Ukraine ceasefire deal holds

The ceasefire agreed by the Ukrainian government and rebels in the east appears to be holding as no fighting was reported overnight, after the deal was struck in Minsk in Belarus on Friday.

Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko says there should now be talks about a long-term solution to the conflict, which has killed about 2,600 people.

However, the rebels said the ceasefire had not changed their policy of wanting to separate from Ukraine.

Poroshenko, had ordered government forces to cease fire at 6pm (15:00 GMT) following an agreement signed at talks attended by representatives of Ukraine, Russia, the rebels and the OSCE in Minsk, Belarus.

"I am ordering the head of the general staff of the armed forces of Ukraine to halt fire starting at 6pm," Poroshenko said in a statement published on his official website.

The separatists were represented at the talks by leaders from the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic, including Alexander Zakharchenko, Donetsk's self-proclaimed prime minister.

The negotiations followed talks between Poroshenko and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Minsk last week.

NATO head Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed the agreement that sought to end to end fighting that has killed an estimated 2,600 people in the east of the country.

Rasmussen said the next "crucial step is to implement it in good faith ... but so far, so good," adding he hoped it "could be the start of a constructive political process".

The view was echoed by UN chief Ban Ki Moon, who urged a "comprehensive monitoring" of the situation for a successful truce.