Welcome to NHK Newsline. I'm Yoko Nishimura in Tokyo.
Typhoon Champi Approaching Southwest Japan Islands
A large typhoon packing powerful winds is expected to approach Okinawa Prefecture in southwestern Japan as early as Friday.
The meteorological agency is urging people to prepare for gusts strong enough to topple homes.
Typhoon Champi was moving northwards over waters south of Okinawa as of Thursday afternoon.
The storm was projected to later head northeast, potentially affecting parts of western Japan.
Winds have been gradually intensifying over the Sakishima Islands that include the Ishigaki-jima and Miyakojima Islands.
The typhoon is expected to weaken slightly but remain powerful as it approaches the islands from Friday through Saturday.
The seas will be rough around Okinawa and Kagoshima prefectures Amami region, torrential rain is also forecast.
Agency officials are calling on Okinawa residents to be on high alert for violent winds, high waves and landslides.
Japan Firms Urged to Address Flaws in PHP Software Code
Japan's Cyber Security Agency has issued an alert to businesses and organizations to run software updates for websites.
This follows the discovery of critical security flaws in the PHP programming language widely used across the Internet.
PHP powers the website software WordPress.
The PHP foundation that provides the programming language said it released a patch for the flaws on Wednesday.
Japan's Innovation Platform Agency, a cyber security watchdog, said all website operators using PHP need to swiftly address the problem.
The agency says at this point it has not confirmed any cyber attacks exploiting the loopholes.
Some companies have announced they will temporarily suspend website and related services for emergency maintenance.
PHP Software Flaws Prompt Global Security Response
Businesses, governments and other organizations around the world are also scrambling to deal with the problem.
Belgium's foreign ministry has temporarily suspended access to its website.
In Finland, a state-owned IT service provider for the government has halted services.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation says the vulnerabilities could allow attackers to access sensitive data networks.
The FBI recommends taking systems offline if an immediate update is not feasible.
It adds that organizations should monitor web servers and report any suspicious activity to the bureau.
US cybersecurity firm CloudFare says it has detected attempts to exploit the vulnerabilities. It said all the attempts so far were blocked.
49 Years On, Abduction Victim's Brother Still Waits
Wednesday marked 49 years since Matsumoto Kyoko disappeared from her hometown in western Japan.
She's one of at least 17 citizens the Japanese government says were abducted by North Korean agents in the 70s and 80s.
Five returned in 2002, but the whereabouts of the other 12, including Matsumoto, remain unknown. For decades, her older brother Hajime has called for more to be done.
He spoke to NHK about his unwavering determination to bring her home.
(Japanese)
00:04:07 話者 3
October 21, 1977, Matsumoto Kyoko had dinner with her mother around 8 p.m., she left the house, saying she was going to a knitting class nearby.
It was the last time her family saw her. She was 29 years old.
The only trace, a sandal, found 200 meters from the home.
The road leads to the Sea of Japan, and beyond it, North Korea.
For over 20 years, Matsumoto's family could only suspect what happened to her.
Until new information surfaced about Yokota Megumi.
She disappeared the same year as Matsumoto.
It became clear to them she was abducted by North Korea.
Hajime, along with their mother Mitsue started traveling the country, asking for someone to help Kyoko.
In 2006, nearly 30 years after her disappearance, the Japanese government finally recognized Matsumoto as one of the abduction victims.
(Japanese)
00:05:42 話者 3
But for Mitsue, it was not to be. She died without ever seeing her daughter again.
Hajime has carried on his mother's wish.
He continues to call on lawmakers to push for his sister's release.
There has been no progress. Hajime is now 79, his sister, 78.
(Japanese)
00:06:35 話者 3
He says Japan must do more to finally bring Kyoko's case to a close.
(Japanese)
00:07:00 話者 3
The abductees' families are aging.
Hajime hopes something will change before his and Kyoko's time runs out.
Business
00:07:28 話者 1
Now to check out what's going on in the world of business, here's Yuko Fukushima from the biz desk.
00:07:34 話者 5/Yuko Fukushima
Thanks Yoko.
Lower House Committee to Debate Consumption Tax Cut
A lower house committee is set to begin a substantive debate on a bill to cut the consumption tax on food.
