Dalai Lama confirms he will have a successor after his death

The Dalai Lama has officially announced that he will choose a successor in line with “past tradition,” putting an end to years of rumors about the complex office.

The Tibetan spiritual leader claimed that the Gaden Phodrang Foundation, which he founded to safeguard the institution, will be able to grant him the right to recognize his upcoming reincarnation in a video message on Wednesday, just days before his 90th birthday.

Tibetan Buddhist leaders will seek his successor, he continued, underscoring that “no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter.”

Buddhists have sent him numerous messages urging the office’s continuation in recent years, according to the 14th Dalai Lama.

I’m confirming that the Dalai Lama’s institution will continue in accordance with all these requests, he continued.

He made the remarks at a three-day religious conference in Dharamshala, a town in northern India where he has lived since 1959, when he fled Tibet for India after a failed uprising against China.

Tibetan activist Tenzin Tsundue described the Dalai Lama’s announcement on Wednesday as a “punch in the face” for China, which controls the Tibet Autonomous Region and has claimed to have the authority to appoint his successor.

The Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize and is referred to as a “separatist,” has previously warned Beijing against “meddling in the system of reincarnation of lamas, let alone that of the Dalai Lama.

China said the Dalai Lama’s succession had to be approved by Beijing’s central government in response to his comments on Wednesday.

The Dalai Lama’s spiritual adviser, Thupten Ngodup, predicted that there would not normally be discussions about a successor during the current leader’s lifetime.

He told Al Jazeera, “But this discussion is taking place right now, primarily because the Chinese government interferes with His Holiness’ reincarnation.”

The spiritual leader is supposedly reincarnated in a child’s body according to Tibetan Buddhism.

On July 2, 2025, monks in the northern Indian town of Dharamshala, attend the 15th Tibetan Religious Conference.

The current Dalai Lama, who was born on July 6, 1935, was a member of a farming family.

According to his website, a search party sent by the Tibetan government picked him after he discovered items belonging to his predecessor.

He relocated to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, in the winter of 1940, and became the spiritual leader of his people.

A Dalai Lama’s trust official said on Wednesday that his successor could be any gender and not be of Tibetan descent.

‘Ten Juventus players asked to be substituted’

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Manager Igor Tudor requests ten substitutes for Real Madrid’s Club World Cup defeat, according to manager.

The last-16 game was played on Tuesday in Miami, which had a high of 30% humidity and 30C temperatures.

Up to six substitutions are permitted for a game during extra time, and up to five.

Real won 1-0 in regular time thanks to Gonzalo Garcia’s goal, and Tudor made the maximum five changes permitted at Hard Rock Stadium.

Ten players asked to be substituted in the end, he said. “It was incredible exhaustion.

Borussia Dortmund manager Niko Kovac claimed he was “strainin’ like I’ve just come out of a sauna” during his side’s group win over Mamelodi Sundowns in Cincinnati, Ohio. The extreme heat in the US has affected many games throughout the Club World Cup.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, during Benfica’s group victory over Bayern Munich, the temperature reached 36C, and Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca claimed it was “impossible” to conduct regular training despite a code red “severe heat warning in Philadelphia.

In 33 out of 56 matches, “cooling breaks” are required once certain conditions are met.

The wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), a temperature-and-humidity ratio, is currently used to calculate heat stress.

Both halves of a match must take cooling breaks if the WBGT exceeds 32C.

Breaks should be introduced once the WBGT exceeds 28C, according to the global players’ union Fifpro, and matches should be postponed if the WBGT exceeds 32C.

The US will host the World Cup in 2014.

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Four dead, four missing after oil barge sinks in Gulf of Suez: Egypt gov’t

At least four of the crew members who were working on the oil-drilling barge have died and four others are still unaccounted for in the Gulf of Suez.

The Adam Marine 12 sank the night before in the Gebel el-Zeit area of the Gulf of Suez, according to the Egyptian government, on Wednesday, injuring 22 people.

According to Egyptian media, the barge capsized while being towed to a new location.

According to the Egyptian Ministry of Health, four of the injured people were taken to a hospital and 18 others were taken by ambulance.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources posted images of Minister Karim Badawi, a member of Labour’s Mohammed Jibran and Red Sea governor Amr Hanafi, visiting survivors at El Gouna hospital in Hurghada.

According to Hanafi, Egyptian ships participated in the search-and-rescue efforts for the crew members.

US halts some weapons shipments to Ukraine

As Russia’s attacks on Ukraine increase, the United States claims that it is halting some weapons deliveries to Kyiv that were promised by the Biden administration.

As the Pentagon reviews the current inventory levels, the pledges made during the Biden-era, which included various munitions to bolster Ukraine’s defenses, are now being reviewed. Under President Donald Trump, who has pushed for a more restrained global military posture, the move may indicate a shift in priorities.

Following a review of our country’s military support and assistance to other nations around the world, White House spokesman Anna Kelly stated in a statement on Tuesday that “this decision was made to put America’s interests first.”

According to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Pentagon’s internal analysis revealed some stockpiles were “too low” to justify a US-led transfer to Ukraine, according to Politico, which first reported the suspension of military aid.

A significant tax and defense spending bill in Congress, according to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, would improve systems for long-term deterrence, noting that “America’s military has never been more ready and capable.

According to Politico and other US media reports, Patriot air defense systems missiles, precision artillery, and Hellfire missiles are among the items being blocked.

Russia’s assault is getting worse

Russia’s continued aerial bombardment of Ukraine during one of the war’s most difficult times comes at a precarious time. With Kyiv and Moscow’s talks still stalled, hopes for a ceasefire have waned even more.

