the Troika in future.

That leaves it in a sticky place. Its finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, has spent most of the past few weeks attempting to persuade his European counterparts to lend Greece some cash, but to do it as a "bridging loan" rather than as an extension of the "current programme".

That might seem like a mere terminological distinction - and in one sense it is. But underlying the terminology are real differences.

Signing up to the "current programme" again would mean obeying those hated conditions. A "bridging loan" of some sort, on the other hand, could have some discrete conditions of its own. Though some of these might be uncomfortable, they would at least be of Greece's new government's own making.

Video: Greeks Hope For Bailout Solution

The problem is that Greece's creditors are reluctant to let the country off all those conditions they set when lending them money.

For one thing, Greece has already been forgiven a chunk of its debts in 2012; the interest rates and maturities of its debts have been stretched out way into the future, making them cheaper to service.

For another, those conditions were not merely there as punishment - they were there to make the economy more healthy in the future.

Raising retirement ages, removing archaic protections on employees, privatising nationalised industries - those are precisely the kinds of Thatcherite reforms many other countries had to go through long ago, and are reaping the rewards of today.

Then there's the politics: German voters are becoming increasingly disenchanted with the idea of funding a poor creditor elsewhere whose own people seem to hate them.

The Spanish government is desperate that Syriza doesn't succeed, for fear of encouraging its people to vote for their own upstart leftist anti-austerity rival party, Podemos. The Irish would be furious if a country was given special treatment they were denied.

These countervailing forces mean getting an agreement, either today or this weekend or in the coming months, will be very difficult. And, as if things couldn't already be more difficult, the process has also been waylaid by some personal histrionics.

Video: Greek Bailout: The Key Numbers

The Greek negotiators have been unpredictable in the extreme - openly leaking bundles of documents, flagrantly disregarding the long-established rules of negotiations and publicly criticising their counterparts.

"These people are crazy," said one eurocrat when the talks broke down the last time, on Monday night. "They're totally crazy."

One can only assume yet more craziness to come in the next hours and days. The latest developments, on Thursday, included a letter from the Greek authorities which seemed to offer massive compromises on its position - including an extension of the bailout in some guise, and Troika supervision.

That was then dismissed abruptly by the Germans, who derided it as a "Trojan horse" gambit.

All of which threatens to make today's negotiations particularly awkward.

Meanwhile, hanging over all of this is the question of whether Greece will have money to pay its bills next month, whether it defaults, and, ultimately, whether it can stay in the euro.

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UK Warning As Germany Snubs Greek Loan Plan

The continuing stand-off between the eurozone and Greece over its debt could lead to a "full blown crisis", George Osborne has warned.

The Chancellor's comments come as eurozone finance ministers prepare for crunch talks later on whether to extend the EU loan programme to Greece which wants an extra six months but without austerity conditions.

Mr Osborne said: "What you see now in this stand-off between the eurozone and Greece is the risk of a full blown crisis which would do real damage to the European economy - and is a risk to Britain.

"We need the eurozone to find a common solution and here at home we need to go on working through our economic plan which has kept us safe".

Greece says the EU has "just two choices" when it comes to Athens' request - accept it or reject it.

Video: 'Confusion And Noise Over Greece'

But Germany has already rejected it, saying it was "no substantial proposal for a solution" and "does not meet the criteria" laid out by the ministers.

The office of the German finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble issued the terse response just hours after Greece formally lodged its bid for a half-year deal to effectively replace its bailout, which is due to expire at the end of the month.

German finance ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger added that it amounted to a request "for bridge financing without fulfilling the demands of the (bailout) programme".

But after the snub, a Greek government source said: "The eurogroup has just two choices. To accept or reject the Greek request. We will now discover who wants to find a solution, and who does not."

Video: How Would World React To Grexit?

The country's new anti-austerity government is seeking a compromise to break the deadlock with European creditors, especially Germany, as it runs the risk of running out of cash and defaulting on its debts without agreement.

It has ruled out the prospect of any deal under the terms of its previous rescue because of its mandate from the Greek people who swept the anti-austerity Syriza party to power last month.