As opposition parties prepare alternative proposals, the ruling coalition is seeking common ground to win broader support for the bill.
Prime Minister Takaite Sanae marked one year in office on Wednesday and outlined her plans for the months ahead.
00:07:59 話者 13/Takaite Sanae
Our immediate priority is to strengthen measures to address rising prices worldwide.
We will carry out key policy changes and deliver the results to people across Japan.
00:08:15 話者 5
The bill would cut the tax on food items to one percent for two years from April 2027.
The rate is currently eight percent.
It also includes support payments to workers based on income levels.
The opposition parties are putting forward a series of alternative proposals and recommendations.
The Democratic Party for the People has submitted its own proposal to the Diet.
It calls for a resident tax cut and cash benefits.
The plan aims to save workers up to 50,000 yen a year each.
Komeito proposed cash payments of about 80,000 yen per person over two years instead of a tax cut.
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan is calling for cash aid this fiscal year to low-income households exempt from the resident tax.
The Democratic Reform Party outlined a plan to promptly provide a cash payment of 40,000 yen to each citizen.
The lower House Financial Affairs Committee is scheduled to begin detailed deliberations on the bill on Friday.
Tokyo Used Condo Prices Fall for 4th Month
The average list price of used condominiums in Tokyo's 23 wards fell in September for the fourth straight month.
Real estate research from Tokyo Kante says the price for a 70-square meter unit stood at about 126 million yen in the month, or 800,000 dollars.
That's down four-tenth of a percent from August.
Tokyo Kante says previous price increases and higher mortgage rates have suppressed demand.
However, the firm says demand remains solid in large cities near Tokyo, where prices are lower. In Yokohama, the average list price rose 1.8 percent in yen terms.
Prices in Saitama edged up half a percent, and condos in Chiba jumped 2.4 percent.
Iwaicosmo Securities: Cyberattack Sparked Unauthorized Trades
Japan's Iwai Kosmo Securities says the online trade management system of its outsourcing company was compromised, sparking unauthorized trades.
The brokerage says it has confirmed that buy and sell orders not intended by clients were placed for seven accounts. Trades were completed in five of them.
But it says the incident was not caused by stolen personal information or a breach of customer authentication.
Tradeworks, the system provider, puts the blame on flaws in its management functions.
Iwaicosmo says artificial intelligence apparently found vulnerabilities in the system and attacked it directly, resulting in the unauthorized trades.
It says it has already taken security measures and no further damage has been confirmed.
The cyberattack also exposed personal information, such as names and e-mail addresses of about 4,900 clients, but the company says the data leak is not linked to the unauthorized orders.
Iwaicosmo says it has already restored the affected accounts to their pre-trade status and there has been no burden placed on its clients.
Burgeoning US Defense Industry Targets 'Rocket City'
The United States remains in conflict with Iran.
Washington is also providing military support to Ukraine and Israel.
As demand for weapons rises, America's defense manufacturers are answering the call.
NHK World's David McClure reports from a city at the heart of the industry.
00:11:43 話者 6/David McClure
Huntsville, Alabama is known as Rocket City for its long association with the US space program.
Today, much of its growth is driven by US military installations and the defense companies that support them.
The city hosts agencies like the Army Aviation and Missile Command and Missile Defense Agency.
US Space Command is also set to relocate here, underscoring Huntsville's growing importance to America's defense strategy.
The growth is being felt across the local economy.
One factory producing key components for the Patriot PAC-3 missile is ramping up production.
00:12:26 話者 27/Pete Hegseth/US Defense Secretary
What you do in the assembly lines, what you do right here is shoulder to shoulder with the men and women in CAFW. The urgency is our buzzword.
We don't have time to wait. President Trump doesn't take excuses.
00:12:40 話者 6
With the growing concentration of research institutions and supply chains here, defense companies are stepping up investment.
Leidos is a Huntsville-based defense company building missiles and missile defense systems for the US military.
It has nearly tripled the size of its manufacturing workforce over the past 3 1/2 years.
The industry is racing to recruit skilled workers as it expands.
Leidos donated $1.75 million to establish an advanced manufacturing training center at a local vocational school.
Students work with the latest machinery used on production lines.
On this day, local high schoolers are also learning about circuit boards.
