John Paul remembered

John Paul remembered
VATICAN CITY -- St. Peter's Square twinkled with the lights of tens of thousands of candles and fluttered with the red and white flags of Pope John Paul II's native Poland -- then fell silent at the moment he died a year ago. There was no dramatic tolling of church bells at 9:37 p.m. as there was in Krakow, Poland -- just a brief moment of silence during an evening prayer vigil before the current pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, told the faithful that John Paul's memory was still very much alive. "He continues to be present in our minds and our hearts; he continues to communicate his love for God and his love for man, he continues to arouse in everyone, especially the young, enthusiasm for goodness and the courage to follow Jesus and his teachings," Benedict said. Catholics and others across the globe, including a woman (above) at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City, remembered the pope Sunday with prayers.
Toronto blast kills 1
TORONTO -- An apparent explosion at a popular coffee shop killed one man Sunday in Toronto's downtown shopping district. The explosion occurred at a Tim Hortons coffee shop, and police said another store in the chain was locked down later in the day when a suspicious package was found there, police said. Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair described the situation as a fire in the washroom -- not a bombing -- and said police were not looking for any suspects.
Alcatel to acquire Lucent
PARIS -- France's Alcatel SA will acquire rival telecom equipment maker Lucent Technologies Inc. in a $13.4 billion stock swap that would form an industry powerhouse with a product line broad enough to entice customers in a consolidating telecom industry. Company leaders said Sunday they plan to shed 10 percent of the combined work force -- about 8,800 jobs -- after the deal closes. The combined business, to be based in Paris, will work to capitalize on fast-growing converged offerings such as "triple-play" Internet, phone and TV packages that have become popular in the telecom field, the companies said.
Compromise in France?
PARIS -- President Jacques Chirac signed a contested measure to promote jobs for youths into law Sunday even though he has said it would be replaced by a modified version to defuse a crisis that has led to violent demonstrations. However, unions hoped that another round of strikes and demonstrations set for Tuesday would provide a still more powerful push to get the measure -- in any form -- withdrawn. The head of the CFDT union predicted the struggle would be drawn out and would not lose momentum when spring vacations start next week.
Online newspapers grow
CHICAGO -- Newspapers' online audiences are growing rapidly, according to a new industry study, highlighting a key growth area that newspapers are seeking to exploit as print circulation continues to be challenged. A study being released today by the Newspaper Association of America, a trade group, found that one in three Internet users -- 55 million -- visit a newspaper Web site every month. Also, unique visitors to newspaper Web sites jumped 21 percent from January 2005 to December 2005, while the number of page views soared by 43 percent over the same period. The study coincides with the NAA's annual convention in Chicago. Top of mind for the publishers attending was the looming sale of 12 Knight Ridder Inc. newspapers, including the Akron Beacon Journal by The McClatchy Co., which is acquiring the storied publishing company in a $4.5 billion deal that will reshape the landscape of American newspapers.
Helms has dementia
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, in increasingly poor health before and since he left office three years ago, has vascular dementia and has moved into a convalescent center near his home, his wife said. "He has his good days and his bad days," Dot Helms, told The News & amp; Observer for a story Sunday. The 84-year-old Republican has been slowed by illnesses including a bone disorder, prostate cancer and heart problems.
Associated Press