Young people are cutting back on binge-drinking as the Government's health message gets across, new statistics show. The number of women between 18 and 24 boozing more than once a week has dropped by more than a quarter over the last five years. And men of the same age have cut their drinking by 13 per cent, research by market analysts Mintel has revealed - The Sun
Middle-aged Britons are knocking back more alcohol than young binge-drinkers as they turn to powerful New World wines and premium beers. Forty per cent of those aged 45 to 64 are drinking on between three and seven days a week, almost double the level of those aged 18 to 24 - Daily Mail
A quiet lunch in a countryside pub was yesterday named the best thing about a British holiday. It beat more traditional holiday activities such as donkey rides and amusement arcades in a poll of 7,800 people by Tourism West Midlands. Eating fish and chips was second - Mirror
Diageo, the international drinks giant, reported today that it had met the City's forecasts with an annual increase in profits of 7 per cent, but cut its growth targets for the coming year in light of "challenging" market conditions - The Times
Lending to UK companies by the main high street banks contracted sharply last month as large corporations sought alternatives to funding from banks and demand for loans fell, but medium-sized businesses were still struggling to access finance - FT
Lloyds Banking Group, which booked £13billion in writedowns in its first-half results, is feeling further pain from the toxic legacy of former HBOS executive Peter Cummings. It has emerged that Cummings lent a massive £855million to fund an acquisition spree by Admiral Taverns, which hoovered up thousands of neighbourhood pubs and is now in danger of collapse - Daily Mail