
The U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank head into this week’s policy meetings in a far more uncertain environment than they faced just two weeks ago. The Fed meets on March 17-18, and the ECB on March 18-19, just after the Middle East war pushed oil prices above US$100 a barrel and forced markets to rethink the expected path of interest rates. Even so, neither institution is expected to change borrowing costs at these meetings.

Donald Trump said on Friday he will nominate Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve governor, to become the next chair of the U.S. central bank, replacing Jerome Powell when Powell’s term as chair expires in May. The announcement, delivered via Truth Social, follows months of speculation over who would inherit the world’s most consequential monetary-policy job.

By John Hawkins (*) - Central bankers from around the world have issued a joint statement of support for US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, as he faces a criminal probe on top of mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump to resign early.

The United States Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged following the two day meeting with Fed chair Jerome Powell emphasizing at the press conference that “the bank is in no hurry to adjust its policy stance, since the US economy remains strong”.

The US Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point, on Thursday, the same week in which Donald Trump was swept in as elected president with a Legislative and Judicial branch packed with his conservative populists.

The Unites States Federal Reserve on Wednesday, following on a two day meeting (July 30/31) kept the key interest rate unchanged at a 23 year high of 5,3%, but chairman Jerome Powell said that the stage was set for the central bank's first rate cut in four years. With lower inflation and a cooler jobs market, this could happen at the next FOMC meeting in September.

From December 2023 to February 2024, the Falkland Islands Environment Department held a public consultation on the draft Energy Strategy and Implementation Plan. In total, 57 surveys were returned, and further comments were collected through public meetings and sessions with Stakeholders in Stanley and West Falkland.

The United States kept interest rates unchanged, given a lack of further progress toward lowering inflation. This means the Fed rate at 5,25% and 5,5% is at the highest level in more than two decades.

In a week in which the United States was surprised by an increase in inflation further delaying prospects of a soon cut in the Federal Reserve's rate cut, the European Central Bank held interest rates at a record high, although as usual signaling it could cut interest rates at its next meeting in June.

Despite an encouraging Personal Consumption Expenditure Index, PCE, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell repeated on Sunday that the U.S. central bank isn’t in any rush to cut interest rates as policymakers await more evidence that inflation is contained.