02 January 2005	Sunday	20 Ziqa'ad 1425

WASHINGTON, Jan 1: Asia's tsunami cast a shadow over New Year's celebrations throughout the world, with several major cities cancelling their festivities and others calling for moments of silence to mourn the dead.

In New York, nearly a million people observed a moment of silence at Times Square as Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg reminded them how lucky they were to be alive.

"I think we all have to look in the mirror tonight before we go to bed and recognize just how lucky we are and that not everyone else is so lucky," said the mayor as the city marked the 100th celebration of the New Year's eve in Times Square.

Other cities in the United States also joined the world in mourning the nearly 200,000 people killed by earthquake-propelled giant waves that inundated the coastal areas of the Indian Ocean last Sunday.

China's state-run television announced cancellation of its live New Year's eve gala programming and Turkey cancelled a concert and fireworks display in Istanbul.

In Indonesia and Sri Lanka, people were too busy counting the dead, feeding survivors and combating disease to think about celebrating the New Year.

Fireworks and celebrations were cancelled throughout Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and much of India as governments urged people to attend religious services instead.

In Sweden, which may have lost 1,000 citizens to the waves, Prime Minister Goeran Persson observed: "Never has the step into a new year felt heavier. We should have celebrated with fireworks and festivities. Now that feels completely wrong".

All official celebrations in Sri Lanka were cancelled, while the capital Colombo marked a day of mourning and prayer.

Sydney, the first major city to start New Year's celebrations, went ahead with its annual fireworks displays. Revellers were asked to observe a minute's silence for the dead and missing before both the 9pm children's celebration and the midnight festivities.

Sweden, Norway, Finland and Germany planned to fly flags at half-staff in honour of the dead and missing.

In Paris, 480 scarf-like strips of black cloth were hung along the Champs-Elysees and on lampposts at the nearby Place de la Concorde in a low-key but poignant gesture.

Cities in Britain went ahead with major festivities. Nearly 150,000 people gathered in London along the banks of the Thames for a light show and fireworks display designed to promote the city's bid for the 2012 Olympics.