Dalai Lama celebrates 90th birthday in exile
Thousands of well-wishers gathered in the Indian hill town of Dharamshala on July 6 to mark the 90th birthday of the Dalai Lama, celebrating the life and legacy of the Tibetan spiritual leader known globally for his message of peace, compassion, and nonviolence. Despite heavy monsoon rain and fog, the streets surrounding the Tsuklakhang Tibetan Buddhist complex were packed from early morning with people hoping to glimpse the Nobel Peace laureate. The festivities included masked dancers in vibrant traditional attire performing to gongs and horns, while Indian government officials and actor Richard Gere, a longtime ally of the Dalai Lama, addressed the crowd. The celebration marked the culmination of days of events in Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama has lived since fleeing Tibet after a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. The death of the Dalai Lama will mark the end of an era for Tibetan Buddhism, sparking profound religious, cultural, and political consequences. His passing will trigger the search for his reincarnation, a process vital for the continuation of Tibetan spiritual leadership. The Dalai Lama's death will also have significant global implications, especially concerning the future of Tibet, religious freedom, and the ongoing struggle between Tibetan independence and Chinese control. Click on to explore the key events and challenges that will follow.
2025-04-11T18:00:53Z
Trump targets BRICS+ allies with 10% tariff threat
US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose an additional 10% tariff on any country he claims is supporting the “anti-American policies” of the BRICS+ group of emerging economies. The warning comes as a new BRICS+ summit kicked off in Brazil on July 6, with the group’s leaders releasing a joint statement criticizing the growing use of unilateral tariff measures that affect global trade. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump announced that letters notifying countries of the new tariffs would be sent beginning July 7, ahead of the July 9 expiration of a 90-day tariff pause. “There will be no exceptions to this policy,” he wrote, without specifying which policies he considered "anti-American." In 2009, a summit held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, brought together the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The outcome of that meeting saw the creation of an intergovernmental organization called "BRICs." More than 15 years later, the BRICS+ group, as it's now referred to, is regarded by some analysts as a threat to the established world order. But what exactly is this organization, how does it function, and just how much of a threat does it pose? Click through this gallery and find out more about the BRICS+ group.
2025-04-29T18:23:52Z