At present, just over a third of Londoners of all ages are reckoned to be non-white - but the new figures indicate that this share will grow substantially in the future. They also point to the way recent waves of immigration have made a bigger impact on London than other parts of the country.

The analysis from the Office for National Statistics said that in the West Midlands, the second most multi-racial area of the country after London, just 19 per cent of children and teenagers are non-white. The figures were disclosed in Whitehall's annual Regional Trends report. They drew warnings from migration experts that politicians are taking a risk by ignoring the changing nature of cities and suburbs.

Sir Andrew Green of the Migrationwatch think-tank said: 'THIS ILLUSTRATES THE MASSIVE CHANGE THAT IS TAKING PLACE TO OUR SOCIETY AT A RAPID PACE AND WITHOUT THE INDIGENOUS POPULATION EVER BEING CONSULTED. It is high time that the political class took their heads out of the clouds and responded to the very strong public opinion that wants to bring immigration under control.'

Off China's coast, a US destroyer was tailing a North Korean ship suspected of transporting illicit weapons to Myanmar in what could be the first test of UN sanctions passed to punish the nation for an underground nuclear test last month. The new UN Security Council resolution requires member states to seek permission to inspect suspicious cargo. North Korea has said it would consider interception a declaration of war and on Wednesday accused the US of seeking to provoke another Korean War.

"IF THE US IMPERIALISTS START ANOTHER WAR, THE ARMY AND PEOPLE OF KOREA WILL… WIPE OUT THE AGGRESSORS ON THE GLOBE ONCE AND FOR ALL," the official Korean Central News Agency said. The warning came on the eve of the 59th anniversary of the start of the three-year Korean War, which ended in a truce in 1953, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula in a state of war.

The US has 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect against an outbreak of hostilities. Tensions have been high since North Korea launched a long-range rocket in April and then conducted its second underground atomic test on May 25.

The government says there is no need for panic, and that heavy rains in July are likely to avert a drought. A heat wave is sweeping the country and rains are delayed in many parts. Rains usually last from June to September. "It [the monsoon] is late," federal minister Prithviraj Chavan told reporters. North-west India appeared to be worst affected by the slow rains with only 81% rains forecast.

MONSOON RAINS ARE CRITICAL TO INDIA'S FARM PROSPECTS, WHICH ACCOUNT FOR A SIXTH OF ECONOMIC OUTPUT. Up to 70% of Indians are dependent on farm incomes, and about 60% of India's farms depend on rains. Irrigation networks are dismissed by critics as inadequate. The summer rains are crucial to crops such as rice, soybean, sugarcane and cotton. The Indian media has been full of reports about the patchy rains so far.

Economists agree that the delay will cause further stress in a country where food prices are already high. "The delay is not a good signal. FOOD PRICES ARE ALREADY HIGH AND ANY DELAY COULD PUSH FOOD PRICES HIGHER. Food price inflation could emerge as a concern," said DK Joshi, principal economist at credit ratings agency Crisil. Politicians in many states are holding special prayers for the rains - the farm minister in central Chhattisgarh state held a prayer for the state to get rains soon.

Mr Fayyad accused Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to bypass Israel's commitments in a recent speech. Mr Netanyahu backed a demilitarised Palestinian state, but said IT MUST RECOGNISE ISRAEL AS A JEWISH STATE. "I call on all our people to unite around the project of establishing a state and to strengthen its institutions... so that the Palestinian state becomes, by the end of next year or within two years at most, a reality," said Mr Fayyad.

He was critical of the lack of emphasis on the 2003 "Road Map" peace agreement, in which Israel agreed to halt settlement activity as part of a staged process towards the establishment of a Palestinian state. NO PREVIOUS PEACE AGREEMENTS HAVE MENTIONED THE RECOGNITION OF ISRAEL AS A SPECIFICALLY JEWISH STATE - something the Palestinians see as giving up what they see as the right of Palestinian refugees to return to Israel.

Speaking at al-Quds University in East Jerusalem, he stressed that the eastern side of the city "will be our eternal capital for our independent state". This was a direct counter claim to Mr Netanyahu, who said the city, "Israel's capital" would remain "united". Mr Netanyahu had been under heavy pressure from the administration of US President Barack Obama to back a two-state solution and stop settlement activity.

The ICE said efforts had been made to counter terrorism threats. But the potential effects of climate change and system failures were not being taken seriously enough, it added. The ICE took evidence from more than 70 sources, including regulators, agencies and service providers, and concluded that work to improve utility networks was "piecemeal".

It said when the Atomic Weapons Establishment site at Burghfield, Berkshire, flooded in 2007 all its radiation detection alarms were disabled. Chief author of the report, Alan Stilwell, said: "It was only down to luck that the flood waters didn't lead to the spread of radioactive material that could have affected thousands of people and left the area near the factory uninhabitable for centuries." The ICE said in the same year 350,000 people were left without water for 17 days when Mythe water treatment works in Gloucestershire flooded, while the Ulley reservoir near Rotherham came close to breaching and threatened the M1 motorway.

