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Europe
BBC Business

'We're all broke': Would you chase a friend for £5?

You pick up the bill for dinner, pay for the taxi home or grab a friend's coffee with the promise they'll pay you back later, but days go by and the money never arrives. For some, $5 (£3.70) is worth a reminder, while for others, asking a friend to repay anything under $20 (£15) feels more awkward than simply taking the hit. Henry Payne says he's "sent a request for $8.50, but I wouldn't go lower than $8". The 21-year-old New Yorker adds that he will chase someone once but "two requests is insane". He does admit that he's sometimes the person on the other side of the transaction and can be forgetful himself. "For everyone that I haven't sent back money to, I just forgot, feel free to double request me." Kaz Jahanbini, 19, says needing to ask to be paid back in the first place can be frustrating. "If someone bought me something, I'm immediately paying them back. So then I'm thinking for them, what's the delay?" His rule for navigating friendship and finances is to "keep your wallet close but your friends closer". His friend Nouria agrees and says as a student "every extra dollar counts" but she would usually only ask for money back from a friend if it was more than $10. A recent study, external found that 76% of Gen Z who have fronted money for a group expense, like a trip or event, say they were not fully repaid, and 55% say it created tension or negatively affected a relationship. For British student Betsie Brooke-Taylor, 19, the threshold to ask for money back is a fiver as she says "every little helps".

'We're all broke': Would you chase a friend for £5?
Asia
The Hindu BusinessLine

Rosetta Hospitality lines up ₹650 cr for Sakleshpur, Goa, Kallepura expansion

Rosetta Hospitality is committing nearly ₹650 crore to its next phase of expansion, as the leisure company seeks to build premium resorts within driving distance of India’s major metros and unlock capital through a resort-plus-residences model. Rosetta’s Sakleshpur property generated around ₹55 crore in revenue with a 50 per cent gross operating profit (GOP) margin, while its Goa property, Elements by Rosetta, generated ₹24 crore with a 42 per cent GOP margin, Joint MD, and CEO Jai Sreedhar said. The company, which currently operates properties in Sakleshpur and Goa, plans to deploy the committed capital across expansions at its existing resorts and its upcoming Kallepura property in Chikkballapura. Of the ₹650-crore commitment, around ₹500 crore will come through promoter contribution and internal approvals, while about ₹150 crore will be funded through debt, Sreedhar said. At Sakleshpur, Rosetta is adding 30 villas, translating into about 90 rooms, alongside a 20,000 sq ft convention centre. The company has a 120-acre land parcel at the property, of which around 40 acres has been developed. In Goa, Phase II will add 65 suites and a convention centre. Meanwhile, the scope of the upcoming Kallepura resort has expanded sharply, from an initial 80 rooms to around 138-139 rooms. Additionally, Sreedhar said the company is looking at large land parcels of 80-100 acres in locations within driving distance of metros, including opportunities around Mahabalipuram, Hyderabad and the Nilgiris. Corporate conferencing has emerged as Rosetta’s biggest segment after leisure, accounting for nearly 100 days of the year, while destination weddings are its second-largest contributor. The company is also betting on premiumisation in domestic travel, with consumers increasingly choosing premium domestic experiences. Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments. We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Rosetta Hospitality lines up ₹650 cr for Sakleshpur, Goa, Kallepura expansion
North America
CNBC Finance

Nissan eyes increasing U.S. production as new Rogue hybrid launches

Nissan Motor is looking to increase its U.S. production as it launches the 2027 Rogue crossover, including with a new hybrid model that the company views as a crucial offering for American consumers. "We're now maxing out the production capacity in the U.S.," Christian Meunier, chairman of Nissan Americas, told CNBC. "The next step is going to be three shifts, and I'm pretty optimistic that with the launch of the new Rogue that is happening in the next couple months, we'll be able to do that pretty quickly with the launch of the hybrid." The Japanese automaker currently produces the Rogue alongside other Nissan and Infiniti crossovers at a 6 million-square-foot assembly plant on two production shifts in Smyrna, Tennessee. It also has another large manufacturing plant producing the Nissan Altima sedan and Frontier midsize pickup truck in Canton, Mississippi. Additional production at assembly plants typically means hundreds, if not thousands, of new jobs. Nissan's moves come as the Trump administration has been focused on increasing employment and domestic production in the U.S. auto industry. U.S. manufacturing of the hybrid is expected to start next year after the spring production launch of the 2027 Rogue with a traditional gas engine at the Tennessee plant. In the meantime, Meunier said Nissan plans to import the vehicles from Japan as a way to get them to market more quickly to lift sales and help with an ongoing global turnaround plan for the company. Meunier said if Nissan can add a third shift to each of its assembly plants, it would boost the automaker's U.S. production to roughly 1 million units annually, up from nearly 487,000 in 2025. Nissan has a target to produce 80% of the vehicles it sells in the U.S. domestically by 2030, but the company has no plans for a new plant as of now. "I think we're very well equipped to succeed without major investment and a new factory and everything else. Maybe after 2030," he said. "Over the next four or five years, we'll see." Nissan on Monday officially revealed the 2027 Rogue with its new "e-Power" technology for the U.S., which is the first hybrid of its kind for the American market. It uses the engine as a generator to power the vehicle's electric motors that then propel the vehicle. It operates like emerging extended-range electric vehicles, or EREVs, but has a smaller battery and doesn't require a plug. It also does not use the engine to power the wheels, just electric motors. Meunier said the Rogue hybrid and resurrecting the Xterra off-road SUV were his top vehicle priorities when he rejoined Nissan in January 2025 after four and a half years with Jeep. That included pulling ahead the Rogue hybrid twice for the U.S.

