Trade : US-China trade war inching towards an entente (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
The festering US-China trade war, launched by the US, seems to be inching towards an entente between the two largest economies, after the US President Donald Trump claimed that "tremendous progress" has been made during two days of talks that ended on Thursday (31 January).

Trade : EU initiates dispute over US duties on ripe olives from Spain (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
The European Union has initiated a dispute a t the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over countervailing (CVD) and anti-dumping (AD) duties imposed by the United States on imports of ripe olives from Spa in.

Trade : UAE initiates dispute over Qatari measures on UAE goods (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has initiated a dispute at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over certain measures maintai ned by Qatar restricting the import, stocking, distribution, marketing, and sal e of goods originating in the UAE.

United Nations : Making communities drought-resilient (PRIV)
(IPS, Georgetown)
The UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD's) Drought Initiative is in full swing with dozens o f countries signing up to plan their drought programme.

United Nations : Gender gap made worse by land degradation (PRIV)
(IPS, Georgetown)
In parts of the world where the gender gap is already wide, land degradation places women and girls at even greater risk.

Mexico : Village wants to turn thermoelectric plant into solar panel factory (PRIV)
(IPS, Yecapixtla)
Social organisations in the central Mexican municipality of Yecapixtla managed to halt the construction of a large thermoelectric plant in the town and are now designing a project to c onvert the installation into a solar panel factory, which would bring the area socioeconomic and environmental dividends.