Former US First Lady Michelle Obama’s best-selling autobiography helped boost revenue last year at German media giant Bertelsmann to the highest in more than a decade.

The EU is on course to hand dozens of UK-based companies a pre-Brexit tax bombshell, via a state-aid probe that could lead to bills exceeding £1bn (€1.1bn).

The FTSE 100 backed down from Thursday's record highs as the pound rebounded on reports that the EU was working on proposals for a post-Brexit trade deal with Britain.

Louise Kennedy, 34, from Co Wicklow, has a degree in history and politics as well as veterinary science and underwent a mandatory English proficiency test in Australia in order to seek permanent residency there.

Louise Kennedy, 34, from Co Wicklow, has a degree in history and politics as well as veterinary science and underwent a mandatory English proficiency test in Australia in order to seek permanent residency there.

Pearson is set to raise $1bn (€877m) from the sale of a 22% stake in Penguin Random House to majority owner Bertelsmann, in the British group’s latest bid to rebuild following a string of profit warnings.

The crisis engulfing Pearson deepened after the education company cut its profit forecast and predicted years of gloom in the US market, forcing it to slash its dividend and put its stake in the famous Penguin Random House book business up for sale to raise cash.

SATs tests for 11-year-olds in England are being sabotaged in an "active campaign" by individuals opposed to British Government reforms, it has been suggested.

Britain’s Pearson group yesterday agreed to sell its 50% stake in the Economist Group for £469 million (€656m), in a deal which makes Italy’s Agnelli family the largest investor in the weekly publication.

British publishing group, Pearson is in talks to sell its 50% stake in The Economist to the other shareholders of the weekly newspaper, with one, Italy’s Agnelli family, confirming it wants to increase its stake.

Pearson PLC, the owner of the Financial Times, has agreed to sell FT Group to Nikkei Inc. for £844 million (€1.2 billion).

Pearson plc is exploring a sale of the Financial Times after receiving interest from potential buyers, sources said.

UK fashion retailers set the pace on the London market after Next cheered investors with better-than-expected trading and a turnaround in the fortunes of its high street stores.

Random House and Penguin Group have completed a planned merger which creates the world’s largest publisher of consumer books.

The owners of business newspaper the Financial Times have denied they are planning a billion-dollar sale.

Founded by Allen Lane in 1935, Penguin sparked a paperback revolution that gave contemporary fiction to the masses.

Britain’s Pearson and Germany’s Bertelsmann are to merge their publishing units, Penguin and Random House, to recover ground lost to technology groups.

HarperCollins owner News Corporation is reportedly readying a £1bn (€1.24bn) offer for Penguin in an attempt to scupper plans for a new publishing giant.

Apple and four major publishers have offered to let retailers such as Amazon sell e-books at a discount to settle an EU competition investigation into their pricing deals and avoid possible fines.

There was no “sound and fury” on European markets today despite the loss of France’s gold-plated AAA credit rating and speculation over Greece’s future in the eurozone.

Penguin books and Financial Times publisher Pearson said it was more optimistic about prospects for the rest of the year today after seeing further strong growth from digital businesses and developing markets.

London’s blue chip market broke through the 6,000 mark for the first time in more than a month today as its run of gains continued despite falls in the banking sector.

The banking sector dragged on the London market today after HSBC posted annual results which fell below market expectations.

Record-breaking sales of Jamie Oliver’s latest cook book have helped UK publisher Penguin to its best financial performance.

Surprising UK growth figures sent the pound soaring today, but the news failed to offset falls on the FTSE 100 Index.

The FTSE 100 Index climbed higher today as mining stocks benefited from a weakened dollar after a meeting of G20 finance chiefs failed to offer any specific measures to strengthen the greenback.

World markets climbed higher today after G20 finance chiefs pledged to avoid a currency war, lifting investors’ confidence in the economic recovery.

Miners drove a rally for the FTSE 100 Index today after G20 finance chiefs vowed to avoid a currency war that could derail the economic recovery.

AMERICA’S first lady Michelle Obama has been named the world’s most powerful woman.

The FTSE 100 Index was dragged lower by commodity stocks today as results from blue-chip miner Eurasian Natural Resources fuelled fears over the recovery.

Mining firms led the FTSE 100 Index lower by midday today as the takeover buzz in the sector fizzled out in London and metal prices dipped.

Embattled oil major BP soared 5% today as investors cheered the prospect of a change at the top ahead of Tony Hayward's expected departure.

The FTSE 100 Index roared almost 3% ahead today as investors looking for bargains in the mining sector pushed the market higher.

The FTSE 100 Index edged lower in an sluggish session today despite rumours over funding plans from beleaguered oil giant BP sparking some interest.

Shares in BP and Marks & Spencer jumped by more than 2% today as the blue-chip pair overcame a lacklustre session for the wider London market.

Worries over the eurozone recovery held back the FTSE 100 Index from adding to 22-month highs today.

Jamie Oliver has created his own school cooking course in a new bid to improve the health of the UK's teenagers, it was announced today.

The FTSE 100 Index climbed to its highest level in more than a month today despite heavy falls for Prudential and HSBC.

Prudential’s £23.5bn (€26bn) swoop for the Asian arm of stricken US insurer AIG sent shares in the firm slumping 12% today.

Barclays and Sainsbury’s grabbed the spotlight in a lacklustre session today after Qatari investors cashed in £1.3bn (€1.4bn) of share options in the bank.

Miners led the FTSE 100 Index higher today as traders awaited crucial US jobless figures.

ONLY 3% of executive directors at the UK’s top 350 companies are women, a study into boardroom equality revealed yesterday.

The London market extended its winning streak to an eleventh day today after a late climb into the black.

The London market was making little headway today as top-flight stocks sought a record-equalling eleventh winning session in a row.

The UK government’s second bank bail-out failed to reassure investors today as potential record losses at Royal Bank of Scotland sparked heavy falls across the sector.

The FTSE 100 Index broke a week-long losing streak today as takeover talk in the property sector and early advances for US markets lifted blue-chip stocks.

A 10% rise in profits for the UK’s biggest bank today failed to stave off a downbeat beginning to the week for the FTSE 100 Index.