World News: Chile engineers start drilling rescue shaft to free miners

The miners have been stuck 2,300ft underground for the past three weeks.

Officials say it could take up to four months for the tunnel to be completed and the men to be winched out.

Some of the miners have developed fungal infections and body sores in the hot conditions underground.

A huge Australian-made "Strata 950" excavator began work late last night.

The rescue shaft is likely to take 90 to 120 days to complete.

Once finished to a width of about 60cm, a capsule will be lowered down so the miners can be hauled out one-by-one.

Mining minister Laurence Golborne had said up to 10 options were being considered in the efforts to rescue the men.

But he dismissed suggestions that the men could be out within a month, saying: "Up to now there is no alternative... that would allow us to get them out in 30 days."

On Sunday, the miners were each able to speak to family members for one minute by telephone.

PM rejects call for new election

Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard has rejected the idea of a new election to avoid a hung parliament.

In her first major speech since elections on 21 August failed to deliver a clear winner, Mrs Gillard promised that she could offer stability.Police catch 'the Barbie'

Police have captured a drug kingpin blamed for a vicious turf war that has included bodies hung from bridges and shoot-outs in central Mexico.

The arrest of Edgar Valdez Villarreal, alias "the Barbie", was the culmination of a year-long intelligence operation, Mexico's public safety department said.

It said Valdez was captured in the state of Mexico, which borders the capital of Mexico City, but did not give any other details.

Hurricane Earl brings chaos

Hurricane Earl battered tiny islands across the north-eastern Caribbean with heavy rain and roof-ripping winds as it rapidly intensified into a major Category 4 storm.

Earl was set to gain more strength before potentially brushing the US East Coast this week.

Chinese inspect hijack bus

Hong Kong forensic experts have inspected the bullet-peppered bus in which a hijacker was accused of killing eight tourists in Manila, as the Philippines worked to calm China's outrage.

Anger has been rising in Hong Kong since the August 23 killings.

Two men face terror charge over luggage

United States: Two men on a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Amsterdam were reportedly facing a terror charge today after US officials found a mobile phone taped to a medicine bottle, a knife and a box cutter in checked luggage.

South Korea: The government has made its first offer of aid to North Korea since it accused the North of sinking a warship in March.

The Red Cross has offered to send 10 billion won (5.3m) of flood aid