The Dalai Lama has announced that he intends to reincarnate, paving the way for a successor to take on a mantle stretching back 500 years after his death

The statement puts to rest speculation, started by the Dalai Lama himself, that he may be the last of Tibet's spiritual leaders.

As the Dalai Lama approaches his 90th birthday, he emphasised that the institution of the Dalai Lama will persist, with the Gaden Phodrang Trust solely responsible for recognising his future reincarnation.