Finance News Update, what you need to know THE Australian dollar is firmer despite the Reserve Bank governor telling a business dinner that interest rates are likely to stay at record lows for some years. At 0630 AEDT on Wednesday, the local currency was trading at 87.29 US cents, up from 87.19 cents on Tuesday. And the Australian share market looks set to open higher following gains on Wall Street and European markets after data showed German investor confidence had returned for the first time this year. At 0645 AEST on Wednesday, the December share price index futures contract was up 16 points at 5,430. ELSEWHERE: TOKYO - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he is calling a snap election and delaying an expected sales tax rise after figures showed Japan was in recession. CARACAS - Venezuela has called for a meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC countries to address the slide in oil prices, which is adding to the woes facing President Nicolas Maduro's cash-strapped government. WASHINGTON - US home builders' confidence rebounded in November as both sales expectations and buyer traffic improved. BUENOS AIRES - Cash-strapped Argentina has added more than $US500 million ($A541 million) to its foreign currency reserves by activating a currency swap agreement with China. JAKARTA - Indonesia's central bank has raised interest rates for the first time in a year in anticipation of surging inflation after the new government increased the price of subsidised fuel by over 30 per cent. HELSINKI - Spotify, the world's largest online music streaming service, plans to boost its staff numbers by a third, its co-founder and chief executive says. NEW YORK - Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ has been fined $US315 million ($A341 million) for pressuring a consultant to water down a report on transactions with sanctioned countries. COPENHAGEN - Danish brewer Carlsberg says it will take a majority stake in Greece's Olympic Brewery, the country's third largest player, giving it a market share of 29 per cent. LONDON - Rising passenger numbers and a lid on costs have helped to lift profits at Easyjet during the past year, the British no-frills airline says. ATLANTA - Home Depot's third-quarter profit rose 14 per cent as comparable-store sales climbed in the US, suggesting that a huge data breach has not shaken the faith of its customers. HELSINKI - Finnish telecom equipment group Nokia has announced an unexpected return to mobile devices with a tablet aimed at the Chinese market.