Nissan eyes increasing U.S. production as new Rogue hybrid launches
Europe
The Guardian

Revealed: the undisclosed safety data emerging as weedkiller maker faces Parkinson’s lawsuits in US

Clues to how and why the US remains one of the world’s last large markets for widespread paraquat use are coming to light through troves of internal Syngenta records recently revealed through litigation. Composite: The Guardian/Getty Images/SyngentaView image in fullscreenClues to how and why the US remains one of the world’s last large markets for widespread paraquat use are coming to light through troves of internal Syngenta records recently revealed through litigation. Composite: The Guardian/Getty Images/SyngentaPesticidesRevealed: the undisclosed safety data emerging as weedkiller maker faces Parkinson’s lawsuits in USSyngenta denies keeping relevant data from the EPA as paraquat stays in the US market despite global bans Sweden started ringing the alarm bell more than 20 years ago, calling for a ban on the weedkilling chemical paraquat in 2004. One by one, dozens of other countries did the same as evidence of paraquat risks to human health mounted. Even the Chinese government, which owns the longtime paraquat maker Syngenta, halted domestic use of the pesticide a decade ago after conducting its own studies on paraquat safety and finding troubling results. In the US, two states – Vermont and California – have recently also banned paraquat, citing risks that include an association between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease shown in years of scientific research. And California regulators announced in August that paraquat makers voluntarily agreed to stop selling the chemical after the state identified health concerns in connection with its use in new research. Several federal lawmakers have pushed for a nationwide ban. Yet amid the global cloud of concern, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to greenlight paraquat use on millions of acres, and has downplayed scientific findings linking paraquat to Parkinson’s, an incurable brain disease. The agency said in June it would hold a round table over the summer to re-examine the “safety challenges” associated with paraquat. But no such event has yet been held or scheduled. Now, clues to how and why the US remains one of the world’s last large markets for widespread paraquat use are coming to light through troves of internal Syngenta records recently revealed through litigation. The records show that as paraquat markets around the world started crumbling over concerns for public health, Syngenta, a Swiss-headquartered multinational, fought to keep a tight hold on the US market, where use of paraquat nearly tripled between 2000 and 2018, a time period when dozens of other countries were banning paraquat. Internal corporate records, depositions and other records show that before and during this time frame, Syngenta did not share certain internal data and other information with the EPA regarding paraquat health effects and risks despite federal legal requirements for companies to report information about “unreasonable adverse effects” of their products. Among the data not shared by Syngenta were analyses of how quickly the chemical could permeate untreated clothing; how fast it could absorb into an applicator’s skin and bloodstream. The company also did not share some information about how mixing paraquat with surfactants increases the chemical’s absorption. Surfactants are additives commonly used by farm workers to help herbicides overcome the waxy, water-repellent surface of their leaves. Certain information demonstrating dire risks to the brain from exposure was also not shared with the EPA. In contrast, the company focused on developing and promoting science showing paraquat safety that it could share with regulators, including one published in 2016 that company insiders noted would be “invaluable in supporting our work”. In 2022 and 2023, the New Lede and the Guardian obtained and revealed a set of internal corporate records showing that Syngenta and its predecessor corporate entities used an array of secret tactics for decades to downplay and discredit science linking what the company called its “blockbuster” weedkiller to Parkinson’s and other chronic health issues. The newly released files, totaling roughly 3,700 pages, provide more insights into the company’s handling of paraquat concerns, as well as multiple examples of information Syngenta did not share with the EPA. The records were submitted to a Pennsylvania state court where cases have been filed by people with Parkinson’s alleging that they developed the disease from exposure to paraquat products. Earlier this month the underlying lawsuit in which the documents were filed was dismissed by the judge due to the plaintiff not having sufficient proof of exposure to paraquat; however, there are thousands more active cases pending around the country. In the face of the ongoing litigation, which has already cost the company at least $187m in a 2021 settlement and an undisclosed further amount for additional settlements since then, Syngenta announced earlier this year it would stop all global production of paraquat.

