05/31/2015 Ukraine: Daily Highlights -Orthodox Christians celebrated Pentecost

Orthodox Christians celebrated Pentecost

05.31.2015 Daily Highlights by the Digests & Analytics Ukraine News Agency

Topics from Media and Social Networks

• Orthodox Christians celebrated Pentecost.
• PayPal may soon start operating in Ukraine.
• Fights near Maryinka.
• South African football officials confirmed the bribery in FIFA.

Key Events in Ukraine

• Ukrainian Orthodox Christians celebrated Pentecost.
• The IMF mission in its press-release downgraded the anticipated decrease in Ukrainian GDP in 2015 to 9% and inflation to 46%. It caused by the war in the Donbass, the sharp decrease in the hryvnia exchange rate and the increase in domestic energy prices. However, the foreign exchange market remains relatively stable, and the mission is ready to continue consultations on granting the next credit tranche according to the EFF program.
• The new Head of the Odessa Regional State Administration Saakashvili announced about the massive downsizing and denied the rumors about his possible appointment as a Prime Minister.

Ukraine at War

• During the previous day in clashes one Ukrainian soldier was killed and one was wounded. Intensity of attacks and shellings increased during this holiday day. In the rear of the Ukrainian troops the activities of the subversive groups are registered. It was reported that two soldiers were killed, two were seriously wounded and two were captured as a result of militants attack on a military vehicle. There are continuous fights in Maryinka, two soldiers were killed, one was wounded. As a result of the militants shellings of the settlements in Donetsk and Lugansk regions several civilians were injured.
• The facts of falsification of satellite images by the Russian Defense Ministry, which it cited as evidence of the fact that the MH-17 flight of Malaysian airliner was shot down by the Ukrainian missile, appeared in Internet.
• In Kiev, in St. Michael's Monastery, Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchy) Filaret sanctified the "Memory Wall" with photos and bios of the military, law enforcement officers and volunteers who were killed in military operations in the eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine and the World

• A small rally against the annexation of the Crimea and hidden war in Ukraine was held in Moscow. It was dispersed by the activists of the "National Liberation Movement", the police didn’t intervene.
• British banks are investigating the possible money laundering by the FIFA officials.
• Georgian President Margvelashvili criticized former President Saakashvili’s renunciation of citizenship. According to the Georgian laws the renunciation is not possible for the person that is wanted or under conviction.
• Militants of ISIS captured several major towns in Syria, and keep fighting near the border with Turkey.

The Trends

• According to the government plan, the period of formation of the local communities should have ended on May 31, but it turned out that the "voluntary association" had been pre-drawn on maps by the officials. Local residents fear that due to the reform many small villages might disappear, and in some of them schools and paramedical centers might be closed.