November 15, 1999

Bernard Holland reviews New York City Opera production of Central Park, triptych of one-act pieces written by Wendy Wasserstein, A R Gurney and Terrence McNally, and composed by Deborah Drattell, Michael Torke and Robert Beaser; photo (M)

Corcoran Gallery of Art will displace art collections assembled for more than century by historically black colleges and universities; photo; Creative Coalition presents discussion of First Amendment and works have have pushed limits of imagination and convention, Town Hall; art objects from collection of Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, housed in Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, will be on display at Metropolitan Museum of Art; Oprah Winfrey to receive 50th Anniversary Gold Medal of National Book Foundation for her dedication to promoting joys and benefits of reading (M)

China's Internet industry has been in state of suspension since September, when nation's top communications official, Wu Jichuan, reaffirmed longstanding ban on foreign investment in Chinese Internet service providers; Intel, Yahoo and other American companies had rushed into partnerships with Chinese Internet providers before Wu's warning, but new deals are being held as investors try to guess Wu's intentions; China's possible entry into World Trade Orgn could have decisive influence because it is expected to open China's telecommunications sector to outsiders (M)

White House and House Republican negotiators reach tentative agreement in dispute over abortion rights that would pave way for US to pay nearly $1 billion in back dues owed to UN; deal breaks impasse of past three years that has jeopardized American global leadership as well as Washington's vote in General Assembly; eliminates last-remaining hurdle to budget agreement; under compromise administration agrees to demand from House conservatives on language in final budget deal to cut off US financing for international organizations that promote abortion rights overseas; administration also wins important concessions; agreement will enable Pres Clinton to issue waiver for international groups that provide abortions or lobby for abortion rights; invoking waiver would reduce corresponding amounts administration spends on grants to such organizations, currently about $385 million per year, by perhaps as little as $10 million (M)

Kansas City's monumental Union Station has finally been restored to grandeur it once enjoyed as centerpiece of nation's passenger rail network; completed portions of $250 million restoration are opened to public after spate of events toasting large donors and volunteers; photo (M)