-The United Nations The health gap between poor and rich countries has narrowed significantly over the past two decades according to a United Nations report released today, which stresses that in spite of this progress, challenges still remain to achieve the health targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). "Intensive efforts to achieve the MDGs have clearly improved health for people all over the world," said the Director-General of the World Health...

-The HIndu For all its influential reach, the IPL has done little to combat the existing stereotypes about women and done everything to reinforce them IPL 2013 is heading towards its high-intensity, high-octane, high-pitched finale. After the season's numbers have been crunched, the League will dissipate into general back-slapping, errors and omissions excepted. Except that 2013 has been a revelation in itself. While the IPL occupies "soap opera" prime time on TV for...

-Live Mint Show cause notices to be issued to companies, including Jindal Steel, Tata Power, GVK Power and Jaypee Group The government is set to issue show cause notices to the holders of at least 30 captive coal blocks, according to a senior coal ministry official with direct knowledge of the matter. Companies holding these blocks will be asked to explain why they failed to develop them and if the government is not...

-The Hindustan Times The vexed issue of West Bengal panchayat polls has finally had an "amicable settlement" - which gives more time to the Mamata Banerjee government to prepare for the polls and upholds her demand for the use of state police for security. Instead of June, the state gets time till July 15 and the three-phase poll will be held with the help of the state armed police, said a division...

-The Hindu Kochi: An emergency meeting of the representatives of Keezhmadu grama panchayat on Tuesday asked the RubberMark authorities to immediately stop work on digging a pond at its Rubber Park in Keezhmadu near Perumbavur. Several residents nearby the unit were injured on Monday after the police resorted to a lathicharge to disperse agitators who had alleged that the construction activity had rendered most of the wells in the area dry. Laiza Sebastian,...