Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 21 Februari 2015 | 16.15
The World Health Organization has approved a rapid test for the Ebola virus which can deliver a diagnosis in just 15 minutes.
In what could be a breakthrough for bringing the epidemic in West Africa to an end, the test kits will be deployed to countries affected by Ebola within a matter of weeks.
Although less accurate than traditional tests, which can take anywhere between 12 and 24 hours, this kit does not require electricity - making it ideal for examining patients in remote areas.
During rigorous trials conducted by the WHO, the ReEBOV Antigen Rapid Test correctly identified 92% of those infected with Ebola, and 85% who were free of the virus.
The health agency has said this new testing kit should be followed up with a laboratory test wherever possible.
Video:Ebola: Schools Reopen In Liberia
Meanwhile, the UN's Mission for Ebola Emergency Response has praised Liberia's progress in slowing down the spread of the virus - but warned against complacency as the number of new patients continues to fall.
Ebola has killed more than 3,800 people in Liberia since December 2013 - but now, students are returning to their schools after they were closed for six months.
In Sierra Leone, an investigation is under way into how money meant to fight Ebola was used. Out of $5.75m (£3.75m) received in funding, a third was spent without invoices and receipts being saved.
Video:Ebola Nurse 'Happy To Be Alive'
Doctors, government officials and businesspeople now must answer to the Anti-Corruption Commission, which wants an explanation of where the cash went.
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.
Video:Greek Rescue Package Explained
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, the International Monetary Fund 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.
Video:Osborne Urges Eurozone Deal
"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."
Video:Greece: Everything You Need To Know
"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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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
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.
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 20 Februari 2015 | 16.15
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.
Two trains have collided in Switzerland injuring up to 50 people, according to reports.
The collision happened at the train station in the Swiss town of Rafz, around 30 km (19 miles) north of Zurich.
The town of Rafz. Pic: Dietrich Michael Weidmann
The crash was between a commuter train and a a high-speed train on its way from Zurich to Stuttgart.
Eyewitnesses said the high-speed train hit the other from behind.
"There was an accident this morning, it's serious, there are injured," a police spokeswoman said.
"Ambulances from all regions have been mobilised," she added.
The high-speed train crashed into the local train
One rescue worker said as many as 49 people had been injured.
A passenger on the local train told the 20 Minutes newspaper that his train had been pulling out of the station when the driver braked suddenly.
"An express train from Zurich came up from behind and hit the side of our train - the intercity train derailed," said the man, who did not give his name.
Rescue workers inspect the site
The 18-year-old went on to say that passengers had quickly been evacuated from the trains, both of which were "quite damaged".
Rail services have been suspended.
The Swiss rail service is generally admired for its safety and efficiency - the Swiss are the biggest users of trains in Europe.
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.
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.
1/7
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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Video:Ukraine Gun Battle Caught On Camera
Sky News has obtained exclusive video of a prolonged gun battle between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government troops close to the besieged eastern town of Debaltseve.
It was shot by a television crew who were with rebel forces and interviewing a prisoner of war when 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 footage emerged as hundreds of Ukrainian troops pulled out from Debaltseve following battles with pro-Russian forces.
Separatist forces claim to have taken control of Debaltseve
Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has 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 as they seized the railway hub in defiance of a ceasefire brokered by France and Germany.
1/25
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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Pro-Russian separatists patrol a street in the eastern Ukrainian city of Makeyevka
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Ukrainian troops pulled out of the besieged flashpoint eastern town Debaltseve after it was stormed by pro-Russian rebels in what the EU said was a "clear violation" of an internationally-backed truce
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President Petro Poroshenko said 80% of units had left the town, in order to comply with the current ceasefire
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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.
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.
Video:Ukrainian Army Leaves Debaltseve
One soldier spoke of heavy government losses, while another said they had not been able to get food or water because of the intense rebel shelling.
President Poroshenko went to the front line at Artemivsk to meet soldiers after he ordered the Debaltseve withdrawal.
Praising Ukrainian forces for "really socking it" to the separatists, he said he was going there "for the great honour of shaking hands with our heroes".
