Trapped Chilean miners talk with family members

Copiapo, Chile (CNN) -- The 33 Chilean miners who have been trapped underground for more than three weeks spoke directly with family members for the first time Sunday, as officials worked to keep the men's spirits and health in good shape.

One person per family was given about 20 seconds each to talk through a line that was rigged to connect the miners with life above ground.

"He's good, very good. He told me to be patient and to have faith," Antenor Barrios, father of one of the trapped miners, said after talking to his son, Carlos.

Family members have mounted a constant vigil in a tent city -- dubbed Camp Hope -- outside the copper and gold mine in the Chilean desert. About a week ago, miners first sent up a written message telling rescuers they had been safely huddled in a shelter some 2,300 feet (701 meters) underground since a cave-in there on August 5.

One of the miners, Esteban Rojas, sent a letter to wife soon after the men were discovered alive, asking her to marry him in a church ceremony. The two were married in a civil ceremony and have been together for some 25 years. CNN

S. Korean PM-to-be resigns amid pressure

(CNN) -- South Korean prime minister-designate Kim Tae-ho and two other nominees announced their resignations Sunday, amid corruption allegations that surfaced during their confirmation hearings, the state-run Yonhap news agency reported.

The resignations are a blow to the cabinet re-organization efforts of President Lee Myung-bak. The cabinet re-shuffle was an attempt to refresh the government for the second half of his term.

But Kim bowed to pressure from opposition parties and critics over discrepancies in his testimony during his confirmation hearing, and alleged shady relations with a convicted local businessman, Yonhap reported.

Kim was accused of receiving tens of thousands of dollars in 2007 in illegal political funds from the businessman, the news agency said.

Following Kim's announcement, the appointees to two other cabinet posts also resigned. The two nominees had been under scrutiny for unethical and alleged illegal activities, according to Yonhap.

Kim, a former governor who just turned 48, would have become the country's first prime minister under age 50 in four decades. CNN

Bodies of 5 campaign workers found in western Afghanistan

(CNN) -- The bodies of five kidnapped parliamentary campaign workers were found Sunday in a remote district of Herat province in western Afghanistan, said Naqibullah Arwin, spokesman for the provincial governor.

Arwin said the workers were campaigning for Fawzia Gelani, a female candidate. The workers drove to the area three days ago when a group of insurgents kidnapped and later shot them dead, he said.

A fellow candidate, Abdul Manan, was assassinated Sunday in the same province. Manan was shot in the city of Shindand by a man who approached him on a motorcycle, the NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) announced.

He died en route to a hospital, ISAF said in a statement. CNN

Niger flooding displaces nearly 200,000, UN says

(CNN) -- Heavy rains in Niger have displaced nearly 200,000 in recent weeks, the United Nations says, calling on donors and aid agencies to send shelter material, blankets and other supplies.

The flooding has displaced at least 198,740 people, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"Response in rural areas has been slow thus far," the head of OCHA in Niger, Modibo Traore, told the agency's news arm.

Families left homeless in the remote Diffa region in southeast Niger and Agadez in the north have not received assistance yet. About 80,000 animals have died in Agadez flooding.

"We must find a way to quickly burn or bury their bodies to ensure water sources are not contaminated," Traore said.

The flooding has only compounded the food security crisis in the west African nations, where nearly 15.2 million suffered from hunger after failing harvests, the OCHA said, citing the government. CNN

Gadhafi arrives in Italy to observe closer ties between nations

(CNN) -- Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi arrived in Italy Sunday, a year after his historic trip there to mark closer ties between the two countries. He was greeted by Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.

He arrived at Rome's Ciampino Airport and waved to reporters as he walked by. He is expected to depart Tuesday.

Libya and Italy signed a pact in August 2008 that normalized relations and closed the painful chapter of Italian colonization in Libya. The pact was signed in Libya, and last year, Gadhafi made his first visit to Rome to mark its anniversary.

This year's anniversary will be marked with an equestrian show, for which Libya is sending 30 horses and riders. Italian Carabinieri, or military police, will also take part in the show with their own horses.

A gala dinner with about 800 guests is planned for after the show, according to the Italian government press office.

Gadhafi is also expected to inaugurate a Libyan academy in Rome. CNN

Kidnapped workers for Afghan female MP found dead

The bodies of five people working for a female candidate in Afghanistan's parliamentary election have been found in western Herat province.

