TIBETAN BUDDHISTS HOLD LONGEVITY PRAYER FOR DALAI LAMA

More than 5,000 Tibetan Buddhist worshippers have gathered at a temple in northern India to pray for the Dalai Lama's longevity.

The Tibetan spiritual leader appeared at the temple on Wednesday, walking with assistance from his followers. He turns 89 in July. The service was held in Dharamshala, which is the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

The process to select the next Dalai Lama is the focus of growing attention. In Tibetan Buddhism, tradition has it that senior monks are reincarnated upon their death. The Dalai Lama has said he'll hold talks to decide on whether the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue after him when he's about 90 years old.

But the Chinese Communist Party says it has the authority to choose a successor, which has provoked the objections of the Tibetan government-in-exile. The current Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after China's suppression of an uprising in Tibet. Beijing has branded him as a separatist who seeks Tibetan independence.