The 10-month conflict has left more than 5,000 people dead, and Ukraine accuses Russia of supporting and arming the rebels, a claim Moscow denies.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Ukraine to admit defeat in Debaltseve, saying "the only choice" of the troops was to "leave behind weaponry, lay down arms and surrender."
Separatists have reportedly started to withdraw heavy weapons from areas they control in eastern Ukraine where the ceasefire was holding.
The rebels say the agreement negotiated by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France last week does not apply to Debaltseve.
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Exclusive: Ukraine Firefight Caught On Video
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Ukraine Gun Battle Caught On Camera
Sky News has obtained exclusive video of a prolonged gun battle between pro-Russian rebels and Ukrainian government troops close to the besieged eastern town of Debaltseve.
It was shot by a television crew who were with rebel forces and interviewing a prisoner of war when 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 footage emerged as hundreds of Ukrainian troops pulled out from Debaltseve following battles with pro-Russian forces.
Separatist forces claim to have taken control of Debaltseve
Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko has 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 as they seized the railway hub in defiance of a ceasefire brokered by France and Germany.
1/25
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
]]>
Pro-Russian separatists patrol a street in the eastern Ukrainian city of Makeyevka
]]>
Ukrainian troops pulled out of the besieged flashpoint eastern town Debaltseve after it was stormed by pro-Russian rebels in what the EU said was a "clear violation" of an internationally-backed truce
]]>
President Petro Poroshenko said 80% of units had left the town, in order to comply with the current ceasefire
]]>
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.
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.
Video:Ukrainian Army Leaves Debaltseve
One soldier spoke of heavy government losses, while another said they had not been able to get food or water because of the intense rebel shelling.
President Poroshenko went to the front line at Artemivsk to meet soldiers after he ordered the Debaltseve withdrawal.
Praising Ukrainian forces for "really socking it" to the separatists, he said he was going there "for the great honour of shaking hands with our heroes".
The 10-month conflict has left more than 5,000 people dead, and Ukraine accuses Russia of supporting and arming the rebels, a claim Moscow denies.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Ukraine to admit defeat in Debaltseve, saying "the only choice" of the troops was to "leave behind weaponry, lay down arms and surrender."
Separatists have reportedly started to withdraw heavy weapons from areas they control in eastern Ukraine where the ceasefire was holding.
The rebels say the agreement negotiated by Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France last week does not apply to Debaltseve.
Written By Unknown on Rabu, 18 Februari 2015 | 16.15
Why Ukrainian Town Is So Crucial In Conflict
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Video:Fighting Goes On Despite Ceasefire
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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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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Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly sought to delay the ceasefire agreed last week to give separatists the opportunity to capture the area.
Some of the 7,000 Ukrainian troops who were trapped there have now been taken prisoner as militants took control of, they say, 80% of the town.
Both sides claim Debaltseve is on their side of the ceasefire line.
Under the agreement negotiated by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France, the warring sides were supposed to begin withdrawing their heavy weapons from the front line on Tuesday.
However, they have both failed to do so as the deadline passed.
"We do not have the right to stop fighting for Debaltseve," said rebel leader Denis Pushilin.
"It's even a moral thing. It's internal territory. We have to respond to fire, to work on destroying the enemy's fighting positions."
Video:Mortar Fire Explodes Gas Pipeline
According to the 2001 census, some 80% of the population in Debaltseve are native Russian speakers, while 16% speak Ukrainian.
Many residents have fled - but an estimated 5,000 remain.
"The situation in Debaltseve is catastrophic," Joanne Mariner, a senior crisis response adviser at Amnesty International, told the Kyiv Post.
"I have spoken to many elderly people who are confined to their basements, living in extremely dire, overcrowded conditions, in absolute fear.
"Many told me how they felt completely lost, not knowing what to do. Shelling is constant.
"These people are at the mercy of forces they have absolutely no control over."
Monitors with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe have tried to enter the town but have reportedly been denied access by the separatists.
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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.
Video:Fighting Goes On Despite Ceasefire
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.
