Archive July 2, 2025

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.

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.

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.

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.