'Man jailed over fire in busy pub'

A barmaid's husband has been jailed for setting fire to a pub which was packed with regulars on a Saturday evening. Michael Wozencroft, 40, lit petrol inside the Old Cross Inn pub in Rumney, Cardiff, the day after an argument with the landlord. Cardiff Crown Court was told his wife worked at the pub but was not inside at the time of the fire. Wozencroft, from Llanrumney in Cardiff, pleaded guilty to arson and was jailed for two-and-a-half years - BBC​

Civil war broke out in the pub trade once more today as pub companies blamed the Government for the loss of 60,000 industry jobs over the next five years while independent publicans said it is the giant pubcos that are guilty of selling out the traditional British boozer - This is London​

Anheuser-Busch InBev: The world's biggest brewer is reportedly in talks to sell Pivovary Staropramen, its Czech unit, to Heineken for between $250 million and $300 million as it seeks to repay debt related to its $52 billion acquisition of Anheuser-Busch -The Times​

In times of crisis, hitting the bottle is seen by some as an unfailing method of forgetting your troubles.But new industry estimated figures suggest that the recession is actually having a negative effect on the amount of wine we all drink. Consumption during 2008 was down by as much as two percent on the previous year, according to the International Organisation of Vine & Wine - Daily Mail​

Campari: The Italian drinks group is to acquire Wild Turkey, the Kentucky bourbon whiskey, for $575 million ($£392 million) in the latest sign of its ambition to become a global player. It is buying the brand from Pernod Ricard, its French rival, which also announced a €1 billion (£901 million) rights issue as it seeks to pay down debt taken out to fund last year's €5.63 billion purchase of Absolut vodka - The Times​