1/23
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.
]]>
Buildings damaged by fighting are pictured in the village of Nikishine, south east of Debaltsev
]]>
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.
]]>
Pro-Russian rebels stationed in the eastern Ukrainian city of Gorlivka launch missiles towards Ukrainian forces in Debaltseve last week.
]]>
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly sought to delay the ceasefire agreed last week to give separatists the opportunity to capture the area.
Some of the 7,000 Ukrainian troops who were trapped there have now been taken prisoner as militants took control of, they say, 80% of the town.
Both sides claim Debaltseve is on their side of the ceasefire line.
Under the agreement negotiated by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France, the warring sides were supposed to begin withdrawing their heavy weapons from the front line on Tuesday.
However, they have both failed to do so as the deadline passed.
"We do not have the right to stop fighting for Debaltseve," said rebel leader Denis Pushilin.
"It's even a moral thing. It's internal territory. We have to respond to fire, to work on destroying the enemy's fighting positions."
Video:Mortar Fire Explodes Gas Pipeline
According to the 2001 census, some 80% of the population in Debaltseve are native Russian speakers, while 16% speak Ukrainian.
Many residents have fled - but an estimated 5,000 remain.
"The situation in Debaltseve is catastrophic," Joanne Mariner, a senior crisis response adviser at Amnesty International, told the Kyiv Post.
"I have spoken to many elderly people who are confined to their basements, living in extremely dire, overcrowded conditions, in absolute fear.
"Many told me how they felt completely lost, not knowing what to do. Shelling is constant.
"These people are at the mercy of forces they have absolutely no control over."
Monitors with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe have tried to enter the town but have reportedly been denied access by the separatists.
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Breaking News: Reports: Ukraine Troops Leaving Key Town
Australia's Prime Minister has said the country will feel "grievously let down" if Indonesia executes two Australians on death row despite the A$1billion in help it gave following the 2004 tsunami.
Tony Abbott's comments drew an angry response from Indonesia and marked an escalation in the war of words between the two neighbours over the cases of Myuran Sukumaran, 33, and Andrew Chan, 31.
The pair are members of the so-called Bali Nine, convicted in 2005 as the ringleaders of a plot to smuggle £2m of heroin out of Indonesia. They face execution by firing squad.
Mr Abbott said he continued to make "the strongest possible personal representations" to Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
"Australia sent a billion dollars worth (£500m) of assistance," he said, referring to the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami that left 220,000 people dead across 14 countries, almost 170,000 from Indonesia.
Indonesia described Mr Abbott's words as "threats"
"We sent a significant contingent of our armed forces to help in Indonesia with humanitarian relief.
"I would say to the Indonesian people and the Indonesian government: We in Australia are always there to help you and we hope that you might reciprocate in this way at this time."
1/10
Gallery: Infamous Australian Prisoners Convicted Over Drug Smuggling
The Bali Nine are a group of Australians jailed for attempting to smuggle over £2m of heroin out of Indonesia. Their sentences vary: some face life - the ringleaders face the firing squad
Named as one of the ringleaders of the heroin smuggling operation, Andrew Chan was 21 years old when he was arrested
Some Ukrainian troops are pulling out of the town of Debaltseve following fierce fighting with pro-Russian rebels, pro-government commanders have said.
The Ukrainian commander of a pro-Kiev paramilitary unit said troops were leaving the strategically important town, which links the two rebel-controlled regions in the east, in a "planned and organised" way.
Semen Semenchenko said on Facebook: "The enemy is trying to cut the roads and prevent the exit of the troops."
Another paramilitary leader, Mykola Kolesnyk, said in an interview on 112 television channel: "We have pulled out. We have saved people's lives."
Separatist forces claim to have taken control of Debaltseve
But the head of the Krivbas battalion said not all troops were pulling out.
"We are talking only about units which are surrounded in populated areas in and around the town."
Video:Fighting Goes On Despite Ceasefire
A pro-Russian rebel official cited by the separatist press service DAN said hundreds of government troops are surrendering to separatist forces in the town.
