LONDON — Most of humanity will be living in cities by next year, raising the threat of increased poverty and religious extremism unless the needs of growing urban populations are met, the U.N. said Wednesday. Some 3.3 billion people will live in cities by 2008, a report by the U.N. population agency report said. By 2030, the number of city dwellers is expected to climb to 5 billion. Without proper planning, cities across the globe face the treat of overwhelming poverty and limited opportunities for youth, said U.N. Population Fund Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. ‘In 2008, half of the world’s population will be in urban areas, and we are not ready for them,’ said Obaid told The Associated Press in London. A revival in religious interest has been a surprising characteristic of rapid urbanization, according to the report. Urbanization is often associated with a shift toward secular values. But the growth of new religious movements-such as radical Islam in the Middle East, Pentecostal Christianity in Latin America and the cult of Shivaji in India-has been a primarily urban phenomena, the report said. When cities fail to meet the needs of growing populations, religious […]