AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister John Howard came under fire from the Irish Farmers Association yesterday for claiming that the European Union offer on agriculture in the world trade talks was very restrictive, while the United States offer was generous.

Hundreds of protestors broke through police lines in a bid to storm world trade talks in Hong Kong today – but security forces fought back with water cannons and tear gas.

Hundreds of South Korean protesters who have been scuffling with police at a WTO meeting in Hong Kong switched to peaceful Buddhist tactics today, repeatedly kneeling and kowtowing as they marched to the convention centre where the trade talks are being held.