"In Debaltseve there is a massive surrender of weapons by (Ukrainian) forces. These people number in the hundreds," DAN quoted Maksim Leshchenko as saying.
Associated Press reporters on the road to the government-controlled town of Artemivsk reported seeing several dozen Ukrainian troops retreating from Debaltseve on Wednesday morning.
Fighting has continued there despite a ceasefire between Ukraine government forces and rebels coming into force on Sunday.
1/23
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.
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 17 Februari 2015 | 16.15
Ukraine Truce 'Broken 139 Times' On First Day
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Video:Ceasefire 'Broken' In Mariupol
Pro-Russian rebels have launched 112 attacks on Ukrainian troops, killing five, in the 24 hours since a ceasefire came into effect, Kiev has claimed.
Rebel commander Eduard Basurin issued a counter-claim that Ukraine had violated the truce 27 times.
Both sides are due to withdraw heavy artillery from the frontline on Tuesday under the terms of the ceasefire - but whether this will happen is now in doubt.
"Five Ukrainian troops were killed and 25 wounded in the past 24 hours," said Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko.
"112 incidents of shelling is not a ceasefire. So we are not ready yet to withdraw."
One the rebel leaders, Denis Pushilin, responded by saying his forces were "only ready for a mutual withdrawal of equipment".
The fighting has centred on the eastern town of Debaltseve, where up to 7,000 Ukrainian troops are trapped by a circle of separatist militants.
Fighting has continued around Debaltseve in the country's east
Rebels have offered a safe corridor out, with commander Eduard Basurin saying: "We suggest that the Ukrainian soldiers in Debaltseve stay alive.
"There is just one condition: that they lay down their weapons. We didn't talk about them becoming prisoners. Lay down your weapons and get out of here."
1/16
Gallery: Ukraine Truce Holds But Sporadic Clashes Continue
Pro-Russian separatists drive a tank through Donetsk. Most of the frontline has fallen silent, but a Kiev source said four Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the ceasefire started on Sunday.
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.
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Kiev immediately dismissed the offer.
"There are the Minsk agreements, according to which Debaltseve is ours. We will not leave," said military spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov.
Fighting has subsided in parts of eastern Ukraine since the truce negotiated by France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine came into effect on Sunday morning.
However, a militia with links to the Ukrainian government has released footage of what it says are further breaches in Mariupol.
"The situation is fragile," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"It was always clear that much remains to be done. And I have always said that there are no guarantees that what we are trying to do succeeds. It will be an extremely difficult path."
Mrs Merkel spoke with French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on the phone on Monday, and the three expressed "concern" over the situation in Debaltseve.
Meanwhile, Moscow said the EU had "contradicted common sense" by implementing fresh sanctions on 19 individuals and nine organisations for undermining Ukraine's independence.
The list includes Russian first deputy defence minister Arkady Bakhin.
Veteran singer Iosif Kobzon, who voiced support for Russia's annexation of Crimea, has also been hit by asset freezes and travel bans that were agreed prior to the ceasefire deal.
The 10-month conflict has already claimed more than 5,300 lives.
The West says Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has called parts of Ukraine "New Russia", has sent troops and weapons to back the rebels - a charge denied by Moscow.
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Ukraine Truce 'Broken 139 Times' On First Day
We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
Video:Ceasefire 'Broken' In Mariupol
Pro-Russian rebels have launched 112 attacks on Ukrainian troops, killing five, in the 24 hours since a ceasefire came into effect, Kiev has claimed.
Rebel commander Eduard Basurin issued a counter-claim that Ukraine had violated the truce 27 times.
Both sides are due to withdraw heavy artillery from the frontline on Tuesday under the terms of the ceasefire - but whether this will happen is now in doubt.
"Five Ukrainian troops were killed and 25 wounded in the past 24 hours," said Ukrainian military spokesman Andriy Lysenko.
"112 incidents of shelling is not a ceasefire. So we are not ready yet to withdraw."
One the rebel leaders, Denis Pushilin, responded by saying his forces were "only ready for a mutual withdrawal of equipment".
