Here are more companies in various sectors that have shut operations

Dunkin Donuts, Papa John’s, Burger King, and Yum Brands are franchises that have cut ties but the venture partner in Russia refused to close. These chains own only a part of their business in Russia, mostly below 50%. If their Russian business partner who owns most of the share decides to stay open, they could not do anything.

Bunge, Cargill, and Trafigura argue that exiting the country could risk world supply chains. Natural resources like wheat, corn, and nickel are used for producing essential products. Not just for Russia but for the entire world. Suspending operations in this area could mean a reduction of supply.

The post International Companies Left Russia appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

There are a number of companies who refuse to leave Russia and say it’s due to “humanitarian concerns.” Previous reports have shown big names like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Universal Music, and Heineken have all exited Russia. There are others who have stayed to provide essential needs.

Abbott Labs, AbbVie, AmerisourceBergen, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Pfizer had to stay to provide medicines. They cited that humanitarian decency requires them to provide health-related supply chains. We have to remember that the people of Russia did not sign up for war. They have the right to the supply of vital medicines, especially for those with underlying health concerns.

Carlsberg, Danone, General Mills, Kellogg, Kraft-Heinz, Mars, Mondelez, Nestle, and Pepsi supply water and food. There are essential grocery items produced by these companies that are necessities for daily life. Granted that chocolates and snacks are not that essential but everyone needs access to it.

Ventures

Dunkin Donuts, Papa John’s, Burger King, and Yum Brands are franchises that have cut ties but the venture partner in Russia refused to close. These chains own only a part of their business in Russia, mostly below 50%. If their Russian business partner who owns most of the share decides to stay open, they could not do anything.

Bunge, Cargill, and Trafigura argue that exiting the country could risk world supply chains. Natural resources like wheat, corn, and nickel are used for producing essential products. Not just for Russia but for the entire world. Suspending operations in this area could mean a reduction of supply.

At the end of the day, we have to separate the people, they did not sign up for the war. Granted that the people of Ukraine did not sign up for it too, it was not the Russian people who attacked them. We also have to keep in mind they are human too, they too have needs and they too deserve to be supplied with essential goods.

The post Companies Who Refuse To Leave Russia appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

Ukrainians are only defending their land and trying to bring back peace.

“Not to yours — to our land. To our people. We are doing everything to end this war. And when we succeed, it will certainly happen, you will be sure of at least one thing: your children will no longer be sent to die on our land, on our territory,” he said.

The Ukrainian President said Russia’s original plan “already failed” in the first two days of the invasion but Russia is still “getting manpower from everywhere.”

“Equipment. Air bombs, missiles. Looking for mercenaries around the world. Any scum capable of shooting at civilians,” Zelensky said.

“Russian troops destroy our cities. Kill civilians indiscriminately. Rape women. Abduct children. Shoot at refugees. Capture humanitarian convoys. They are engaged in looting. They burn museums, blow up schools and hospitals. The target for them is universities, residential neighborhoods … Anything! Russian troops do not know the limits of evil.”

Zelensky also asked politicians attending the NATO Summit, EU Summit, and G7 Summit to support Ukraine.

“At these three summits we will see who is a friend, who is a partner, and who betrayed us for money,” he said.

The President repeated his requests for a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying the Ukrainian sky has not been made safe from Russian bombs and Kyiv has not received aircraft, modern anti-missile weapons, or tanks.

The war continues to ravage Ukraine and Ukrainian forces push back the Russian aggressors. They are successfully defending Kyiv as Russia appeared to have been stalled in encircling the city.

The post “Save your sons from the war” appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

He drew parallels with the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict with that of World War II.

“Western leaders kept saying they were afraid to aggravate Hitler and they thought well, if you’re not showing any resistance, eventually he’ll stop,” he said. “However, that mistake has cost hundreds of millions of human lives. Hundreds of millions of human lives were lost and the same mistake is being committed now.”

NATO has been reluctant to respond to Russia’s military threat because they said it could escalate the war.

Khodorkovsky also commented on the influence of tycoons on President Vladimir Putin. It was “preposterous” to think the tycoons had any real influence over Putin.

“Oligarchs are not true oligarchs in the sense that they actually do not influence Putin,” he said.

“Yet they are Putin’s instruments of influence and to see for real who has broken their relations with Putin would be when they actually denounce him and when they admit that he is a war criminal. And if that doesn’t happen, that means they still depend on him and they’re still dangerous.”

