Top stories on 24 July update:

Trade/WTO

• Coordinated on-slaught on 'globalization' critics?
• US beats a (tactical) retreat over Brazil's patent law
  
• US to withdraw TRIPS dispute against Brazil
• Capital-level officials repeat same positions
• Activists press governments on promise to share draft FTAA plan
• TRIPS-health talks to continue, in structured, systematic way
• Details of China-US farm-subsidy deal still under wraps
• NGOs demand 'pro-public health' interpretation of TRIPS
• ITCB decries lack of commercially meaningful integration
• Statement: Patents and medicines: The WTO must act now! Sign on here
• Statement: NGOs urge governments to call off 'new round' proposal Sign on here
• Statement: Joint NGO statement on the review of Art.27.3b of the TRIPS agreement [version francais] Sign on here

Biotechnology/Access

• Greenpeace heads global campaign against 'biopiracy'
• India: Activists thwart GM crop approval
• TWN Information Service on Biosafety

Other news

• Fraud, misuse of funds charge over Bank's Internet project
• US unrivalled as top carbon polluter
• EU action plan brings gender to the fore
• ILO agrees on process on social dimensions of globalization
• Labour Conference adopts new standard on safety in agriculture
• Spread of AIDS seen as security threat
• Africa's economic recovery plan yet to win financial backing
• Asia: Women far from critical mass to change political scene
• Environmental lessons from an unlikely source
• In fact and fiction, US officials play games with AIDS in Africa