NewsDigest

Five hosts are being taken to the High Court by the Premier League (PL) for allegedly screening foreign satellite football. In a writ, the five are accused of showing games via Arabic channel ART. The PL is also seeking an order forcing them to hand over decoder boxes and smart cards. The pubs are the Pig & Whistle, Abbey Street, Nuneaton; Earls, Earl Street, Maidstone; Kings Head Hotel, Rochester; the Crabtree, Crabtree Lane, Lancing, and London House, Chapel Street, Rugby.

Punch Taverns boss Giles Thorley was the UK's third highest-paid director in 2006, earning £11m, according to a report in The Guardian. The figure equates to combined earnings of 392 tenants earning the average Punch income of £28,000, after the live-in benefit of £8,000 is set aside. Thorley's earnings, the paper said, are most out of line with his employees, equating to 1,147 of his staff.

Marston's Pub Company (MPC) has bought four sites from Rutland Pub Company for £5.5m. They are in rural areas of Rutland, Warwickshire and Lincolnshire. MPC said the sites are known for food, wine and ales, and have bed and breakfast accommodation. The sites are the Marquess of Exeter, Uppingham; Blue Ball Inn, Braunston; Blue Boar Inn, Alcester, and Hare & Hounds, Fulbeck.

London Town, the property developer and pub group, has placed 12 freehold pubs on the market, MA's sister title M&C Report has learnt. The pubs have a combined asking price of £4.3m and are spread across northern England, the Midlands and Scotland. Fleurets is understood to be handling the sale and the pubs are believed to be available individually or as a package.

There's still time to enter the competition to be Hardys Chef of the Year - and win thousands of pounds. To enter, visit www.winhardys.com/chef and submit your recipe, matched with your choice of Hardys wine, and say why you should win. Applications must be submitted by 31 August - so there's no time to lose.