Top trade officials from the US, Europe, Brazil and India said they were making progress as they began a second day of meetings today aimed at reviving negotiations on a new global trade treaty.

US President George Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin sat down today for lunch and informal talks on ongoing nuclear disputes with North Korea and Iran, as the US leader paid an unusual visit to Moscow en route to a summit of Asian leaders.

European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson criticised Australia today for taking the US side in stalled World Trade Organisation talks on global trade liberalisation.

World Trade Organisation members have shelved more than five years of free trade talks as differences over farm aid proved unbridgeable.

Global commerce talks at the World Trade Organisation in Geneva collapsed today as top powers failed to agree on steps towards liberalising trade in farm and manufactured goods.

Global commerce talks at the World Trade Organisation in Geneva appeared on the brink of collapse today as top powers stumbled in attempts to agree on steps towards liberalising trade in farm and manufactured goods.

Renewed efforts to revive global commerce talks appeared in trouble today as top trading powers said they had failed so far to make progress on thorny issues such as US and European farm support.

US President George Bush and Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin clashed over the conflict in the Middle East and the liberalisation of world trade in a chilly prelude to the G8 summit in St Petersburg in Russia today.

THE United States yesterday rebuffed a move by the European Union to regain the initiative in a battle over global trade talks, saying an improved EU farm goods offer was still too small.