Business Week - in pictures

Greece's troubles dominated the headlines again. Stock markets rallied as parliament approved the €28bn (£25bn) programme of fresh taxes and cutbacks in principle on Wednesday, in the face of riots and public disorder in Athens. Greek MPs will now vote on an enabling bill giving the government authority to implement the new measures speedily Photograph: Yannis Behrakis/Reuters

Closer to home, the problems on the high street deepened this week. Thorntons announced the closure of up to 180 stores on Tuesday, threatening some 1,000 jobs Photograph: Mykel Nicolaou/Rex Features

Around 390 jobs have been lost at women's fashion chain Jane Norman, with another 740 workers facing an uncertain future. Administrators saved nearly 400 jobs Photograph: PR

Beleaguered Britons are likely to keep their hands in their pockets for at least the next year as high inflation eats into their living standards, the Bank of England governor, Sir Mervyn King, said Photograph: Jason Hawkes/Getty

As the economy continues to founder, so 'two nations' of shoppers have emerged: the mortgaged middle-classes benefiting from low interest rates and packing the aisles of Waitrose, and the lower income households hotfooting it to the 'hard discounters' Lidl and Aldi to save money as food and fuel price inflation bite into their already limited spending power Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian

Ocado, the online grocer, announced a move into profitability and a deal to add a host of authentic French foods such as pate, brie and goat's cheese to its range – but this didn't stop its shares diving below last July's flotation price Photograph: Stuart Clarke/Rex Features

Britain is facing a 'tsunami' of house repossessions as soon as interest rates start to rise, one of the country's leading bankers, Richard Banks, has warned Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian

António Horta-Osório, the new boss of Lloyds Banking Group, was unrepentant on Thursday after announcing 15,000 job cuts at the bailed out bank in an effort to cut costs and return the bank to financial health Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty

Christine Lagarde has become the head of the International Monetary Fund, its board confirmed following a meeting in Washington. The French finance minister is the first woman to hold the post. She takes over from Dominique Strauss-Kahn, beginning her five-year term on 5 July Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/AFP

Marlboro manufacturer Philip Morris International is threatening to sue the Australian government for billions of dollars over its plan to be the first country to introduce plain, brand-free packaging for cigarettes. Cigarette packets will be a drab, olive-green colour that research has shown is unattractive to smokers. The box will also show graphic images depicting the health consequences of smoking on the front and back Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA

Saab has pledged to pay its 3,700 staff after an order from China injected much-needed cash into Swedish Automobile, the parent company of the ailing carmaker. A €13m (£11.6m) deal for more than 500 cars from an unnamed Chinese company is good news for factory employees, who did not get paid last week Photograph: Reuters

One of Britain's most famous seaside attractions, Brighton Pier, has been put up for sale for the first time in more than 25 years. Greta Garbo, Grace Kelly, Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee have all paid a visit, as have more recent celebrities such as the Who and Arctic Monkeys. Two Carry On films, Carry On At Your Convenience and Carry On Girls, were partly shot on location there Photograph: Dave Etheridge-Barnes/Getty Images Europe