The details of the Greek request were not made public but the Reuters news agency published a document it had seen which suggested Greece had watered down some of its previous demands.

The letter, purportedly written by Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, pledged  to honour all Greek debts and not take unilateral action that would undermine agreed fiscal targets.

Video: Greek Bailout: The Key Numbers

The government of Alexis Tsipras blames the conditions attached to its bailout of hampering the country's recovery and leading to a deterioration of living standards.

Unemployment remains at more than 25%.

On Monday, the government rejected a plan to extend its current €240bn (£178bn) bailout deal, describing it as absurd.

Eurozone finance ministers had given Greece until Friday to request an extension of its current austerity and reform programme.

Video: Pressure Tightens On Defiant Greeks

Germany has been particularly vocal in insisting the country sticks to the terms of its commitments.

The formal Greek request was submitted after the European Central Bank (ECB) agreed to increase its emergency funding to Greek banks amid a capital flight from the country.

Depositors are fearful the lack of a deal will force Greece from the single currency and back to the drachma, representing a significant devaluation.

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Russia A 'Real And Present Danger' To NATO States

There is a "real and present danger" Russia could repeat its covert campaigns in the Crimea and Ukraine to destablise former Soviet bloc countries, the Defence Secretary has warned.

Michael Fallon said NATO must be ready for Russian aggression against alliance members including Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.

He warned the action could involve using irregular troops, cyber attacks and inflaming tensions with ethnic Russian minorities.

"NATO has to be ready for any kind of aggression from Russia, whatever form it takes. NATO is getting ready," he said.

Mr Fallon added that he was worried about Russian President Vladimir Putin's "pressure on the Baltics".

Earlier this month, two long-range Russian bombers flew down the English Channel off the coast of Bournemouth.

Mr Putin's behaviour is 'unacceptable', the Defence Secretary 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," he added.

His comments come after Prime Minister David Cameron urged Europe to tell Russia it faces economic and financial consequences for "years to come" if it continues to destabilise Ukraine.

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1. Gallery: Nov 1: RAF Redirects Russia Bombers

   Typhoon fighter jets were scrambled to intercept Russian military 'Bear' bombers for the second time in a week, it has emerged (Pic: MoD)

The aircraft were were sent up from RAF Lossiemouth on Friday, 31 October, to escort the Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft (Pic: MoD)

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Childcare Costs Can Mean 'It Doesn't Pay To Work'

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

The cost of childcare is rising so quickly that for many families "it simply does not pay to work", a report has concluded.

The price of a part-time nursery place for a child under two has gone up by almost a third in the last five years with parents now being forced to pay more than £6,000 a year.

The annual survey, carried out by the Family and Childcare Trust, found that on average in England, Scotland and Wales sending a child to nursery for 25 hours a week costs £115.45.

That is 5.1% more than last year and 32.8% more than in 2010.

Parents who employ child minders are also paying more. The average cost of £104.06 per week is up 4.3% on last year.

Video: Childcare Costs May Have To Rise

"The reality is that for too many families it simply does not pay to work," the report said.

At Kidz R Us day nursery in Salford, Greater Manchester, parents told Sky News that paying for childcare takes up a significant portion of their income.

Mother-of-three Jennifer Lee said: "I'm a full time teacher and my partner's a fireman. You'd expect with two decent salaries to be able to cope financially, but it is difficult."

Amy Cooke said more than half her salary goes on paying for part-time childcare for her 15-month-old daughter Lilah.

If she has any more children or if nursery prices rise further she may have leave her job.

"I'd probably have to give up work and do it that way because my entire wage would go on childcare, so it wouldn't be worth it."

Stephen Dunmore, chief executive of the Family and Childcare Trust, has welcomed Government investment in childcare but says more needs to be done.

Video: More Kids To Get Free Childcare

"In spite of several positive initiatives, including more funding for free early education, the childcare system in Britain needs radical reform," he said.

"In the run-up to the General Election this May we want to see all political parties commit to an independent review of childcare. Britain needs a simple system that promotes quality, supports parents and delivers for children."

