<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p data-qa-component="item-headline" data-rc-highlight="headline">CHENNAI/BENGALURU (Oct 23): Westlife Foodworld, which operates some McDonald's restaurants in India, posted a narrower quarterly loss on Friday, as discounted meals and limited-edition collectibles attracted consumers even as expenses soared.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>The franchisee said loss before tax and exceptional items stood at 26.95 million rupees (US$283,900.87) for the quarter ended Sept 30, against a loss of 158.5 million rupees a year earlier.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Shares of the company rose 3% to 547.8 rupees in afternoon trading on Friday.</p></div><div class=inPageAd id=div-gpt-ad-inpage></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>During the reporting quarter, McDonald's offered meals starting at 99 rupees, delivery discounts, 50% off on select combos for a few days and limited-edition Spider-Man merchandise to attract customers.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Westlife's revenue from operations rose over 16% to 7.42 billion rupees, from 6.38 billion last year.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>However, the cost of materials surged nearly 37% to 2.42 billion during the same period.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p>Restaurants have seen costs of everything from raw materials and energy rising since ​the onset of ​the Middle ⁠East war, while sustained spending to fend off competition from local restaurant chains such as California Burrito and Wow Momo, and other independent restaurants weighed ​on margins.</p></div>

<div class=newsTextDataWrapInner><p><em>Uploaded by Liza Shireen Koshy</em></p></div>


CHENNAI/BENGALURU (Oct 23): Westlife Foodworld, which operates some McDonald's restaurants in India, posted a narrower quarterly loss on Friday, as discounted meals and limited-edition collectibles attracted consumers even as expenses soared.

McDonald's India operator Westlife quarterly loss narrows as promotions attract customers

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq opened higher on Wednesday as memory-chip firms climbed after SK Hynix's bumper results, while investors looked to upcoming key corporate earnings as the next test of artificial intelligence (AI) trade, alongside the Federal Reserve's rate decision.

Wall St choppy as megacap losses offset chip gains ahead of Fed decision

Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd (IWK) expects repairs to a sinkhole which appeared along Lebuhraya Mayang Pasir in Bayan Baru, Penang, on Wednesday afternoon to take at least 10 days, with completion targeted by Nov 7, weather permitting.

Indah Water says repairs to sinkhole along Penang’s Lebuhraya Mayang Pasir to take at least 10 days

The Bank of Canada (BOC) hiked interest rates to ward off upside inflation risks posed by higher energy prices, and said it may need to raise borrowing costs further.

Bank of Canada raises rates to 2.5%, says more could be needed

British Finance Minister John Healey announced support to help households through the "global economic storms" with subsidies for energy bills and a freeze in fuel duty for drivers in the first budget plan of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's government.

UK offers billions of pounds of help for households amid global economic storms

The US merchandise-trade deficit widened in September to the largest since March 2025 amid an ongoing surge in imports of capital goods.

US trade gap jumps to most since March 2025 on capital goods

Benjamin Netanyahu won the support of an unexpectedly clear majority of Israeli Jews in an election billed as a major turning point in his nation's history, apparently ensuring he will survive as the prime minister at least in a caretaker role.

Netanyahu survives another day with unexpectedly clear backing of Israeli Jews in election

A high-speed rail service slammed into another train about 60 miles south of Madrid on Wednesday, killing at least 64 people — the second major accident on Spain’s rail network this year and the deadliest crash in over a decade.

Death toll in Spanish high-speed train crash increases to more than 64

Singapore’s top diplomat got to Jakarta so fast this week that his hosts described the visit as unexpected.

Singapore’s top envoy on mission to soothe Indonesian angst

Thousands of Indonesians protested in Jakarta and other cities on Wednesday against economic hardship, graft and the government's handling of devastating wildfires emitting a toxic haze that has made thousands ill.

'Eat the rich': Indonesians protest against graft, wildfires

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Bill is being drafted to strengthen safety and accountability in the AI ecosystem amid risks posed by autonomous technologies and identity impersonation, said Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.

AI Governance Bill being drafted to strengthen safety, accountability, says Gobind

<p>Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has fined two subsidiaries of AMMB Holdings Bhd (KL:AMBANK) a total of RM552,000 for failing to promptly report cash transactions of RM25,000 and above, following lapses in their reporting systems.</p>


BNM fines AmBank, AmBank Islamic RM552,000 over delayed cash transaction reports

<p>PUTRAJAYA (Oct 28): The transportation costs to bring Datuk Seri Najib's from prison to Putrajaya for next month's civil appeal will be borne either by the former prime minister.</p>


Najib agrees to cover transport costs for appeal hearing in Putrajaya, court told

<p>The Malaysian billionaire families behind Maxis Bhd (KL:MAXIS) and U Mobile Sdn Bhd are reviving plans to combine the companies in a deal that could create the country’s biggest wireless operator by market value, people with knowledge of the matter said.</p>


