Business week in pictures

A man dressed as a leprechaun entertaining tourists in Dublin last week. The week was dominated by talk of Ireland needing an IMF/EU bailout. The chancellor, George Osborne, said the UK was ready to stand behind Ireland 'because we are good neighbours' Photograph: Peter Morrison/AP

The governor of Ireland's central bank Patrick Honohan confirmed that an International Monetary Fund loan worth 'tens of billions' was on its way Photograph: Peter Morrison/AP

And Greece's goal of reducing its gargantuan debt received a fresh blow when the EU statistics agency announced that the country's 2009 budget deficit was much worse than first thought Photograph: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

Before Brits feel too smug, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development slashed its growth forecast for the UK next year, saying the government's deep spending cuts will increase the 'headwinds' facing the economy and 'hamper growth' Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

Majestic Wine said that champagne and fine wines were back on the menu as Britons made the most of dinner parties and evenings at home Photograph: Graham Turner/Guardian

HSBC plans to double the basic pay of hundreds of its top investment bankers in a move that risks inflaming the row about City pay. Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian

Think of it as the long and winding download: after a decade of wrangling the Beatles, their heirs and their record company EMI finally came together to agree to appear on Apple's iTunes Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The government was urged to fund the creation of 100,000 jobs in unemployment blackspots as a report revealed that joblessness in Britain's weakest local economies stands at 18%. Photograph: Martin Argles for the Guardian

The UK's second biggest supermarket chain said it would create 7,500 jobs through new store openings, expansion of its home shopping service and its recent takeover of Danish supermarket Netto in the UK.
Photograph: David Sillitoe for the Guardian

Unemployment in Britain fell unexpectedly last month, suggesting that the labour market may be in better shape than feared Photograph: Shaun Curry/AFP/Getty Images

GlaxoSmithKline is close to securing formal US approval for the first new drug in 50 years to treat the complex autoimmune disease lupus, after experts recommended the release of the treatment despite broad safety concerns. The drug, known as Benlysta, is one of the most important new drugs in Glaxo's pipeline Photograph: Fiona Hanson/PA

Northern Foods, whose best known brands are Fox's biscuits, Goodfella's pizzas and Matthew Walker Christmas puddings, is to merge with rival Greencore of Ireland to create an company that will supply around a third of all ready meals and sandwiches to British supermarkets Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images

EasyJet extended its truce with Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou by announcing its first-ever dividend in a move that could net the airline's largest shareholder around £10m a year. Haji-Ioannou, who controls 37% of easyJet's shares, already stands to make at least £65m over the next 10 years after settling a bitter row over the "easy" brand last month Photograph: Chris Young/Empics