'Beer to be classified as alcohol for first time in Russia'

Beer is to be legally classified as an alcoholic drink in Russia for the first time as the Kremlin forges ahead with the toughest anti-alcohol campaign since the fall of the Soviet Union. The beverage is technically classified as a foodstuff for now, an anomaly that has allowed producers to avoid a sweeping new crackdown on alcohol advertising and night-time sales - Daily Telegraph ​

Guy Ritchie has caved to local pressure by withdrawing a licence application to play live music at his Mayfair pub. The director submitted an application to council bosses to put on gigs at The Punch Bowl from midday to 11.30pm on Sundays and 10am to midnight during the rest of the week. Westminster Council's licensing sub-committee was due to hear the application yesterday. But the 42-year-old withdrew his application after residents complained about the plans - Evening Standard ​

Every pound spent on helping teenagers cope with drug and alcohol problems saves the taxpayer up to £8 over a lifetime, economists have said. A total of £62.2 million was spent on treating teenagers who misuse substances in 2008/09, but the combination of short and long-term benefits will lead to savings of between £290 million and £522 million, according to the study by Frontier Economics - Press Association ​

Furious Kings Cross campaigners hope to cause "as much embarrassment" as possible to the owners ploughing ahead with turning the gay bar into a gastro pub. Drinkers at the 137-year-old boozer are set to meet to discuss last-ditch tactics to keep the pub gay - including picking holes in Mitchells and Butlers' planning application to change the drinking den. Campaign organiser Layton "Percy" Jones said: "We feel let down by the brewery. We want to cause them as much embarrassment as we can. "It is a backward step to close a gay venue." - WalesOnline​