75 per cent young adults in India deeply religious

Three out of four young adults in India and other developing countries pray at least once a day, says a new international study, overturning popular perception that youngsters are not as religious as their parents or grandparents.

The comparative study conducted by German non profit organisation Bertelsmann Foundation surveyed 21,000 individuals across 21 countries including India and found that teenagers and young adults are much more religious than is commonly assumed.

According to the study, the perception that young people are less religious than their parents and grandparents is typically Western European and does not correspond to the reality worldwide.

Young adults in developing countries and Islamic states are no less religious than other adults, reveals the study. In Morocco, around 99 per cent believe in God and life after death. In Brazil, Turkey and Nigeria this figure is 90 percent, and in Israel, Indonesia and Italy it is 80 percent.

"The assumption that religious belief is dwindling continuously from generation to generation is clearly refuted by our worldwide surveys even in many industrialised nations," says Dr. Martin Rieger, project leader of the Bertelsmann Foundations Religion Monitor.

Revealing contradictory trends, the study says worldwide more than four out of five young adults (85 per cent) are religious and almost half (44 per cent) are deeply religious and only 13 per cent have no appreciation for God or faith in general. PTI

12 Most unusual building designs

This building is designed by the prestigious architect from Barcelona Enric Miralles and by Benedetta Tagliabue, who won the call for ideas for the Gas Natural Group's new head office. The proposal by the EMBT studio is characterised by a spectacular 20-storey glass tower which, given its sinuous, modern architecture has already become a landmark on the skyline of Barcelona.

A horizontal building projects out of the tower between the 5th and 10th storeys, lending the building a strong personality and which from an architectural point of view enables the skyscraper to integrate into the entire complex and the surrounding city.

















Kunsthaus - Graz (Graz Art Museum) was built as part of the European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2003 and has since become an architectural landmark in Graz, Austria.
Its unusual architecture differs radically from conventional buildings, many of which maintain the traditions of the modernist "White Cube". The team of architects used an innovative stylistic idiom, known as blob architecture within the historical ambiance of the "Murvorstadt". Thus, the gigantic building called the "Friendly Alien" by its creators Peter Cook and Colin Fournier, in form and material, stands out against the surrounding baroque roof landscape with its red clay roofing tiles but nevertheless integrates the façade of the 1847 iron house.
The picture was taken from the castle mountain ("Burgberg").




The relatively new Malmo landmark - never seen anything quite like it. It is designed by Santiago Calatrava and is the tallest residential building in Sweden at 190 m (in case you were interested)

Aishwarya was Will Smith's first choice for 'Hancock'

Indian actress Aishwarya Rai was Will Smith's first choice for 'Hancock' over Oscar winning Charlize Theron but the actress declined.

Smith, who by his own admission is a great fan of Aishwarya, is not disappointed and believes that they will share good on screen chemistry.

"I would love to work with Aishwarya. She is gorgeous. I had even offered her roles with me. In fact for 'Hancock' also she was my first preference over Charlize," he told PTI in an e-mail interview.

The actor is still hopeful that would work together in future.

"I received denials all the times, may be she had some justified problems. But of course, I will do anything to work with Aishwarya," says a hopeful Smith.

The 'Independence Day' actor, whose latest superhero flick 'Hancock' is all set to release in India on July 11 is also a huge fan of Indian films industry and is currently exploring possibilities of working in an Indian film.

"I would love to work in an Indian film. I have seen a couple of Bollywood movies which had impressed me a lot. I also had a word with Karan Johar. Let's see what's there in store," says the actor.

"I love Indian cinema and its actors. Their energy level is just incompatible. The songs and dances in Bollywood movies are just amazing," he added. PTI

Metro can’t change Delhi men

He seems quite comfortable in the 'reserved' company of girls.