And last year hundreds of thousands of people were hit by electricity blackouts when Sizewell B nuclear reactor in Suffolk and Longannet coal-fired power station in Fife unexpectedly broke down within minutes of each other. Mr Stilwell said: "WE SHOULD BE UNDER NO ILLUSIONS, THERE ARE DANGEROUS WEAKNESSES IN OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITIES NETWORKS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. Well-defended critical infrastructure is central to the security and stability of the nation. We must work now to fortify our networks, or pay the economic, social and environmental price in the future."

The al-Shabab group has carried out amputations, floggings and an execution in the port of Kismayo but such punishments are rare in the capital. Al-Shabab and its allies control much of southern Somalia and are battling the UN-backed government. Hundreds of residents attended the hearing in north Mogadishu. Armed al-Shabab militants were on guard, while the accused were chained around their ankles.

The punishments already carried out in Kismayo have shocked many Somalis, who traditionally practise a more tolerant form of Islam. The transitional government says that al-Shabab has links to al-Qaeda and has brought hundreds of foreign fighters to Somalia.

President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a moderate Islamist, has declared a state of emergency and has appealed to Somalia's neighbours to send troops to help fight the hardliners.

Violence erupted after protesters claimed the elections were rigged. Iran has also said it is "reviewing" whether to downgrade relations with the UK, as diplomatic tensions increase. The UK has moved to expel two Iranian diplomats in response to Tehran's decision to order two UK diplomats to leave Iran, following allegations UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown called "absolutely without foundation".

The British prime minister's spokesman said Downing Street was monitoring the situation. "Iran's decision to try to turn what are clearly internal matters for Iran into a conflict with the UK and others is deeply regrettable and without foundation," he said. Severe reporting restrictions placed on the BBC and other foreign media in Iran mean reports from the country cannot be verified independently.

Amid the restrictions, Western media outlets reported that 25 journalists and other staff at a newspaper owned by Mr Mousavi had been arrested.

The fiscal deficit is expected to rise to 14 per cent of economic output in 2010, compared to an average of 8.75 per cent in the 30 most developed markets, it says in a report. The OECD warned that "public finances have deteriorated sharply" since the beginning of the recession and called on the UK to continue to develop "a strong and credible" framework for reducing the ratio of debt to output.

"To improve stability, the government should continue to develop a concrete and comprehensive plan to ensure that debt is on a declining path once recovery takes hold," the OECD said. The organisation said the state of the UK's balance sheet meant the possibility of extra stimulus to the economy was curtailed. Ireland, the US and Spain are all expected to have fiscal deficits above the average figure next year, the report said.

It also said the UK economy was likely to recover "only mildly" in 2010, with any return to health dependent on an upturn in the housing market and credit availability.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) "reports that LOCUST SWARMS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED IN SEVEN REGIONS IN THE COUNTRY, including in areas where there is no previous record of infestation," a statement said. "The government is expected to present a response plan specifying immediate and medium-term actions to be taken during the week," OCHA said.

It added that 1,390 hectares of land in several regions, mainly in southeastern Ethiopia had been sprayed in ground and air operations. The vast majority of Ethiopia's 77 million inhabitants depend on subsistence agriculture and have been badly hit by successive infestations of voracious locusts that destroy every plant in their path.

He replied saying: "We had polls in different European countries and the question was 'would you prefer a national army or a European army?' and the outcome was about two-thirds for a European army. In Germany it's quite clear, WE DON'T WANT THE USE OF HUMANITARIAN FORCE UNILATERALLY, ONLY TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNERS."

When asked about potential British opposition to such an army, he said "We have to have respect for this, it's quite clear. But the United Kingdom, it's a pity but it's the truth, has never been in the lead of European integration. GERMANY HAS TO BE IN THE LEAD OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION... the general direction is undisputed in Germany... No major party has ever tried to get support by a eurosceptic general direction."

A new book, compiled by Stanley Feldman, a professor of anaesthetics at London University, and Vincent Marks, a former professor of clinical biochemistry and dean of medicine at the University of Surrey, are questioning the end of the world and healthy eating tips. Writing in The Daily Mail, the pair discuss "Global Warming And Other --------: The Truth About All Those Science Scare Stories", where they examine the "facts" behind global warming, the future of polar bears and chef Jamie Oliver's nemesis, Turkey Twizzlers.

THE SUN IS BEHIND GLOBAL WARMING. Rather than man-made CO2 being responsible for global warming, they argue that there is evidence it is caused in part by the increase in the intensity of the Sun's heat.

CO2 LEVELS - Although the level of CO2 is higher today (0.038 per cent of the atmosphere) than the "pre-industrial" level (0.02 per cent), carbon dioxide levels have often been as much as 10 times higher than they are today.

POLAR BEARS AND PENGUINS ARE NOT DYING OUT - Most populations of polar bear are doing well. Despite the melting in the Arctic ice cap, numbers have more than doubled since 1950. They are also good swimmers. Although some Antarctic penguin colonies are decreasing in size, their numbers are also steady.

