While speaking with foreign reporters, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dropped the strongest hint to date that he might be returning as president in 2012. "Me and Dmitry Medvedev (current Russian President - ed), we are of the same kind. We'll sit down and decide who will run for President in 2012," said Putin.

President Medvedev did not comment on Putin's interview. However, he made a statement which seems much more crucial to the Russians than the distant-future presidential elections: Medvedev ordered the government to put a limit on the size of beer bottles to 0.3-liter. At the moment beer in Russia is sold in 0.3 to 1-liter bottles and 2 to 5-liter kegs. By limiting the size of the bottles, the government is trying to limit beer consumption by making it physically harder to carry large volumes of beer: one can easily transport two 5-liter kegs, yet it is hard to imagine one or even three thirsty gentlemen casually carrying 33 beer bottles. The ban on large beer bottles is a part of the larger effort to decrease levels of alcohol consumption in Russia, which, to tell the truth, is still mind-blowing.

Unsurprisingly, the beer news dominated the Russian media landscape this week. Even less surprisingly, Putin-for-President news was largely ignored by news media because it's not really news: In a national poll taken several months ago, more than 15% of Russians are sure that the current President of Russia is none other than Vladimir Putin. (His presidential term ended in 2008.)

Putin drops hint that he will seek another term as president [Financial Times]