Briefly

INDIA

Plantation landslide deaths reach 43

The death toll from a landslide at a tea plantation in the southern state of Kerala rose to 43 on Sunday, with nearly two dozen people feared trapped, an official said. The landslide, caused by heavy rain, hit the plantation in Idduki district on Friday morning when the workers were still sleeping, officials said. "We have stopped the rescue operation for the day because of the rain.... The operation will continue till the last body is recovered," local official H.Dineshan said. In 2018, Kerala was hit by the worst floods in a century and hundreds were killed.

AFGHANISTAN

Taliban vow talks after prisoners freed

The Taliban said on Monday that they were ready for peace talks with the Afghan government, as authorities announced that the release of hundreds of militants accused of serious offenses would begin in the next few days. The fate of nearly 400 Taliban prisoners has been a crucial hurdle in launching peace talks between the two warring sides, which had committed to completing a prisoner exchange before negotiations could start. On Sunday, thousands of prominent Afghans approved their release at the end of a three-day loya jirgaa traditional Afghan gathering of tribal elders and other stakeholders sometimes held to decide on controversial issues.

ISRAEL

Safety behind $1.5m golden face mask

A jewelry company is working on what it says will be the world's most expensive coronavirus mask, a gold, diamond-encrusted face covering with a price tag of $1.5 million. The 18-karat white gold mask will be decorated with 3,600 white and black diamonds and fitted with top-rated N99 filters at the request of the buyer, said designer Isaac Levy. The glitzed-up face mask may lend some pizzazz to the protective gear now mandatory in public spaces in many countries. But at 270 grams－nearly 100 times that of a typical surgical mask－it is not likely to be a practical accessory to wear.

Xinhua - Agencies