McDonald's has revealed this afternoon that it will permanently quit Russia over the war in Ukraine.
The company has said it will be selling off its locations in the country and 'de-Arching' the new owners, citing the ongoing 'humanitarian crisis' caused by the conflict.
McDonald's has said that its position in Russia is ‘no longer tenable, nor is it consistent with McDonald’s values', reports The Manc.
Whilst many companies have announced temporary sanctions on Russia. this move by McDonald's makes it one of just a handful of global brands to permanently pull out of the country in protest of the war.
When bosses initially shut down operations on 8 March following the initial invasion, the measures were only intended to be temporary.
In spite of this, it has emerged that McDonald's still plans to look after its 62,000 Russian staff and has promised that they will continue to have jobs with the stores' new owners as part of any future deal.
The company has also pledged to keep paying its Russian staff until new agreements are signed.
CEO Chris Kempzcinski said that the Russian staff's dedication and loyalty to McDonald’s 'make today’s announcement extremely difficult', adding that he was ‘exceptionally proud’ of them.
‘However, we have a commitment to our global community and must remain steadfast in our values.
‘And our commitment to our values means that we can no longer keep the Arches shining there.’
By writing off all of its assets in Russia, the company will instantly lose £1.2 billion, it said in a statement, adding that it expects ‘significant losses’ as it also has to sell all of its assets in roubles.
In a private document obtained by The New York Times, Mr Kempzcinski admitted the move would have ‘profound consequences’ on employees, franchises and suppliers.
He said: "Some might argue that providing access to food and continuing to employ tens of thousands of ordinary citizens is surely the right thing to do.
"But it is impossible to ignore the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine.
"And it is impossible to imagine the Golden Arches representing the same hope and promise that led us to enter the Russian market 32 years ago."
He reportedly added: "In the history of McDonald’s, it was one of our proudest and most exciting milestones.
"After nearly half a century of Cold War animosity, the image of the Golden Arches shining above Pushkin Square heralded for many, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, the beginning of a new era."
If you’ve ever thought to Google the question ‘what is Britain’s national dish?’, then you probably came away thinking it’s chicken tikka masala.
But is that actually the truth? A new survey has disproved the claim, massively.
There’s no denying that chicken tikka masala – an Indian curry that’s actually widely thought to have been created in Britain – is a popular dish that’s loved by many, but despite what many headlines have claimed over the years, a new YouGov survey has revealed it’s not what Brits consider to be the country’s ‘national dish’.
YouGov conducted two online surveys earlier this month, made up of 2,079 and 2,104 adults aged 18+ living in Great Britain.
Image: The Manc Group
And, in their own words, Brits chose fish and chips as the country’s national dish, making it the ‘resounding’ winner with 49% of the vote.
With nearly half of the overall vote, this puts fish and chips far ahead of the roast dinner in second place, which only 24% of people picked – including the 6% who made sure to specify a beef roast.
In fact, only 3% of Brits actually name chicken tikka masala as the UK’s national dish, although 52% in the survey did confess that they eat some form of curry at least once a month, so it is still a popular pick regardless.
Fish and chips is by far the most common answer across all generations too, according to the survey (45-50%), with the biggest difference between age groups being that 18-24 year olds are less likely to have nominated roast dinner and more likely to have chosen chicken tikka masala instead.
What do Brits say is the UK’s national dish?
Fish and chips – 49%
Roast dinner – 24%
Chicken tikka masala – 3%
Curry (non-specific) – 2%
Full English breakfast – 2%
Bangers and mash – 1%
Cottage or shepherd’s pie – 1%
Other – 3%
Don’t know – 15%
The survey also showed that, of the three top contenders for the UK’s national dish, roast dinners are the most frequently eaten, as 52% of people said they eat them on a monthly basis – including 16% who do so every week.
Aside from the frequently mentioned dishes, some survey respondents also gave shoutouts to the full English breakfast (2%), bangers and mash (1%), and cottage or shepherd’s pie (1%).
What do you think then? Do you agree with the survey’s findings? Or would you have picked something else instead?
Leeds has been crowned England’s most ‘stressful’ city for taxi drivers
Clementine Hall
Leeds has been named the most 'stressful' city in England for taxi drivers, a new study reveals.
And it's all thanks to a new study carried about by car insurance company Zego.
Zego assessed a whopping 112 towns and cities across the country using five variables, those include traffic levels, collision density, and the proportion of collisions that were fatal.
Leeds scored a seriously high 9.03 out of 10, ahead of Sheffield on 8.89 and Bradford on 8.77.
Seems like Yorkshire is reigning supreme when it comes to stressful scenarios for delivery drivers or taxi drivers.
Our lovely city of Leeds averaged a traffic flow of about 24,359 vehicle, alongside approximately 4,292 collisions per 100 square kilometres between 2021 and 2025.
Sheffield ranked second, with an average daily traffic flow of around 19,852 vehicles and 2,861 collisions per 100 square kilometres, whilst our neighbouring city of Bradford placed third and recorded the highest collision density among the top 10, at 5,246 collisions per 100 square kilometres.
Sten Saar, CEO and Co-founder of Zego, said: “Most people only think about a delivery when they’re waiting for a parcel to arrive, but there’s a whole journey behind every knock at the door.
“Behind every delivery is a driver working to get orders to people safely, often while navigating busy roads and making multiple stops throughout the day. During the Christmas rush, when delivery volumes increase, the pressure to keep everything moving can be particularly acute.
“Delivery drivers have to navigate traffic, changing road conditions and busy streets while making their way between addresses. When roads are challenging, that can add pressure to an already demanding working day.
“It’s a reminder that deliveries don’t happen in isolation from the roads we all use. Understanding the conditions drivers face helps shine a light on the work that goes into getting orders safely to customers.
“Whether someone is waiting for a weekly shop, a birthday gift or a Christmas present, road safety matters to everyone. Giving drivers the space and time to travel safely is one small but important part of making journeys safer.”
Georgina Pellant -
16th May 2022 
