VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI, in his traditional Christmas Day message, Saturday expressed hope for global peace and solidarity and offered words of comfort to the faithful in China who live with "limitations imposed" on their freedom of religion.

NEW DELHI - Soaking in the festive spirit while wrapped in layers of clothing, Delhiites Saturday visited various decked up churches, sang carols, exchanged presents and gorged on fruit plum cakes to celebrate the festival of Christmas.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Thousands of devout Christians attended mass at churches across Kerala Saturday and headed home for a special breakfast of appam, stew, baked bananas and cakes, but the usual public revelry was low key following four-time chief minister K. Karunakaran's death.