VATICAN CITY -- Looking weak and speaking with great effort, Pope John Paul II blessed the flame of a tall candle at the start of a long Easter vigil service Saturday night in a packed St. Peter's Basilica. The pontiff baptized people from Europe, Africa and Asia in a solemn, chant-filled ceremony. John Paul gripped the candle as he was wheeled in his chair up the center aisle of a darkened basilica. Thousands of faithful held small candles whose flames sparked in the darkness. After a deacon's sung phrase, "Lumen Christi" -- Light of Christ, in Latin -- rang out through the cavernous basilica for a third time, the lights went on in the basilica for the vigil service, which lasts about three hours. The ailing, 83-year-old pope pronounced his words with great effort. But he appeared to gain strength a couple of hours into the service, delivering his entire homily.

Taiwanese protesters toss rocks, bottles

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Tossing bottles and rocks, hundreds of Taiwanese protesters were blasted by police water cannon Saturday after a rally demanding an independent investigation of the bizarre shooting that injured President Chen Shui-bian one day before his narrow re-election. The rowdy protests have become a weekend tradition since Chen won the March 10 vote and opposition candidate Lien Chan challenging the results. Lien has insinuated that Chen might have staged the unexplained shooting, and he wants a special task force to probe the event. So far, police have no suspects or solid leads.

Poor wait in lines to give money to Hamas fight

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Thousands of Palestinians in impoverished Gaza waited in long lines outside mosques Saturday to contribute what little funds they had to Hamas' fight against Israel, the Islamic militant group said. Hamas, the largest opposition group, is negotiating with Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority on how to run Gaza after a planned Israeli withdrawal. The group, which opposes the existence of Israel, has killed more than 300 Israelis in attacks since 2000. Also, an 11-year-old girl was killed in her kitchen in the Gaza town of Khan Younis when she was hit by a stray bullet, witnesses said. The military said soldiers were shooting at militants who had fired a rocket.

-- From wire reports