Iran, N. Korea still in Bush 'axis of evil'

President Bush in 2002 branded Iraq, Iran, and North Korea part of an "axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world" - and he believes two of them still are, the White House said yesterday. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino yesterday praised North Korea for its steps but criticized Iran for failing to adequately respond to an offer of incentives in exchange for giving up enrichment of uranium, a component used for atomic weapons. Pressed by a reporter whether Bush still believed that they were part of the "axis of evil," Perino said North Korea and Iran were still part of it. "I think that until they give up their nuclear weapons programs completely and verifiably, I think that we would keep them in the same category," she said. (Reuters)

MEXICO CITY - Mexico will no longer jail illegal immigrants detained within its borders. A measure that takes effect today ends jail times for illegal immigrants caught in Mexico. Most are crossing the country from Central America en route to the United States. Undocumented immigration will now be considered a minor offense, punishable by fines equal to $500 to $2,400. Illegal immigrants previously faced up to 10 years in prison, though most were deported.(AP)

JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government survived three no-confidence motions in Parliament yesterday in a vote boycotted by a key member of his ruling coalition. One of the three motions was approved by 41 votes to 40 after Olmert's Shas coalition partner shunned the vote. It was the first time in more than two years that more Parliament members had voted against Olmert's government in such a motion than for it. Under Israeli law, 61 votes are needed to pass. (Reuters)

RAMALLAH - A human rights group has released a video that shows an Israeli soldier firing a rubber-coated bullet from close range toward the feet of a bound, blindfolded Palestinian man. The Israeli military said yesterday it was investigating the video, taken two weeks ago, and described the shooting as a "stark violation" of army rules. Defense Minister Ehud Barak condemned the soldier's conduct. (AP)

BERLIN - More than 1,600 years after it was written in Greek, one of the oldest copies of the Bible will become globally accessible online for the first time this week. Starting Thursday, sections of the Codex Sinaiticus, which contains the oldest complete New Testament, will be available on the Internet, said the University of Leipzig, one of the four curators of the text worldwide. High resolution images of the Gospel of Mark, several Old Testament books, and notes on the work made over centuries will appear on www.codex-sinaiticus.net as a step toward publishing the manuscript online by next July. (Reuters)