POPE BENEDICT XVI led tens of thousands of people yesterday in celebrating the 150th anniversary of a peasant girl’s religious visions in Lourdes, where believers in miracles have since prayed for physical or spiritual healing.

Pope Benedict XVI led tens of thousands of people today in celebrating the 150th anniversary of St Bernadette's religious visions in Lourdes, where believers have since prayed for physical or spiritual healing.

Security guards at the Lourdes shrine in south-west France have foiled an attempted suicide bombing at the shrine today.