The issue of childcare costs is likely to feature highly in the coming months, with politicians keen to use today's report to score political points.

Labour's shadow minister for childcare and children, Alison McGovern MP, said "These figures lay bare the extent of David Cameron's failure - he is badly letting down working families.

"Since 2010 the failing Tory plan has seen the costs of childcare soar. On top of this, there are over 40,000 fewer childcare places and wages are down £1,600 a year on average."

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: "This report only relates to the prices parents pay after they receive the Government's offer of 15 hours of free childcare.

"It therefore neglects the record amount of fully funded childcare we are giving - savings worth a maximum of almost £9,000 per child."

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Putin: Ukraine Should Surrender In Debaltseve

Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged the Ukrainian government to allow its soldiers to surrender to pro-Moscow rebels who are laying siege to the key transport hub of Debaltseve.

Intense fighting has continued in Debaltseve despite a ceasefire deal brokered in Minsk during four-party talks last week.

Pro-Russian rebels have taken Ukrainian troops as prisoners in the town and encircled thousands of others.

Mr Putin said Kiev should allow its soldiers to surrender, and warned the government not to "hinder soldiers in the Ukrainian army from putting down their weapons".

Debaltseve is a strategically important town in eastern Ukraine

"If they aren't capable of taking that decision themselves and giving that order, then (I hope) that they won't prosecute people who want to save their lives and the lives of others," he said.

Mr Putin added that he hopes the rebels will allow Ukrainians to return to their families after they surrender.

Video: Mortar Fire Explodes Gas Pipeline

Artillery rounds have reportedly been rocking the town of Debaltseve every five seconds and black smoke has been seen rising into the skies.

The rebels claim last week's ceasefire agreement does not apply in Debaltseve, a railway hub in a pocket between the two main rebel-held areas.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has called the rebel operation in Debaltseve a "cynical attack on the Minsk agreement".

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

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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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Energy: Big Six Profit From Switching Failure

A competition inquiry into the energy market has found suppliers routinely charging loyal customers up to £234 more per year.

The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) update on its continuing probe into the sector also contained criticism of the energy regulator's powers - as reported by Sky News on Tuesday evening - saying excessive regulation at Ofgem may be creating barriers to new market entrants.

The key finding in the CMA's updated Issues Statement for consumers concerned the power of switching supplier, with the regulator declaring that long-term customers - many of them vulnerable - were paying a higher price for failing to move between energy companies.

It said 95% of dual fuel customers of the so-called big six suppliers could have saved an average of between £158 and £234 a year by switching.

It found that the big six, British Gas, SSE, Scottish Power, E.ON, npower and EDF, earned 12% more from a customer on a standard - instead of fixed - dual fuel tariff.

Video: Should You Trust Comparison Sites?

The report stated: "The evidence that we have seen to date also suggests that the gross margins that the six large energy firms earn are higher for customers on the SVT (Standard Variable Tariff) than for those on non-standard tariffs over the last three years." 

While the Issues Statement does not contain any formal conclusions by the CMA, the ongoing designation of industry regulation as a key focus will embarrass Ofgem at a time when its leadership is under intense political pressure.

Labour has vowed to freeze prices for 20 months if it wins the General Election in May, a pledge which sparked fury among big six suppliers.

They recently cut standard gas tariffs by up to 5.1% in response to a 30% dip in wholesale prices but argue raw energy makes up less than 50% of a bill and they have to pay up to three years up front for their supplies.

They point to the growing cost of green levies and network costs.

Crucially for the big six suppliers, the CMA found that their average profit margin across gas and electricity was 3.3%, with gas being the more profitable of the two.

But the report questions whether the market is working for consumers as almost half of households have been with the same supplier for more than 10 years.

This week, the Government launched a campaign with the slogan "Power To Switch", which is designed to encourage consumers to shop around to find cheaper energy deals.

Provisional findings of the CMA's inquiry will be published in May.

It is expected to stop short of recommending that the big six firms split their generation and supply arms - as some critics have demanded - to give greater clarity on profits.

