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UNITED NATIONS, May 21 (APP): Global human development-which can be measured as a combination of the world’s education, health and living standards — could decline this year for the first time since 1990 mainly due to the coronavirus pandemic, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has warned.

“The world has seen many crises over the past 30 years, including the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-09. Each has hit human development hard but, overall, development gains accrued globally year-on-year,” UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner said.

NEW YORK, May 21. /TASS/: Russia’s coronavirus death data is accurate, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNBC.

According to an article on the CNBC website, Peskov "hit back at claims that the Russian data was inaccurate and insisted to CNBC that Russia is not misreporting virus fatalities."

UNITED NATIONS, May 21. /TASS/: The United States has blocked a Russia-initiated United Nations Security Council statement condemning interference into Venezuela’s domestic affairs and infringement on its sovereignty, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky tweeted after the UN Security Council meeting on Venezuela.

NEW YORK (AP) — This is what “normal” will look like for the foreseeable future.

In Connecticut, restaurants are reopening with outdoor-only dining and tables 6 feet (2 meters) apart. In Beverly Hills, California, the rich and glamorous are doing their shopping from the curb along Rodeo Drive. And preschools around the U.S. plan to turn social distancing into an arts-and-crafts project by teaching kids how to “create their own space” with things like yarn and masking tape.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The top U.N. official in Libya warned Tuesday that the war in the North African country will “intensify, broaden and deepen” because of increasing foreign intervention and the influx of weapons, military equipment and mercenaries to both sides.

Acting U.N. special envoy Stephanie Williams said the escalation will have “devastating consequences for the Libyan people” who are “getting lost in the mix, their voices crowded out.”

NEW YORK, May 19 (APP): Pakistan has called on the world community to recognize the “explosive environment” created by the Indian government in South Asia through its increasing military adventurism along the Line of Control (LoC) coupled with continuing repression in occupied Kashmir as well as targeting of Muslims in India.

The call was made by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Asad Majeed Khan, in an article published in The Washington Times, in which he also warned that India could start another confrontation with Pakistan.

UNITED NATIONS, May 19 (APP): Ambassadors from over 22 countries, representing developing and developed countries from all regions held a first round of consultations on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s initiative for Global Initiative for Debt Relief at their virtual meeting in New York on Monday, according to diplomats.

Senior officials of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) also participated in the meeting, which was chaired by Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Munir Akram.

NEW YORK, May 19. /TASS/: Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (California, Democratic Party) does not believe that it is expedient to deliver ventilators to Russia free of charge, she told CNN on Monday.

Pelosi acknowledged that the US administration is "giving over $5 million worth of ventilators to Russia." "Russia can very well afford to pay for these ventilators," she stressed.

NEW YORK, May 18 (Xinhua) -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 jolted 91 km SSW of Ierapetra of Greece at 23:22:35 GMT on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10 km, was initially determined to be at 34.2018 degrees north latitude and 25.526 degrees east longitude. 

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal authorities are urging governors to use “extreme caution” in deciding when to resume visits at nursing homes, saying it shouldn’t come before all residents and staff have tested negative for the coronavirus for at least 28 days.