THANKS to the sad demise of chivalry, Delhi Metro has reserved seats for women. But now, insolence has replaced chivalry. Women have to point out to men that they are occupying seats reserved for women. The experience, said most female commuters, was not much different from buses. That’s what one could see on Tuesday —the second day of seat reservation for women. Many women had to force gentlemen to vacate the seats that were reserved for them. “The gentry in Delhi can never improve. Despite the fact that these seats are reserved for us, they give us such dirty looks when asked to vacate them,” said Sadhna Garg, who had boarded the metro from Kashmere Gate to go to Rajiv Chowk. While earlier men would offer their seats to women, now many of them become hard of hearing when asked to get up. There have been incidents when men refused to budge when told to make way for awoman. To avoid the humiliation that ensues, many women withdraw from exercising their right. “Imust have told this gentleman at least thrice to move but he looked away as if he didn’t hear. What do you do with such people?” said Monali Sen, an engineering student travelling on the Dwarka route. Many are still unaware of the decision to reserve seats for women in the metro. An octogenarian was forced to stand next to aseat reserved “for the old or physically challenged” while a20- something remained seated. So how successful will women be in availing of this new benefit remains to be seen.

Car rolls into neighbor's pool

This photo released by Ashley Campasino shows a red Mazda Miata at the bottom of the Campasino family swimming pool in Stewartstown, Pa. on June 30, 2008. Kim Taylor thought she had set the emergency brake. But her wayward red convertible nonetheless rolled downhill, crashed through a fence and plunged into her neighbors' in-ground pool. The car was removed from the pool the same day.

Say it with flowers: The greeting cards that bloom after they are planted

Recycling has been taken to a whole new level thanks to a special type of seeded paper that grows into flowers.

The 'Plant-It' cards are impregnated with flower seeds that act like a mulch to retain moisture.

Once the green-fingered receiver has read the card they follow simple planting instructions and watch it sprout wild flowers a few weeks later.

Scroll down for more

The three stages of the Plant-It card

The cards were designed by the Oakthrift Corporation in partnership with an American company.

Chief Executive Lloyd Freedman said, "The Plant-It seeded paper is made from 100 per cent re-cycled paper, soy-based inks, and organic pigments which grow into flowers when planted."

"We are introducing a new product to the UK at a time when everyone is conscious of green issues and especially the problems of landfills."

However, the process that stops the seeds from germinating during the paper mulching is shrouded in secrecy.

"Even we don't know how it works," Simon Woolf from Oakthrift admitted.

"Handmade paper is made out of a watery porridge-like substance that is then strained through a wire screen. Somehow the U.S manufacturers have stopped the seeds from sprouting at this stage.

One of the greeting cards that can be planted

Oakthrift have created a variety of £1.99 greeting cards and have branched out into creating ecological business cards, bookmarks, flyers and brochures.

"Now organisations can be at the forefront of environmental responsibility," Mr Freedman said.

"They can send out literature that fully demonstrate their green credentials."

The cards germinate quickly if planted inside. If recipients wish to sow them outside Mr Woolf recommends planting them in autumn as cool winter weather helps the seeds to germinate for the following year.

"There are so many possibilities with the Plant-it cards," Mr Woolf said.

"We are using annual wildflower seeds but we are looking into perennials. You could have different flower mixes, herb mixes, or even grass seeds for football clubs!"

He added that the cards would be appearing on the shelves of a major UK retailer later this year.

Plant-it cards can be bought online at www.homgar.com

Pictured: The floating cities that could one day house climate change refugees

At first glance, they look like a couple of giant inflatable garden chairs that have washed out to sea

But they are, apparently, the ultimate solution to rapidly rising sea levels.

This computer-generated image shows two floating cities, each with enough room for 50,000 inhabitants.

The 'Lilypad' cities would be powered by renewable energy sources

Based on the design of a lilypad, they could be used as a permanent refuge for those whose homes have been covered in water. Major cities including London, New York and Tokyo are seen as being at huge risk from oceans which could rise by as much as 3ft by the end of this century.

This solution, by the award-winning Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut, is designed to be a new place to live for those whose homelands have been wiped out.

The 'Lilypad City' would float around the world as an independent and fully self-sustainable home. With a lake at its centre to collect and purify rainwater, it would be accessed by three separate marinas and feature artificial mountains to offer the inhabitants a change of scenery from the seascape.

