Pope hails signs of hope in mideast

Signs of hope in Iraq, the Holy Land and Lebanon need to be confirmed by fair and wise actions on the ground, Pope Benedict XVI said today during a Christmas Day message delivered from the loggia of St Peter’s Basilica.

He also urged protection for those suffering “tragic humanitarian crises” in Darfur, Sudan, and other parts of Africa, and called for the settlement of “dangerous disputes” in Asia and continued dialogue on the Korean peninsula.