On the ground, Ukraine’s forces are being helped by Russia’s corruption, Khodorkovsky said, adding: “the level of (Russia’s) unpreparedness has come as a great surprise to me.”

It comes after US sources said that the Russian military is facing food and fuel shortages, as well as logistical and sustainment issues. According to one officer, there are signs that some Russian soldiers have suffered frostbite as a result of their lack of cold-weather gear.

The post West is Repeating the Mistakes it Made with Hitler appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

The US is aware of Russian hypersonic missiles launched towards Ukraine as confirmed by US President Joe Biden. Many are concerned about this advanced weaponry and here is why.

“And if you’ll notice, (Russia has) just launched the hypersonic missile, because it’s the only thing that they can get through with absolute certainty,” Biden said. “It’s a consequential weapon … it’s almost impossible to stop it. There’s a reason they’re using it.”

All missiles are considered hypersonic since they travel five times the speed of sound. It is an existing technology that many countries possess. Any rocket missile launching in the atmosphere will reach the same speed.

HGV

Experts are concerned if it is a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV). This particular missile can fly low and undetected by radar, almost impossible to intersect. It can also adjust its course and altitude while on its flight.

Russia is thought to have this technology named the Avangard system which President Vladimir Putin announced in 2018. He said it was “practically invulnerable” to any Western air defenses.

The Kinzhal missile that was launched by Russia is not an HGV. A part of its advantage is that it can be launched using the MiG-31 fighter jets. This gives it a longer range and the ability to be launched from multiple directions.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies reported the capabilities of these missiles.

“The MiG-31K can strike from unpredictable directions and could avoid interception attempts altogether. The flying carrier vehicle might also be more survivable than the road-mobile Iskander system,” the report said. “This suggests that claims of the Kinzhal’s invulnerability to missile defense systems may also be somewhat exaggerated”.

Although the US is aware of one instance it was launched, the question as to why it was launched is still unanswered. It is not necessarily an escalation of the war but could be related to other internal problems.

The post Russian Hypersonic Missiles Launched appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

As Kyiv is being surrounded, the Ukrainian army pushed them back on the northern and western part of the capital. The Russian appeared to have either been stalled or pulling back jeopardizing supply lines.

About 48 kilometers from Kyiv is the city of Makariv where Ukraine regained control of the town. For the past few days, the town has experienced a number of bombings and destruction. Today, the Armed Forces of Ukraine said they have taken back the town. If they can defend it further and manage to consolidate control, the Russians will not be able to move further.

In the town of Moschun about 35 kilometers from Kyiv, the Ukrainian army is seen patrolling the streets. Satellite images show armored vehicles abandoned or destroyed on the streets.

In the western part of Kyiv, mother nature seems to have provided an additional defense for the city. The Irpin River has flooded the area and made it difficult for the Russians to cross it. The dam has caused the flood but it is unclear if it was opened by the Ukrainians or hit by strikes.

In the cities of Kherson and Mykolaiv, the Ukrainian forces are trying to regain the cities.

Now that Ukraine fights back the Russian army, many wonder if this would escalate the attacks. Many anticipate that the Russians will now use more advanced and deadlier weapons to try to take the city. In recent news, Russia has launched a hypersonic missile which is an advanced weapon.

The post Ukraine Fights Back appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

Nestle, makers of global brands like Nescafe, Koko Crunch, Kitkat, and many more defended their stance.

“We have significantly scaled back out activities in Russia: we have stopped all imports and exports from Russia, except for essential products,” a Nestlé spokesperson said. “We no longer make investments or advertise our products. We do not make a profit from our remaining activities.”

“The fact that we, like other food companies, supply the population with important food does not mean that we simply continue as before,” Nestlé said. “We are still one of the few active food companies in Ukraine and sometimes even manage to distribute food in Kharkiv,” Ukraine’s second-largest city, which is currently under siege.

Nestlé said at the time it is “shocked and deeply saddened by the invasion of Ukraine” and the company stands with the international community in calling for peace and the restoration of security and stability.

Many companies have already left Russia like Heineken, Carlsberg, Universal Music, McDonald’s, and Starbucks. They left to support the end of the war as well as the people of Ukraine.

It is the sad truth of war as we see children suffering in Ukraine, cutting the supply of essential goods could mean suffering for Russians. The people of Russia did not sign up for the war and yet they are being asked to pay for it. Is it right to ask a company to starve the people of another country who did not sign up for the war?

The post Zelensky Calls Out Nestle appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

When the Ukraine invasion began, many huge companies also began to boycott Russia. Companies like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Heineken, and Carlsberg have already exited the country. For Burger King, it could be a little complicated.

