UrBC, Yekaterinburg, December 14, 2017. MegaFon Ural’s users engage in 150 conversations in their instant messengers every month on average, MegaFon’s press service reports. The number of their WhatsApp, Viber, and Telegram chats has doubled since the start of the year and exceeded 200m conversations. These data were obtained by MegaFon’s analysts from looking into their users’ online activity. Ural users proved quite unusual in that their messenger and social network of choice are Viber and Facebook, respectively (every one in two Urals-based users prefers these services), whereas in the

UrBC, Yekaterinburg, December 14, 2017. Ural Airlines recently introduced another Tel Aviv-Yekaterinburg-Tel Aviv flight. According to the air carrier’s press service, the scheduled flights are operated on Thursdays and Sundays now. Prices start from $147 (one way) and from $319 (round trip), all fees included. ‘Tel Aviv is a famous city in Israel and the favorite place for tourists from all over the world to visit. This bright, original city with a very long history and plenty of landmarks is bound to take your breath away. The old town of Yafo with its antiques shops and flea markets,

UrBC, Chelyabinsk, December 14, 2017. Russian Copper Company’s asset Karabashmed (Karabash, Chelyabinsk Oblast) received Russia’s Ministry for Natural Resources & Environment’s award for a number of successful environmental projects implemented this year. The agreement to work on the projects was signed within the framework of Russia’s Year of The Environment 2017. According to Russian Copper Company’s press service, the awarding ceremony took place at EcoTech 2017 Forum in Moscow on December 12, 2017. This was part of the 5th All-Russian Environmental Protection Congress and the Federal

UrBC, Moscow, December 14, 2017. Russians’ everyday spending kept rising in November (up 2.4% on October 2017), which is actually far above the monthly inflation rate (0.2%). At the same time, people living in the Urals spent 0.8% less money last month than in October, Romir refers to its research findings as indicating. Russians spent 3.7% more money in November compared with the start of the year, which was also 2.5% ahead of the yearly inflation rate. ‘November increase in spending usually has to do with the seasonal shopping for food items and New Year’s gifts. This year is apparently no

UrBC, Moscow, December 14, 2017. 86% of Russians feel they have been affected by the ongoing economic crisis this year, Kommersant refers to the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Sociology Center as stating. 7% of those surveyed said the results of the economic pitfalls were ‘devastating’, 39% of respondents said they were ‘moderate’, and 40% said they were ‘considerable’. 14% of respondents said they didn’t feel the crisis had affected them in any way. The number of Russians who were happy with their financial status dropped by 7%, down to 28%, between 2016 and 2017. 50% of those surveyed