Compiled by Laura Slattery.

Quote of the Week . . .

"A soft landing is kind of what it's looking like so far."

- In words that will sound (kind of) familiar to Irish homeowners, George W Bush gives a semi-reassuring assessment on the US's recent troubles with subprime mortgages, playing down suggestions that problems in the housing sector could drag the global economy into a downturn.

€47,196Average sum owners are spending on extending their properties, excluding VAT, according to a survey by Onlinetradesmen.com.

22.8 millionNumber of passengers expected to have pushed, shoved and queued their way through Dublin airport by the end of 2007, up from 21.3 million last year.

€1.6 billionValue of funds frozen yesterday by France's biggest bank, BNP Paribas, which blamed the fallout from high-risk US subprime mortgages and falling liquidity. The move sent markets around the world tumbling.

Good Week . . .

Matt DamonThe business magazine Forbes has declared that the star of the Bourne Identity films and The Departedis the Hollywood star who provides the best return on a film studio's investment - making back an average of $29 for each $1 he is paid.

Carlos SlimThe 67-year-old Mexican tycoon is the richest person in the world, beating usual poll-topper Bill Gates into second place in Fortune magazine's rankings.

Mr Slim, who started in property before investing in a stock- broking firm, a bottling company and telecoms, is estimated to have a $59 billion fortune.

Mr Gates has a mere $58 billion.

Bad Week . . .

Bargain huntersDespite an early start to the summer sales in June, retailers were not so generous - or so desperate - in July, according to the new Consumer Price Index. Clothing and footwear prices fell by 8.4 per cent, well below the average 10.2 per cent July drop of recent years, while furniture and household equipment prices fell by less than half their usual amount.

Deutsche TelekomRevenge of the models struck the German phone company, as the smiling star of its billboard campaign for its new high-speed connection service, a lady called Dora, told Bild newspaper she has been waiting three months for her Berlin home to be connected and is going to switch to another provider if it isn't sorted within a week.

Quote of the Week 2 . . .

"You're nobody here at $10 million."

- Gary Kremen, the 43-year-old founder of online dating service Match.com, tells the New York Times that inferiority complexes run unchecked among the "working class millionaires" of Silicon Valley, whose "accidental" fortunes just aren't big enough to curb their workaholicism.