What the Sunday papers said…

Passions are running high over proposals to relax the UK's archaic drinking laws, with the drinks industry on one side, consumer groups, the medical profession and the police on another and the government in the middle - Business​

Two-thirds of Britain's pubs and clubs (35,000) are expected to exploit new licensing laws and stay open into the early hours, leaked Whitehall documents reveal - Sunday Times​

'You pick up the 24-hour drinks bill' screamed the front page of yesterday's Daily Mail​, excoriating the government for promoting excessive drinking. The same front page carried a special offer: buy one bottle of wine, get a second free - Observer​

The drinks industry has reacted angrily to the rise in licensing fees and threat of a levy on 'alcohol disorder zones' announced by the government yesterday in its attempt to head off attacks on the liberalisation of drinking hours - Financial Times​

Ireland relaxed its pub licensing laws in 2000 only to tighten them again in 2003 amid concern over the increase in binge and underage drinking - Financial Times​

Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries has told shareholders that it is still on the lookout for new deals despite having just completed a £120m acquisition - Financial Times​

Nichols, the soft drinks group, is buying soft drinks brand Panda from Dorset-based brewer Hall & Woodhouse for £5.2m cash - Financial Times​

Shareholders in InterContinental, the hotel group that split from Mitchells & Butlers in April 2003, could receive a further £1bn windfall payout after the sale of more hotels from the portfolio - Mail on Sunday​

Drinks group Diageo is looking for new stockbrokers, which could end its eight-year relationship with Merrill Lynch and Cazenove - Financial Times​

Australian wine group Southcorp warned its shareholders to reject an A$3.11bn (£1.4bn) hostile offer from Foster's saying the bid fundamentally undervalued the company - Financial Times​

SAB Miller and InBev are among brewers courting the £6bn South American brewing company Empresarial Bavaria as companies look to grow their share of the Latin market - Sunday Times​