Pope Francis turned 88 on Tuesday and marked the occasion with revelations that he almost didn’t make it. According to excerpts of his upcoming autobiography, suicide bombers had planned to attack him during his 2021 visit to Iraq, but were killed before striking.

China said it was expanding its visa-free transit policy, allowing eligible foreign travelers to stay in parts of the country as long as 10 days as officials try to attract more overseas visitors.

Excerpts from his upcoming autobiography reveal that suicide bombers had plotted to attack him during his 2021 visit to Iraq but were eliminated before carrying out the strike.