Merkel blasts breaches of Ukraine truce

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday said she was deeply concerned by repeated breaches of a ceasefire between government forces and Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine."Every night there are violations of the ceasefire and every day there are human casualties," Merkel said in the central Italian town of Assisi, where she received a prize for her efforts to promote peace."Ukraine concerns us and in the 'Normandy Format' -- which groups Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine -- we try to