A technical glitch halted trading on Eurex, Europe’s largest derivatives market, for about 60 minutes, adding to this month’s tally of exchange breakdowns following a three-hour shutdown of the Nasdaq Stock Market.

FROM pilgrims burning candles at a grotto in France to a tiny wooden church in the Amazon, the world continued to mourn Pope John Paul II yesterday as details of his funeral were announced.

TOKYO (AFX-ASIA) - Share prices closed lower in line with the steep falls on NASDAQ Friday, but were well off their lows near the close on positive comments from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Shizuka Kamei, dealers said.