Business week in pictures

Rolls-Royce attempted to contain the widening safety crisis over its aero engines after Qantas said it was grounding its fleet of superjumbos for at least another three days. The aerospace group now says it has traced the cause and has started a programme to replace the faulty component Photograph: David Loh/Reuters

Later in the week Rolls-Royce delivered a boost to David Cameron's trade mission to China by announcing a £750m deal to supply and service jet engines for a Chinese airline. The British engineering firm has also been contracted to reduce the carbon emissions of China Eastern Airlines, by 190,000 tonnes in the first year of a fuel management service Photograph: Graham Barclay/Bloomberg News via Getty Images

But business secretary Vince Cablem (left, with George Osborne) appeared to undermine efforts to promote British companies in China after he became embroiled in a row with UK bank chiefs on a trade mission to Beijing. Cable dismissed concerns voiced by the bosses of Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Chartered that a crackdown on bonuses could trigger an exodus of talented staff to Asia Photograph: Adrian Bradshaw/EPA

David Cameron talks with social entrepreneurs in Beijing. Speaking at the start of the G20 Summit in Seoul, the prime minister warned that world leaders must resolve the trade imbalances that are destabilising the global economy or risk a repeat of the Great Depression. Later in the week, the summit ended to a lukewarm reception from critics Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

Statues commemorating the Great Famine in Ireland along the river Liffey by the Irish Financial Services Centre in Dublin. Also at the G20 summit, European commission president José Manuel Barroso said the EU stood ready to ride to Ireland's rescue if needed, after the country's borrowing costs surged to record levels
Photograph: Julien Behal/PA

US President Barack Obama greets the crowd in Mumbai on a diplomatic visit to India where he launched a strong defence of America's latest bout of quantitative easing. Obama argued that stimulating the US economy was in everyone's interests Photograph: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

A Tea Party supporter holds a Sarah Palin book during a rally in Connecticut. Palin, the controversial failed Republican vice-presidential candidate, also entered the debate over the Federal Reserve's $600bn package (£370bn) to revive the moribund US economy Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Oil spill workers continue the process of cleaning tar balls and oil from the beaches of Orange Beach, Alabama. BP and the other companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster were operating under a 'culture of complacency' and need top-to-bottom reform, the head of the presidential investigation into the oil spill said Photograph: Dave Martin/AP

Gartmore, the fund management group, was up for sale after losing a high-profile manager whose departure has illustrated the dangers of the industry's focus on 'stars'. As the shares plunged 15% the group made the stark admission that its flotation 11 months ago could not have taken place without Roger Guy, the 44-year-old fund manager who is leaving after 17 years Photograph: Gartmore/Via Bloomberg News

A branch of Marks Spencer in Hong Kong's Central district. The retailer is to spend £900m shaking up its UK operations and embarking on a fresh expansion overseas. Six months after taking office, chief executive Marc Bolland is unpicking some of the legacy of Sir Stuart Rose, the former executive chairman who leaves the company before the new year Photograph: Alex Hofford/EPA

Sainsbury reported what it called an 'X Factor effect' with strong sales of its premium Taste the Difference range as people saved money by staying in and treating themselves to restaurant-style ready meals. Its chief executive, Justin King, said sales of the Taste the Difference range were sharply up since its September relaunch. 'People are watching the X Factor and other TV shows,' he said. 'But they're eating well while they're doing it' Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

Barclays Bank in Canary Wharf. Barclays has set aside £1.6bn for bonuses – and £640m more for commitments made in prior years – despite a slowdown in the profitability of its investment banking arm in the third quarter. Barclays Capital reported a pre-tax loss of £182m in the third quarter as a result of rules requiring the bank to include the cost of paying its debts in its accounts Photograph: Niall McDiarmid/Alamy

Under a cloud: the Bank of England predicted that inflation in Britain would remain above its target for the whole of next year as the rise in VAT in January and dearer imports affect the cost of living. Mervyn King, the Bank's governor, admitted that inflation continued to exceed Threadneedle Street's expectations, but gave no hint that the nine-strong monetary policy committee was about to raise borrowing costs in response Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images