The company says it's trying to engage young people in the community to foster a future workforce.
00:13:35 話者 28/Eric Pacheco/Vice President of Defense Sector Manufacturing, Leidos
We're growing rapidly, and it's important for us to have a talent pipeline in the place where our business is.
The workforce here in Huntsville we're around 3,000 people and we expect to grow that number over the next year, year and a half.
00:13:53 話者 6
Efforts to bring new technologies into the industry are also gaining momentum.
Two years ago, the local Chamber of Commerce launched an accelerator program for startups trying to break into the defense sector.
The program helps connect founders with defense industry partners and government stakeholders.
Startups can also be advised about acquisition trends and how to navigate the procurement process.
At this event, startup founders in the accelerator program pitched their products and services.
These included AI-powered image analysis and systems that can identify suspicious components.
00:14:32 話者 29
We build the device inspection system, or DIS, to protect our defense systems against counterfeit or tampered electronics.
So in short, we're detecting the unseen so the warfighter can defend the mission.
00:14:46 話者 6
The accelerator program's director says significant increase in demand and sweeping changes to the Pentagon's procurement process is a major opportunity for defense startups.
00:14:57 話者 21/Mike Johannessen/Director, DefenseTech Accelerator
And then build those and cultivate those relationships so that they can actually accelerate a product and a capability to the warfighter.
It's not selling their product, it's being part of solving the problem and being part of contributing to the warfighter needs.
00:15:13 話者 6
Huntsville is deeply intertwined with the defense industry and as conflicts continue around the world, that relationship seems destined to grow.
David McClure, NHK World.
Markets
00:15:27 話者 5
And now let's get to the markets in the region.
♪
And that wraps up for biz for this hour.
S. Korea, Ukraine Clash over N. Korean Prisoner Transfer
00:16:09 話者 1
An unusual diplomatic dispute is unfolding between South Korea and Ukraine, despite Seoul's support for Kyiv as it continues to face Russia's military invasion.
The dispute stems from remarks made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the UN General Assembly in September.
00:16:28 話者 33/Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea.
00:16:36 話者 1
South Korea says Ukraine disclosed information that was supposed to remain confidential.
Seoul says the two sides had agreed not to make the transfer of the prisoners public in order to ensure the safety of the detainees and their families.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun addressed the situation in the National Assembly earlier this month.
00:17:00 話者 37/Cho Hyun
The Ukrainian foreign minister sent something that was supposed to be an apology, but it's not enough. We will take action.
00:17:09 話者 1
The South Korean government recalled its ambassador to Ukraine in early October and demanded a formal apology.
And on Tuesday, it announced it would withdraw some of its other diplomatic staff.
For its part, Kyiv says the disagreement stems from differing interpretations of their previous understanding.
S. Korea Says Ukraine Breached Secrecy of POW Transfer
For more on this, I spoke with NHK World's Kim Chan-ju in Seoul.
Now, Chanjoo, please help us understand this dispute a bit better.
Why did Ukraine hand over the North Korean prisoners to South Korea in the first place?
00:17:50 話者 10/Kim Chan-ju
Both the Ukrainian and South Korean authorities say North Korean troops have been fighting alongside Russian forces and South Korea has been broadly supporting Ukraine along with other Western countries.
Local media here are reporting that the two captured soldiers say they want to defect to South Korea.
And Seoul has repeatedly said it will accept any North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukraine if they choose to relocate to South Korea.
00:18:27 話者 1
If that's the case, why is South Korea reacting so strongly to Zelenskyy's comments?
00:18:34 話者 10
The main issue seems to be the breach of secrecy.
South Korea says its primary concern is the safety of the soldiers' families.
Officials have said that public disclosure of the transfer could raise the risk of the North Korean government retaliating against relatives still living there.
But observers say there may be another layer to it.
One expert I spoke with said Seoul may have wanted to avoid provoking Pyongyang at a time when North Korea is deepening cooperation with Russia in both security and economic areas.
00:19:17 話者 44/Bong Young-shik/Visiting Professor, Yonsei University
The agreement made by Kyiv and Seoul about the safe and confidential return of North Korean soldiers, then it is going to anger Pyongyang by keeping this secret as long as possible, Seoul might have hope that it is not going to affect in a negative way.
