<i>World meets UN safe water goal</i>

The world has easily beaten a 2015 deadline to halve the proportion of people drinking unsafe water, the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organisation said Tuesday.
The two UN agencies released a report saying that between 1990 and 2010, two billion people had gained access to improved water, through tools such as water pipes and protected wells.
The report, however, found that governments, communities and other entities will likely fall short of a target for three-quarters of the planet to have access to improved sanitation.
The water milestone is one of the first Millennium Development Goals to be met. The goals, outlined by the UN, comprise eight targets to help the world's poor, including by improving living conditions and stopping the spread of HIV and AIDS.
According to the report, 89 percent of the world population had access to improved drinking water at the end of 2010.