They were among a group of 10 people kidnapped by armed men on Wednesday. Five were later released, say reports.

The Taliban later said they carried out the abductions. No group has said it carried out the killings.

The staff were working for Fauzia Galani, who is seeking re-election to parliament in September's polls.

Police chief Nisar Ahmad Popal said the bodies had been found dumped on a mountainside in Adrskan district.

Reports say their hands had been bound and they had been shot in the head.

Taliban insurgents opposed to the elections in general - and female candidates in particular - have been blamed for the murder of a number of candidates.

On Saturday, candidate Haji Abdul Manan was shot and killed as he was leaving a mosque on the back of a motorcycle.

The Taliban have also been blamed for the kidnap of four women working at a drug treatment centre in northern Faryab province. Officials were reported to be negotiating to secure the women's release.

The US has sent an extra 30,000 troops to Afghanistan since December 2009 in an effort to defeat the Taliban. BBC News

First Australian Aboriginal MP elected for Liberals

An Aboriginal Australian has been elected to parliament for the first time in the country's history.

Ken Wyatt, 57, an expert on Aboriginal health, took the seat of Hasluck in Western Australia for the centre-right Liberal Party.

Neither the Liberals nor the governing Labor Party gained enough seats at last week's election for a majority.

Mr Wyatt has dismissed the racist hate mail he received, saying it was time for Australia to move forward. BBC News

Ten militants killed as police repel attack on Kadyrov's home village

Ten militants and two police officers were killed in a shootout which occurred early on Sunday when the militants were trying to attack Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov's home village, Kadyrov said.

The shootout took place in Chechnya's Kurchaloyevsky district.

Kadyrov, who controls the operation, said bodies of the ten killed militants were found at the scene, adding that the militants were being identified.

"Currently servicemen and police are scouring the nearby forest. The situation is stable and controllable," he said.

Another shootout occurred early on Sunday in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan.

According to a local interior ministry official, unidentified assailants opened fire at a traffic police post in the republic's Khasavyurt district when police stopped their car for a check. Police opened retaliatory fire, killing all four militants in the car. RIA Novosti

Long-dormant volcano erupts in Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- A volcano that had been inactive for more than 400 years erupted in Indonesia early Sunday, causing thousands of people to flee their homes, officials said.

Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province had been inactive since the 1600s, but spewed volcanic ash nearly a mile into the air Sunday, said Surono, head of the country's volcanology and geology agency.

"We don't know the character of this volcano because it's been dormant for so long," he said.

There were no reports of casualties or injuries.

"The situation is under control. Emergency response teams are already on the scene," said Priyadi Kardono of the National Disaster Management Agency.

Officials have evacuated 12,000 residents living in 14 villages near the volcano, which erupted just after 12:15 a.m. Sunday (1:15 p.m. ET Saturday), the official Antara news agency reported.

"We felt strong tremors last night. It was a volcanic quake," Indonesian Red Cross worker Muhammad Isral told the agency. "After that, the crater of Mount Sinabung spewed glowing lava. And trees in the mount slopes were burnt. It was followed by thick clouds that caused visibility to be only about five meters".

On Saturday, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation issued a warning and ordered evacuation of a 6 km (3.7 miles) radius around the volcano. CNN

As Mexicans mourn slain migrants, explosive goes off

(CNN) -- An explosive device detonated Saturday three blocks away from a mass honoring 72 migrants found slain near the Mexican border, state media reported.

Three people were injured in the explosion in the city of Reynosa, the state-run Notimex news agency reported. Mourners were gathered nearby at a service for the 72 migrants from Central and South America whose bodies were found this week in a ranch in northern Mexico.

"We condemn these types of acts, that violate social peace and cruelty harm human beings, offend other nations, whose only error is not to have enough resources to retain their citizens, who leave in search of a better way of life," Father Pedro Contreras Hernandez said during the mid-day mass, according to Notimex.

Officials are investigating whether they were the victims of human traffickers or drug cartels that prey on migrants.

State authorities said Saturday that the lead investigator on the case remained missing, Notimex said. The state investigator and a municipal police officer went missing Wednesday.

On Saturday, a Mexican congressman asked federal authorities to step in. CNN