  We briefly discuss the status of the NNLL QCD calculations in the inclusive
rare B decay $B \to X_s \ell^+ \ell^-$. Two important ingredients, the two-loop
matrix elements of the four quark operator ${\cal O}_2$ and the bremsstrahlung
contributions, were quite recently finalised. The new contributions
significantly improve the sensitivity of the inclusive decay $B \to X_s l^+
l^-$ decay in testing extensions of the standard model in the sector of flavour
dynamics; for instance the two-loop calculation cuts the low- scale uncertainty
in half and the bremsstrahlung calculation leads to a 10% shift of the position
of the zero of the forward- backward asymmetry.
