'Thousands of pubs will close unless they get Budget concessions'

"Thousands more pubs will shut unless they get help in next month's Budget, a new report warns. A freeze on beer duty and cut in business rates are needed to help stem the closures - currently running at 39 a week. The report, by the influential Institute for Public Policy Research, also calls for a price minimum on alcohol to stop supermarkets offering big discounts." - Sunday Mirror​

"A derelict three-storey pub is thought to be the nerve centre for a possible anarchist attack on the City of London later this week when 20 of the world's leaders gather in the capital. Set in the heart of one of ­London's trendiest districts, Shoreditch, the building has been hijacked as a squat by leaders of an international anti-capitalist movement determined to cause chaos during the crucial G20 conference." - Sunday Express​

"Locals sick of seeing their favourite shops, pubs and petrol stations fall victim to the credit crunch are fighting back - with amazing success. Villagers are clubbing together to save struggling businesses or even reopen those that have already closed. The British Beer and Pub Association welcomed such local initiatives. A spokesman said: 'It's great to see much-loved pubs saved. These locals are at the heart of every community and often the only place where people of all ages can be together." But the spokesman warned: 'With up to six pubs closing every day it will take more than these brave efforts to turn the tide.'" - Sunday People​

"Violence flared up inside The Bridge House, a Wetherspoon pub on Bedford Street near Belfast city centre on Saturday afternoon, between fans of Poland and Northern Ireland football teams ahead of the day's World Cup qualifier. A police spokeswoman said there was considerable damage to the pub interior after fighting broke out inside the bar at around 2.30pm. The pub had to be closed following the trouble, she added. A spokesman for Wetherspoon said he understood that the trouble started following an argument between a Polish fan and a local man. He said the damage caused could run into thousands of pounds." - Observer​

"Beer is clearly the drink for troubled times, and it's easy to see why. It tastes good, provides the best value of all drinks in terms of fluid for your buck, and is at its best in pubs, where, regardless of employment status or prospects, you can sit all day and the heat and lighting come free. That's why the pubs of the City of London and other economically sensitive spots are as rammed as ever - global collapse or not." - Richard Brass, writing in the Sunday Times​