Finance news you need to know today

LEAN Cuisine is among a range of packed foods being recalled in the United States over concerns they may contain small pieces of glass.

Lean Cuisine Creamy Salmon & Dill Pasta - packet.

HERE are ten things happening in business and finance around the world today.

1. SYDNEY — The Australian dollar is lower, after gaining for more than a week, amid a strong euro rally. At 7am AEDT on Friday, the local unit was trading at 74.52 US cents, down from 74.79 US cents on Thursday.

2. SYDNEY — The Australian share market has opened flat after Wall Street sharply into the red in volatile trading after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi signalled an end to further rate cuts. At 10.14am on Friday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 1.1 points, or 0.02 per cent, at 5,149.0, while the broader All Ordinaries index was up 0.2 points, or flat, at 5,211.1.

3. FRANKFURT — The European Central Bank has delved deep into its remaining arsenal of stimulus options, cutting all three of its interest rates and expanding asset-buying to boost the economy and prevent ultra-low inflation becoming entrenched.

4. WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking US unemployment aid fell last week to the lowest level since October, evidence that employers are confident enough in the economy to hold onto their staffs.

5. DUBLIN — Government statisticians say Ireland’s economy grew by a Europe-leading 7.8 per cent in 2015, its fastest rate in 15 years.

6. NEW DELHI — The Indian arm of global consumer giant Unilever has reached a settlement with hundreds of former employees 15 years after its thermometer plant in southern India was shut following accusations of mercury contamination.

7. BERLIN — Volkswagen plans to cut about 3000 office jobs in Germany by the end of 2017 as the carmaker strives to offset the cost of its emissions test-rigging scandal, two sources at the company say.

8. GLENDALE, California — Nestle USA is voluntarily recalling a limited number of DiGiorno, Lean Cuisine and Stouffer’s products because of the possibility they might contain small pieces of glass.

9. SAN FRANCISCO — Apple will hold its spring product launch on March 21, a day before it squares off with the US government over demands for help unlock an encrypted iPhone.

10. SAN FRANCISCO — Google is previewing the next version of its Android operating system two months ahead of schedule in an effort to get the upgraded software on more mobile devices.