The US has given Ukraine more than $66 billion in weapons and security assistance since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Washington has urged its allies to provide air defense systems, particularly Patriot missile batteries, throughout the conflict. Many NATO members, especially those who are wary of Russia, continue to be reluctant to give up the systems.

Trump acknowledged Ukraine’s request for more Patriots during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week at the NATO summit.

According to Trump, “They do want to have the Patriots,” or “as they call them.” We’ll check to see if we can offer some. They are also necessary for us. They are very effective and are being supplied to Israel. Hard to believe how effective it is.

The US Department of Defense’s undersecretary for policy, Elbridge Colby, stated that the administration was looking into how to balance maintaining support for Ukraine with domestic readiness.

Your top 10 Wimbledon questions answered

Your questions have been a BBC Sport topic since Wimbledon 2025 first became available.

Hundreds of you have been in touch and we’ve picked out some of the best to take a look at.

Contact us.

Why are Wimbledon’s seats empty?

John in Bedford

Even though ballot tickets for the 2025 Championships had already sold out months prior, there were still plenty of empty seats in the Center Court and Court One stands. Why ?

Wimbledon operations manager Michelle Dine spoke to BBC Sport on Tuesday.

There are a lot more people scurrying around the grounds, she said, “because it was so hot.”

“We’re constantly sending out reminders to people to get water.” So maybe there were a few more people that were off court just trying to find some shade and take a bit of a break”.

Play begins at 11am and can run for 12 hours. Some fans may not have time to spend the entire day at SW19; however, travel plans may prompt some to arrive before the game ends or to leave before it ends.

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Why does Wimbledon have five sets for men and three for women?

Russell in Frome

A custom that dates back to the late 19th century involves men playing best-of-five matches and women playing only three.

Best-of-five matches were held when the men’s singles competition at Wimbledon first took place in 1877. When the women’s singles followed in 1884, they played best-of-three-set matches because of a perception they had less stamina.

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What material is used to make tennis balls?

Lancashire’s Zac

Tennis balls are made of a hollow rubber core, filled with pressurised air, with compound felt cover comprised of cotton, nylon and wool.

That hasn’t, however, always been the case.

The first rubber balls were created in the middle of the 20th century when modern lawn tennis first started to take shape. Wear and tear to the outside of the rubber eventually led to efforts to create a protective covering.

Tennis balls are yellow, but why?

Owen in Manchester

Depending on the color of the court, tennis balls were once either black or white.

When David Attenborough, the most well-known naturalist in the world, took over control of BBC Two in the beginning of his television career.

However, it was frequently difficult to distinguish the white lines of the court from the white ones, and it was difficult to tell whether or not shots were coming in or out.

Attenborough suggested a change of colour to something more visible. The International Tennis Federation conducted a number of tests to determine the color ball’s clearest spot, eventually coming up with fluorescent yellow.

Sir David Attenborough watches a tennis match from the royal box at WimbledonGetty Images

Why do players examine multiple balls before serving?

Robert in Brixton

Before serving, tennis players typically take three balls from the ball crew.

They will generally give one back, put one in their pocket, and keep hold of the third. The pocket serves as a buffer between the second and third serves, allowing for the player to continue playing without having to hand the player a second ball.

Players typically evaluate the three balls by sight and touch before choosing which to keep and which to give back when holding them. They do so in order to try to gain an advantage.

The inside of a tennis ball loses air pressure as a result, and the outside becomes more frayed.

A ball with a high air pressure and smooth exterior will move more quickly through the air, making a quick first serve preferable.

Meanwhile, a ball which has slightly less air pressure and more frayed exterior can be more suitable for a slower serve with more spin, making them potentially useful for the second serve.

At Wimbledon, how are seedings decided?

Beth in Essex

In each of the four Grand Slam draws, there are 32 seeds for men’s and women’s singles. The ranking of players in the lead-up to the tournament determines seeding. For the 2025 edition, the cut-off date was 23 June.

This is accomplished by the men’s singles players using their ATP Tour rankings. The WTA Tour rankings are used for the women’s singles. Players are seeded in the order in which they rank.

Casper Ruud, Arthur Fils, and Sebastian Korda would all have qualified this year, but they all withdrew because of injury. As a result, Alex Michelsen, Tallon Griekspoor and Matteo Berrettini were seeded 30th, 31st and 32nd respectively.

Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner talk during a press event at the 2025 Australian OpenGetty Images

Why is there a curfew at 11 o’clock in Wimbledon?

Craig in Wrexham

The All England Club announced an 11pm curfew for Wimbledon games in 2009, the same day as the roof of the Centre Court was unveiled.

The curfew was put in place to “balance the consideration of local residents with the scale of an international tennis event that takes place in a residential area.”

Why do tennis players not burn themselves?

Cumbria’s Becky

Players apply sun cream before matches, and may do so again during changes of end.

Coco Gauff applies sun cream to her left arm during a pause in a practice session at the 2025 French OpenGetty Images

Who are the voices at Wimbledon yelling line calls?

Rainer in Oxford

When a shot is hit out of play or a player breaks on a serve, line calls can now be heard at Wimbledon thanks to line judges.

Players and fans complained that bellows line judges’ loudspeakers were ineffective when called into action.

What kind of cream is paired with strawberries?

Jack and Sarah are both from Nottingham and Sarah is from Derby.

The cream used in the classic Wimbledon snack is double cream, which is sourced from British dairies.

Alternatives that are vegan are also present.

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