IN BRIEF

India

Building collapse claims 17 lives

The death toll in a building collapse in Mumbai rose to 17 on Wednesday, a day after the accident occurred, the fire department said. Rescue workers continued to search for survivors at the site where the five-story building came crashing down. At least 13 people were injured and about a dozen are still unaccounted for. The building was in an eastern suburb of Mumbai, India's business and entertainment capital.

Nigeria

Militants kidnap oil survey team

Gunmen believed to be Boko Haram militants have kidnapped 10 members of an oil exploration team in northeast Nigeria, colleagues and the state-run oil company said on Wednesday. Efforts were underway to track down the captors before a possible rescue operation. The country relies on oil for two-thirds of its revenue.

Switzerland

Chainsaw attack suspect arrested

The suspect in a chainsaw attack on a health insurer's office in Switzerland that left five people wounded was caught on Tuesday after more than a day on the run, police said. Franz Wrousis was arrested in Thalwil, about 45 kilometers from the scene of Monday's attack in Schaffhausen, police said. Authorities had issued an international arrest warrant for Wrousis, whom they described as aggressive and psychologically unstable.

United States

New York plans to stabilize subway

New York's transportation authority unveiled a nearly $1 billion emergency subway repair plan on Tuesday, promising to put the brake on nightmarish delays and derailments within one year. New York's subway has long been the lifeblood of the city. However, the number of subway delays partly due to the aging infrastructure tripled in the past five years, to 70,000 per month, according to a report last month.

Australia

Indigenous singer Gurrumul dies

World-renowned indigenous singer Gurrumul has died after a "long battle with illness" aged 46, his management said on Wednesday, as Australians hailed his contributions to music. Born blind, the reluctant star never gave any interviews and was painfully shy, but his music drew worldwide acclaim, despite the fact that he performed in his Gumatj dialect which is understood by only around 3,000 people.

Indonesia

Thick haze causes lung infections

Thick smoke caused by forest fires has forced dozens of people, including children, to be treated for lung infections in the northern Aceh province. Some children were still able to go to school in Meulaboh on Wednesday, wearing masks, but several schools suspended classes so students could stay at home.