Business week in pictures

The business secretary, Vince Cable, used his speech at the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool to launch an attack on capitalism. Cable's approach, that 'capitalism takes no prisoners and kills competition where it can' came in for scorn and derision from City figures, who called Cable a 'rabble-rouser' and his comments 'cretinous' Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

The merger of United and Continental airlines in a multibillion-dollar deal has created the world's largest airline, and one with a forecast annual revenue of $30bn Photograph: Tannen Maury/EPA

A gold ingot from Kinross gold mine, South Africa. As worries about the global economy persist, investors continue to put their faith in precious metal. The price of spot gold reached a new record of $1,282 (£820) an ounce and Goldman Sachs predicted further rises Photograph: Brooks Kraft/Sygma/Corbis

Drillers watch monitors on the drilling floor as drill pipes are removed after cement was pumped to seal the source of the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion. BP has finally shut off the well that ruptured on 20 April causing the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico, which created the worst oil spill in US history Photograph: Gerald Herbert/AP

Superdry, the fashion label owned by SuperGroup and known for its hoodies and polo shirts, recorded a 60% jump in sales over the summer months – flying in the face of gloomy market predictions Photograph: Linda Nylind for The Guardian

Havana's seafront boulevard El Malecon. Following a delegation to the country this week, UK firms have started talks with the Cuban government over the prospect of buying land for tourism and energy projects. Cuba's government, led by Raúl Castro, has promised economic reforms and last month approved a law allowing foreign investors 99-year land leases Photograph: Desmond Boylan/Reuters

The chancellor's plans to cut the budget deficit have received the backing of ratings agency Moody's, which opted to maintain its AAA rating for the UK. The agency said that it believes the economy is strong enough to withstand austerity measures Photograph: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The week in banking has been dominated by departures, resignations and threats to quit. Lloyds Banking Group announced that chief executive Eric Daniels is to stand down in a year's time ... Photograph: Heathcliff O'Malley/Rex Features

...and HSBC lost its chief executive, Michael Geoghegan in a brutal boardroom power struggle over who would become the next chairman Photograph: Mike Clarke/AFP/Getty Images

... and Italian bank Unicredit ousted Alessandro Profumo in a row over Libyan state shareholding in the group Photograph: Giuseppe Aresu/Bloomberg via Getty Images

With inflation pushing up debt interest payments, the UK's public sector borrowing hit a record deficit for August – at £15.9bn. Britain's flagging finances have helped to create a dispirited business climate but while analysts found the figures less than encouraging, they did note that the government is still on track to achieve its forecast for this year Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

Lord Shanakill, second right, ridden by Tom Queally wins the 15.25 Betfair Cup at Goodwood in July. The world's biggest online sports betting company, Betfair, outlined ambitious expansion plans. This includes a flutter on flotation through a £1.5bn listing on the London stock market. The firm is also looking to expand in Europe, Australia and the US Photograph: Paul Harding/Action Images

Cairn Energy, the Scottish oil producer founded by former Scottish rugby international Sir Bill Gammell, has found oil in the untouched waters of Baffin Bay off the coast of Greenland. The exploration group became the FTSE 100's second biggest riser of the day on news of the find Photograph: Cairn Energy

The average savings shortfall for each British worker amounts to £10,000 a year, according to a report by the insurer Aviva. The report also notes that for many people over the age of 50 the gap will be impossible to close Photograph: Shaun Curry/AFP/Getty Images

An art installation of Monopoly houses and hotels by Irish contemporary artist Fergal McCarthy floats on the river Liffey in Dublin, designed to highlight the troubled housing market in Ireland. Meanwhile, the CBI has cut its forecast for UK economic growth in 2011 from 2.5% back to 2% and has warned that the coalition's dramatic plans to reduce public deficit threaten to harm the country's economic prospects Photograph: Cathal McNaughton/Reuters

The long-mooted merger of British Airways and Spanish carrier Iberia looks likely to be completed by the end of the year as the last major obstacle to the deal was removed – with the Spanish airline approving a new funding plan for BA's multibillion-pound pension deficit. The merger will create the world's third-largest airline Photograph: Denis Doyle/Bloomberg via Getty Images