Despite the brand’s owner’s over-a-year-old pledge to depart Russia, Burger King remains operational as usual.

Restaurant Brands International (RBI), which owns 15% of the fast-food chain’s franchise business in Russia, informed the BBC that it had “no new updates to share at this time” regarding its departure.

The company announced in March 2022 that it had begun the process of leaving Russia.

Western companies have been under pressure to flee Russia since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict.

Critics accused RBI of “sustaining Putin’s regime” by neglecting to ditch its stake in its Russian business.

RBI, one of the largest fast-food restaurant companies in the world, has cited its complex franchise agreement as the reason for its inability to leave the country.

The transaction is a joint venture with three other entities involving approximately 800 restaurants.

David Shear, the president of the RBI, stated in March 2022 that Burger King’s primary operator in Russia “refused” to close the restaurants following the initial assaults on Ukraine.

However, he added that the company had “begun the process” of selling its 15% stake and that it would take “some time.”

Ukraine War: Burger King Still Open In Russia Despite Pledge To Exit.

When asked by the BBC about the progress made 18 months after the promise, a representative for the Canadian-American company stated that there were no updates.

Steven Tian, a Yale University research team member that monitors corporate responses to the Ukraine conflict, argued that using franchise agreements as an “excuse” was a “convenient smokescreen.” He noted that companies like Starbucks could terminate their contracts and leave the country.

By continuing to do business in Russia 18 months after Putin invaded Ukraine, they are sustaining Putin’s regime, he stated.

Since early 2022, Burger King in Russia has yet to generate a profit, according to a spokesperson for RBI, which is refusing new investment and supply chain support.

“Do the proper thing.”
Mark Dixon, founder of the Moral Rating Agency, a group that campaigns against companies doing business in Russia, demanded that RBI disclose its steps to abandon Russia.

Ukraine War: Burger King Still Open In Russia Despite Pledge To Exit.

“[The company] must be willing to violate its contract… It must assume the legal risk associated with doing the correct thing.”

Franchising is a distribution mechanism for goods and services. It entails a franchisor, a company that established the brand’s name, and a franchisee that pays a fee for the right to conduct business and sell its products.

In recent decades, it has been a tool utilized by many Western brands seeking to access new international markets. Typically, the length of the agreements is many years.

David Shear, the president of the RBI, stated in March 2022 that Burger King’s primary operator in Russia “refused” to close the restaurants following the initial assaults on Ukraine.

However, he added that the company had “begun the process” of selling its 15% stake and that it would take “some time.”

When asked by the BBC about the progress made 18 months after the promise, a representative for the Canadian-American company stated that there were no updates.

SOURCE – (BBC)

MOREAU, N.Y. — Police announced on Monday that a 9-year-old girl, Charlotte Sena, who went missing during a family camping trip in upstate New York was found “safe and in good health” after a massive two-day search and the arrest of a suspect in her abduction.

Charlotte Sena vanished early Saturday evening while pedaling her bicycle in Moreau Lake State Park, a heavily forested area approximately 35 miles (60 kilometers) north of Albany.

At a press conference on Monday evening, Governor Kathy Hochul stated that investigators could identify a fingerprint from a ransom note allegedly left by Craig Nelson Ross Jr., 47.

Monday at 4:20 a.m., while Charlotte’s family remained at the campground where she was last seen, someone placed a note in their mailbox, according to the officer. Hochul stated that the second fingerprint taken from the note matched Ross, who was in a database from a 1999 DWI case.

She stated that law enforcement agents tracked Ross to a property owned by his mother, gained entry, and located him in a camper at approximately 6:30 p.m.

“After some resistance, the suspect was apprehended, and the child was immediately discovered in a cabinet,” Hochul said. “She was aware of her rescue. She was confident that she was in good care.”

Police announced on Monday that a 9-year-old girl, Charlotte Sena, who went missing during a family camping trip in upstate New York, was found “safe and in good health”.

As customary, Hochul said, Charlotte was taken to a local hospital, adding that she appeared physically unharmed and that she and her family have been reunited.

