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| Syria conflict: Government agrees truce with rebels - Putin | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Syrian government and rebel groups have agreed a ceasefire and to begin peace talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced. | |
| The ceasefire is due to come into force at midnight (22:00 GMT) Thursday. | |
| Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said earlier that Turkey and Russia would act as guarantors under the plan. | |
| The two countries back opposing sides in the conflict, which has raged for more than five years. | |
| The truce does not apply to two of the main jihadist groups in Syria, so-called Islamic State and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly the Nusra Front), Turkish sources say. | |
| But it reportedly does cover the rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus, which had been a sticking-point in negotiations. | |
| Earlier this month, Moscow and Ankara negotiated a ceasefire in Syria's second city, Aleppo, that led to tens of thousands of rebel fighters and civilians being evacuated from an enclave besieged by government forces. | |
| Previous ceasefire initiatives this year brokered by the UN, or the US acting with Russia, have quickly collapsed. | |
| Mr Putin announced that three documents had been signed: | |
| He described the deal as "fragile" but he praised the agreements as the result of the work of Russia's defence and foreign ministries with Moscow's partners in the region. | |
| He added that he agreed with a proposal by the defence ministry to reduce Russia's military presence in Syria but made it clear Moscow would "continue fighting international terrorism and supporting the Syrian government". |