welcome to nhk world "newsline," i'm gene otani in tokyo. here's a look at some of the stories we're following this hour. chinese leaders are defending themselves against criticism after they declared an air defense zone over islands controlled by japan. some u.s. lawmakers are skeptical about a deal to limit iran's nuclear program, saying sanctions should not be eased. the new u.s. ambassador to japan, caroline kennedy, is

touring areas affected by the 2011 disaster, saying her country will continue to offer support. chinese officials find themselves at the center of a diplomatic dispute. over the weekend, they announced that they'd set up an air defense identification zone over the east china sea. that drew immediate criticism from japan, south korea, and the u.s. and now the chinese are criticizing the americans for how they've reacted. the zone includes air space over the senkaku islands. japan controls the islands, china and taiwan claim them. in terms of international law, japanese officials launched a protest and u.s. officials said they were deeply concerned. now china's foreign ministry has released a statement criticizing the americans for taking sides. the document urged them to stop making irresponsible remarks.

the document says the chinese launched a protest with u.s. ambassador gary locke. officials from the chinese defense ministry launched another protest with the u.s. military atash sha, they said the americans' comments could encourage japan to take action. that raises tensions in the region. ministry officials say the japanese have been scrambling jets to intercept chinese aircraft and they say japanese officials claim the chinese have been intruding on japan's air defense identification zone over the east china sea. south korean defense officials also say china's air defense identification zone partly overlaps their air defense zone. fumio kishida says china's creation of the air zone was unacceptable. kishida was speaking at the upper house committee meeting on monday.

>> translator: china's creation of an air defense identification zone is an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo in the east china sea. it's very dangerous, as it could lead to unintended consequences. >> the foreign minister said the zone violates the principle of freedom of flight above the high seas. he says japan is in close consultation with the u.s. and will urge other countries to urge china to exercise restraint. immediately after china notified japan of the zone on saturday, he had instructed commanders on the ground to take appropriate issues. onodera says they'll act against any steps based on international law and the japanese law governing the self defense forces. we spoke with a former air self defense commander for his thoughts on the move. >> translator: air defense

identification zones are defined areas. when an unknown aircraft enters a zone, fighter jets scramble and prevent it from entering the country's air space. china's announcement flies in the face of international rules in setting a.d.i.z. lines. it also destabilizes the region and creates many problems. >> he says china could be stepping up its activities further in the future. >> translator: chinese officials seem to think their country's military strength is equal to those of surrounding countries. if they think they have the upper hand in the situation, they might become more aggressive with their military policies. >> former commander with the japanese air self defense force. u.s. lawmakers are

expressing their skepticism about a landmark nuclear agreement with iran. iranian negotiators agreed to limits on their country's nuclear activities in exchange for relief from economic sanctions, but some american lawmakers are concerned. negotiators from iran and six world powers sealed the deal after talks in geneva. the iranians agreed to hold off on refining uranium to above 5% purity. the other negotiators were concerned they were developing the material for use in nuclear weapons. the iranians also agreed to halt construction of a heavy water reactor, it could have provided them with a source of plutonium for a nuclear weapon. in turn, the major powers will partially lift a trade embargo. >> it's the heart of the possible, which is verifiable and clear in its capacity to make the region safer.

>> saxby chambliss issued a warning about the iranians at their word. >> i just don't see this movement in the direction of preventing iran from developing a nuclear weapon at all. >> in the past, iranian leaders have threatened to wipe israel off the map and pro israel lobbyists have been pushing members of congress to take a tough line. benjamin netanyahu called the deal a historic mistake. u.s. president barack obama got on the phone with him to offer his reassurances. obama told netanyahu that the major powers will pursue a lasting peaceful and comprehensive solution and israel has good reason to be skeptical about iran's intentions but wants u.s. and israeli officials to begin consultations on the deal immediately. those who follow the talks have doubts of their own. one specialist on middle eastern

affairs. >> first of all, the iranians agreed to a certain extent that they would cap the ability to enrich uranium to a certain amount and also to a certain degree of the enrichment level and that's sort of a positive sign, because the international community was weary that iran would some how and some day try to enrich its uranium to a high weapons grade, and that's not likely to happen now. the other part of the agreement, which is very important, is that they have also agreed to seize the operation, construction operation, at the iraq heavy water reactor, and again, this was supposed to be producing plutonium by the end of next year, and that also means that the risk of proliferation is now lower than was before the agreement was reached. >> the initial deal was for a period of six months.

