Saturday's papers

Quite simply it was a deluge of biblical proportions.

The full and devastating impact of England’s worst recorded day of rain was still emerging last night as tributes were paid to a policeman swept away by floodwaters while trying to save others

says the Times adding

The rainfall, on to an already saturated terrain, was the highest level measured in England since records began. Meteorologists recorded 314mm (12in) of rain in 24 hours and flood warnings remained in place across the North West of England,

The downpour was caused by a wet, warm air system blown across the Atlantic, which sat over Cumbria for 24 hours and brought the equivalent of nearly two months' rain in a single day. Although its intensity cannot on its own be ascribed to climate change, it is consistent with predictions of what a warmer world will mean for Britain. says the Independent

Whilst the Sun pays tribute to the policeman who died

A HERO cop was swept to his death yesterday as raging flood- waters smashed down a bridge.
Dad-of-four PC Bill Barker, 44, was hurled into the swirling River Derwent as he directed vehicles in Workington, Cumbria.

His wife Hazel said: "How do you put into words how you feel about somebody you are so proud of?
"Bill was my best friend, my forever friend, and an amazing dad. Even when he was exhausted from work, he would always take time out for the kids.

adds the Telegraph

The Mail leads with news from the coast of Somalia

With an assault rifle pointed at her head, this was the dramatic moment the British woman kidnapped by Somali pirates pleaded for her life last night

. reports the paper

Surrounded by their captors, Rachel Chandler warned that she and her husband Paul could be killed within days.
She said the kidnappers were ‘losing patience’ and urged the British Government to open talks on a ransom.

The Chandlers said their captors had told them that a terrorist cell was looking for them and that they could "sleepwalk to a tragic end"

.adds the Guardian

It leads with the story that The Afghan government could fall within weeks if Nato pulled out troops now,

David Miliband warned today as he urged British opponents of the war to give the fight to rebuild the country more time.

In an interview with the paper at the end of a visit to Kabul for the presidential inauguration of Hamid Karzai,

the foreign secretary said: "If international forces leave, you can choose a time – five minutes, 24 hours or seven days – but the insurgent forces will overrun those forces that are prepared to put up resistance and we would be back to square one."

Meanwhile the Telegraph reports that,British forces will pull out of Germany for good, nearly 70 years after the Allied victory in World War Two, as part of a Tory defence "revolution" being drawn up by Dr Liam Fox.

The Shadow Defence Secretary told The Daily Telegraph that ending Britain’s 25,000 strong military presence on the Rhine would be part of a fundamental reorganisation of Nato forces designed to free troops for military operations outside Europe.

According to the Times,claims that British soldiers tortured and murdered up to 20 prisoners after a battle with Iraqi insurgents are to be scrutinised at a public inquiry.

There is still much debate about Thursday's choices for EU leaders

Limp waves of polite puzzlement circled the globe yesterday as leaders adjusted to the news that the much ballyhooed EU President would be a mild-mannered, competent manager rather than a charismatic new "face" for Europe. says the Independent

The Guardian meanwhile says that Tony Blair warned Gordon Brown a week ago that his campaign to become the first president of the European Council was doomed after a decisive intervention by the German chancellor Angela Merkel, according to senior Whitehall sources.

Daul Kim, a South Korean supermodel who starred in a string of high-profile fashion campaigns, has been found dead at her luxury flat in Paris.

Her death was discovered after she left a series of messages on a website saying she was "lonely" and "depressed". reports the Telegraph

Credit card firms are pushing up interest rates by as much as 7 per cent ahead of Christmas.says the Mail

The move by Capital One means some customers will be paying almost 40 per cent interest on their Christmas gifts and January sale purchases unless they clear the balance on their cards.

Doctors in Wales have discovered a Tamiflu-resistant strain of swine flu that has been spreading from patient to patient in a Cardiff hospital.

The emergence of an easily transmissible, resistant strain is a worrying development for health officials and appears to be the first documented case in Europe

.says the Guardian

Pope Benedict XVI will today greet Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, for the first time since the Vatican announced the creation of a canonical structure to receive groups of Anglican converts en masse.says the Independent

Finally the Mail reports on the strange case of the Marmite thief who is shaven headed, of medium height - and might just betray an extremely pungent breath.

The raider has targeted a 24-hour petrol station four times in a month, each time clearing out its stock of the spread.
One day, when he left two jars behind, he came back for them the next night. In total, he stole 18 of the £2.79 jars over the month.
He has proven so persistent that station manager Jim Keary has stopped stocking the product.