The fighting has centred on the eastern town of Debaltseve, where up to 7,000 Ukrainian troops are trapped by a circle of separatist militants.
Fighting has continued around Debaltseve in the country's east
Rebels have offered a safe corridor out, with commander Eduard Basurin saying: "We suggest that the Ukrainian soldiers in Debaltseve stay alive.
"There is just one condition: that they lay down their weapons. We didn't talk about them becoming prisoners. Lay down your weapons and get out of here."
1/16
Gallery: Ukraine Truce Holds But Sporadic Clashes Continue
Pro-Russian separatists drive a tank through Donetsk. Most of the frontline has fallen silent, but a Kiev source said four Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the ceasefire started on Sunday.
Two members of the armed forces from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic stand guard at a checkpoint near the town.
]]>
Another member of the Donetsk People's Republic checks on a kettle as the ceasefire holds across large swathes of eastern Ukraine.
]]>
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.
]]>
Other members of the Ukrainian armed forces take a cigarette break near Debaltseve.
]]>
Kiev immediately dismissed the offer.
"There are the Minsk agreements, according to which Debaltseve is ours. We will not leave," said military spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov.
Fighting has subsided in parts of eastern Ukraine since the truce negotiated by France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine came into effect on Sunday morning.
However, a militia with links to the Ukrainian government has released footage of what it says are further breaches in Mariupol.
"The situation is fragile," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
"It was always clear that much remains to be done. And I have always said that there are no guarantees that what we are trying to do succeeds. It will be an extremely difficult path."
Mrs Merkel spoke with French President Francois Hollande and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on the phone on Monday, and the three expressed "concern" over the situation in Debaltseve.
Meanwhile, Moscow said the EU had "contradicted common sense" by implementing fresh sanctions on 19 individuals and nine organisations for undermining Ukraine's independence.
The list includes Russian first deputy defence minister Arkady Bakhin.
Veteran singer Iosif Kobzon, who voiced support for Russia's annexation of Crimea, has also been hit by asset freezes and travel bans that were agreed prior to the ceasefire deal.
The 10-month conflict has already claimed more than 5,300 lives.
The West says Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has called parts of Ukraine "New Russia", has sent troops and weapons to back the rebels - a charge denied by Moscow.
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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.
Video:There Is 'Substantial Disagreement'
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.
Greece has been warned of an impending "disaster" after crisis talks between the country's finance minister and Eurozone counterparts broke up without agreement in Brussels.
The country rejected a draft proposal put forward by European finance ministers that would see an extension of Greece's international bailout package.
Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who chaired the meeting, says Athens now has until Friday to request an extension or risk seeing the bailout expire at the end of the month.
If that happens the Greek state and its banks could face a looming cash crunch.
Greece's finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, said negotiations will continue, adding he has "no doubt" an agreement will be reached that would be "therapeutic to Greece and for Europe".
Video:Greeks Back New Economic Strategy
But he added his country will not implement recessionary measures such as pension cuts and VAT hikes.
Greece'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."
Mr Dijsselbloem said a "positive outcome" was still possible if Greece asked for the extension by the end of the week.
Video:What Is Greece's Future In Europe?
He said further talks are dependent upon Greece requesting a bailout.
"Given the timelines we have... we can use this week but that is about it," he said.
"The general feeling in the Eurogroup is still that the best way forward would be for the Greek authorities to seek an extension of the programme."
Many in the financial markets think a failure to secure agreement will leave Greece little option but to leave the euro.
European stock markets fell on Tuesday in reaction to the deadlock, with Greek banks suffering losses of up to 10% in early trading.
Mr Varoufakis and other European finance ministers are scheduled to remain in Brussels for routing talks on the EU economy today.
Video:Lamont: Write Off Greece's Debts
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 finance 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."
Written By Unknown on Senin, 16 Februari 2015 | 16.15
Police say two men arrested over a deadly shooting in Copenhagen have been charged with aiding the suspected gunman.
A massive manhunt was launched in the wake of the shootings, which left two dead and five police officers injured.