It's a pursuit of the resumption of dialogue and economic cooperation between the two Koreas.
00:19:49 話者 1
Now, South Korea recalling its ambassador and diplomatic staff seems to signal quite strong dissatisfaction with Ukraine. How is this being viewed in Seoul?
00:20:02 話者 10
Opinion is divided among experts and observers in South Korea.
Supporters of the government's response argue that Ukraine breached a confidential understanding and that Seoul needed to send a clear diplomatic message.
But others say the reaction risks becoming overly emotional and could damage relations with the country that shares South Korea's concerns over growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
Professor Bong said that in that light, distancing Ukraine may not serve South Korea in the long term.
00:20:43 話者 4
South Korea may be undermining its chance to get as much assistance from Kyiv in terms of building its capability to respond to any further development of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.
South Korea to keep Ukraine close in order to get Ukraine's help to counter with the consequences of closer ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.
00:21:19 話者 10
In many ways, South Korea's strong reaction reflects frustration over what it sees as a breach of diplomatic trust. But Seoul's overriding concern remains in North Korea.
As cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang deepens, attention is now focused on how South Korea will balance its dissatisfaction with Ukraine against its broader strategic interests.
War in Ukraine: Kyiv Residents Mull Leaving City Before Winter
00:21:49 話者 1
Rolling blackouts have been imposed on Ukraine's capital Kyiv since October.
As Russia intensifies attacks on the country's energy infrastructure, some residents are considering leaving before winter arrives.
A Ukrainian private research firm polled 1,000 people between 18 and 60 years old living in urban areas last month.
Forty percent of respondents said they would consider moving if their living conditions deteriorate significantly.
50-year-old Yuliia Vovk is mulling a move to the southwestern part of the Kyiv region.
The suburban house has no shower, but Vovk says she feels safer there.
00:22:38 話者 53/Yuliia Vovk
You can sleep more peacefully here. You don't have to wake up three times a night to check whether ballistic missiles are coming.
00:22:47 話者 1
The suburban house has firewood stacked in the yard, so Vovk and her husband can stay warm if the power is out.
They also do not have to worry about water outages because the house has a well.
00:23:02 話者 53
This winter will be even harsher, but we are preparing to get through the ordeal.
00:23:12 話者 1
The International Organization for Migration has expressed concern that the months ahead could be the most difficult for many Ukrainians since Russia's full-scale invasion began.
♫～
For more details, please access the NHK World Japan website.
World Weather
Now it's time to check the weather.
As we've reported, people in parts of Japan are bracing for Typhoon Champi.
Our meteorologist Yuumi Hirano has the latest updates.
00:24:52 話者 11/Yuumi Hirano
Typhoon Champi is now moving over the Pacific.
The storm is likely to approach Japan's Sakishima Islands bringing gusts of about 200 kilometers per hour. Structural damage and long-lasting power outages are possible.
On top of that, the storm will bring heavy rain causing potential floods and landslides.
Taiwan could see up to 900 millimeters by Saturday, even the metro area of Taipei could have up to 400 millimeters.
The storm may also affect eastern China, including Shanghai, and then it may move toward South Korea and western Japan, so please keep an eye on it.
On Friday, the rain could be heavier in Taipei and Shanghai, but Tokyo will stay on the dry side with a high of 21.
Moving to the United States, people in the southwest, including Phoenix, have been struggling with severe weather.
Hail battered parts of Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday, forcing people to take shelter.
The Associated Press says some hailstones were 7.5 centimeters in diameter.
The hail damaged roofs, shattered windows, and dented cars.
Residents were urged to stay away from windows.
Also, tornado watches were issued for several areas.
It's the first time Arizona has seen them in 16 years.
An active low pressure system is moving eastward slowly on Thursday, so people in Arizona should keep watching out for intense thunder showers, damaging hail and even tornadoes.
But further east, dry weather will dominate many cities such as Chicago, New York and Washington with highs of 19.
That's it for now. Have a nice day.
♫～ 3-Day Forecast ～♫
00:27:46 話者 1
And that's it for now on NHK Newsline. I'm Yoko Nishimura in Tokyo. Thanks for joining us.
checked.
NHK World
00:28:01 話者 99
Now we have some information for our listeners.
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