Thai police fail to arrest abbot accused of embezzlement after temple showdown

Thai police have raided a Buddhist temple complex to arrest a popular abbot accused of embezzlement but were thwarted by thousands of his followers who said he is too ill to be taken into custody.

The operation at Wat Dhammakaya, a monastery north of Bangkok known as one of the wealthiest in Thailand, began at 5am and was broadcast live on TV in a dramatic twist to a months-old stand-off.