Hong Kong’s Second Solana ETF Launches With Lower Fees 
Bumble Shares Surge 50% on $1 Billion Buyout Talks 
Trump Defends Russian Diesel Deal Amid US Sanctions Backlash 
Nasdaq Faces Pullback to 26,225 Despite Bullish Outlook, UBS Says 
Meta Launches Muse Wonder AI Models, Shares Rise 3.7% 
Oil Prices Fall as Russia Signals Higher Diesel Exports 
Wall Street Ends Mixed as Investors Await CPI and Bank Earnings 
Samsung, SK Hynix Shares Plunge as China Chip Competition Grows 
Visa Wins China Approval to Prepare Domestic Payments Expansion 
TSMC Profit Set to Surge 65% as AI Chip Demand Drives Record Earnings 
UK Finance Minister Healey Calls for Fiscal Discipline Amid Global Risks 
Russia Approves Sberbank for Crypto Exchange Services 
PepsiCo Slashes Poppi Earnout Valuation as Growth Slows 
Fed's Hammack Urges Faster Rate Hikes to Fight Inflation 
S&P 500 Rally Masks Losses for Over 40% of Stocks in 2026 
South Korea Blocks 27 Crypto Exchange Websites in Regulatory Crackdown 
Bank of America Predicts Yen Rebound as USD/JPY Faces Risks 
Add as a preferred source on Google
KFC and Pizza Hut have stopped operating in Russia after its parent company, Yum Brands, announced it will close its restaurants there. It was stated that 70 locations of its fried chicken brand would be shut.
Russia is said to be a key market for Yum Brands, but due to the war in Ukraine, which was initiated by Vladimir Putin, it decided to put off all investments and development in the country. The move may hurt KFC as it was able to achieve record development in 2021 with help from the Russian market.
Reuters reported KFC’s 70 stores are confirmed to close, and for Pizza Hut, the agreement for suspension of its operations is still being finalized. An agreement is needed with the brand’s local master franchisee since Yum does not have much control over the restaurants they own. Once completed, it will be shutting 50 Pizza Hut outlets in the region.
Yum Brands owns at least 1,000 KFC stores in Russia, while almost all the Pizza Huts are owned by independent franchisees. Since the start of this week, the restaurant company has already discontinued all developments in its Russian fast-food outlets.
As mentioned in the Daily Mail Yum Brands’ action is in response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. It has now joined the growing list of US-based companies that are withdrawing from the country.
The fast-food firm is also donating $1 million worth of profits from its Russian operations to humanitarian efforts. Yum Brands Foundation will be forwarding the fund to the Red Cross to support people affected by the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. Aside from the Red Cross, the Yum! Disaster Relief Fund will give to other charities, including UNICEF, International Rescue Committee, and the World Food Programme.
“This action builds on our decision to suspend all investment and restaurant development in Russia and redirect all profits from operations in Russia to humanitarian efforts,” Yum Brands said in a statement. “As always, we remain focused on the safety of our people in the region and will continue to support our teams in Ukraine while evaluating the ways Yum! Brands can make a positive impact in the region.”
