Planet Business

Compiled by Laura Slattery

The Numbers...

32%Percentage fall in the Iseq so far in 2007, with some €33.4 billion wiped off the value of Irish-listed firms since the start of the year.

2.4%Percentage fall this year in the FTSE 100, which is far less reliant on banking and building stocks than the Dublin market.

€2 billionReported cost to the British economy of the England football team's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

Quote of the Week

Scotland isn't going to make anything out of it. The only person who will make anything is Trump. It's all kidology. It's all about the houses - and not affordable housing. Houses for rich people - there are too many of them running the world.

- Scottish salmon farmer Michael Forbes refuses to sell the 23 acres of land he owns and lives on near Aberdeen to tycoon Donald Trump, digging his heels in after Trump criticised the "disgusting" state of his land. A $2.1 billion (€1.4 billion) "elite" golf resort and some 500 homes will still be built in the remote coastal area.

Good Week...

Amazon

The online retailer unveiled Kindle, its first electronic book reader, which holds up to 200 books that can be downloaded through a high-speed wireless connection. But will readers - or Kindlers - soon be curling up in their armchairs for a good Kindle, forming Kindle clubs and Kindling on the beach?

Lonely business travellers

Hospitality Ireland says about 60 per cent of the three, four and five-star hotels it surveyed will recommend the name of a reputable escort agency for a "business associate", give advice on searching for escorts on the internet or, in some cases, offer to arrange a meeting with an escort on behalf of the guest.

Bad Week...

Data privacy

The names, addresses, dates of birth and bank-account details of 25 million British people - the entire child benefit database - were copied on to two discs and lost in the post by the UK's Revenue and Customs office, putting the entire nation on fraud watch and prompting frantic searches down the back of the government's sofas.

Queuing

The ancient art of stoicism while standing in the slowest moving line could be wiped out if others were to follow the British aviation regulator's plan to fine airport operator BAA up to £75 million (€104.3 million) annually if they don't halve the queuing times at Heathrow and Gatwick.