IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Thousands flee as cyclone bears down on Australia

SYDNEY - Thousands of Australians abandoned their homes as a powerful cyclone bore down on coastal towns in Queensland on Monday, while others ignored authorities' advice to evacuate with winds forecast to reach up to 300 km/h

Japan's cabinet support drops over land scandal

TOKYO - Support for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet slipped further over a shady land deal scandal here, with the majority of the respondents considering the government not doing enough to clear up the issue, according to a Kyodo News poll released on Sunday.

Think tank: 'Now or never' for Europe

BERLIN - The leaders of France and Germany must use the window of opportunity that opens up after elections in both countries to inject new momentum into their single currency project or risk its failure, a leading French think tank warned on Monday.

Police search for suspects in nightclub shooting

CINCINNATI - Cincinnati police searched for suspects in a nightclub shooting that left one man dead and 15 other people injured and sent club patrons diving to the ground to dodge bullets in what they described as a chaotic and terrifying scene.

IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Eight feared dead in Japan avalanche

TOKYO - Seven Japanese high school students and a teacher were presumed dead after being caught in an avalanche on Monday while being trained in mountain climbing at a ski resort, authorities and media said.

EU calls for balance on message encryption

BRUSSELS - The European Union's presidency said people's privacy must be protected following British calls for police access to encrypted messages in case of attacks.

Governor sees 'good things' in US-China future

DENVER - Beneath the gold-domed state capitol, Colorado Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper gave Republican President Donald Trump an American business salute, saying improved China-United States relations would benefit both countries.

State vote test for Merkel's chances

BERLIN - A state election on Sunday in western Germany offers Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives a tough test against their resurgent center-left rivals six months before Merkel seeks a fourth term in a national vote.

Fisherman found after living on rainwater for two months

MANILA - A Filipino fisherman cast adrift in the high seas by a storm survived for nearly two months by drinking rainwater as he helplessly watched his uncle die beside him, the survivor's mother said on Saturday.

Attacker acted alone, police say

LONDON - British anti-terrorism police said on Saturday they still believe the man who launched a deadly attack outside parliament this week was acting alone but conceded they may never understand his motive.