September 17, 2003

Brazil is pushing hard to form continentwide trade pact by the end of 2003 that would give South American nations greater leverage as United States pursues its own trade accord for hemisphere; collapse of World Trade Organization talks gives effort new momentum; five nations of Andean Community have agreed to conclude free trade talks with Mercosur, southern trade group Brazil dominates; Brazilian Pres Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, visiting Colombia, discusses pact with Pres Alvaro Uribe, whose nation is most resistant to joining; photo (M)

Typhoon Maemi left trail of wreckage that threatens to slow South Korea's economic recovery; took some 124 lives and caused $1.6 billion in damage to South Korea's southeast industrial heartland; winds hit 134 miles an hour, South Korean record; storm damage to Pusan port has left exporters scrambling to find alternative ports; photo (M)

ZEW economic research institute reports investor confidence in Germany rose in Sept for ninth consecutive month; Bundesbank president Ernst Welteke holds rise points to clear economic improvement in second half and 2004; photo (S)

Brig Gen Janis Karpinski says six people identifying selves as Americans and two saying they are British are among 4,400 'security detainees' being held in connection with guerrilla attacks on allied forces in Iraq; says classification means they have fewer rights than prisoners of war; makes remark during tour of Abu Ghraib prison, outside Baghdad, where they are among some 10,000 prisoners; Sec Donald Rumsfeld and other officials say there is little certainty about men's identities, nationalities or even what they were doing in Iraq; military reports scattered attacks on occupying forces; Khaldiya's small and beleaguered police department vows to stay on duty despite slaying of new chief Col Khudheir Mikhlif Ali; photos (M)

Columbia University is set to open private elementary school for children of faculty and staff in bold and costly bid to attract and hold professors; teacher salaries range up to $100,000, and student-teacher ratio is five to one; individual learning plans will be developed for each student; half of student body is selected by lottery from surrounding neighborhood; university will subsidize up to 80 percent of $22,000 tuition and hopes to recoup some of $12 million cost through consulting, product sales and donations; photos; map (M)