The golden arches of McDonald's are to disappear from three countries in the Middle East and Latin America, as the fast-food chain struggles to beef up its performance. McDonald's, which would not name the countries specifically, announced the retreat amid plans to axe 175 restaurants in 10 other countries.
Up to 600 jobs will also go, in the firm's third major round of lay-offs in three years.
The cuts come as McDonald's struggles to reverse a long-term profits decline, blamed on a poor performance in the US, weak economies in key markets such as Latin America, and the impact of outbreaks of mad cow disease in Japan and Europe.
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