Canada’s local food system faces major roadblocks without urgent policy changes 
Gold Prices Rebound Near Key Levels as U.S.-Iran Tensions Boost Safe-Haven Demand 
Asian Currencies Trade Sideways as Dollar Stabilizes, Yen Weakens Ahead of Japan Election 
AI is driving down the price of knowledge – universities have to rethink what they offer 
Office design isn’t keeping up with post-COVID work styles - here’s what workers really want 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Japan’s Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Exports Hit Record High in 2025 Despite Tariffs 
Nintendo Shares Slide After Earnings Miss Raises Switch 2 Margin Concerns 
Sam Altman Reaffirms OpenAI’s Long-Term Commitment to NVIDIA Amid Chip Report 
Nasdaq Proposes Fast-Track Rule to Accelerate Index Inclusion for Major New Listings 
TSMC Eyes 3nm Chip Production in Japan with $17 Billion Kumamoto Investment 
Nvidia, ByteDance, and the U.S.-China AI Chip Standoff Over H200 Exports 
Trump Extends AGOA Trade Program for Africa Through 2026, Supporting Jobs and U.S.-Africa Trade 
Novo Nordisk Warns of Profit Decline as Wegovy Faces U.S. Price Pressure and Rising Competition 
China Services PMI Hits Three-Month High as New Orders and Hiring Improve 
McDonald’s Corp. will withdraw its business in Kazakhstan after six years of operations due to a shortage of meat supply after disruptions triggered by the Ukraine invasion.
Although Kazakh businesses aren’t covered by sanctions against Russia, McDonald’s banned its local franchisee from procuring meat patties from Russian suppliers.
There are 24 McDonald’s restaurants in Kazakhstan, owned by TOO Food Solutions KZ, which suspended operations in November due to supply issues.
The Kazakh business was unable to source meat patties from local or European suppliers, as higher prices and freight costs would result in a business loss.
A further obstacle to McDonald's future in Kazakhstan is franchisee owner Kairat Boranbayev’s arrest in March on suspicion of embezzlement.
Boranbayev had a McDonald's franchise in Belarus, which had its license revoked due to supply concerns, last year.