THE GULF STREAM IS NOT UNDER THREAT - The Gulf Stream is as strong as ever, and getting warmer. There is no evidence to suggest the Arctic ice melting is pushing it further south.

THE MALDIVES ARE NOT SINKING - Maldives property owners are so confident the sea is receding, they are building a number of upmarket seafront hotels. Tuvalu in the Pacific, often seen as being most at risk of flooding, has actually seen a fall in sea levels.

GLOBAL WARMING MIGHT BE GOOD FOR US - Warmer climate and an increase in CO2 could be good for farming and agriculture. Less severe winters will also allow more crops to be grown.

TURKEY TWIZZLERS ARE FINE - It is made of recovered turkey meat and provides the same amino acids as normal turkey breast.

THERE IS NO NEED TO CUT BACK ON SALT - Salt is an essential food. We need salt to control our body temperature through sweating. Exercise in a person with low salt can cause overheating, and in extreme cases, death.

WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSES HEART DISEASE - Many people with high cholesterol do not get heart disease. Many people with very low levels do. It may have more to do with cultural variations. Indeed, populations with a diet high in saturated fat, such as the Inuit or Siberian hunter-gatherers, have some of the lowest cholesterol.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered additional protection for Hawaii as a precaution, though experts say North Korea doesn't yet have a ballistic missile that can reach Hawaii and has not mastered mounting a nuclear bomb on a long-range missile.

Still, North Korea declared itself a "proud nuclear power" and warned it will strike if provoked. "IT WOULD BE A GRAVE MISTAKE FOR THE US TO THINK IT CAN REMAIN UNHURT IF IT IGNITES THE FUSE OF WAR ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA," the country's main newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, said in a commentary. The US, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, has said it has no such intentions.

Obama assured Americans that "this administration, and our military, is fully prepared for any contingencies." His interview with CBS News' "The Early Show" was taped Friday for broadcast Monday. "I don't want to speculate on hypotheticals," Obama told CBS. "But I want... to give assurances to the American people that the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted in terms of what might happen."

Security forces were deployed in the capital to prevent further demonstrations after hundreds of thousands of Iranians took to the streets in more than a week of rallies. At least 17 people have been killed in the worst internal violence in the oil-producing nation of 66 million since the shah was overthrown in 1979.

Former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi, the main challenger in the disputed June 12 election won by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, urged his supporters to continue peaceful protests. Another of the three defeated presidential candidates, former Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karrubi, yesterday called for a ceremony June 25 in memory of those killed in the protests.

The Revolutionary Guards, who answer directly to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and act as a counterweight to the Iranian army, warned the protesters to halt their activity.

Mexico issued a hurricane warning for the Pacific coast from just south of Manzanillo north to near Puerto Vallarta. To the south, officials in Acapulco prepared 120 shelters and warned residents to stay indoors, especially some 15,000 people in zones most at risk for flooding. Heavy rains late Sunday knocked down a few trees in the resort city. Forecasters said Andres was likely to brush the coast at hurricane strength around the port city of Manzanillo on Tuesday. Forecast models showed its center later pushing up the coast near towns such as Barra de Navidad that are home to some American and Canadian expatriates.

At Barra de Navidad, northwest of Manzanillo, Agapito Garcia Martinez, security manager at the Grand Bay Hotel-Isla Navidad Resort, said Monday that hotel staff were preparing, like taking in beach furniture and protecting hotel windows, but had not yet been advised by authorities to do so.

Late Sunday, ANDRES BECAME THE FIRST NAMED STORM OF THE EASTERN PACIFIC HURRICANE SEASON, which began May 15 and ends November 30 and is typically busiest between July and September. The US National Hurricane Center said Andres was centered about 125 miles (200 kilometers) south-southeast of Manzanillo at 2 am PDT (5 am EDT; 0900 GMT) Tuesday, and it had sustained winds near 70 mph (110 kph), with higher gusts.

Only about two years ago, scientists began to seriously suspect pets were transmitting the bacteria. In the July edition of THE LANCET INFECTIOUS DISEASES, Richard Oehler of the University of South Florida College of Medicine and colleagues lay out the latest thinking on MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and pets. THE INFECTIONS CAN BE TRANSMITTED BY ANIMAL BITES and most threaten young children, the researchers note.

"As community-acquired strains of MRSA increase in prevalence, a growing body of clinical evidence has documented MRSA colonization in domestic animals, often implying direct acquisition of S aureus infection from their human owners," they write. "MRSA colonization has been documented in companion animals such as horses, dogs, and cats, and these animals have been viewed as potential reservoirs of infection." Dog and cat bites make up about 1 percent of emergency room visits in the United States.

Severe infections can occur in about 20 percent of all cases, the researchers state, and are caused by Pasteurella, Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, and Capnocytophaga bacteria from the animal's mouth, plus possibly other pathogens from the human's skin. "Proper treatment of dog and cat bites should involve treatment of the immediate injury (whether superficial or deep) and then management of the risk of acute infection, including washing with high pressure saline if possible, and antibiotics in selected cases," the researchers suggest.