What the Sunday papers said

Whitbread shares are off their peak of £12.94, reached in March this year, and the upbeat trading statement revealed at last week's AGM, plus the potential to sell its non-core pub restaurants from up to £500m, means the current price of around £11.25 looks like a buying opportunity. - Sunday Telegraph​

Mill House Inns has emerged as a surprise contender for Whitbread's 250 Brewer's Fayre and Beefeater outlets. First round bids were tabled last Friday. Punch Taverns, Mitchells & Butlers and Enterprise Inns are believed to be interested in buying the sites. - Sunday Telegraph​

Following news that the smoking ban could be extended to people who smoke outside, as well as those in pubs, clubs and restaurants, Lord Warner, the health minister, will have the support of a vociferous health lobby that feels itself unchallengeable. The extension of the legislation will save no lives at all, since 95 per cent of smoking-related deaths are occasioned by smoking in the home. - Rod Liddle, Sunday Times​

German chancellor Angela Merkel has suggested for the first time that the country needs a ban on smoking in public places. German media has reported that a draft law for a smoking ban in public places could be ready as early as the autumn. - The Business​

Blackwood Distillers, based in the Shetland Islands, is poised to launch what is believed to be the world's first online whiskey futures trading platform. Established by a team of New York hedge fund managers in conjunction with Blackwood, the platform will allow traders and customers to buy and sell options on the whiskey produced in the group's facility on the island of Unst. - Sunday Telegraph​

Gordon Stewart-Wetzel opened a Bavarian-style bar in Glasgow complete with litre glasses for the sake of authenticity, only to be told by trading standards' officials that it was illegal to sell beer in anything other than imperial measure, namely pints and halves. To appease the wrath of Britan being steadily metricated, Brussels allowed a number of measures could be retained, namely pints for milk and beer, and miles on road signs. A similar case involving another German-themed bar owner was settled when it was agreed pint glasses would be made available if customers wished to use them. It is not known if Mr Stewart-Wetzel is taking this option yet. - Sunday Telegraph​