Police are attempting to piece together events leading up to the attack
By the early hours of Sunday officers believed they had caught the killer after suspect Omar-el Hussein was shot dead near a train station. The two men were later arrested nearby.
Reporting from Copenhagen, Sky's Ian Woods said: "We are hearing that police have charged two people that they detained with aiding the man suspected of shooting dead these people in that terrorist attack.
Video:Police Identify Shooting Suspect
"I'm told one of them was arrested at an internet cafe and the other was arrested five hours earlier in the morning.
"I am told they are being charged in connection with hiding him after the initial gun attack at the cafe in Copenhagen early on Saturday afternoon, and also with supplying the weapon used. They will appear before a judge in a closed court session."
The first attack happened shortly before 3pm UK time on Saturday when a gunman opened fire outside a cafe where a panel was discussing freedom of speech.
Documentary film maker Finn Noergaard, 55, who was attending the event in the Krudttoenden cultural centre, was killed and three officers were injured after the shooter, armed with an automatic weapon, fired through the windows leaving dozens of bullet holes.
Shortly after midnight UK time, a second attack happened outside a synagogue in Krystalgade, where a Jewish man was killed after being shot in the head and two police officers were wounded.
1/16
Gallery: Two Killed In Cafe And Synagogue Shootings
Two people have been killed and five police officers were injured in two shootings in the Danish capital Copenhagen. This is the scene of the cafe attack on Saturday
He was later shot dead by officers here, near one of the city's train stations, after reportedly opening fire on them
Four Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in attacks by separatists since a ceasefire came into force, according to reports.
The ceasefire came into force on Sunday morning, but a Kiev military source has reported four deaths since then.
A further 21 Ukrainian soldiers have been wounded, the source added.
Fighting has continued around Debaltseve in the country's east
Occasional shelling and gunfire has been heard close to the flashpoint town of Debaltseve in the country's east. It is on the frontline between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists.
The ceasefire agreement was reached following talks in the Belarus capital Minsk led by France and Germany.
1/7
Gallery: Ukraine Truce Hopes To End Months Of Bloodshed
Pro-Russian separatists drive a tank through Donetsk. Most of the frontline has fallen silent, but a Kiev source said four Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the ceasefire started on Sunday.
Two members of the armed forces from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic stand guard at a checkpoint near the town
Egypt's military says it has bombed targets in Libya, a day after a video purporting to show the beheading of 21 Egyptians was released by Islamic State-inspired combatants.
The attack, in which Libya's air force also took part, focused on camps, training sites and weapons storage areas across the border between the two countries.
A Libyan air force commander, quoted by Egyptian state television, said 40-50 militants were killed.
A spokesman for Egypt's Armed Forces General Command said the strikes were "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.
Video:Egypt Jets Out To Hit Militants
State television broadcast footage of fighter jets it said were taking off to conduct the airstrikes.
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 Islamic State.
In the latest issue of the IS online magazine Dabiq, the group had said the same number of Egyptian hostages were being held in Libya.
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 IS-inspired combatants 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.
Witnesses said there were at least seven airstrikes in Darna.
Video:How IS Control Could Increase
In January, the fighters 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 IS has 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.
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 15 Februari 2015 | 16.15
By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent
Mohamed Fahmy, one of three Al Jazeera journalists freed on bail after spending more than a year in an Egyptian prison, has told Sky News it would be naive to think he and his colleagues are in the clear.
Speaking from his family home in Cairo, Mr Fahmy said the 24 hours since his release had felt like a "rebirth and a fresh slate" but cautioned that the battle for freedom is not over.
He said: "I will fight this all the way. I don't trust the lawyers and I've learned not to get my hopes up or trust the system."
Mr Fahmy was released from jail on Friday along with his colleague Baher Mohamed after being told he would have to face a retrial over allegations they supported the Muslim Brotherhood.
The 40-year-old said he will be trying to schedule meetings with the Egyptian President, Foreign Minister and other officials in the coming days to try to guarantee his release.
