The murder rate in once crime-ridden New York is set to drop to an historic low, according to figures out today.

With quavering voices, parents and grandparents of those killed at the World Trade Center in New York slowly read the names of the victims today to mark the third anniversary of the attacks that brought down the twin towers.

A 20-ton slab of granite, inscribed to honour “the enduring spirit of freedom”, has been laid at the World Trade Centre site as the cornerstone of the skyscraper that will replace the destroyed towers.

A 20-TON slab of granite, inscribed to honour "the enduring spirit of freedom," was laid yesterday at the World Trade Center site as the cornerstone of the skyscraper that will replace the destroyed towers.

Developers of the Freedom Tower will break ground on the 1,776 foot skyscraper on the site of New York’s World Trade Centre on July 4 – Independence Day

A new design for the Freedom Tower at the World Trade Centre has been unveiled in New York showing a structure with a gracefully sloping spire rising 1,776 feet.

A complex of angular buildings and a 1,776ft spire designed by Berlin-based architect Daniel Libeskind has been chosen as the plan for the World Trade Centre site.

Investigators believe the pilot knew something was wrong before the American Airlines jet he was flying crashed into a residential neighborhood, killing all on board, New York Governor George Pataki has said.

The latest victim of anthrax in the US is expected to make a full recovery.

Thirty-one employees of the US Senate tested positive for exposure to a highly concentrated form of anthrax, officials said, prompting congressional leaders to order an unprecedented shutdown of some of their offices.

New York’s mayor Rudolph Giuliani has ordered a 15% cut in spending by most city departments, predicting the World Trade Centre attack will cost $1bn in revenue this fiscal year, as well as 100,000 jobs.

New York Governor Pataki has suspended the statue of limitations on civil and criminal proceedings to allow citizens to cope with the tragedy at the WTC.