Manhattan has 1.6 million people and 4,000 pizza places. Moscow has 13 million inhabitants and just 300 pizza restaurants. This explains why some believe that Russia is the next lucrative market for fast food outlets. One journalist from The New York Times decided to find out more about the nascent industry:

• Russians have about a sixth of the income that Americans do, but because they do not have much debt, have low taxes, own mortgage free property, and have low medical bills, a greater proportion of their income is disposable and can be spent on ‘luxuries’ such as fast food.
• Fast food chains are wise to this and have increased the prices of their products in Russia. A pizza at Papa John’s can cost 33% more than what somebody in the United States would pay
• Papa John’s in Russia is growing at 21% a year, and its Russian properties are the most profitable among all countries in which Papa John’s operates.

Read more about why Campbell left the Russian market, and the difficulties that Russia’s weak and corrupt state infrastructure can pose for chains operating in the country over here.

Source: The New York Times

Western countries are generally more than happy to accept immigrants from other countries as long as those immigrants are some of the brightest, and the most accomplished in their fields. The benefit to western countries of having the most educated students from abroad come to stay in their country is clear. But is it possible that the nonwestern countries that lose their best students could also benefit from this flow of their populace?

Yes, reports The Economist. They note that even when immigrants leave their home country they still benefit it through various ways including:

• Remittances – money that workers from abroad send home. For some countries these money transfers can make up more than 20% of GDP.
• The possibility of immigration encourages people to invest in their own education.
• Citizens that go abroad often return with superior skills that encourages the transfer of ideas.

Read more over here.

Source: The Economist