Pope Francis has voiced concern over the situation in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra following attempts by the Ukrainian authorities to expel monks from the country's iconic Orthodox Christian site.

Speaking at the end of a general audience on Wednesday, the pontiff said:

"I was thinking about the Orthodox monks in the Kiev Lavra. I ask warring parties to respect religious places. The clergy of any denomination are the support of the people of God."

His comments came after Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, last week issued an appeal to Christian leaders of various denominations and international organizations over what he described as "a sharp increase in state pressure on Orthodox Christians in Ukraine."

Referring to Kiev Pechersk Lavra, Kirill called for "every possible effort to prevent the forced closure of the monastery, which would lead to a violation of the rights of millions" of faithful.

For years, Ukraine has experienced religious tensions, predominantly between Kiev-backed non-canonical Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which proclaimed independence from Moscow after Russia launched its military operation in the neighboring country in February 2022.

This, however, did not spare it from accusations that it covertly supports Russia, and raids have been carried out on numerous Orthodox monasteries across Ukraine, including the Lavra itself.

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Khan's supporters threw rose petals at a convoy carrying him to the Lahore rally, which swelled to more than 5,000. Security was ramped up and hundreds of police were deployed to the city for Monday's rally, which authorities permitted.

Later, Khan from his bullet-proof vehicle addressed supporters, saying he will hold an election rally in the city's spacious public park on Sunday. He denounced Wednesday's police crackdown against his planned rally in Lahore, saying he will never forget the killing of one of his supporters who died in police custody after being arrested. However, police deny the claim, saying Zillay Shah died on the road.

Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan says the "real intent" of police is to "abduct and assassinate" him after security forces attempted to detain him on Wednesday despite resistance from hundreds of the politician's supporters in the eastern city of Lahore.
...
"Clearly 'arrest' claim was mere drama because real intent is to abduct & assassinate," he wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. "From tear gas & water cannons, they have now resorted to live firing."

He added: "There is no doubt of their mala fide intent."

... Khan has maintained that the plot to arrest him is "not because I broke any law" but rather to ensure he "cannot contest elections."

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Asia's leading stock index erased all of its gains for the year on Tuesday as bank stocks continued declines triggered by the collapse of a growing number of US financial establishments.

The MSCI Asia Pacific index fell 2.3%, with Japanese banks among the biggest drags on the market. The index is down more than 9% from this year's high recorded in January, wiping out its gains for the year. The MSCI entered a bull market during the second trading week of the year, reflecting optimism from China's reopening.

The Tokyo Stock Price Index (Topix) fell almost 3%, representing the biggest daily decline in more than five months, while the MSCI ASEAN Index slumped 9.8% from a January high.

Meanwhile, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was down 1.47%, also reaching new lows for the year.

Asian stocks are reacting "to growing risks of a US recession happening earlier than previously expected," head of Asia equity strategy at Societe Generale Frank Benzimra said, adding that "cyclical markets such as Korea, Japan, and cyclical sectors and small caps tend to be more impacted in this context."