Frantic efforts to find compromise to revive stalled world trade talks

FRANTIC efforts were being made in Geneva late last night to produce a compromise framework that would revive the stalled world trade talks before tomorrow night's midnight deadline.

Work was continuing on revising a widely criticised two week-old draft that calls for an end to farm export subsidies, substantial cuts in other forms of aid by wealthy countries to their farmers, and greater market access for both developing and developed countries.

WTO chief agriculture negotiator Tim Groser met with key players from the European Union, the United States, Brazil, India and Australia as he grappled with often-contradictory demands from different groups.