Pope John Paul II, right, talks to a boy who offered him a bunch of flowers, foreground, at the end of the pope's weekly indoor audience at the Vatican Wednesday.INTERNET USERS TO VOTE ON ALDA, FORD, STREISAND
Alan Alda, Harrison Ford and Barbra Streisand are among the nominees in three new People's Choice Awards categories in which Internet users will determine the winners.
In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the awards added the categories of "All-Time Favorite" stars of television, movies and music. The nominees in those and 15 other categories were announced Monday and determined by a national Gallup poll.
The Jan. 10 awards ceremony will air live on CBS from Pasadena.
GRANT AND SMITH USE SONG TO URGE VOLUNTARISM
Instead of giving a speech, Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith gave a concert in Cary, N.C., to motivate people to volunteer for next year's Special Olympics World Games.
The singers gave an all-request concert Tuesday at computer software maker SAS Institute, which has set a goal of recruiting 600 workers for the games next June and July in Raleigh.
"Being a volunteer will re-inspire you and every part of your life," Grant said. "There's not too many times in life when you can come together with a common goal of celebrating life."
JFK JR. HANDS OVER HUNK OF MONEY TO SCHOOL PAL
John Kennedy Jr. handed over a $25,000 check to an old school chum Wednesday.
It is not Kennedy's own money, but a grant from the nonprofit Robin Hood Foundation. He gave the check to Hans Hageman at the foundation's annual "heroes award breakfast" at Tavern on the Green. Hageman, 40, is executive director of the East Harlem School, a private middle school on East 103rd Street; his brother Ivan is the principal.
He was a classmate of Kennedy at the Collegiate School in the 1960s. In the 1980s they were together again, as assistant district attorneys in Manhattan.
SHIRLEY MACLAINE TO GET BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL AWARD
Shirley MacLaine will receive the Golden Bear award for lifetime achievement at the Berlin film festival, organizers said Tuesday. Festival director Moritz de Hadeln praised MacLaine's "extraordinary versatility" and said she embodies Hollywood glamour. MacLaine, 64, will receive her award Feb. 18. The festival runs Feb. 10-21.