Hochul stated that accusations have not yet been filed against Ross but are anticipated. Hochul stated that Ross was still being questioned as of Monday night.

The governor identified Ross as the suspect late Monday night, and it was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Authorities stated that the investigation was ongoing.

The rescue signaled the conclusion of a frantic search. Monday, approximately 400 individuals, including forest rangers, police officers, and firefighters, participated in the search for the missing girl. The search scope spanned 46 linear miles (74 linear kilometers).

Charlotte, a fourth-grader from nearby Greenfield, was riding her cycle with other children around a campsite loop in the park when she decided to ride the loop again by herself. Hochul stated in a Sunday briefing that her parents became concerned when she did not return after 15 minutes.

Saturday at 6:45 p.m., the girl’s mother dialed 911 after discovering her bicycle.

Officials issued an Amber Alert on Sunday morning following an exhaustive search because “an abduction was a distinct possibility,” according to state police lieutenant colonel Richard Mazzone. The alert characterized her as a white girl with blonde hair and green eyes who stands approximately 1 meter and 4 feet 6 inches tall.

The girl’s family appealed to the public for assistance locating Charlotte, including providing the state police with any information.

“Like any parent, we simply want her returned safely,” the family said in a statement released Monday morning. Please call if you have any information, regardless of its size.

Troopers had established multiple checkpoints along the winding rural roadways surrounding the park. They asked drivers if they knew the family, had seen the girl’s photo, or had any other information that could aid the investigation. They also required certain drivers to open their trunks.

The park remained closed due to the search, and officials asked those who showed up hoping to assist to stay away and leave the search to the experts. For the safety of law enforcement air operations, federal authorities also issued a provisional flight restriction above the park.

The Corinth Central School District stated that additional counselors are available at Charlotte’s elementary school for pupils or faculty members who require assistance.

“Our hearts go out to the Sena family,” the district stated.

SOURCE – (AP)

At least thirteen persons perished in a fire that engulfed three nightclubs in Murcia in southeast Spain.

The conflagration broke out in the Fonda Milagros nightclub – La Fonda – early Sunday morning.

The fire then spread to neighboring clubs as patrons fled the filled dance floors, according to the police.

Local media reported that birthday-celebrating family members were among the deceased.

La Verdad de Murcia newspaper reported that one of the birthday party guests at the club with his cousins and aunt returned home during the chaos only to learn that one of his cousins had not departed.

At least thirteen persons perished in a fire that engulfed three nightclubs in Murcia in southeast Spain.

It is unclear whether the cousin was one of the verified dead.

Police have verified that all fatalities occurred at La Fonda, but 14 individuals remain unaccounted for. They warned that the number of fatalities would likely increase.

The fire is believed to have begun around 06:00 (04:00 GMT) in the Atalayas region of Murcia, where the club is located.

After nearly 15 hours, it remains unclear what caused it. However, Murcia’s mayor, Jose Ballesta, told reporters that the fire started on the club’s first floor earlier in the day.

Diego Seral of the national police stated that the collapsed roof of La Fonda made it difficult to locate victims and determine what had transpired.

At least thirteen persons perished in a fire that engulfed three nightclubs in Murcia in southeast Spain.

According to La Verdad de Murcia, a 28-year-old woman sent a voice message to her mother when the fire broke out, saying, “Mummy, I love you, we’re going to die.”

She had gone out with her partner and some acquaintances from Caravaca de la Cruz, a nearby town. It is unclear whether she survived.

“They went because there are no nightclubs in Caravaca,” the woman’s father, Jairo, told the newspaper. “It was the second time she had been.”

Four people are being treated for smoke inhalation at a hospital, and a local sports venue is being used to counsel those affected.

“We are devastated,” said Murcia’s mayor, Jose Ballesta. Three days of mourning have been declared in Murcia.

This is believed to be the worst nightclub fire in the country in more than three decades. In 1990, 43 individuals perished in a fire at a venue in Zaragoza.

SOURCE – (BBC)