Here are the top stories this evening

The government of India does not take any position or speak on matters concerning beliefs and practices of faith and religion. The government has always upheld freedom of religion for all in India and will continue to do so.

Rijiju clarified that he was not making the remarks on behalf of the Indian government and neither was he commenting on a statement made by China, rejecting the Dalai Lama's succession plan.

The child in Tibet who the Dalai Lama chose as the 11th Panchen Lama disappeared in May, 1995 and has not been seen since. A few months later, the Chinese government appointed Gyaltsen Norbu as the Panchen Lama.

Beijing says it has the right to approve the Dalai Lama's successor as a legacy from imperial times.

On Wednesday, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama said that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and only the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the authority to recognise his future reincarnation.

Addressing 95 Tibetan youngsters from 15 countries, Gere said that on his deathbed, he would not be thinking about his movies but what he has been able to do in advocating the Tibetan cause in global capitals.

Although Avalokiteśvara originated in India as a man, they can be depicted as either a man, woman, or non-binary being. This gender fluidity has led to them being revered as a trans icon in the West.

Dalai Lama assigns task to Zurich-based foundation

At the moment, the organisation's main job is to support the Dalai Lama's spiritual and humanitarian work.

The Dalai Lama's succession must comply with Chinese laws and regulations as well as religious rituals and historical conventions, Mao Ning, spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry, said at a regular news conference.

Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, as a separatist. The Dalai Lama has previously said his successor will be born outside China and urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing.

China has tightened its control over Tibet with continuous investment in enhancing its capabilities to exercise control over the Tibetan population. However, that grip remains slippery due to the lack of wider legitimacy of its rule among the Tibetan populace.

In his book 'Voice for the Voiceless', released in March 2025, the Dalai Lama said his successor would be born outside China.

He has previously said he could possibly reincarnate in India, where he lives in exile near the northern Himalayan town of Dharamshala.

Beijing hopes to create some confusion among the Tibetans on the issue of the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. It had done the same in the case of Panchen Lama, the second-highest monk after the Dalai Lama in Tibetan Buddhism.

The world saw the Tibetian leader emerge as the global icon of compassion in all these decades, who did not shun the path of peace and non-violence even while leading his people in resisting the aggression by one of the ‘Big Powers’.

The two countries agreed to resume ties after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, last year. Read more at: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/first-batch-of-indian-pilgrims-arrives-at-manasarovar-lake-in-tibet-after-five-year-hiatus-3604434

New Delhi: A birthday may cast a shadow over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro early next month. ...

Gangtok: The first group of 36 pilgrims for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra has arrive in Sikkim's capital Gangtok after six years, and moved to the 17 Mile area on Monday for acclimatisation, officials said.

New Delhi's reaction came in response to Beijing announcing Chinese names for some places in Arunachal Pradesh, which the neighbouring country claims as the southern part of Tibet.

Authorities have dispatched emergency response services and no casualties have been reported so far, CEA said.

The recent conflict between India and Pakistan began when terrorists killed at least 26 tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22.

The announcement at a regular press conference came after Washington imposed additional visa restrictions two weeks ago on Chinese officials involved in policies governing foreigners' access to Tibetan areas.

The minister said whenever a minority community faces persecution, it always comes to India to take refuge and cited the examples of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan community, minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

China seized control of Tibet in 1950 in what it describes as a 'peaceful liberation' from feudalistic serfdom.

The award was presented by Gold Mercury International, a globally recognised think tank and international non-governmental organisation (INGO) dedicated to promoting peace, governance and sustainable development.