EU nations on Wednesday were nearing an agreement on revising the bloc`s controversial farm subsidy scheme, including raising milk quotas and reducing farm handouts, but the talks were expected to continue overnight.

Almost 10,000 tobacco and farm workers descended on Brussels Wednesday to protest against plans to cut back their subsidies from the European Union.

The demonstrators, many from Italy, France and Poland, gathered outside the European Council building in the Belgian capital`s European quarter, as the EU`s 27 farm ministers met inside to discuss the agriculture budget.

School pupils throughout Europe will soon be offered free fruit every week under an EU initiative agreed Wednesday to improve children`s health and tackle obesity.

EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said the commission would provide 90 million euros (114 million dollars) per year to finance the project, with member states pitching in on a voluntary basis.

GENEVA, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - The chief negotiator guiding key WTO talks on reducing barriers to global agricultural trade, Crawford Falconer, on Friday gave the 151 member states two weeks to narrow their differences.

Falconer told a meeting at the World Trade Organisation that a negotiating drive launched last month had not bridged the gap enough in 'a number of areas' after six years of troubled talks in the Doha Round, trade sources said.

'I am looking for progress to be made,' Falconer was quoted as saying, giving memmber states until November 2.

TAIPEI, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - Taiwan has suspended imports of apples from France after a harmful moth larva was found in a shipment, authorities said Thursday.

The codling moth larva -- which can do extensive damage to apples and pears -- was discovered Tuesday in a shipment of GALA apples at the northern Keelung harbour, said Chang Shih-yang, of the animal and plant health inspection bureau.

'We have notified the French government to stop shipping apples to Taiwan before their quarantine measures are improved,' Chang said.

BRATISLAVA, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - Slovakia's first case of BSE, or mad cow disease, since November 2005 has been detected in a cow from a farm near the eastern city of Poprad, the country's veterinary authorities announced on Wednesday.

The case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, the 24th in Slovakia, was detected in neighbouring Hungary, where the animal was exported, according the regional veterinary administration's Stefan Kohut.

'We have slaughtered 51 cows and a heifer at the breeder concerned,' he added.

BEIJING, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - China expects to import more Japanese rice soon, after earlier this year allowing the first shipment from Japan in four years, a top official said Wednesday.

The head of China's consumer watchdog told reporters efforts were being made to pave the way for the future shipments and would soon bear fruit.

'I believe the second and third shipments of Japanese rice will enter the Chinese market soon,' said Li Changjiang, head of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine.

GENEVA, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - The United States said Monday it was 'very disappointed' with a ruling by the World Trade Organisation ruling that its subsidies to cotton farmers breached global trade rules.

The finding confirms a preliminary ruling in July in favour of Brazil, which initially brought the complaint in 2005, and paves the way for sanctions.

Brazil believes its cotton producers are being harmed by government subsidies to US own cotton farmers.

LONDON, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - New suspected cases of foot and mouth disease in sheep have been reported in Britain, the environment ministry said on Monday, in another county from the confirmed cases in this year's outbreak.

A three-kilometre (1.8-mile) temporary control zone has been imposed around premises close to the town of Rye, near the southern English coast, after sheep showed possible symptoms of the disease. Tests were being carried out.

TASHKENT, Oct 15, 2007 (AFP) - Uzbekistan, the world's second biggest cotton exporter, announced Monday it has met its cotton harvest target this year of more than 3.6 million tonnes.

This year's bumper crop highlights the results of 'deep reforms in the sector because for the first time it was 100 percent produced by private farmers,' President Islam Karimov said in a message published by state media.

The ex-Soviet republic this year eliminated the last Soviet-style collective farms but has been criticised by human rights groups for using child labour.