Dalai Lama's surgery successful

Surgery on the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai to remove a gallstone has ended successfully, his spokesman said today.

Chhime Chhoekyapa said the surgery was a "simple routine procedure".

The Dalai Lama was admitted to hospital in New Delhi on Thursday, days after a medical check-up cleared him to resume foreign travel.

In August, the 73-year-old Dalai Lama was admitted to a Mumbai hospital and underwent tests for abdominal discomfort.

Doctors advised him to cancel a planned trip to Europe and rest, saying he was suffering from exhaustion.

The Dalai Lama normally spends several months a year travelling the world to teach Buddhism and highlight the Tibetans' struggle for greater freedom in China.