May 5, 2003

Residents of trailer park near Plaquemine, La, are being forced to move because of poison in well water they use to drink, cook and bathe; residents, many of whom have lived in park for decades, were not told what state knew for years, that aquifer near Plaquemine contains vinyl chloride, toxic chemical used to make plastic; health experts warn that exposure to this colorless chemical could cause cancer, nerve damage, circulatory problems and skin lesions; scientists are unsure just how toxic it is because incidents of drinking or bathing in such contaminated water are so rare; women living in trailer park say many of them had miscarriages; Louisiana Dept of Health and Hospitals first detected contamination in 1997, but failed to tell people there about it; state officials cite 'human error'; now state and federal authorities have launched criminal investigation, and state has empaneled its first grand jury ever on environmental issue; residents of trailer park blame Dow chemical plant nearby, but Dow officials say their plant is not source of pollution; residents are suing Dept of Health and Hospitals, trailer park owner and Dow; photos; map (L)

United States expresses interest in hosting Women's World Cup, which is forced to leave China because of SARS epidemic; with only five months to prepare, US Soccer explores number of stadium options, many of which hosted 1999 World Cup; photo (M)

Iraqi women view newfound religious freedoms nervously; Iraq does not have history of religious fundamentalism; fear among some women is that conservative Muslim religious leaders will fill power vacuum that has ensued since war ended; Iraq's women enjoyed near parity with men for several decades through 1970's; when Saddam Hussein took power, their rights were curtailed; restrictions he imposed, as well as recent social conservatism, come as blow to older, educated women, who fought against head scarves, arranged marriages and other constraints; their hope is that United States will not allow religious leader to run government; photo (M)

U.S. Hopes to Bridge Divide With Europe in Trade Talks Europe and the United States clashed bitterly over the war Iraq, but a senior American official is urging the two sides to use trade negotiations as a way to mend fences. Robert B. Zoellick, the United States trade representative, told German business executives, ''Here's an opportunity we can seize together, because it is in our mutual interest and the common interest.'' [Page C2.]

South Korean telecommunications providers, with hefty government push, have built world's most comprehensive high-speed Internet network, supplying affordable and reliable access that far surpasses what is available in United States; broadband Internet connections vastly increase access to information, help lift productivity and create new markets; photos; table of global broadband penetration rates (M)