Free Republic

Some See the Hand of China in Recent Yen, Euro Rallies By TOM LAURICELLA And ALEX FRANGOS After a big surge through the first five months of the year, the dollar has slumped against the euro and yen, with many traders pointing to softer U.S. economic growth and stabilization in Europe as the catalyst. In currency markets, the buzz among traders is that there is another factor at work, too: China. In recent months, traders believe, China has stepped up its buying of yen- and euro-based investments. This is likely because it is trying to diversify its $2.5 trillion of...

SAN FRANCISCO — The University of California has awarded $702 million in low-interest home loans to executives, faculty and staffers, including some to employees who did not qualify under university policy. There are nearly 2,000 active university-issued loans, most carrying interest rates of 3% to 4%, but some with much lower rates, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Thursday. Officials with the 10-campus system refused to reveal who received the money, citing employee confidentiality. But they released some details, including an unidentified UC Berkeley professor who was given a $250,000 home loan with an interest rate of 0.5% a year. An...

China's property market not in the pink of health Greedy developers and low interest rates push up supply of residential and office space, but where are the buyers? ZHONGSHAN - China has a serious problem these days, and its colour is pink. Pink and similar hues - from rose-tinged brick to tangerine and even magenta - have been popular in the past few years with Chinese developers, who are also partial to tinted, highly reflective glass and rooftops in the shape of lotus blossoms. Advertisement The result is an extraordinary number of garish apartment buildings, office buildings, industrial parks and...