Revealed: the undisclosed safety data emerging as weedkiller maker faces Parkinson’s lawsuits in US
North America
Yahoo Finance

US Stock Futures Rise as Investors Monitor Middle East Oil Supplies and AI Policy Developments: Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq, Wall Street

US stock futures advanced on Monday as investors assessed developments in the Middle East, declining oil prices and artificial intelligence policy discussions between Washington and Beijing. At 06:58 GMT, Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 239 points, or 0.5%, while S&P 500 futures gained 39 points, also rising 0.5%. Nasdaq 100 futures advanced 218 points, or 0.7%. Wall Street ended Friday’s session with mixed results. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed higher, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined slightly. US Treasury yields increased across maturities as market expectations for another Federal Reserve interest rate increase before the end of 2026 remained broadly unchanged. Analysts at Vital Knowledge attributed much of Friday’s equity market gains to companies supplying infrastructure and components for artificial intelligence, including semiconductor manufacturers. The analysts also noted that the Bank of Japan’s latest interest rate increase was less restrictive than some investors had anticipated, with two policymakers voting to leave rates unchanged. The yen weakened following the decision, prompting concerns among the analysts about the possibility of Japanese authorities selling US Treasury securities to support the currency. Investors continued to monitor the conflict in Yemen after reports of intensified fighting between Iran-backed Houthi forces and Saudi-aligned groups over the weekend. The New York Times, citing a Saudi army officer, reported clashes in mountainous areas of southwestern Yemen on Sunday. The fighting comes amid competition for positions near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a shipping passage connecting the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on this route to export crude oil following disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. According to The New York Times, the Houthis also said they had launched missiles and drones towards Riyadh and targeted Saudi oil facilities in response to Saudi air strikes inside Yemen.

US Stock Futures Rise as Investors Monitor Middle East Oil Supplies and AI Policy Developments: Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq, Wall Street
North America
CNBC Finance

Eli Lilly CEO says 700,000 new seniors have started GLP-1s after Medicare coverage, and 70% are on Lilly drugs

Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks told CNBC on Monday that 700,000 new seniors have started GLP-1 treatments since Medicare coverage of obesity drugs launched in July, and 70% of those patients are on Lilly medicines. In an exclusive interview with CNBC, Ricks called the rollout of coverage "very encouraging" so far, saying its expansion of the broader GLP-1 market "is what we had hoped." His comments offer the latest metrics on how much the coverage is expanding access to the medicines, and who appears to be gaining more momentum among new patients between Lilly and its chief rival, Novo. The coverage is through a temporary program called "Bridge," which allows eligible beneficiaries to obtain weight loss drugs for a $50 monthly co-pay. The federal Medicare program is for people age ​65 and older ​or with disabilities ⁠and covers about 66 million people. Lilly's blockbuster obesity injection Zepbound appears to be the biggest winner of Medicare coverage so far. Through the program, seniors can get access to Zepbound along with Lilly's newly launched obesity pill, Foundayo, Novo's competing Wegovy pill and blockbuster injection under the same name. "We're capturing about seven out of 10 of those new patients, and a lot are still on Zepbound," he said. "I think we still see physicians focusing on those with the most body weight and the most complications. That's where Zepbound plays a big role." Lilly's Foundayo plays a larger role for patients who are looking for a convenient treatment option and "maybe just need to lose 25 to 30 pounds," Ricks added. That pill launched in April a few months behind Novo's, but Ricks told CNBC that one-third of new patients on oral GLP-1s are taking Foundayo. He said he hasn't heard of many logistical issues with the rollout, saying the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services "did a nice job rolling this out," educating physicians and working with both companies and the insurance system. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis.

Eli Lilly CEO says 700,000 new seniors have started GLP-1s after Medicare coverage, and 70% are on Lilly drugs
Europe
The Guardian

