The FDA's breakthrough tag is given to certain medical devices that provide treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening conditions
world1 hour ago
The move followed a rate cut by China’s central bank and new stimulus measures by the Bank of England as global financial authorities seek to shore up a slowing global economy.
European leaders last week agreed on new steps to strengthen market confidence in their shared euro currency bloc. They set up a single banking supervisor to keep bank bailouts from bankrupting countries and made it easier for troubled countries to get bailout help.
Those steps helped calm financial markets, which have expected the ECB to follow up with more help in the form of a rate cut.
The cut in the refinancing rate could mean lower borrowing costs for banks, businesses and consumers. The rate is what banks pay the ECB for loans and through them influences many other rates in the economy. In theory cheap borrowing makes it easier for businesses and people to decide to spend, but some economists say it may have little effect since interest rates are already very low.
The ECB also cut its overnight deposit rate — what it charges banks for depositing their money with the ECB overnight — to zero. That encourages banks to lend to one another rather than stash it with the ECB. However, cutting the rate to zero does not eliminate the reason banks are often reluctant to lend to each other: fear that other banks may become insolvent and not pay the money back.
Lending activity has remained weak because businesses are not asking for credit because of the slow economy and out of fear that the eurozone may suffer a further financial calamity. Concerns remain that bankrupt Greece could eventually leave the euro, causing more turmoil, or that Spain and Italy could need bailouts that would strain the resources of donor countries.
The ECB move comes as central banks around the globe remain under pressure to take more action to support growth, even after expending much of their monetary ammunition already by slashing interest rates and increasing the supply of money in their economies. The Bank of England also added more stimulus Thursday, deciding to purchase another 50 billion pounds in securities to increase the money supply in the UK economy.
China’s central bank earlier in the day cut interest rates for the second time in a month to shore up its economy, the second-largest in the world.
The FDA's breakthrough tag is given to certain medical devices that provide treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening conditions
world1 hour ago
The full calendar of DSF events will be unveiled soon
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CFIUS extends timeline to review Nippon Steel's US Steel bid
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US vice-president stresses a two-state solution and Middle East stability in a way that does not empower Iran
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John has been influential in reinforcing Dubai’s status as a global trade hub
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Among those wounded was Iran's ambassador to Lebanon Mojtaba Amani
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Raheem Ali will also be head of partnerships
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