Power for the central accommodation hub is provided through a series of renewable energy sources including solar panels on the mountain sides, wind turbines and a power station to harness the energy of the waves.

Mr Callebaut said: 'The design of the city is inspired by the shape of the great Amazonia Victoria Regia lilypad. Some countries spend billions of pounds working on making their beaches and dams bigger and stronger.

'But the lilypad project is actually a long-term solution to the problem of the water rising.'

The architect, who has yet to estimate a cost for his design, added: 'It's an amphibious city without any roads or any cars. The whole city is covered by plants housed in suspended gardens.

'The goal is to create a harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.'

'Some countries spend billions of pounds working on making their beaches and dams bigger and stronger.

'But the Lilypad project is actually a long term solution to the problem of the water rising.

'And it has the other objective of providing housing for refugees from islands that have been submerged.'

The Lilypad city would house climate change refugees

Centred around a lake which collects and then purifies rain water, the Lilypad will drift around the world following the ocean currents and streams.

It will be accessed by three marinas and will also feature three 'mountains' to offer the inhabitants a change of scenery.

Power will be provided through a series of renewable energy sources including solar, thermal, wind energy, hydraulic and a tidal power station.

The city will actually produce much more energy than it consumes and be entirely 'zero-emission' as all the carbon-dioxide and the waste will be recycled.

Mr Callebaut added: 'It's an amphibious city without any roads or any cars.

'The whole city is covered by plants housed in suspended gardens. The goal is to create a harmonious coexistence of humans and nature.

'I think trying to accomodate the millions of people left homeless by environmental changes will prove to be one of the great challenges of the 21st century.'

Neither the cost of building the city or the cost of living there have been revealed.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global sea level is expected to rise between nine and 88 centimetres by 2100, with a 'best estimate' of 50 centimetres.

This is due to global warming which is causing the ice caps to melt.

In many places, 50 centimetres would see entire beaches being washed away, together with a significant chunk of the coastline.

On low-lying Pacific islands such as Tuvalu, Kiribati or the Maldives, the highest point is only two or three metres above current sea levels.

If the sea level was to rise by 50cm, significant portions of these islands would be washed away by erosion or covered by water.

Even if they remain above the sea, many island nations will have their supplies of drinking water reduced because sea water will invade their freshwater stocks.

There are also tens of millions of people living in low-level coastal areas of southern Asia, such as the coastlines of Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Burma, who would be in danger.
-DailyMail

The Shortest 'I dos'

1. Britney Spears and Ja- son Allen Alexander. Six hours and an annulment later, they don’t bring much excitement to the table. 2. Rudolph Valentino and Jean Ackerwere married in November 1919 and spilt after six hours. Known as ‘The Great Lover’, Valentino struck out big with his first wife. After pledging to stay together, they put their vows to the test ... and failed.
3. Cher and Gregg Allman were married July 9, 1975, and split after nine days. Cher and Allman were married only three days after her divorce from Sonny Bono. Cher reportedly cried all the way home from Vegas, where the ceremony had occurred.
4. Dennis Hopper and Michelle Phillips were married on October 31, 1970, and split after eight days. The eight- day union was acomical one, to say the least. Both parties claimed to have been handcuffed, so as to not run away and the Halloween wedding provided for sentimental thoughts even years later.
5. Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra were married on November 14, 1998 and split after nine days. The pair had the marriage annulled stating fraud and an unsound mind. They remained on- again, off- again until their 1999 battery arrest, and then they were officially off.
—www. associatedcontent. com

