Week in pictures

Copies of floral dresses and gladiator sandals worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the Sex and the City movie have helped nearly double sales at online fashion retailer Asos Photograph: PA

Bradford & Bingley investors continued to desert the bank despite backing from some of the largest financial institutions in the City for a £400m rescue deal Photograph: David Sillitoe/Guardian

A former IT worker at The Body Shop who short-sold the company's shares after accessing insider information about confidential trading figures has been fined £85,000 Photograph: Jason Alden/Newscast

California has gazumped New Mexico to land the new plant that electric car company Tesla Motors will build to manufacture its upcoming zero emissions sedan, the Model S Photograph: Dan Tuffs/Freelance

Swiss bank sought to rescue its battered reputation with the resignation of four board members in a long-awaited shakeup of its corporate governance Photograph: Gabriel Szabo/Newscast

Shares in the housebuilding sector crashed after Taylor Wimpey shocked the market with the news that it has not managed yet to secure a badly needed £500m cash injection and that it risks breaching its banking covenants next year Photograph: PA

Marks & Spencer shocked the City with a surprise admission that sales of clothing and food have fallen sharply in recent weeks as the economic downturn bites Photograph: David Sillitoe/guardian.co.uk

Chancellor Alistair Darling has warned that the UK must become less dependent on oil by replacing nuclear power stations and investing in renewable energy, as he described the soaring cost of crude - which hit another record high this week - as a 'huge threat' to the economy Photograph: Justin Lane/EPA

Coffee giant Starbucks has reported its first ever quarterly loss but said it will press ahead with its recently announced deal to open 150 Starbucks outlets in the UK and elsewhere in western Europe Photograph: David Parry/Newscast

A small Norwegian community faces cuts to essential services after losing tens of millions through complex sub-prime investments Photograph: Chris Lisle/Corbis