# NHK WORLD RADIO JAPAN - English News at 03:00 (JST), October 23 - Show: English News - NHK WORLD RADIO JAPAN - Published: 2026-10-23 - Canonical: https://podc.club/en/episode/141016660_b9c32ab7e648.html - Audio: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/upld/medias/en/radio/news/20261023030000_english_1.mp3 - Source: Edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. Not an official summary. Typhoon Chanpei is forecast to make its closest approach to Okinawa between Friday and Saturday, with the Japan Meteorological Agency urging strict vigilance against destructive winds, high waves, and landslides. On the same day, a critical vulnerability discovered in the PHP programming language led major Japanese corporations and financial institutions to suspend web services in rapid succession. Russia also released American citizen Steven Habard (スティーブン・ハバード), who had been held for more than four years, after President Trump said he personally called President Putin to secure the release. ## What this episode answers ### How is Typhoon Chanpei affecting Okinawa? Typhoon Chanpei was tracking northward south of Okinawa as of Thursday evening and is expected to make its closest approach from Friday into Saturday, with strong winds already intensifying across the Sakishima Islands and Okinawa's main island; travelers rushed to Ishigakijima Airport to leave before the storm hit, heavy rain is continuing across Okinawa Prefecture, and one worker went missing in Taiwan after strong waves swept a vehicle into the sea. ### How did Japanese companies and institutions respond to the PHP vulnerability? Zensho Holdings suspended some online and app services for Sukiya and halted takeout touchscreen operations at Hamasushi; Daiwa Securities temporarily stopped NISA account openings; JR West shut down approximately 60 websites including group-company sites; and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank and Japan Post Bank also suspended some online services. ### How was Steven Habard's release from Russia brought about? President Trump called President Putin last week and requested Habard's release; the U.S. emphasized it paid nothing in exchange, calling it unprecedented for Russia. Habard had been detained in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine in April 2022 and sentenced to more than six years in prison. ### What is the background behind Japan designating shipbuilding as an important growth sector, and what support has Hakodate Dock received? The government designated shipbuilding a key economic-security growth sector and announced a roughly 200 billion yen support package for eight shipbuilding groups; Hakodate Dock and its parent company received a decision for up to 49.9 billion yen in subsidies over ten years to reactivate Dock No. 4 and expand manufacturing capacity by more than 50%. ### What is the current situation regarding the abduction of Matsumoto Kyoko (松本京子)? 49 years have passed since the October 21, 1977 abduction; of the 17 government-recognized abductees, 12 including Matsumoto Kyoko remain missing, her brother Hajime (一さん, 79) continues to appeal for her return, and their mother Mitsue passed away without seeing her daughter come home. ## Article ## Typhoon Chanpei Approaches Okinawa Friday to Saturday Typhoon Chanpei was tracking northward over waters south of Okinawa as of Thursday evening, with forecasters expecting it to turn northeast before potentially weakening into a low-pressure system. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued strict warnings, cautioning that winds powerful enough to destroy houses could strike the region. At Ishigakijima Airport, travelers scrambled to leave the island ahead of the storm; one tourist said they had "planned a relaxing trip to a remote island but cancelled everything." Local media in Taiwan reported that strong waves swept a vehicle into the sea at a port in the country's northeastern region, leaving one worker missing. Heavy rain continues across Okinawa Prefecture, and rough seas are also expected around the Amami region. ## Critical PHP Vulnerability — Japanese Companies Suspend Services A critical vulnerability was discovered in PHP, the programming language widely used across the internet including by WordPress, prompting Japan's cybersecurity agency to urge website operators to act quickly. The PHP Foundation released a patch on Wednesday, and the agency stated that "no cyberattacks exploiting the vulnerability have been confirmed at this time." In response, Zensho Holdings suspended some online and app services for Sukiya and halted touchscreen operations for Hamasushi takeout orders. Daiwa Securities temporarily suspended NISA account openings, and JR West shut down approximately 60 websites, including those of its group companies. Mitsubishi UFJ Bank and Japan Post Bank also suspended some online services, though neither confirmed a direct connection to the PHP issue. Overseas, Belgium's foreign ministry temporarily blocked access to its website, and a Finnish government-affiliated IT services provider also shut down its services. U.S.-based Cloudflare said it detected exploitation attempts but successfully blocked all of them, while the FBI recommended taking systems offline when immediate updates are not feasible. ## Russia Releases American Held for Over Four Years Russia released Steven Habard, an American citizen detained for more than four years. President Trump posted on social media that he "called President Putin last week and asked for his release," adding that "the United States paid nothing — this is unprecedented for Russia." Habard was detained in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine in April 2022 and sentenced to more than six years in prison for allegedly fighting alongside forces opposing Russia. Putin had met with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg on Wednesday and agreed to the release. Trump has shown a friendly posture toward Russia since early October, waiving most provisions of a new sanctions law, though he stated the waiver "has nothing to do with this deal" while also noting that "new sanctions would have ended negotiations immediately." ## Japan's Shipbuilding Revival: A Look at Hakodate Dock Japan's shipbuilding industry, which once commanded more than half the global market, has seen its share fall to around 10%, placing it third behind China and South Korea. The government has positioned shipbuilding as a key growth sector for economic security and announced a support package of approximately 200 billion yen for eight shipbuilding groups. The underlying concern is that since more than 99% of Japan's imports and exports move by sea, trade could suffer serious damage if China were to withhold ship supplies when needed. Hakodate Dock (函館ドック), one of the supported companies, is a 130-year-old shipbuilder and the largest in northern Japan, based in Hokkaido. It builds bulk carriers capable of carrying up to 40,000 tonnes of coal, grain, and steel products, has received orders from Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and elsewhere, and already holds a four-year order backlog. In September, the government decided to provide up to 49.9 billion yen in subsidies over ten years to Hakodate Dock and its parent company. The plan calls for reactivating Dock No. 4 — which once built large tankers — and expanding manufacturing capacity by more than 50%, though prospects for hiring the additional 200 to 300 workers needed for the increased output remain unclear. The company also handles repairs for Japan Self-Defense Force and Japan Coast Guard vessels, and in September of this year performed maintenance on a U.S. Navy ship. ## 49 Years Since the Abduction of Matsumoto Kyoko October 21, 1977 marked 49 years since Matsumoto Kyoko (松本京子), then 29, was abducted by North Korea from Shimane Prefecture. Of the at least 17 abductees recognized by the Japanese government, five returned in 2002, but the whereabouts of 12, including Matsumoto, remain unknown. Her brother Hajime (一さん, 79) has spent years appealing to members of parliament for his sister's return. It was only after the abduction of Yokota Megumi came to light that the family became certain of the truth behind Matsumoto's disappearance; the government finally recognized her as an abductee in 2006. Their mother Mitsue passed away without seeing her daughter return home, and Hajime continues to appeal, saying "Japan must do more." ## Takeaways - Typhoon Chanpei is forecast to make its closest approach to Okinawa between Friday and Saturday, with the JMA warning of house-destroying winds, heavy rain, and rough seas across the region. - A critical PHP vulnerability has prompted major Japanese corporations and financial institutions — including Zensho Holdings, JR West, and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank — to suspend web services as a precautionary measure, with the PHP Foundation's patch already available. - American Steven Habard was released by Russia after President Trump personally called President Putin to secure the release, with the U.S. stating it paid nothing in exchange — described as unprecedented for Russia.