Finance news you need to know today

HACKERS have stolen $106 million from the Bangladesh central bank’s US account, prompting the nation to seek FBI assistance to track down the cyber crooks.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman who resigned Tuesday gestures as he speaks during a press conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. The head of Bangladesh's central bank resigned on Tuesday, after hackers managed to divert $101 million from the country's account with the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. (AP Photo/ A.M. Ahad)

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

1. SYDNEY — The Australian dollar is slightly lower, but still above 76 US cents.

At 6.30AM on Monday, the local unit was trading at 76.10 US cents, down from 76.41 cents on Friday.

2. SYDNEY — The Australian share market has gotten off to a flat start as investors look to book some profits after gains over the past two weeks.

At 10.46am, S&P/ASX200 index was up 2.7 points, or 0.05 per cent, at 5,185.8 points. The broader All Ordinaries index was up 4.6 points, or 0.09 per cent, at 5,243.9 points.

3. DHAKA — Bangladesh has formally sought assistance from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation to track down the cyber crooks who stole $US81 million ($A105.93 million) from its central bank’s US account.

4. SAO PAULO — Roger Agnelli, the former chief executive officer of Vale SA, the world’s largest iron ore producer, was among seven people killed when a small plane crashed in Brazil.

5. HAVANA — Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has become the first US hotel company to sign a deal with Cuba since the 1959 revolution, announcing a multimillion-dollar investment a day before President Barack Obama is due to visit Havana.

6. WASHINGTON — Sherwin-Williams, which has long claimed to “cover the Earth” with its paints, is buying rival Valspar for about $US9 billion ($A11.83 billion) in a move that it says will expand its reach in Asia and Europe.

7. BEIJING — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has had a rare meeting with China’s propaganda chief, even as Chinese authorities are tightening control over their cyberspace.

8. SANTA ANA, California — US Federal regulators who are suing to block Tribune Publishing Co. from buying the bankrupt Orange County Register and another Southern California newspaper over concerns of a news monopoly hold an “antiquated” understanding of the media market, the company says.

9. HOUSTON — The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the US dropped by four this week to 476, a record low and another sign of continuing price woes in the oil and gas industry.

10. LONDON — Britain’s Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has resigned, citing concerns about the latest round of cuts to benefits announced in a budget update earlier this week.