Trade : US continues to block appointment of AB members (PRIV)
(Kanaga Raja, Geneva)
The longstanding impasse at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the appointment of Appellate Body (AB) members continues, with the United States once again blocking launch of the selecti on process to fill four current vacancies on the seven-member adjudicative bod y.

Environment : Accelerating the Caribbean's climate resilience (PRIV)
(IPS, Port of Spain)
The Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator launched June last year with the backing of Virgin's Richard Br anson has given itself five years to help the region become climate resilient.

Venezuela : Repression stands in the way of political solution to crisis (PRIV)
(IPS, Caracas)
The violent repression that preve nted food and medical aid from crossing into Venezuela, which left at least four people dead and 58 with gunshot wounds, has distanced solutions to what is today L atin America's biggest political crisis, although 10 countries in the hemisphere are stepping up the pressure while at the same time ruling out the use of force .

Opinion : 30 years ago Europe's walls were destroyed, but others are being b uilt (PRIV)
(IPS, Stockholm/Rome)
On January 25, 2017, the Trump administration signed Executive Order 13767, instructing the Government to begin new constructions and replacements of walls between the US and Mexico .