Business Diary: Kraft boasts about Easter dominance

Give them top marks for persistence at least. Kraft Foods, the American company that caused such disquiet with its hostile takeover of Cadbury, has published a jaunty little rundown of the way its brands have been dominating Easter the world over. The idea was presumably to generate some goodwill, though revealing that you've bought Easter does rather confirm the prejudices some people have about big business. Still, Cadbury fans will be pleased to hear creme eggs are popular from here to Canada.

Rogers still wary of the dollar

Jim Rogers, the former commodities trader and fund manager, is famously bearish about Western economies. So much so he moved to Asia in order to take advantage of what he thought would be much better opportunities. Still, the dollar has fallen in value so sharply that he hasn't been able to resist a little punt, he confessed to CNBC, if a little tetchily. "I own it," he says. "That doesn't mean it's attractive. I'm scared to death. I'm watching – if it doesn't rally soon, then it's gonna be breaking down and I'm gonna have to get a bailout too."

Krugman sees no television heroes

Poor old Paul Krugman. The American economist is feted all over the world for his academic prowess and has a formidable following, particularly among those who worry that the current vogue for deficit reduction above all other economic priorities is dangerous. They even gave him a Nobel Prize for Economics. Still, it's not enough for Krugman. His blog complains: "There are no TV series about heroic economists." Sounds like it's time someone pitched one Paul.

HMRC on car boot sale alert

Planning on picking up a bargain at a bank holiday car boot sale? If so, keep an eye out for Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. HMRC is on high alert because today is hugely popular for car boot sales, which have become a favourite place for criminals to get shot of smuggled and often counterfeit cigarettes and alcohol. If it looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is, warns HMRC. And if you take the risk anyway, don't be too surprised if you get a tap on the shoulder on the way back to your car.

businessdiary@independent.co.uk