the two sides still have a lot of work to do on a longer term agreement. >> even this initial stage would face a very difficult path from now. the p 5, plus one countries and also the ieae may find iran may not be totally honest with the commitments and they'd want to see more cooperation and they could press iran to comply with the commitments that they have made with this agreement, and that's also going to be sort of a new element of tension that is going to be added to the already -- what is already there. and even beyond that, i could foresee that iran would still want to see a relaxation of the sanctions regime in a more robust way. and that's sort of a issue that iran would like to say further

negotiate or renegotiate in the next stage. >> tanaka says he expects the negotiators, who will continue to get caught up over the issue of enriching uranium. >> one issue that is going to be resolved with this agreement is whether iran has the right to enrich uranium or not. the preamble does not specifically talk about this, but the iranians view and also their interpretation of this agreement is that it does talk about it, that they have the right to enrich uranium as is foreseen in the articles of the npt. but on the other hand, the united states and the other countries that have joined this negotiations have stated that it is not included, per se, and that is going to be sort of a difference that both parties will have to deal with for now

on. and even before the agreement was reached upon, this remains one of the key issues. >> tanaka, specialist on middle eastern affairs. in the coming years, prices could be rising in japan, according to the people who want to achieve this particular goal. ron madison has more. ron? >> as we know, the boj and the government have been working really hard, implementing lots of policies to finally pull the country out of a long period of deflation. looks like it might be paying off. kuroda says the central bank will be able to achieve its 2% inflation target in about two years as planned, though he says the goal is ambitious. >> 2% inflation target has become a sort of international standard nowadays. basically, almost all countries

have adopted 2% or near 2% inflation targeting policy, so the bank of japan has been a bit late. >> kuroda also says the boj is studying possible side effects of monetary easing measures that include government bond purchases. he noted that boj policy makers are still discussing what sort of side effect may surface, but added the bank may overcome any uncertainties. the head of france's bank admitted that there are still lingering uncertainties. the governor spoke in an interview with nhk in tokyo and said experts are recovering in the block hit hard by the credit crisis. >> we are now growing again, and

maybe a very important sign is that in the so-called prolific countries, things are improving quite a lot. >> also pointed out reforms are necessary. earlier this month, european central bank lowered to a quarter percent to help support the region's economy. and investors also believe that the euro zone's economy is picking up. here's how major indexes are fairing at this hour. germany rose above the 9300 level for the first time ever, currently trading at 9302, in fact. london is up by about .3 of 1%. airline stocks in demand after crude oil prices declined, following a nuclear deal over iran. many posted gains, the nikkei climbed 1.5% to a six-month high

and this was mainly due to the yen's slide. chinese markets slid, though. symptoms in mumbai saw the biggest advance in the region. 20,605. the news on iran raised hopes for lower oil prices, which make it easier for india to control inflationary pressures. moving on to currencies. the dollar is holding steady at 101-74. the dollar is near the six-month high, which it hit earlier. november consumer confidence index is among them, so we'll be waiting for that. meanwhile, euro/yen at 1,366. partly thanks to rallies on the tokyo stock exchange and managers are trying to attract more individual investors in the

market. >> reporter: trading volume at the tokyo stock exchange hit a record high of 6.3 trillion yen in may, but a survey conducted indicates more than 60% of japanese adults say they do not invest money in stocks because they lack the basic trading knowledge. groups of young people flocked to the trading floor to compete in a smartphone application contest. key officials are hoping this and other projects will help people get familiar with stock trading. this app matches you with the company whose president looks like yourself. in japan, equities make up less than 10% of household assets, compared with over 30% in the u.s. trillions of dollars are kept in

bank savings and it remains a challenge for tse managers to encourage new generations of people to venture into the market. >> translator: the majority of individual investors are in their 50s and 60s. we need to reach out to the younger generation and let them know more about the stock market. >> reporter: the tse plans to launch a new stock index next year to lure more investors. it's also considering introducing nighttime trading for the benefit of stockholders at home and abroad. the exchange will also get a tail wind from the government to a new tech exemption plan on capital gains, which will start in january. ilene lee, nhk world, tokyo. all right, that is going to wrap it up for biz this hour. let's see how things are looking on the markets.