US mortgage rates top 7% for first time in 20 months

Homes in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Mortgage rates have been creeping back up since late February. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenHomes in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Mortgage rates have been creeping back up since late February. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty ImagesUS economyUS mortgage rates top 7% for first time in 20 monthsIncrease comes after Fed decision to raise interest rates, as Americans struggle with high prices and stagnant wages US mortgage rates surpassed 7% for the first time since January 2025, according to federal lender Freddie Mac, aggravating a housing market that has endured years of high interest rates and low supply. The increase comes after the US Federal Reserve hiked interest rates, which directly affect mortgage rates, for the first time since 2023, citing high inflation. Rates on 16 September went up by a quarter of a point, to a range of 3.75% to 4%. In new projections, a majority of the Fed’s rate-setting committee predicted at least one additional rate hike before the end of this year. Last year, the Freddie Mac 30-year-mortgage rate, commonly used on home loans across the country, had been trending down from 7.79% – a generational high reached in late 2023. But rates have been creeping back up since late February, when the US and Israel launched its war with Iran. The conflict drove inflation to its highest levels in three years and sharply increased energy prices. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil, topped $105 earlier on Thursday. On Thursday, the 10-year US treasury yield – which underpins the 30-year mortgage rate and other borrowing costs – also reached its highest level since July 2007 and the 30-year Treasury yield hitting its peak since 2004 as investors raised expectations for another Fed rate hike next month. Earlier in September, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent announced the Treasury would triple its buyback of government debt, but yields have continued to rise. The housing market has long been in a slowdown, said Anthony Smith, a senior economist at Realtor.com, with existing home sales hitting their 2026 low so far in August and pending sales that have turned negative year over year. “A 7% handle is as much psychological as mathematical, and it arrives at the point in the season when leverage usually shifts toward buyers,” said Smith. High mortgage rates are just one of the many reasons why Americans are struggling to attain home ownership. Wages have not kept pace with higher inflation, and everyday costs are higher.

US mortgage rates top 7% for first time in 20 months
North America
CNBC Economy

Why Japan’s markets flipped the usual script after central bank rate hike

Japanese markets reacted in a seemingly counterintuitive fashion on Friday after the country's central bank hiked benchmark interest rates to their highest in 31 years. Interest-rate increases ordinarily support a country's currency, push up its bond yields, and put pressure on its stock market. Japan's currency, bond yields, and stock market did exactly the opposite. The yen weakened past 157 against the dollar, the yield on the 10-year Japanese Government Bond slipped, while the Nikkei 225 gained 1.5% as the BOJ raised its policy rate to 1.25%. The hike brought the policy rate to its highest level since 1995, and came just three months after its previous increase. Experts pointed to the split decision by the BOJ's board, as the reason for the uncharacteristic market reaction, as it indicated that the bank might not take a too hawkish stance. "The two dissenting votes in favor of keeping rates unchanged came as a surprise," said Hirofumi Suzuki, chief FX strategist at Japanese bank Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. The decision to hike was split 7-2, with board members Toichiro Asada and Ayano Sato dissenting from the verdict. Asada noted that as the core inflation rate was below 2%, the economic situation might not be strong, and advocated for holding rates steady. Core inflation for August in Japan stood at 1.7%, down from 1.8% in July. Sato also said current economic and price developments did not appear to have substantially accelerated compared to before. The reaction of the market also stems from the fact that this hike also took place without an updated outlook report, which limited the BOJ's ability to reinforce a hawkish message through revised forecasts, according to Masahiko Loo, senior fixed income strategist at State Street Investment Management. His view was also echoed by Shigeto Nagai, head of Japan economics at Oxford Economics. Nagai told CNBC's "Access Middle East" that the two dissenters signaled that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was not convinced to accede to the U.S.' request for faster and more rate hikes. Reuters reported Friday that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had stressed on the need for higher BOJ rates in his meeting with Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama in May.

Why Japan’s markets flipped the usual script after central bank rate hike
Europe
BBC Business

Farmers down 240 million litres of milk after heat

Extreme heat this summer has led to dairy farmers delivering 240 million fewer litres of milk than expected, researchers have said. Farmers delivered four fewer days of milk supply than would be expected between May and August, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). With the heat leading to poor grazing conditions, stunted harvests and heat strain on livestock in England and Wales, many farmers have started giving winter feed to cattle, including Debbie Wilkins, a dairy and beef farmer in Gloucestershire. "The costs pile up when you have to bring the cows indoors and the loss of milk production compounds the issue," she said. In total, the ECIU said dairy farmers lost milk valued at more than £83m - enough milk to fill more than one billion school milk cartons. It follows the UK's hottest summer on record in 2026, with five intense heatwaves and drought declarations. But while farmers delivered significantly less than expected over the summer, the ECIU said UK milk production could still hit near record levels in 2026. It said this was because farmers built up a cushion earlier in 2026 which had partially offset the litres lost over the summer. ECIU said the consolidation of dairy farms in recent years had allowed for "economies of scale and mechanisation to increase milk outputs while the herd size reduces". Tom Cantillon, a senior analyst at ECIU, said future heatwaves would become progressively harder to recover from, especially as milk was an "unforgiving product in farming" as it cannot be stockpiled. "A second bad year for grass has pushed farmers into their winter forage early, with feed prices to follow." Cantillon said farmers needed help to roll out climate resilience measures such as more shade, trees and water.

Farmers down 240 million litres of milk after heat