Australia | Brewers, publicans and other representatives of the country’s alcohol industry are calling on the government for the beer tax increase to either be scrapped or for the tariff to be frozen at its current level.

Australia | A sophisticated foreign state-based hacker is believed to be behind the current attacks on Australian governments and businesses. Among them was the country’s number two brewer Lion.

Australia | After China hit Australian barley exports with a tariff of up to 80 percent on 11 May 2020, the agriculture minister, David Littleproud, declared “there is no trade war”.

India | The world’s number one drinks company, Diageo, is rumoured to be exploring options to delist its Indian arm, United Spirits, by buying out minority shareholders.

Japan | Japanese brewer Asahi reported a 45 percent decline in first quarter 2020 operating profit, as the covid-19 pandemic forced bars and restaurants in its major markets to shut, hurting its sales.

Australia | The Foreign Investment Review Board, on 7 May 2020, gave its final approval to Asahi’s AUD 16 billion (USD 10.5 billion) bid for Carlton & United (CUB).

Australia | Major brewers Lion and CUB each announced in April 2020 that they are donating resealable bottles to pubs across the country to assist pubs in selling draught beer in a takeaway format.

Australia | Pubs and bars could be shut far longer than in the rest of the world. As social distancing remains a key measure in the battle against covid-19, some health experts have called for pubs and bars to be the last to reopen.

Australia | What has taken the competition authority ACCC so long? More than eight months after the deal’s announcement, the ACCC gave Asahi the go-ahead to take over the country’s leading brewer CUB from AB-InBev.

Australia | Observers have been baffled by the whole process of getting Asahi’s takeover of Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) okayed by the authorities. The USD 11.3 billion deal with AB-InBev was announced in July 2019 and only in April 2020 did the competition watchdog relent.