Unilever plans to acquire Dollar Shave Club in the US in a deal worth about $1bn (€905m), gaining a firmer foothold in the burgeoning market for male grooming products and opening up a new front in its battle against Procter & Gamble.

Katie Taylor is living the dream. The lightweight boxing champion now has Rio firmly in her sights after qualifying for the games at the World Championships in Kazakhstan last month. “It’s a dream come true, everyone knows how much the Olympic Games mean to me and to have a chance to defend my title is an absolute honour,” she said shortly after the game-changing fight.

Redundancy costs at the main Irish arm of consumer healthcare giant, Procter & Gamble last year contributed to pre-tax profits decreasing by 9% to €11.8m.

Duracell, the maker of gold and black batteries made famous by its bunny adverts, has been snapped up by billionaire US investor Warren Buffett.

Cavan people’s reputation for being overly frugal has been challenged by a survey that reveals Dublin is the most "value-conscious" county in the Republic.

The main Irish arm of consumer healthcare giant, Procter & Gamble almost doubled pre-tax profits to €13m last year, as revenues increased to €92.17m.

There is absolutely no doubt Rob Heffernan’s superb gold medal in the World Athletics Championships has propelled him to a whole new level in terms of public awareness and marketing appeal. This is, after all, our first gold medal since the great Sonia O’Sullivan’s victory in 1995.

Procter & Gamble, whose chief executive is under pressure from activist investor Bill Ackman, raised its 2013 profit forecast and posted quarterly earnings that beat analysts’ estimates after gaining market share in key categories.

Cork mother of three Laura Guerin, who lost her left hand in an army training accident five years ago, is SuperValu’s Supermum 2012.

Preparations are under way to welcome back an Irish Paralympic team that raised the bar of expectation here and across the sporting world.

Winning gold was a family affair for Team Ireland runner Michael McKillop when his mother presented him with his medal in a historic moment at the Paralympics.

A few weeks ago we got in touch with David Quinn of the Iona Institute, well-known commentator on religious affairs.

Twenty four hours after winning an Olympic gold medal life has already begun to change for boxer Katie Taylor.

Katie Taylor can expect a massive financial windfall on the back of her Olympic gold medal success yesterday.

A surge in hiring last month got a big welcome on Wall Street today.

Consumer goods giant Unilever has reported an 8.4% rise in first-quarter sales, helped by price hikes and emerging market growth.

PROCTER & Gamble, the world’s largest consumer-products company, reported first-quarter profit that matched analysts’ estimates as price increases and gains in emerging markets helped sales top projections.

A new study has revealed that three quarters of mothers feel work pressure takes them away from their children and home.

The giant company whose pioneering sponsorship of TV gave the world the phrase “soap opera” will soon be out of daytime shows, it emerged today.

Miners pushed the FTSE 100 Index into reverse today as sentiment remained poor on both sides of the Atlantic.

BT announced today they have signed a five-year contract with Procter & Gamble to provide and manage an integrated portfolio of services in support of P&G's information technology requirements.

Wall Street has ended a wobbly session with mixed results today as concerns about the financial sector eroded enthusiasm over a decline in oil prices and a report that signalled modest growth in the service economy.

Wall Street pulled back today as investors uneasy after a drop in consumer confidence traded cautiously ahead of the Federal Reserve’s rate decision.

PROCTER & Gamble Co is paying chief executive AG Lafley $27.7 million (€20.28m) as he oversees the lay-off of 280 Irish workers.

The Enterprise Ireland open innovation in the food industry seminar took place in Cork yesterday.

US investors put their interest rate worries on hold and sent stocks higher on Wall Street today after strong earnings reports from Time Warner and Procter & Gamble restored some of the market’s flagging confidence.

US stocks closed modestly lower today as the latest batch of upbeat economic data made investors uneasy about more interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

Hair care brands Finesse and Aqua Net were today added to the portfolio of beauty products owned by the fifth-richest Asian family in the UK.

A BIO-TECH campus company based in Cork signed a lucrative worldwide deal with a multi-national drugs giant yesterday giving it a slice of a €16 billion global market.

Better-than-expected consumer confidence numbers and a drop in oil prices sent stocks higher today – extending Wall Street’s November rally in light pre-holiday trading.

Wall Street ended a erratic quarter with a modest advance today as falling oil prices helped ease concerns about a weakening consumer environment following hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Wall Street finished an uninspired session mixed today as a new record high in oil prices was partly offset by a better-than-expected reading of the nation’s industrial activity and strong sales at Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Disappointing growth in the gross domestic product in the United States pushed stocks lower today even as investors welcomed a US$57bn (€43.7bn)merger between Procter & Gamble and Gillette.

Procter & Gamble is buying razor and battery maker Gillette for about $57bn (€43.7bn) in a stock deal that would create the world’s largest stable of consumer products, the companies have announced.

Investors struggled past concerns over a potential terror strike on New York targets, including Wall Street, today, sending stocks modestly higher.

PROCTER & GAMBLE Co yesterday moved a step closer to becoming the first company with a drug on the market to treat sexual dysfunction in women after releasing data from a late-stage clinical trial that backs up previous findings.

Stocks tumbled today for the third straight session as investors, increasingly adopting a defensive strategy, bailed out of technology and other higher-risk shares.

Consumer products company Procter and Gamble (P&G) today announced a 22% jump in its second-quarter profits to $1.82bn (€1.44bn), led by lower manufacturing costs and the acquisition of hair-care giant Wella.

PROCTER & GAMBLE said yesterday quarterly profit rose 5% as products like an overnight tooth whitener and the weak dollar helped boost sales.

Pringles-to-Pampers group Procter & Gamble indicated today it could sell controversial drink Sunny D after revealing it intends to explore “alternative options” for ownership.

Proctor & Gamble has paid compensation to Unilever after spying into its hair care business. The total payout is believed to be around £6m.

Coca-Cola and the consumer products group Procter & Gamble have set up a new juice and snack company.