Malaysian billionaires said to revive plan to create nation’s biggest mobile operator

<p>Eco-Shop Marketing Bhd (KL:ECOSHOP) hit a four-month low on Wednesday, after the company’s first quarter fell short of analysts' expectations.</p>


Eco-Shop hits four-month low after 1Q miss; price revision looms

<p>States without sufficient water supply will not be allowed to host data centres, even if land is available, as Malaysia tightens its approval process for new projects, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said.</p>


States without sufficient water supply cannot host data centres, says Johari Ghani

<p>Magma Kiara Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Bursa Malaysia-listed Magma Group Bhd (KL:MAGMA), has signed a memorandum of collaboration (MOC) with interior fit-out specialist Jalex Sdn Bhd at the Wolo Experience Lounge in Bukit Bintang, to explore its proposed appointment as hotel interior adviser for Wolo Hotel &amp; Residences, Mont Kiara KL, according to a press statement issued on Oct 28.&nbsp;</p>


Magma Kiara partners Jalex for hotel interior work at RM850 mil Wolo Mont Kiara KL

<div class="content-side-bar-box" style="background-color: lightblue; color: black;">
<p><span style="color:#c0392b;"><strong>Summary</strong></span></p>

<p>•&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;While high-profile deals continue (such as the RM132 million sale of Menara Haw Par and other land acquisitions), buyer...

Menara Haw Par deal signals renewed interest in KL’s Golden Triangle

<p>Singapore’s top diplomat got to Jakarta so fast this week that his hosts described the visit as unexpected.&nbsp;</p>


<p>Berjaya Property Bhd's (KL:BPROP) unit Berjaya Construction Bhd said on Wednesday it will undertake design-and-build works for the Sanglang Port development project in Perlis.</p>


Berjaya Construction to undertake design-and-build works for RM1.2 bil port development project in Perlis

<p>Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor will vigorously resist a Lebanese jewellery firm’s bid to enforce a High Court judgement in June which had ordered her to pay the firm RM67.5 million over 43 missing pieces of jewellery that had been sent to her in February 2018.</p>


Rosmah to vigorously resist Lebanese firm enforcing RM67.5 mil judgement on her

<p>Billionaire Gautam Adani-controlled Adani Enterprises Ltd returned to profit in the second quarter as newer businesses including airports and data centres scaled up.</p>


Adani flagship returns to profit as newer businesses deliver

<p>AMMB Holdings Bhd (KL:AMBANK) will likely shrug off rising bond yields, and it may be time to start buying shares of the sixth-largest bank in Malaysia again, an analyst said.</p>


AMMB on track with earnings, time to ‘buy’ again — analyst

<p>The rapid backlash against French football star Kylian Mbappe over a perceived insult to Mao Zedong underscores how little room for error remains for celebrities and global brands seeking to tap China’s lucrative market.</p>


Mbappe backlash shows shrinking margin for error in China

<p>Corruption and other scandals involving government-linked companies (GLCs) are, unfortunately, not new. Neither are analyses and commentaries that follow. We are never short on prescriptions for how to prevent these scandals. The latest, of course, is the scandal that engulfed Lembaga Tabung Haji...

My Say: Corruption scandals and GLCs: When accountants have more clout than lawyers (and what lawyers can do about it)

<p>Mitsubishi Materials Corporation will stop processing copper and copper alloy strips in Johor as part of reorganisation efforts at the Japanese smelting firm.</p>


Mitsubishi Materials to shut down copper processing ops in Johor

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 28): Bursa Malaysia Bhd (KL:BURSA) reported on Wednesday that its earnings grew nearly 10% in the third quarter from a year earlier, thanks to higher trading activities.</p>


Bursa Malaysia grows 3Q net profit by nearly 10%, says on track with targets

<p>The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has paid a visit to Zetrix AI Bhd’s (KL:ZETRIX) headquarters in Petaling Jaya as part of an investigation involving the company, according to sources familiar with the matter.&nbsp;</p>


SC visits Zetrix AI headquarters amid probe, sources say

<p>KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 28): The Energy Commission&nbsp;is developing a comprehensive framework and guidelines on self-generation facilities and the use of renewable energy for the data centre sector, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.</p>


Fadillah: Energy Commission developing comprehensive guidelines for self-generation facilities in data centre sector

<p>Standard Chartered (StanChart) on Wednesday hiked its full-year growth and profitability targets after third-quarter income handily beat estimates, sending its shares 8% higher.</p>


StanChart shares soar after it hikes full-year targets and trounces profit estimates

<p>Malaysian advanced materials company and deep-tech unicorn&nbsp;Vertex Material plans to list on the US Nasdaq stock exchange in the second or third quarter of next year, targeting&nbsp;to raise funds of US$300 million (RM1.22 billion) to US$400 million, said its chief executive officer Chris Lai.</p>
