Dalai Lama

Retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an anti-apartheid hero often described as South Africa's conscience, has slammed the ANC-led government as "disgraceful" and said it is worse than the country's former oppressive white regime for not issuing a visa to the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama will be in Christchurch next week to see first-hand the destruction caused by the February earthquake.

The Dalai Lama says he will give up his political role in the Tibetan government-in-exile and shift that power to an elected representative, as the 76-year-old Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader struggles with growing worries about who will succeed him when he dies.

The White House says President Barack Obama and the Dalai Lama will meet at the White House this month.