KARGIL REPEAT FEARED ALONG J& K BORDER

This was an article in Mail Today news paper on 16june2008
Intelligence reports and police talk of heavy infiltration in Doda &Kishtwar and intruders building bunkers on hill- tops
By Syed Junaid Hashmi in Jammu
RAISING the spectre of another Kargil- like attack, heavily- armed terrorists from Pakistan have infiltrated into Indian territory and occupied positions in the hilly areas of the Doda region of Jammu.
Radio intercepts and information provided by locals form the basis of credible intelligence to suggest that terrorists belonging to the Lashkar- e- Tayyeba (LeT) and Jaish- e- Mohammad (JeM) have established apresence in the higher reaches of the Doda region, which includes two newly carved districts of Kishtwar and Ramban. Reliable sources have confirmed to MAIL TODAY about the possibility of a‘Mini Kargil’ being planned by these terrorist organisations. The infiltrations, initially small, have gradually increased over the last six months. “The presence of foreign mercenaries in the higher reaches of the hilly and mountainous district of Doda is worrisome. Wehave already intensified the combing operations. Their plans for creating a ‘mini Kargil’ in Doda will never succeed,” said K. Rajindra, inspector general of police (IGP) for Jammu. He said the terrorists and foreign mercenaries — who had the support of Pakistani security forces across the border and local recruits on the Indian side — were planning a “major terrorist operation” in the rugged terrains. The security forces were awaiting specific and location-wise inputs on the presence of the infiltrators, who are said to be mostly Pakistanis and Afghans. Heavy presence of the LeT and JeM cadres have been noticed in Marmat, Bonjwah and Chiralla areas of Doda district and in Marwah, Dacchan and Chattroo areas of Kishtwar. They are said to be regrouping in Neel, Chamalwas, Khari and Pogal Paristan areas of Ramban district, the sources said. The terrorists are now believed to be focusing on creating a supply line via Margantop that would enable them to keep the security forces engaged for at least 15-17 days.

Infiltrators are 250 km into India by now
Aim: To bleed the security forces
Their apparent purpose, according to intelligence sources, is to occupy the mountainous area for a short period with the intent of “bleeding the security forces” in an operation lasting about a fortnight. The sources said they had no inputs to suggest that the terrorists were planning to occupy the mountainous terrains of the Doda region. They could also be planning to hold the Indian security forces in an area for a long time and cause them heavy casualties, which would serve to rejuvenate their local cadres. The terrorists are believed to have penetrated 250 km to 300 km into Indian territory from the border and the Line of Control (LoC). Sources in the security agencies said they had “inputs” that the infiltrators were making underground bunkers for storing arms and ammunition that comprised a collection of grenade launchers, AK-47 rifles, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, grenades, universal machineguns and heavy weaponry, said the sources. Modern communication gadgets had been provided to the terrorists for remaining in contact with each other without getting noticed. Efforts are currently in progress among the security forces to identify how the terrorist cadres established a large presence without being noticed. Sources in the state police said the heavily-armed and trained guerrilla fighters of the LeT and JeM had entered Doda via Anantnag. This route is said to be “safe” for the militants as it is a dense forest area with scattered population. It is in these areas that they had been spotted by shepherds. The police claimed the shepherds had seen them moving about the region, but they had not come to the villages. IGP (Kashmir) S.M. Sahai said the number of militants had dwindled in the Kashmir Valley. “Their number has reduced considerably on our side. They might be shifting to the higher reaches of Doda district through Daksum in Anantnag. Probably, these areas are safer for making hideouts and carrying out high-intensity attacks on the security forces from the higher reaches.” Then, at Samba for instance, one group of infiltrators cut the concertina wires lining the border zone and crossed over. This group appeared to have crossed over the LoC from Uri and Anantnag. However, there is no denying that the security agenclick image to enlarge
The security forces have been lax
agencies have been lax. However, the Army denied the dangerous activity involving the JeM and LeT cadres. “In that area, the situation is very much under control. We have almost wiped out militancy in the Doda-Kishtwar area and poll canvassing is happening in full swing there,” Lt Col S.D. Goswami, the Jammu-based Army spokesperson said. “This specific inquiry is surprising in the first place.”
‘The presence of foreign mercenaries in the higher reaches of Doda district is worrisome. We have intensified combing operations. Their plan of creating a ‘minor Kargil’ in Doda will never succeed’ — K. RAJINDRA, IG (Jammu)