Finance news you need to know today

AIRBNB is offering free accommodation to refugees and others barred from entering the US due to Donald Trump’s immigration curbs.

HERE are nine things making news in business and finance today.

1. SYDNEY — The Australian dollar is slightly higher against the US dollar. The local currency was trading at 75.52 US cents at 0700 AEDT on Tuesday, from 75.49 on Monday.

2. SYDNEY — The Australian market looks set to open lower, following the lead of overseas bourse which have fallen sharply after US President Donald Trump’s travel ban. At 0700 AEDT on Tuesday, the share price futures index was down 12 points at 5,5591.

3. LONDON — Shares have fallen in Europe and Asia and the US dollar has dipped against the yen after immigration curbs introduced by Donald Trump added an extra layer of uncertainty to the economic impact of the new US president’s policies.

4. MOUNTAIN VIEW, California — Google has created a crisis fund that could raise up to $US4 million for four immigrant rights organisations.

5. NEW YORK — Home-sharing website Airbnb is offering free accommodation to refugees and others barred from entering the United States due to President Donald Trump’s immigration curbs.

6. BERLIN — Germany’s current account surplus is expected to have hit a new record of $US297 billion ($A393 billion) in 2016, overtaking that of China again to become the world’s largest, the Munich-based Ifo economic institute says.

7. LONDON — Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she will judge whether Scotland’s voice is going to be heard in the Brexit process before Article 50 is triggered, warning that “time is running out” to reach a compromise with the UK Government.

8. MADRID — Spain’s economy grew 3.2 per cent in 2016, just shy of government estimations, the National Statistics Institute (INE) says.

9. TOKYO — German carmaker Volkswagen sold more vehicles globally than Japanese rival Toyota in 2016, taking the crown as the world’s largest carmaker for the first time.