<span style="color: #222222;">US Federal Reserve last night cut the benchmark lending rate for the first time in more than a decade, moving to stimulate the economy. <br />''<br />''The target for the federal funds rate is now 2.0. It was 2.25 per cent earlier. The central bank vowed to "act as appropriate to sustain the expansion." <br />''<br />''However, two officials on the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee opposed the move to provide more stimulus to the economy and dissented in the vote.</span><br />