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Rail Passengers Frustrated By Poor Service

By Katie Spencer, Sky News Reporter

Rail travellers on busy commuter routes say they are frustrated by delays and bad service, with less than half of passengers on some lines saying they are satisfied with their journeys.

A survey carried out by the consumer group Which? found services from England's South East into London are the most likely to be delayed.

Travellers on the Southern train company reported experiencing the most delays, while those least satisfied with their service were customers with the Thameslink and Great Northern / First Capital Connect routes.

Only 44% of customers with Southeastern said they were satisfied with their journeys, and Southern and Abellio Greater Anglia scored only 46%.

The results were based on responses from 7,309 travellers who were asked about journeys they had taken in the 12 months ending in November 2014.

Areas covered included availability of seating, cleanliness of toilets and carriages, as well as punctuality and value for money.

Travellers were also asked if they had experienced a delay on the last journey they had taken with their train company.

It comes as official figures show rail passengers are paying more for services, while Government funding is falling.

A report by the Office of Rail Regulation shows commuters are contributing an increasing amount to the cost of running the railways.

Official figures show the amount passengers are contributing to the funding of the railways stood at £8.6bn in 2013/14 - an increase of more than 6% on the previous year.

In the same period, the level of Government funding was just £3.8 billion, a fall of 8%.

Funding per passenger journey works out to be far less in England than it is in Scotland and Wales.

In England it works out to be £1.88 per passenger journey, whereas in Scotland it's £7.77, and £9.18 in Wales.

Alex Neill, director of campaigns for Which?, told Sky News: "We found commuters are really unhappy with the service they're getting.

"Seven of the 21 providers that we looked at scored less than 50%, which is a pretty poor result.

"People are fed up with overcrowded trains that are dirty, generally late and that are not good value for money."

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Egypt Bombs Islamic State Targets In Libya

Egypt's military says it has bombed Islamic State (IS) targets in Libya, a day after the group released a video purporting to show the beheading of 21 Egyptians.

The attack focused on camps, training sites and weapons storage areas across Egypt's border with Libya.

A spokesman for the Armed Forces General Command said it was "to avenge the bloodshed and to seek retribution from the killers".

"Let those far and near know that Egyptians have a shield that protects them," the statement added.

State television broadcast footage of fighter jets it said were taking off to conduct the airstrikes.

Video: How IS Control Could Increase

The strikes come after video emerged showing 21 handcuffed hostages dressed in orange jumpsuits being murdered by militants identified as being from the Tripoli Province of IS.

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

White House spokesman Josh Earnest described the act as "despicable and cowardly".

In the aftermath, Egypt's president, Abdel Fattah al Sisi, threatened to carry out a "suitable" punishment.

As well as the Egyptian airstrikes, Libya's air force also said it had launched airstrikes in the eastern city of Darna, which was taken over by an IS affiliate last year.

Saqer al Joroushi said the strikes by war planes loyal to the official government had been coordinated with Egypt and more would follow on Monday and Tuesday.

In January, the IS branch in Libya claimed it had abducted 21 Egyptian Christians.

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

Relatives of those kidnapped have gathered in Cairo in recent days to call for the hostages to be released.

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

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

The killings raise the possibility that the militants have established a direct affiliate less than 500 miles (800km) from the southern tip of Italy.

One of the fighters in the video makes a direct reference to this, saying the group now plans to "conquer Rome".

IS already controls around a third of Iraq and Syria in a self-declared caliphate.

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Tensions In Ukraine As Truce Deadline Passes

A ceasefire deadline has passed in Ukraine - but both sides are accusing each other of violating the deal.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko ordered government forces to stop firing at 10pm UK time on Saturday, under a plan agreed in Belarus this week.

"I give now the order to the armed forces of Ukraine... to cease fire at 00:00 hours on February 15," he said, while sitting alongside armed forces chief of staff Viktor Muzhenko.

"I very much hope that the last chance to begin the long and difficult peaceful process for a political settlement will not be wasted."

Intense fighting continued around Debaltseve on Saturday

The military said Ukrainian armed forces immediately fulfilled Mr Poroshenko's order and guns fell silent in Donetsk and some other parts of the country's east.

