Italian coastguard rescue over 2,000 migrants in difficulty between Italian island of Lampedusa and Libyan coast

Ceasefire: Both sides seem willing, but wrangling over who pulls back from the frontlines first.

The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany were to hold peace talks yesterday aimed at halting a 10-month war in Ukraine where dozens were killed in the latest fighting.

Russia said yesterday that President Vladimir Putin would not tolerate any ultimatums over Ukraine after a report said Germany had given him until tomorrow to agree a peace plan or face new sanctions.

Europe yesterday postponed sanctions against Moscow ahead of a Ukraine peace summit as US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel weighed options to end 10 months of bloodshed.

Greece was locked yesterday in intense talks with its EU partners after the country's prime minister stuck to his anti-austerity guns with the deadline for a deal needed to avoid the risk of default and a euro exit just days away.

A senior Member of the Islamic opposition was arrested Sunday when police raided a press conference he was holding in a town hall outside the Algerian capital, reports AFP.

Czechoslovakian President Vaclav Havel has said in an interview with Newsweek International that the Czechs would not hinder the Slovaks if they wanted to secede, reports Reuter.

Yugoslav leaders said today they had pulled the turbulent Balkan federation back from the brink of civil war by accepting a European Community peace agreement after 16 hours of talks, reports Reuter.