September 12, 2002

Anthony Tommasini reviews New York City Opera production of Puccini's Il Trittico, three one-act operas, conducted by George Manahan; photos (M)

Lower Manhattan is host to largest, most elaborate observance of year anniversary of Sept 11 terrorist attacks; tens of thousands of people surround 16-acre pit where two 110-story towers once stood; they listen in virtual silence as names of 2,801 people who died there are read by former Mayor Rudolph W Giuliani and succession of government officials and victims' relatives; invocation of names pauses so chiming bells can mark moment that south tower was hit, then again when second tower collapsed; Mayor Michael Bloomberg succinctly describes the dead--'they were us'; Pres Bush, in Washington, leads country in moment of silence at 8:46 in morning, moment of first strike at World Trade Center's north tower; Bush then attends memorial at repaired Pentagon, and speaks of renewed commitment to war against terrorism; in Lower Manhattan, Gov George E Pataki reads Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Gov James E McGreevey of NJ reads Declaration of Independence; in late afternoon, Pres Bush and wife Laura travel to ground zero to pay respects at disaster site, moving among grieving family members; photos (L)

Britain's unemployment rate maintained 27-year low of 3.1 percent in August; number of people claiming jobless benefits fell unexpectedly by 6,400 to 943,300; annualized wage increases in quarter to July were only slightly above expectations of 4 percent (S)

Ben Brantley reviews Stratford Shakespeare Festival production of King Lear, directed by Jonathan Miller and featuring Christopher Plummer, Domini Blythe and Lucy Peacock; photos (M)

German exports fell for second month in three in July, adding to signs country's economy will struggle to grow in third quarter; German companies sold 4.5 percent less in other countries in July than in previous month; trade surplus still widened to 12.1 billion euros from revised 10.8 billion euros in June as imports dropped 7.3 percent (S)

Johnny Unitas Dies The Baltimore Colts' longtime quarterback, perhaps the greatest passer in National Football League history, was 69. PAGE C11

Dave Anderson Sports of The Times column discusses 1958 NFL championship game, in which Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas led team to victory over New York Giants in what some people still call best football game in history; photos (M)

Helen Simpkin Whalen, volunteer firefighter in Cottekill, NY, attends Sept 11 memorial at ground zero; her sister Jane Louise Simpkin was passenger on Flight 175 when it hit south tower of World Trade Center (M)

Hitachi Ltd lowers its profit forecast to break-even in first six months of its fiscal year (S)1

ABB Ltd chairman Jurgen Dormann plans to speed up asset sales to restore profits at company (S)2

Japan's economy grew at 2.6 percent annualized rate in second quarter, slightly better than previous estimate; gross domestic product figure is revision of 1.9 percent growth estimated by government two weeks ago; consumer spending was largely unchanged from initial report (S)/

Bloomsbury aesthetic is inspiration for interior of New York apartment pf James Iha, former guitarist of Smashing Pumpkins; photos (M)