'Pub groups try to head off probe into tie-ups'

Pub companies are stepping up their efforts to head off a competition investigation into the tied arrangement that is at the heart of their business model. Enterprise Inns, the UK's second-largest pub landlord, is ready to fund a new tenant support group and representative body to help licensees air their concerns. Other pub groups are examining ways to make the leased-and-tenanted model more flexible, offering deals that would not oblige tenants to buy beer directly from landlords - Financial Times​

Setanta came close to falling into administration this morning, but the embattled sports broadcaster was able to negotiate last minute breathing space to ensure it would survive in the short term. The reprieve, however, was not due to the emergence of a rescue plan, and Setanta remains on the verge of collapse as shareholders battle over whether the loss-making business could be made viable - The Times​

Thirty-four thousand jobs in the NI pub industry could be at risk, a survey of publicans has suggested. One in 20 pubs expect to close by the end of 2009, the Federation of the Retail Licensed Trade has said - BBC​

The number of under-25s treated for alcohol, cocaine, cannabis and Ecstasy problems went up 44 per cent last year according to a Manchester University study - The Sun​

Shocking new figures today reveal that smoking costs the NHS more than £5bn a year - five times the current accepted figure. Experts found that disease and disability directly linked to smoking place a "huge burden" on the Health Service, draining 5.5 per cent of the NHS budget - The Mirror​

Shop sales fell back last month in spite of growing optimism that the recession may be coming to an end, with retailers reporting that market conditions remain "extremely challenging," the British Retail Consortium reports today - The Guardian​