Video:December - One Year In Jail
He said the Egyptian authorities had not given him his passports or any identity documents, which was making it difficult for him to return to normality as he cannot rent an apartment, drive.
His time in prison has also prevented him marrying his fiancée Marwa Omara, who has been waiting more than a year.
Mr Fahmy also has to register every day at his local police station as a condition of his bail - for which his family paid $33,000 (£21,000) - and has a travel ban imposed on him.
"We are still living in this nightmare. It's still there," he said.
Mohamed Fahmy and his colleagues Baher Mohamed and Peter Greste were arrested on 29 December 2013 and sentenced to between seven and 10 years in prison on terror charges.
An appeals court later overturned the verdict, ordering the retrial and granting Mr Fahmy and Mr Mohamed bail.
Australian correspondent Mr Greste left the country almost two weeks earlier after a presidential decree allowed for the deportation of foreign convicts and defendants.
The next session of the trial is scheduled for the 23 February.
Mr Fahmy described life in a maximum security prison as "hell", especially his first month which was spent in solitary confinement in a tiny, insect-infested cell.
Video:January: Fiancee's Mixed Emotions
He said there was no light and he could not tell what time it was.
His two colleagues were then moved to another part of the prison where they were put together in a cell they described as a "shoe box".
The same prison was home to some of the most senior and high-profile members of the Muslim Brotherhood, including the group's Supreme Guide.
To entertain themselves and learn more about their fellow inmates, Mr Fahmy, Mr Greste and Mr Mohamed decided to start a mock station they named 'Al Jazeera Radio Prison' and began interviewing Brotherhood and jihadi inmates through the bars of their cells.
Mr Fahmy said the show gave them something to do and also provided some much-needed relief.
"It's important to have humour in prison to be able to survive," he said, smiling.
But prison authorities found out about the show and told them to shut it down.
The three men spent months in a cell together during their trial before being moved on to yet another wing after they were sentenced.
That is when other inmates joined them in a larger cell he describes as being like a "warehouse."
Video:4 February - Greste Arrives Home
Mr Fahmy said spending more than 400 days in an Egyptian prison had made him think a lot about his life and his priorities.
"Before, it was about getting exclusive stories and being on the front lines. Now I think more about my family and what really matters," he said.
Mr Fahmy admitted his employer, Al Jazeera, which is owned by Qatar, could have done more to better protect its staff on the ground.
He said senior managers displayed a "negligence of responsibility" when it came to their safety and security.
He also thought the Canadian government could have and still should exert much more pressure on the Egyptian authorities.
Mr Fahmy had dual Canadian-Egyptian citizenship but gave up his Egyptian nationality a few months ago after security officials told him to, indicating they would deport him - a move the journalist said was a trick which he now deeply regrets falling for.
But Mr Fahmy was clear about who was to blame for what happened to him and his colleagues.
"The Egyptians put me in prison, the Qataris contributed to my detention by mishandling issues with Al Jazeera's presence in Egypt and the Canadians had a very clear opening to get me out of this debacle," he said.
It was clear, he added, that he and his colleagues were used as pawns within a larger spat between Egypt and Qatar.
Video:'Incredible Angst' Of Journalist
He said: "This case is about freedom of speech only in the sense that you have silenced three award-winning journalists, recognised for their work, and putting them behind bars for not committing any crimes.
"However the other aspect of the case is the ongoing cold war between Egypt and Qatar that resulted in us being used as pawns to score settle these issues between these two countries."
In fact, he said, the prosecutor told him explicitly on various occasions while questioning him that he was being used as a pawn, although a record of their conversations has not been made public.
The TV journalist hopes to reveal much more about in a book he is planning to co-write with colleague Peter Greste, called Marriott Cell , the name they were given by the authorities after being arrested from the Marriott hotel in Cairo where they were working at the time.
Mr Fahmy said his lawyer, Amal Clooney, has expressed interest in writing the introduction to the book and he is already working on it.
For now though, Mohamed Fahmy is enjoying being free.
"It's just nice to walk around and not be followed by a cop," he said.
"You never really appreciate the simple things, but I do now."
