'Loss-making Mitchells & Butlers wants to become a REIT'

Mitchells & Butlers has reported a first-half net loss of £87 million. The owners of O'Neill's and Browns said it plans to split its property into a real estate investment trust (REIT) following a strategy review - Bloomberg​

Critics have hit out at the £10m 'Know Your Limits' ad campaign which launched last night, claiming the ads target social drinkers who already consume alcohol sensibly. Matthew Sinclair of the Taxpayers' Alliance said: "It's throwing tax money down the drain" - Daily Star​

Locally brewed liquor killed 59 people in southern India at the weekend, after police shut bars during elections. Shops and bars are regularly shut during elections to stop politicians buying votes with alcohol - The Guardian​

Custom officials intercepted 43,000 shipments of pirated products at the EU's frontiers, up from 37,000 successful cases the year before last. Cigarettes remain the top money-maker for counterfeiters, accounting for more than a third of products seized last year - The Times​

James Bond fans take note - scientists, Professor Charles Spence and Dr Andrea Sella will share the secrets of the perfect vodka martini (and other cocktails) at the Cheltenham Science Festival on June 4 - The Telegraph​