Europe mourns with US

Berlin - with its strong US ties - was in mourning

Europe came to a standstill for three minutes on Friday in a mark of respect for the more than 5,000 people who are believed to have died in the devastating attacks on New York and Washington.

In Brussels, thousands of office workers joined the President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, and representatives of all 15 European Union member states on the streets of Brussels to pay their respects.

Belfast: a city which knows terrorism too well itself

The BBC's Shirin Wheeler in Brussels said that for the three minutes nothing could be heard, as traffic also came to a standstill.

In Paris, church bells rang for five minutes ahead of the moment of mourning, which came at noon local time.

Metro trains stood in underground stations for three minutes while the lift in the Eiffel tower also came to a halt.

President Jacques Chirac stood in the courtyard of the Elysee Palace in front of an honour guard, and television stations played Chopin's funeral march as they broadcast pictures of people mourning.

Pop stations played John Lennon's song, Imagine.

In London, parliament interrupted a debate to observe the silence. Queen Elizabeth attended a special memorial service in St Paul's Cathedral.

Silent march

The Irish Republic, which has announced a national day of mourning, has come to a virtual standstill. Government departments and schools are closed, along with major shops, pubs and restaurant chains.

The queue to sign the book of condolences at the US embassy in Dublin is almost a mile long

Thousands joined the Brussels silence

.Prime Minister Bertie Ahern and President Mary McAleese are taking part in a service in Dublin Cathedral.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has called on people to join him at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate for a silent march at 1700.

The gate has been draped with a banner reading "our deepest sympathy" and "we mourn with you".

Germany also observed five minutes' silence on Thursday.

Russia held a minute's silence on Thursday, with broadcasters interrupting their programmes at the appointed time.

Floral tributes piled up outside the embassy, as Russians queued to sign a book of condolences

Council of Europe

At Nato headquarters in Brussels, leaders also fell silent.

In Paris, even the metro trains stopped

On Wednesday Nato invoked a mutual defence clause for the first time in its 52-year history, vowing assistance to the US if Washington decides on a military response.

The 43 members of the Council of Europe were asked to join the EU in this gesture of sympathy for the US.

"I appeal to the 800 million citizens in the Council of Europe member states to join us in this moment of grief, in an expression of our deepest sympathy with the victims and their families, and of our solidarity with the government of the United States," said the Council's General Secretary, Walter Schwimmer.