Europe showed its solidarity with the United States on the first anniversary of the September 11th attacks today with a series of official services, vigils and commemorations.
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In Paris - where overnight two shafts of light pierced the sky in a symbolic recreation of New York's fallen twin towers - US ambassador Mr Howard Leach attended an early morning ceremony in the Luxembourg gardens held near a tree planted in remembrance of the victims.
French President Jacques Chirac was due at the US embassy at midday to pay tribute to the victims, and three religious services were planned at the American cathedral, Notre Dame cathedral and the Madeleine church.
The Bourse was to observe a two-minute silence along with other European exchanges at 1.46 p.m. Irish time.
Many of those working in the global financial markets lost friends and relatives when the twin towers were destroyed, and traders in London's City said the shocking images were still deeply etched on people's minds.
"It's going to be really hard. ... It's going to bring back lots of memories you wish would go away," said one trader at Cantor Fitzgerald, a bond trading firm that lost 658 employees in the inferno.
In London Prince Charles, Princes William and Prince Harry were to attend a memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral, along with Prime Minister Tony Blair, the US ambassador, family members of British victims of the attacks and government ministers.
Travellers on the London underground system will be asked to observe a minute of silence, and bus drivers will also pull their vehicles to the side of the road.
Elsewhere, the European Union and NATO were preparing two separate ceremonies in Brussels, with the US Stars and Stripes raised alongside the flags of EU member states outside the European parliament.
German President Johannes Rau, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and parliament speaker Wolfgang Thierse were to attend an ecumenical mass at Berlin cathedral.
Vienna and Lisbon were to be among 125 locations around the world taking part in a "Rolling Requiem" of performances of Mozart's funeral mass which started off in Auckland, New Zealand, and is echoing across the time zones.
In Russia, deputies in the State Duma lower house of parliament began their first open session of the autumn season by observing a minute of silence for victims of the attacks.
AFP