Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has cancelled a visit to Mongolia after Russia refused to grant him a transit visa, a senior Tibetan official has said. The Dalai Lama had been due to visit Mongolia, which has a large Buddhist community, between 3 and 17 September. He needed a visa to fly via Russia on his way from India to the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator. Foreign Ministry officials in Moscow said they were unaware of the visa request, but a Tibetan spokesman in Moscow said Russia must have been afraid of upsetting China. "Ministry officials informed us that the time wasn't suitable, because several visits by Chinese leaders were scheduled for the same time," Tibetian spokesman Gelek Ngawang said. (BBC)