A TOP coal company official expressed regret last night that the families of the 12 dead miners were mistakenly led to believe for three hours that their loved ones were alive.

FAMILY members believe the officials likely knew of the miners’ fates some time before then - maybe as soon as 20 minutes after the celebration began.

A coal company executive says it became clear within 20 minutes that the news anxious family members had received about the survival of a dozen trapped miners was terribly wrong.

Family members learned early today that 11 of the 12 coal miners who were initially thought to have survived an explosion in a US coal mine have died.

Twelve miners caught in an explosion in a US coalmine were found alive today - more than 41 hours after the blast.

A MINING company executive said officials are “very discouraged” by air quality tests in the mine where 13 workers are trapped, and planned to drill a third hole to take additional air samples.

Rescuers trying to reach 13 trapped US miners punched a hole into the mine early today, but a company executive said he was “very discouraged” by air quality tests.

Rescuers who had penetrated more than 9,000 feet into a West Virginia coal mine where 13 miners were believed trapped were ordered to return to the surface today as a drilling crew prepared to punch into the mine with a 6 1/4 inch hole.

Jackie Chan, the Hong Kong action film star known for his daredevil stunts, has been named a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations’ Children’s Fund and UN Aids agencies.

A passenger jet flying from New York to Morocco was ordered to return to the US after receiving a bomb threat, authorities said.

Bobby Hatfield, who with partner Bill Medley pioneered “blue-eyed soul” as the Righteous Brothers with hits like Unchained Melody and You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’, has died of undetermined causes at a hotel, his manager said. He was 63.

A senior British Ministry of Defence official claims Dr David Kelly brought his public exposure upon himself.

BRITISH Government weapons expert David Kelly was made to undergo a second grilling by Ministry of Defence managers over his contacts with a BBC journalist after the intervention of Prime Minister Tony Blair, the inquiry into his death heard yesterday.