US Federal Reserve keeps interest rates at 22-year high

WASHINGTON: The US Federal Reserve voted Wednesday to hold interest rates at a

22-year high

for the second straight meeting, as it moves to slow stubborn inflation without damaging the strong economy.
The

Fed

's decision to keep its benchmark lending rate between 5.25 percent and 5.50 percent gives policymakers time to "assess additional information and its implications for monetary policy," the central bank said in a statement.