Planet Business

QUOTE OF THE WEEK"What people earn in China is not big money, but what I do condemn is that then retailers all across Europe take those products in and make a huge killing. At least what I'm going to do is say, look, I'm buying cheap, but I'm going to pass them on cheap." -  Businessman Ben Dunne

Dunne says he "can do nothing" about wages in China, but with the promise of men's dinner suits on sale for an ethically unnerving €40-€50, his new online retail venture can undercut the prices his siblings charge at Dunnes Stores.

THE NUMBERS

446 million

Number of €500 banknotes floating around Europe's vaults, mattresses and shoeboxes. The purple-hued notes have a total value of €223 billion - one third of the value of all euro banknotes in circulation - prompting concern that they are more likely to be found in criminals' wallets than the kitties of legitimate businesses.

$25,000

Sum collected each month in online advertising revenues on Scrabulous, the hugely popular web version of word game Scrabble, by its creators, Calcutta brothers Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla.

GOODWEEK

Porsche

Soon cries of "my other heavy goods vehicle's a Porsche" will be heard on hard shoulders and in motorway service stations all across Europe, as the sportscar maker was given the all-clear to take a controlling stake in fellow German manufacturer Volkswagen, which in turn is buying up two-thirds of Swedish truck maker Scania. The deals will give the Porsche an €150 billion automotive empire, with brands including Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini sitting alongside the Porsche 911.

Gaz guzzlers

After 2006's debt dispute standoff, Gazprom versus Ukraine: Part 2 turned out to be a damp squib of a sequel, despite the Russian gas monopoly's move to cut supply by 25 per cent on Monday and another 25 per cent on Tuesday. By Wednesday the energy giant, whose chairman Dmitry Medvedev has just won the Russian presidential election, agreed to restore full supplies to its neighbouring state, thus averting any possibility that supplies to the rest of Europe will be hit.

BADWEEK

Lara Croft

The digitally endowed heroine won't be embarking on any new adventures until the final three months of 2008, after SCI Entertainment, the owner of the Tomb Raider games, announced losses of €105 million for the second half of 2007 and delayed future game releases, saying quality had "slipped below acceptable standards" - an admission of failure that would probably elicit little sympathy from every nerd's favourite sex symbol.

Easter

For centuries, it has followed a controversial lunisolar calendar, falling on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox. But the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus anytime between March 22nd and April 25th would be swept away if the Irish Hotels Federation had its way, with president Matthew Ryan declaring dismay that this year the feast is so disruptively close to St Patrick's Day. But on the bright side, the egg-fest won't fall so early again until 2160.