A senior Indian minister has said that only the Dalai Lama and the organization he has set up have the authority to identify his successor as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism, in a rare comment contradicting rival China's long-held position.

India has firmly rejected China's claim regarding the selection of the next Dalai Lama, asserting that the decision rests solely with the current Dala

DHARAMSHALA – As he approaches his 90th birthday, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, announced on July 1 that there will be a 15th reincarnation—his first major public confirmation that the 600-year-old tradition will continue after his death.