Ukraine received $1.34 billion under World Bank project: Finance ministry December 24, 2023 at 11:47PM

Ukraine received $1.34 billion under the World Bank's public expenditures for administrative capacity endurance in Ukraine, the Ukrainian finance ministry said on Monday. The ministry said in a statement the financing consisted of a $1.086 billion loan from the World Bank, $190 million grant from Norway, $50 million grant from the United States and $20 million grant from Switzerland. The ministry said the funds would be used to partially compensate for non-security and defence-related expenditures of the Ukrainian state budget.

Russia says West trying to 'destabilise' Serbia December 24, 2023 at 10:52PM

Russia on Monday accused Western countries of stirring up tensions in Serbia, a Moscow-friendly Balkan nation that has been rocked by protests over alleged fraud in elections held on December 17. Just a day before, demonstrators tried to storm the Belgrade city hall. Protestors reject the results of parliamentary and local elections in which President Aleksandar Vucic's party said it secured a commanding victory. "The attempts of the collective West to destabilise the situation in the country are obvious," foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

After Taiwanese denied entry, government asks public to put off travel plans to Cuba December 24, 2023 at 10:42PM

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Taiwan issued a travel advisory to the public on Monday after a Taiwanese man told CNA that he and some of his family were denied admission to Cuba on Sunday "due to the strained relations between Taiwan and China, Focus Taiwan reported. Danny Yen, a Taiwanese expatriate in Canada, told CNA on Sunday he and four family members, all of whom live in Montreal, travelled to Havana on their Republic of China (ROC) passports for a nine-day excursion in the Caribbean country.