News Headlines - 30 September 2012

▽BBC News - Japan typhoon Jelawat lifts car into air in Okinawa

A powerful typhoon has hit Japan's southern island of Okinawa, injuring more than 50 people and leaving thousands without power.

▽Novelist Murakami Weighs In On Japan Territorial Rows - WSJ

Novelist Haruki Murakami penned an essay expressing his concerns about the cultural fallout that is likely to result from the country’s various escalating territorial spats and described the feverish reaction to the disputes like getting drunk on cheap sake. His commentary was prominently published for all to see on the front page of the Asahi Shimbun, Japan’s second largest daily, on Friday.

▽BBC News - Freedom of Information to include ministers' private texts

Emails from private accounts and texts sent by the prime minister and cabinet members could be accessible under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI). New government guidance will say the act relates to "the nature of the information and not the format".

▽Afghanistan War: 2,000th US Soldier Killed

The number of American military personnel killed in the Afghan war has reached 2,000 following an insider attack in the country's east.

▽BBC News - George Michael cancels Australian concerts

Singer George Michael has cancelled the Australian leg of his tour due to "major anxiety" following his battle with pneumonia at the end of last year.