New EU-Africa trade pacts flounder

EU attempts to get an overall deal with African states on new trade rules failed over the weekend during a difficult summit where there were also clashes over human rights issues.

The European Union has been aiming to get all African countries to sign up to new economic partnership agreements (EPAs) before an end-of-year deadline.

But some African politicians made clear at the meeting in Lisbon on Sunday (9 December) that they were pulling out of the negotiations.

"It's clea...