What the papers say - July 24, 2007

The floods which have devastated central and western England in the past four days are the worst in modern times, the Environment Agency has confirmed - and the waters are still rising. The swollen rivers Severn and Thames are not expected to reach their peak for a further 24 hours, although they have already put large swaths of town and countryside under water - The Times, Telegraph​, Daily Express, The Mirror, The Sun, Guardian​

Gordon Brown is to review Britain's 24-hour licensing laws, which critics claim have led to an increase in binge drinking. The Prime Minister, who has already blocked supercasinos and is considering a higher classification for cannabis, told his first monthly press conference at Downing Street that the change in the law had prompted very strong views and it was right to look at the evidence - The Times, Telegraph​, Guardian​

Nissan Motor Company, the Japanese carmaker, said that it would begin preliminary testing of a new onboard breathalyser, which will disable the car ignition if the driver's alcohol level exceeds determined limits - The Times​

As many as one in 10 children drink alcohol in their final year of primary school, figures show. In a survey of almost 70,000 young people, it is claimed that drinking is rife among children aged as young as 10 and 11. By the time children hit 12 or 13 that figure doubles - with almost one in five classed as "drinkers". The study, by the Schools Health Education Unit, said under-age girls were more likely to get drunk than boys - The Telegraph​

Short-term telephone counselling can help alcohol-dependent men to cut their drinking, says a Wisconsin University study. The study of nearly 900 problem drinkers in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research (August) says the intervention works with alcohol-dependent patients who otherwise refuse to get treatment - The Times​

It will take 200 years for women to close the "power gap" in Parliament, the Equal Opportunities Commission's final ever report says today. Women still lag "generations behind" men in pay and pensions - Daily Mirror​