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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a USD 17.1 B bailout for Ukraine to help the country's economy.

The loan is dependent on strict economic reforms, including raising taxes and energy prices.

The money will be released over two years, with the first installment of USD 3.2 B available immediately.

Russian Parliament Speaker Sergei Narishkin did not intend to visit Bulgaria in May, the Deputy Head of the State Duma's administration said on Wednesday.

Yury Shuvalov told Echo Moskvy radio that an official meeting of Narishkin with officials in Bulgaria had first been planned for the beginning of May, but was moved to a later date.

Actor Bob Hoskins has died of pneumonia at the age of 71, his agent Clair Dobbs has confirmed.

Hoskins retired from acting in 2012 at the age of 69 after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

The Oscar-nominated star of The Long Good Friday, Mona Lisa and Who Framed Roger Rabbit was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the autumn of 2011.

Russia is experiencing recession, and the 2014 growth forecast has been cut to 0.2% from 1.3%, the International Monetary Fund mission chief to Moscow said on Wednesday.

Ukraine and Western-led sanctions are partly to blame, as political tension has dragged down the economic forecast for Russia, which at the beginning of the year, the IMF estimated could reach 3%, reports RT.com.

Ukraine's armed forces are on full combat alert according to the country's interim President Oleksandr Turchynov.

A World Bank report suggests that China could take over from the US as the world’s biggest economy as early as this year.

The new report of the International Comparison Program of the World Bank suggests, that China’s economy is catching up to the US’s much more quickly than anticipated. 

Ukraine's Interior Ministry reports to have eliminated three roadblocks set up by pro-Russian supporters in Slaviansk, Donetsk region.

"The roadblocks near Slaviansk have been eliminated by antiterrorist center forces in an antiterrorist operation at about 5 AM on April 30", the Interior Ministry said, quoted by Interfax.

Police in Istanbul and Edirne have dismantled a crime group which engaged in illegal trafficking of immigrants from Middle East countries to Bulgaria and Greece.

The 12-strong crime group was uncovered as a result of several months of tracking by special police units, according to reports of dnevnik.bg.

James Kottak, drummer of the German rock stars Scorpions, was jailed in Dubai for indecent behaviour and being drunk, reports Gulf News. 

According to the website, Kottak was arrested at the Dubai airport on April for getting drunk, cursing Muslims, making an indecent gesture to a group of passengers and removing his pants at the airport. He also insulted policemen.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin "is creating his own reality, and his sort of world", the US State Secretary John Kerry said late on Monday.

His words, which he addressed in an interview for the Wall Street Journal, come in the midst of rhetoric reinforcement from both the West and Russia over the Ukrainian crisis.