Tim Hortons said on May 25, 2026 it will recruit about 10,000 local workers across Canada and significantly scale back use of the federal Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program as it expands its network. The chain — operated by roughly 1,500 Canadian franchise owners and parent Restaurant Brands International — currently employs about 110,000 people nationwide, of whom roughly 4,000 (approximately 3.6% of restaurant roles) are on TFW permits. The company announced plans to open 80 new restaurants this year and renovate about 400 locations, and said owner use of the TFW program has fallen since 2024. Tim Hortons said it will stop lobbying Ottawa for expanded TFW access given rising youth unemployment (around 14% in April) but will continue to use TFWs in communities with documented labour shortages, notably remote and rural areas. The move revives scrutiny over pay, hiring practices and previous lobbying for expanded temporary immigration that emerged during pandemic-era staffing shortages.

Indian fintech Pine Labs reported a consolidated net profit of ₹59.36 crore ($6.2 million) for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, reversing a year-earlier loss of ₹28.91 crore, as digital payments demand and merchant adoption strengthened. Quarterly revenue from operations rose 17% year-on-year to about ₹700.5 crore, while full-year revenue grew to ₹2,711 crore and Pine Labs posted its first full-year profit of ₹113 crore (₹1.13 billion). Platform gross transaction value (GTV) expanded roughly 50% in the financial year, leaving scope for further monetisation, the company said. Pine Labs now operates in about 20-22 countries, with international revenue exceeding ₹400 crore (around 15% of sales). Management highlighted growth in its devices segment, new oil-marketing contracts, deeper AI usage (1.3 million lines of code handled, 89% agentic contribution and over 46,000 tickets resolved), and said geopolitical tensions in the Middle East had a mild impact on some airline volumes and UAE rollouts. Shares rose over 4% after results, while Morgan Stanley maintained an equal-weight rating and a target implying about 67% upside.

Memorial Day on Monday, May 25, 2026, is being observed nationwide in the United States as a federal holiday honoring service members who died in military service. Government offices, banks and the U.S. stock markets (NYSE and Nasdaq) are closed and the U.S. Postal Service will not deliver mail. Delivery providers are operating with modified service and some UPS retail locations and FedEx offices may be closed. Most major retailers and restaurant chains will remain open to serve holiday shoppers and travelers — including Walmart, Target, Trader Joe’s, Kroger, Publix, Home Depot, Lowe’s and many grocery and pharmacy chains — though some stores may run reduced or variable hours. Costco is a notable exception reported closed by multiple outlets. Pharmacies inside grocery and big-box stores may have limited counter hours. The long weekend is expected to drive heavy travel and robust retail activity; consumers are advised to check local store and service hours before heading out.

AGL detonated explosives on May 26, 2026 to bring down the two iconic chimneys of the retired Liddell coal-fired power station near Muswellbrook in New South Wales. Each concrete stack rose about 168–170 metres; the station was retired in April 2023 after roughly 52 years of operation. AGL and contractors carried out a controlled demolition after an 18-month preparation that included site clean-up and recycling of materials. The site already hosts a newly commissioned 500-megawatt, two-hour grid-scale battery and is being repurposed as the Hunter Energy Hub, with proposals including an eight-hour pumped hydro project, solar manufacturing and recycling, and data-hub uses. The demolition marks a physical milestone in the region’s shift away from coal: Liddell produced about 431,000 GWh during its lifetime and its fall follows broader market signals that many eastern seaboard coal plants will close by 2035, with the Australian Energy Market Operator forecasting coal exit by 2040. AGL says the cleared industrial land, road and water access present opportunities for investment and new jobs, even as former workers and local communities register mixed emotions.

India’s rupee moved sharply in early trade on May 25-26, 2026 as shifting geopolitics and oil prices drove sentiment. On May 25 the currency strengthened about 40 paise to 95.20 against the US dollar on optimism that the US and Iran were close to a peace pact; reports also cited comments by US and Indian officials on progress in bilateral trade talks. By May 26 the rupee slipped about 17 paise to 95.43 amid month‑end dollar demand and a rebound in crude prices after reports of fresh US strikes on Iranian targets. Traders flagged Reserve Bank of India (RBI) intervention and liquidity measures as temporary stabilisers. Market indicators moved in step: Sensex leapt on May 25 before easing on May 26, foreign institutional flows swung between selling and buying, and India’s foreign exchange reserves had fallen in the week to May 15. The dollar index traded near 99, while Brent crude ranged in the low‑to‑high $90s per barrel during the period.

Tata Sons convened its board on May 26, 2026, for a closely watched meeting dominated by concerns over loss-making new businesses and an intensifying governance debate. Reports from May 25–26 say individual group companies — notably Tata Digital, Air India and the group's electronics ventures — were to make presentations on performance and turnaround plans after unlisted units reported combined losses of ₹10,905 crore in FY25, a figure media estimates may widen to about ₹29,000 crore for the following year. The meeting sits against a backdrop of visible friction between Tata Trusts’ leadership and chairman N. Chandrasekaran: Noel Tata has expressed worries about mounting losses and is said to be reluctant to take Tata Sons public, while other trustees reportedly favour a listing. Regulatory pressure stems from the RBI’s classification of Tata Sons as an upper-layer NBFC and a subsequent “look-through” approach that strengthens the case for mandatory listing. Corporate governance advisory InGovern has urged a market listing to improve transparency. Reports differ on whether Chandrasekaran’s reappointment would be formally addressed, but the session is widely seen as a test of the group’s power balance and strategy.