The Big Mac, long a symbol of globalisation, has become the latest victim of Iceland’s overexposure to the world financial crisis.

THE US toy company that makes the popular Beanie Babies is to drop the names Marvellous Malia and Sweet Sasha from its Ty Girlz collection following criticism from first lady Michelle Obama.

McDonald’s chief executive Jim Skinner told shareholders yesterday not to believe the recent surge of ”fiction” that has maligned fast food and pledged that the company will be more aggressive and creative in setting the record straight.

New McDonald’s chief executive Charlie Bell has undergone successful colorectal cancer surgery less than three weeks after replacing chief executive officer Jim Cantalupo who died of a heart attack.

THE world’s largest fast-food chain McDonald’s expects to add 450 new restaurants this year, chief financial officer Matthew Paull said yesterday.

McDONALD’S said second-quarter profit fell 5.3% because of an increase in advertising spending that helped boost sales in the US for the third month in a row.