Business week in pictures

Changes are afoot at the world's largest hotel brand. Holiday Inn's 3,300 properties across the globe are getting a $1bn (£600m) facelift, officially launched in New York last week. Battling ruthless mid-market competition, Holiday Inn is sharpening its act with a swish new logo, revamped public spaces, landscaping, better bedding and even a standardised scents Photograph: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Britain's budget deficit widened to a record £16bn last month, £6bn worse than in August last year and worse than the City had expected, official data shows. The news came as the chancellor, Alistair Darling, begins talks with his cabinet colleagues to discuss areas in which public spending may be cut Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

The International Monetary Fund has approved a sale of 403 tonnes of gold reserves, in a move likely to raise $13bn of cash to replenish its coffers for lending to low-income countries hit by the global economic downturn Photograph: Bazuki Muhammad/Reuters

Europe's space industry has been waiting for what seems like light years to learn who will scoop £2bn worth of contracts in what is one of the world's biggest space projects. But at last there is about to be lift-off Photograph: Gerard Cerles/AFP

The big names of the organic food and farming business are launching a bid to reverse their sales, which have tumbled during the recession. Organic food firms including Green & Blacks, Rachel's and Yeo Valley are holding a summit in the City of London to launch a campaign with the goal of boosting organic sales by 50%, or £1bn Photograph: Graeme Robertson

The tax authorities are investigating Lloyds Banking Group after evidence emerged that the bank, kept alive by £17bn of taxpayers' money, encourages wealthy customers to avoid tax by channelling money through China Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Europe

Birmingham's Bullring shopping centre and its futuristic Selfridge's store, pictured, has become the cornerstone of the city's shopping district. Its partial sale this week marked a turning point in the fortunes of a battered property sector Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP

The CBI gave Gordon Brown a boost, predicting that Britain should emerge from recession by the end of the year. As the prime minister prepares to rally his party at next week's Labour conference, the business lobby group has forecast the UK will emerge from the worst recession in decades by the end of this month as consumers rush to the shops ahead of January's VAT increase Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

Enron the play, which is enjoying a hugely successful transfer to the Royal Court Theatre in London, shows how the Texan energy giant moved from a model of the future to a bankrupt disaster with debts of $38bn. It could all be dry as dust, but Guardian critic Michael Billington said the pulse and vigour of play and production stem from their ability to make complex financial ideas understandable Photograph: Tristram Kenton