Trade ministers battle to break WTO deadlock

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Trade ministers from nearly 150 countries will try to break a deadlock in troubled global talks on Thursday, amid U.S. and European sniping over farm subsidies, food aid and measures to help the world's poorest.

In a series of meetings which kicked off late on Wednesday, negotiators sought a common ground after the United States urged that a date be set for ending farm export subsidies, used mainly by Europe, while Brussels demanded that Washington first reform its food aid programme.

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