Heineken has arranged to buy the assets of Globe Pub Company, owned by property entrepreneur Robert Tchenguiz, from receivers for £180m. The money paid by Heineken will be used to repay Globe's debts. The estate of more than 400 pubs is already managed by Scottish & Newcastle, the UK brewer which Heineken bought last year - The Telegraph
The UK's biggest off-licence chain has gone bust - putting more than 6,500 jobs at risk just before Christmas. First Quench, which owns Threshers and Wine Rack, is now in administration.The group runs nearly 1,300 offies in Britain but has suffered from fierce cut-price competition from supermarkets - The Sun
A European ruling against minimum pricing will not affect Scottish Government plans to introduce the. The Advocate General of the European Court issued an opinion last week which rejected the idea of setting a minimum price for tobacco to protect public health. But Mr Salmond told MSPs during First Minister's Questions that the ruling had "nothing to do" with his plans - Herald
Two hundred jobs hang in the balance as one of Ireland's largest pub and nightclub groups fights for its survival. The threat to the 200 jobs in the south east came when the Tweedy Group based in Waterford city was granted examinership at the High Court in Dublin - Irish Independent
Half-term holidaymakers have just two more days to enjoy the Indian Summer before the first storms of autumn batter Britain. Forecasters say the unseasonal mild and sunny weather - which has seen temperatures top 19c (66f) - will continue for much of the country over the next 48 hours. But it will then take a turn for the worse as heavy downpours and gales of up to 60mph lash the country on Saturday night - Daily Mail