The head of the World Trade Organisation on Thursday expressed optimism about clinching a long-awaited deal to stop overfishing.
But some developing countries were critical of the draft agreement, with India calling aspects of it "unjust".
The virtual conference in Geneva, the first meeting of WTO trade ministers since 2017, aims – after 20 years of talks – to fix rules to curb harmful subsidies that lead to overfishing.
The global trade body has not reached a multilateral deal in years and its director general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who took office in March, said at the start of the ministerial conference that it would be a "litmus test" of the WTO's ability to do so.
"I believe that we are all genuinely committed, but a shift of mindset is necessary for us to bridge the final gaps that continue to separate members," she said in opening remarks at the WTO headquarters in Geneva.
"You can send a powerful signal – one way or the other – about the WTO's credibility as a multilateral negotiating forum."
However, several ministers expressed deep reservations about the current draft agreement, which is the fifth version and has taken months of negotiations to prepare.
"Clearly, it will lead to capacity constraints for developing countries, while advanced nations will continue to grant subsidies," Indian trade minister Piyush Goyal said of one part of the text. "This is unequal, unfair, unjust."
Pakistan described the draft as "regressive and unbalanced".
The European Union, a major subsidiser, was more upbeat, saying the draft formed the basis of a potential agreement as it "contains many elements for landing zones".
The comments point to a major gulf between wealthier countries and developing countries that want to build up their fleets.
Negotiators got close to agreement at the last WTO ministerial conference in 2017 but the talks collapsed, with some observers blaming developing countries which sought big exemptions.
Any deal needs all 164 parties to approve it by consensus.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
MATCH INFO
Burnley 0
Man City 3
Raheem Sterling 35', 49'
Ferran Torres 65'
more from Janine di Giovanni
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Benevento (Kick-off 11.45pm)
Saturday Crotone v Spezia (6pm), Torino v Udinese (9pm), Lazio v Verona (11.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Atalanta v Fiorentina (6pm), Napoli v Sampdoria (6pm), Bologna v Roma (6pm), Genoa v Juventus (9pm), AC Milan v Parma (11.45pm)
More on Quran memorisation:
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
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Wonka
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About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Price, base / as tested: Dh76,900 / Dh110,900
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: Torque: 352Nm @ 2,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.5L / 100km
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