Under the peace agreement, both Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatist rebels were to hold their fire, before pulling back their heavy weaponry to form a wide buffer zone.

Video: Can Ukraine Peace Deal Succeed?

There were reports of continued fighting and movement of military vehicles right up to the deadline, and after it had passed government forces and rebels said there were violations in the first few hours.

A Ukraine military spokesman has said rebels shelled its positions 10 times after the truce began, but that the ceasefire is being observed "in general".

Mr Poroshenko admitted there was "alarm" over the situation around the key transport hub of Debaltseve, where government forces have been hard pressed by Russian-backed separatists.

During the day on Saturday, intense fighting continued around the strategic government-held area.

Video: Ceasefire Deal In Ukraine Conflict

Earlier in the week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said 8,000 Ukrainian soldiers were besieged by separatists around the town and would have to lay down their weapons before the ceasefire started.

Rebels told the Associated Press news agency they will not consider any battles for the town to be a violation of the ceasefire.

The intensity of the fighting around Debaltseve and elsewhere raises doubts about whether the ceasefire will hold.

The White House said President Barack Obama spoke to Mr Poroshenko and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday and expressed concern about the violence.

Video: Poroshenko Wary Of Truce Agreement

The French presidency said Mr Putin reaffirmed in a phone call with his French and German counterparts on Saturday that the ceasefire must be respected.

Mrs Merkel, French President Francois Hollande and Mr Putin all confirmed "the need for the ceasefire scheduled for midnight to be effective", the Elysee Palace said.

"Putin said the rebels were ready for the ceasefire," it added.

The statement also said the three leaders will speak by phone with Mr Poroshenko on Sunday to take stock of the ceasefire.

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Suspect In Two Deadly Danish Attacks Is Killed

Police believe the man they shot dead near a Copenhagen train station had carried out two fatal attacks hours earlier in the city.

Danish officers said they had killed the man after he opened fire on them close to Norrebro Station.

They said CCTV indicated he was responsible for an attack at a cafe on Saturday afternoon and another at a synagogue just hours later that happened just two miles apart.

There is nothing to suggest there were other gunmen involving in the shootings that left two people dead and five police officers wounded, according to investigator Joergen Skov.

A wounded policeman in front of the synagogue (Pic: @rtridder)

The attack at the city's main synagogue in Krystalgade just after midnight UK time saw one man die after being shot in the head and two policemen also shot, one in the arm and the other in the leg.

A major manhunt had already underway after an earlier attack, in which one man was killed and three police officers injured when a gunman opened fire at a cafe where a meeting on free speech was taking place.

Video: Location Of Copenhagen Shootings

Danish Prime Minister Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt described the assault on the seminar as "a terrorist attack", while the United States called it "deplorable".

The Copenhagen attacks had echoes of last month's Paris shootings, where Islamist gunmen targeted the offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and a kosher supermarket.

The chairman of the Nordic Jewish Security Council, Michael Gelvan, told AFP news agency that the man shot dead at the synagogue was Jewish.

He described the victim as a "young man", who he said had been responsible for "access control" at the place of worship.

Police had earlier said the gunman responsible for the synagogue attack fled on foot, and urged people in the centre of the city to remain indoors.

Video: Three Shot At Denmark Synagogue

Sky News cameraman Pete Milnes, who was in a hotel next to the synagogue when the shootings took place, said: "There was a succession of about six or seven gunshots.

"Within a minute or so, armed police were on the scene, a helicopter was hovering overhead. I witnessed police apprehend an individual who was handcuffed and later released.

"There was 20 to 30 armed police officers with semi-automatic rifles shouting at locals to stay indoors and close windows."

He said the scene was now calmer.

"There's probably a dozen or so armed officers and a few detectives with sniffer dogs who seem to be combing the area ... and lifting drain covers," he said.

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1. Gallery: Two Killed In Shootings At Cafe And Synagogue

   Two people have been killed and five officers were injured in two shootings in the Danish capital Copenhagen

Police believe the same man was responsible for the attacks at a cafe and synagogue. He was later shot dead by officers near one of the city's train station after reportedly opening fire on them

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