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)