Powerful typhoon churns towards Japan

The monster storm was estimated to be about 110 kilometres southeastof Naha City in Japan's southernmost area of Okinawa at 0800 GMT, according to the nation's meteorological agency.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center has downgraded the storm from a super typhoon, but Japanese officials said it remained "large and very strong" and warned of high waves, torrential rain and landslides.
Packing gusts of up to 234 kilometres per hour, the typhoon was moving north slowly, at 15 kilometres per hour.
Naha airport was closed with land transport also disrupted.