The business week in pictures

In a busy week for festive trading updates from retailers, Sainsbury's beat City forecasts with a record Christmas performance Photograph: Luke Macgregor/guardian.co.uk

.. Majestic Wine reported a sparkling set of results after consumers splashed out on champagne and 'fun bubbles', such as Prosecco Photograph: guardian.co.uk

.. John Lewis and Next celebrated after enjoying stronger-than-expected trading over the Christmas period Photograph: Danny Lawson/guardian.co.uk

... but an anaemic performance by Marks & Spencer's food business took the gloss off the retailer's first quarter of sales growth in two years Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Respected US investor Warren Buffett threw a spanner into Kraft's £10bn bid for UK confectionery group Cadbury when he revealed his investment vehicle, Berkshire Hathaway, would vote against Kraft's plans to take over the firm until he knew what Kraft was planning Photograph: Carlos Barria/guardian.co.uk

The Bank of England Photograph: /guardian.co.uk

The fantasy extravaganza Avatar, starring Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington, is the fastest movie ever to break the billion mark and ranks, already, as the fourth highest grossing film in history Photograph: Everett/guardian.co.uk

The Australian arm of the fast-food chain KFC has been accused of racial insensitivity over a television commercial showing an outnumbered white cricket fan handing out pieces of fried chicken to appease a dancing, drumming and singing group of black West Indian supporter Photograph: guardian.co.uk

The UK car scrappage scheme could not prevent 2009 being the worst year for the motor industry in 14 years – despite another surge in demand for new vehicles last month Photograph: Matt Cardy/guardian.co.uk

And 14m American cars were taken out of action in 2009, 4m more than rolled off the assembly lines and onto the roads, a report from the Earth Policy Institute said. It was the first time more cars were scrapped than sold since the second world war Photograph: Spencer Platt/guardian.co.uk

Almost two-thirds of people in Iceland are expected to vote against repaying a €3.8bn (£3.4bn) debt to Britain and the Netherlands to compensate for the money lost in Icesave accounts, according to a poll Photograph: guardian.co.uk

The Financial Services Authority is to charge Patrick Cryne, founder of NHS software supplier iSoft and part-owner of Barnsley football club, and three other former directors with the criminal offence of conspiracy to make misleading statements Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/guardian.co.uk

The Financial Services Authority is to charge Patrick Cryne, founder of NHS software supplier iSoft and part-owner of Barnsley football club, and three other former directors with the criminal offence of conspiracy to make misleading statements Photograph: Martin Rickett/guardian.co.uk

British Airways boss Willie Walsh warned that the airline industry was mired in its 'worst ever' trading environment, as the carrier announced it was cutting flights and revealed an 88% slump in profits. Walsh confirmed merger talks with Spanish rival Iberia as the industry seeks safety in consolidation Photograph: Tim Ockenden/guardian.co.uk