“We started the process to dispose [of] our ownership stake in the business,” said David Shear, president of RBI’s international operations, in an open letter. “While we would like to do this immediately, it is clear that it will take some time to do so based on the terms of our existing joint venture agreement.”

Burger King is under the Restaurant Brands International. RBI partnered with Russian businessman Alexander Kolobov to open stores in Russia. In their agreement, RBI controls only 15% of the venture and Kolobov has the majority. He is the one who handles “day-to-day operations and oversight” in Russia.

In comparison to McDonald’s which owns 80% share of its ventures, it is easier to shut down the business. RBI has demanded to shut its businesses in Russia and end the venture but Kolobov has “refused to do so.”

“There are no legal clauses that allow us to unilaterally change the contract or allow any one of the partners to simply walk away or overturn the entire agreement,” Shear said. “No serious investor in any industry in the world would agree to a long-term business relationship with flimsy termination clauses.”

Burger King pulled out its corporate support from Russia including suspending operations, marketing, and supply chain assistance.

RBI is not the only one experienced joint venture complications. Papa John’s partner in Russia also refused to close over 200 stores in Russia.

The post Burger King’s Russian Partner Refuses to Shut appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

Users were urged to relocate their photographs and videos of Instagram before it was shut down. They were also advised to utilize Russia’s own “competitive internet platforms.” The email was sent by the Russian communications regulator.

Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Meta, owner of Facebook (FB), allowed the temporary adjustment in its hate speech policy. They said it was wrong to stop Ukrainians from “expressing their resistance and fury at the invading military forces”. The decision was greeted with outrage in Russia, where authorities have opened a criminal investigation against Meta. Prosecutors on Friday asked a court to designate the US tech giant as an “extremist organization”.

According to Instagram’s CEO, the ban will affect 80 million users. Russia has already blocked Facebook in the nation. This is in response to what Russia claims are limits on access to Russian media on the network. Roskomnadzor described the decision to allow calls for violence against Russians as a breach of international law.

“We need to ensure the psychological health of citizens, especially children, and adolescents, to protect them from harassment and insults online,” it said, explaining the decision to close down the platform.

More companies have begun to exit Russia and services have also begun closing down. As the war continues, most brands do not like to be associated with “invaders”. Joining Instagram were companies like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Carlsberg, and Heineken.

The post Instagram Shuts Down in Russia appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

“We condemn the Russian Federation’s missile attack on the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security in Yavoriv, close to Ukraine’s border with Poland,” Blinken tweeted Sunday.

More than 30 missiles were launched into a military facility early Sunday morning, killing 35 people and injuring 134 others. The International Peacekeeping and Security Center is a massive military installation that housed the US and NATO personnel.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday it is only a matter of time before Russia’s military assault on Ukraine expands. He warns members of NATO it will happen unless the alliance installs a no-fly zone over his country.

“Last year, I made a clear warning to NATO leaders that if there were no tough preventive sanctions against Russia, it would start a war.” Zelensky said in a video address Sunday posted to his Facebook page.”

He added, “We were right … now I repeat again — if you do not close our sky, it is only a matter of time before Russian missiles fall on your territory. NATO territory. On the homes of citizens of NATO countries.”

“An American journalist was killed in the Kyiv region today. Brent Renaud. His colleague was wounded. It was a deliberate attack by the Russian military. They knew what they were doing. But not everyone in the West seems to know what they are doing,” he said.

“Representatives of our countries’ delegations speak in video format every day. Our delegation has a clear task — to do everything to ensure a meeting of the presidents, the meeting that I am sure people are waiting for,” he said.

The post Russia Strikes Close to NATO appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

China has remained neutral regarding international talks about Russia’s attack on Ukraine. They neither have condemned nor sanctioned Russia and continue to promote peace talks. They have offered to mediate between Ukraine and Russia to promote an end of the hostilities.

Recent reports uncover that the stance of the country domestically is of a different story.

According to the national broadcaster CCTV, the United States is funding a biological weapons program situated in Ukraine. Russia is the victim of NATO’s relentless expansionism. Also, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a “special military operation”.

This is the same for social media platforms. The same information is distributed among social media channels and is currently trending in the country. Western media suspects that both countries have coordinated the propaganda in their respective countries.

In the distributed information, Russia assured the public that the civilians are not targeted. There is also a description of Ukrainian soldiers employing “Nazi” tactics. Part of the information is also the whereabouts of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This is the information that is allegedly distributed in China.

