An alcohol substitute that gives the drinker the pleasant feelings of tipsiness without an unpleasant hangover, is being developed by researchers.The team, led by drugs expert Professor David Nutt, has developed the drink using chemicals related to the sedative Valium. It works on the nerves in a similar way to alcohol causing feelings of well-being and relaxation - Daily Mail
Breweries yesterday admitted they were struggling to deliver beer supplies in Scotland during the big freeze. Locals even had to form a human chain in sub-zero temperatures to rescue 150 kegs of beer from a lorry after it slid off a road in a blizzard. Last night, First Minister Alex Salmond said Scotland was now in the grip of the worst winter in almost 50 years - Daily Record
A cross-party group of MPs issued Alistair Darling with a stinging rebuke on Wednesday for a lack of clarity in his plans to bring down government borrowing. Insisting greater transparency was essential to ensuring that the public and financial markets trusted the government's deficit- reduction strategy, the Labour-dominated Commons Treasury committee called for the chancellor and the Treasury to publish immediately their projections for departmental spending over the next parliament - Financial Times
Britain froze to a halt in -15C blizzards yesterday - and another dollop of snow will pile on the misery today. The North was hit by 10in of snow, bringing chaos to travel, schools and businesses. Up to 16in of snow is due in the South today as the Arctic freeze spreads. Weatherman Stephen Davenport warned: "This might be one of the coldest winters for 100 years." - The Mirror