Heineken, the Dutch brewer, secured its position as a global brewer this morning after announcing the €5.3bn (£4.8bn) acquisition of the beer operations of Femsa, the Mexican drinks and retail group behind the Sol and Dos Equis beer brands. The deal, which comes two years after Heineken teamed up with Carlsberg to swallow Scottish & Newcastle (S&N), follows the withdrawal of SABMiller, long seen as the favourite in the auction, amid concerns over the Mexican brewer's loss-making Brazilian business - The Times
Youngsters in Scottish pubs must remain under the watchful eye of their parents - even if that means taking them to the loo. The barmy rule makes boys as old as 15 use the ladies' toilets in licensed premises just so mothers can accompany them. Traders were afraid ignoring the "ridiculous" regulation might land them with a fine - The Mirror
Guy Ritchie is to open his own brewery, according to reports. Ritchie already owns a pub and is planning to expand his empire Madonna's 41-year-old ex-husband is said to have registered a number of brand names for his beers - including Bitta Ritchie - Sky
The board of pub group Mitchells & Butlers is this week expected to offer surprise backing to some of the four men put up for election as non-executive directors by rebel investor Joe Lewis at a shareholder meeting this month. The first sign of an olive branch being offered by M&B to it's largest shareholder could come in an announcement . It follows a bitter falling out last month when four directors — two of them Lewis appointees — were ousted amid allegations of misconduct and shareholder plots - The Guardian
Bigots who belt out sectarian songs of hate in pubs could face a football stadium ban. Community safety minister Fergus Ewing wants sheriffs to bar more fans who commit football-related crimes away from grounds - such as chanting sectarian abuse in pubs during and after matches - Daily Record
A tentative recovery in Britain's financial services sector will fizzle out soon, posing fresh questions about a revival in the wider economy, according to the CBI. In its latest quarterly survey, which is published today, the employers' group says that banks, building societies, dealers and other financial institutions are at their most pessimistic since December 2008, when the UK was in the grip of a banking crisis - The Times
Supermarkets were stripped of essentials yesterday as families stocked up ahead of another predicted freeze. Bread, milk and salt to treat frozen pathways were among the staples being grabbed despite a slight rise in temperatures. Forecasters have warned that more snow is on the way, and that temperatures will plunge again towards the end of this week - Daily Mail