According to the US

Western media also released an analysis on the details of the information that is distributed to the public. According to the narrative, Ukraine is a US puppet state and has become a threat to Russia. The threat stems from an alleged biological weapons development in Ukrainian labs.

The source was said to be Russian Defense Ministry Spokesman Igor Konashenkov. On Sunday, he claims that “evidence” of the “hasty measures to conceal any traces of the military biological program finance(d) by the US Department of Defense.” He went further by saying they have obtained documents detailing the hazardous pathogens in the facility.

The White House seems to be aware of the information since press secretary John Psaki denied these claims. “Russia’s false claims about alleged US biological weapons labs and chemical weapons development in Ukraine” and noted the “echoing” of those “conspiracy theories” by Chinese officials.

The post China Remains Neutral But Not According to the US appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

Fighting for Kyiv. Recent satellite photos show updates on what is happening on the outskirts of Kyiv. The capital city has not yet fallen, but Russian troops are beginning to enter the city.

The northern city of Chernihiv shows significant damage. In Hostomel, northwest suburb of Kyiv, Antonov Airbase is now under Russian control. Smoke rises from the tanks that were set on fire.

Northwest of Kyiv in the town of Borodyanka shows a series of apartment buildings demolished. The demolition was caused by Russian airstrikes. Just outside Kyiv in Stoyanka, the satellite shows images of a warehouse completely stripped open.

80 miles northeast of Kyiv shows Chernihiv consumed by fire. Among the buildings that were destroyed was the Epicenter K supermarket. On the south side of Chernihiv, industrial buildings are also on fire.

Russian Convoy

The 40-mile Russian convoy near Kyiv seems to have dispersed. Recent satellite images show most of the vehicles have moved to a different position. Some were hidden in the forest while some has traveled miles.

Parts of the convoy are seen repositioned into the forests tree line areas near Lubyanka. In the residential areas of Ozera, some Russian vehicles were seen sitting on the roadways. This is just 17 miles from Kyiv. In some patched areas, artillery and other vehicles are hidden, they are spotted 3 miles from the Antonov Airbase. In Berestyanka, hidden within the tree line are rocket launchers. Towards the end of the convoy about southeast of Ivankiv, some vehicles were just sitting on the roadway.

In the eastern part of Kyiv, in Brovary, there has been increased activity on the ground. Heavy fighting has ensued between the Russian and Ukrainian armies. It appears that the Russians continue to advance but Ukrainians resisted. However, as both armies go head-to-head, the civilians continue to suffer. In the suburb, there is no supply of water, food, or medicines.

The post Fighting for Kyiv appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.

International companies walk out of Russia as a protest to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Heineken, Carlsberg, and Universal Music group are the latest to join the mass exodus of companies. A few days ago, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Mcdonalds, and Starbucks have closed operations in Russia. Ferrari has also announced the suspension of deliveries to Russia.

Dutch Brewer Heineken, the second-largest beer manufacturer said it was stopping the production, sale, and advertising of its Russian brand. This is “in response to the continued escalation of the war”. They have also suspended exports and investments in Russia.

“We are shocked and saddened to watch the tragedy in Ukraine unfold,” Heineken chief executive Dolf van den Brink said. “The Russian government’s war against Ukraine is an unprovoked and completely unjustified attack.”

Danish Brewer Carlsberg, the fourth largest beer producer also halted operations in Russia. They said that, during the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, any profits generated by its business in Russia would be donated to relief organizations.

Universal Music Group also announced “We urge an end to the violence in Ukraine as soon as possible,” Universal said in a statement.

“We are adhering to international sanctions and, along with our employees and artists, have been working with groups from a range of countries… to support humanitarian relief efforts to bring urgent aid to refugees in the region,” it said.

Coca Cola, Pepsi, and Starbucks

Coke, among the first to withdraw announced their exit from Russia in a statement. “Our hearts are with the people who are enduring unconscionable effects from these tragic events in Ukraine,” Coke said in a brief statement Tuesday afternoon. “We will continue to monitor and assess the situation as circumstances evolve.”

“As a food and beverage company, now more than ever we must stay true to the humanitarian aspect of our business,” Pepsi CEO Ramon Laguarta wrote in a memo to employees.

Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said they would suspend all Russian business activity, including the shipment of its products. While Mcdonald’s has announced the same, they received criticisms for some branches that remained open.

The post International Companies Walk Out of Russia appeared first on Indo Thai News Channel - Travel l Culture l News & Event l Food.