Muslim crowd burns two churches in Pakistan

Muslim crowd burns two churches in Pakistan

LAHORE, Pakistan -- Hundreds of Muslims attacked and burned two churches in Pakistan on Saturday after reports that a Christian man had desecrated Islam's holy book. No one was injured in the blazes. A school, student hostel and the home of a priest were also torched by the crowd of about 1,500 Muslims near the town of Sangla Hill, about 80 miles northeast of Lahore, said police official Ali Asghar Dogar. The attacks were being investigated. About two dozen people had been arrested, Dogar said. The fires happened a day after a local Muslim resident accused a Christian of burning a one-room Islamic school along with copies of the Quran. Shahbaz Bhatti, head of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance -- which promotes the rights of minorities in mainly Muslim Pakistan -- condemned the attacks on the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. "No Christian burned copies of the Quran," he said. "No Christian even can think of doing it. We have maximum regard and respect for the Quran and Islam's Prophet Muhammad."

Energy-rich Azerbaijan getting more attention

WASHINGTON -- For much of the past century, Azerbaijan existed as a tiny, little-noticed appendage of the Soviet Union. Nowadays, thanks to energy, Islam and geography, the Caspian enclave has the attention of international power players from all sides, the United States included. With Azerbaijan ready to start delivering oil and gas reserves to Western markets next year, the country's importance can only increase -- with unpredictable consequences. The Bush administration believes the best protection for the country, about the size of Hungary and a population of 7.9 million, is to shed authoritarianism and become a model democracy. Russia considers the former Soviet republic within its sphere of influence and will insist on having a voice in its future. As part of the Caucasus region, Azerbaijan cannot ignore the potential influence of militant Islamic factions in places like nearby Chechnya. At present, Azerbaijan is a secular state with a Shiite Muslim majority. Some experts believe Shiite-dominated Iran may harbor hostile intentions toward Azerbaijan, its northern neighbor. In Washington Quarterly magazine, Jason Zaborski, an analyst for the national security consulting firm DFI Government Services, wrote that U.S. military planners should prepare for the possibility of an eventual sea and land attacks by a nuclear-armed Iran against Azerbaijan.

Bush touts Medicare prescription benefits

WASHINGTON -- President Bush used his weekly radio address to urge older and disabled Americans to take advantage of the Medicare prescription drug benefit that will soon be available. He called the benefit "the greatest advance in health care for seniors and Americans with disabilities since the creation of Medicare 40 years ago." He says people who enroll quickly will get "peace of mind." Starting Tuesday, people can enroll in the program that begins in January. According to government estimates, the program will save participants 50 percent on their prescription drugs, on average. Those who qualify for the low-income subsidy will save substantially more, about 95 percent. But opponents of the program say it's much too complex, and recent surveys have found potential participants are wary.

-- From wire reports