Shi Yongxin, former abbot of the world-famous Shaolin Temple, has been sentenced to 24 years in jail for crimes including embezzlement and taking bribes, state news agency Xinhua reported. Shi was also fined 3.5 million yuan (US$516,000). Xinxiang Intermediate People’s Court in China’s central Henan province found that Shi, whose birth name is Liu Yingcheng, had embezzled more than 131 million yuan between 2003 and 2025. Shi appeared in a public trial on Monday. The verdict was announced on...

US defence industry leaders are pushing for deeper commercial cooperation with Taiwan to strengthen its military capabilities, as the island seeks faster ways to bolster deterrence amid Beijing’s mounting military pressure. But they cautioned that such business deals could not replace traditional American arms sales regarded as the backbone of Taiwan’s defence. Speaking at the Taiwan-US Defence Industry Forum in Taipei on Thursday, retired US General Charles Flynn and senior American executives...