Top Stories: Federal Reserve Slashes Interest Rate to Near Zero


Elliot and Seager:- Fed Funds Rate Reduced to 0.25%Guardian.co.uk: The Federal Reserve slashed interest rates in the United States last night to 0.25% – the lowest level in the nation’s 232-year-history – and signalled new emergency steps to boost lending as it sought to lift the world’s biggest economy out of a deepening recession.

 


Inflation down 0.3%
Jamaica Gleaner: Consumer prices fell in November in line with falling oil prices on the world market. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) declined from 136.9 to 136.4, reflecting inflation of -0.3 per cent.

Top Stories: US$1 Billion Inflow Expected by March 09′ to Cushion Effect of Global Crisis on Jamaica


Bruno and Paradis:- “Stocks give up biggest gains as financials lag: concerns about deal for automakers”
New York (AP): Wall Street tussled with fresh worries about the health of financial sector and the Big Three automakers Wednesday, forcing stocks to surrender most of their early gains.



Global news:“Banks cut loan rates but credit still tight”
Jamaica Gleaner: The cost of loans between banks fell in the U.S.A. and across Europe as investors digested last week’s big interest rate cuts from the European Central Bank and Bank of England.


US$1 billion inflow expected by March 2009
Jamaica Gleaner: Finance minister expects multilateral lending agencies to pump over US$1 billion into Jamaica by the end of financial year (March 2009). Projected inflows to help cushion any fall-out from the global credit crisis.