four crippled reactors, a constant buildup of contaminated water. reactor leaks threatening the environment. the people in charge of fukushima daiichi are struggling to control the plant. how will they stop the leaks and decommission the facilities? get the latest on the aftermaths of the nuclear accident, with in-depth reports and special features. "nuclear watch," only on

"newsline." a team from the international atomic energy agency is to inspect the decommissioning process at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant. members are gathering information in tokyo before heading to the complex on wednesday. the 19-member team includes experts in decommissioning and radio activity. the team leader said he wants to share with the world what they learned from the fukushima case. he added they will pay particular attention to the way radioactive water is handled at the facility and remove nuclear fuel from the number 4 reactor building. the new u.s. ambassador to japan says her country will continue to support areas devastated by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. caroline kennedy is the daughter

of late u.s. president john f. kennedy. she is visiting northeast in her first trip outside tokyo since she started in her job earlier this month. the ambassador met the governor of miyagi, one of the three prefectures hit hard by the disaster. >> translator: u.s. troops visited dangerous areas and worked hard rescuing survivors after the disaster as part of their relief mission. >> the governor said the people of miyagi understand the importance of the japan-u.s. alliance. he asked ambassador kennedy to pass on her observations about the situation in the disaster-hit areas. >> and all americans were inspired by the courage and the resilience of the people here during the great disaster, and so it was important for me to be able to come here as my first trip outside of tokyo. >> kennedy says she will study how the u.s. can best help with

the reconstruction effort. nhk world has more on kennedy's tour and the expectations people have for her as ambassador to japan. >> reporter: caroline kennedy is spending two days in the northeast, seeing how communities are recovering from the 2011 disaster. she went to a school in ishinoma ishinomaki, where american taylor anderson worked as an assistant teacher. anderson died when the tsunami hit the city. her parents donated books to schools in the region. >> and i know this is a very special place. study hard and hopefully, to come and visit america and make friends. >> reporter: kennedy is an author and lawyer. she was born in 1957. she was 5 years old when her father was assassinated.

kennedy appeared in a video message to the japanese people before arriving to assume her post. >> i'm caroline kennedy. i'm fortunate to have studied japanese history and culture and to have visited your beautiful country. >> reporter: she spoke about traveling to hiroshima and said it compelled her to hope for world peace. and she referred to her honeymoon in kyoto and nara. she said that's where she realized the people of japan and the united states share common values. japanese have welcomed kennedy enthusiastically. hundreds lined the streets last week when she rode a horse-drawn carriage to the imperial palace to meet the emperor. >> translator: president kennedy's daughter is serving as ambassador. i respect her as a woman. >> reporter: this expert

suggests the ambassador may have a positive impact on japanese society by promoting women's issues. >> one of the issues that japan as a society is facing is the empowerment of women, and we know that our population is declining, so we have to engage half of the population to the society, and her role being a first female ambassador to japan would have a positive effect on that issue. >> reporter: but some have taken a negative view of kennedy's resume. they wonder if she has the diplomatic skills needed for her new job. the japan-u.s. alliance is complex and includes many sensitive issues, such as the status of american military bases in okinawa. plus, japan's relations with neighboring countries such as

china and south korea have soured because of territorial disputes, but professor says kennedy's direct channel to president obama may help her make up for lack of experience. >> she could take up the phone and probably the president of the united states, president obama, would directly answer. so in that respect, i think her presence would have a positive influence in japan and the role she could play in the u.s.-japan relations. >> reporter: mother, lawyer, writer, kennedy is a competent, successful woman who is also the daughter of a legendary u.s. president. her term as ambassador to japan will be one of the most watched and analyzed ever. nhk world, tokyo. there's a storm over northeastern asia, and our

rachel ferguson has been following the situation. rachel, give us the latest. >> hi, there, gene. up towards the northeast is looking very stormy, indeed. it is a snowstorm affecting northeastern parts of china and up into southeastern portions of russia there. now you could see about 15 centimeters of snow widely, in addition to maybe about 30 centimeters in some areas. very strong winds going with that, as well. as for japan, you're getting the tail end of this storm. the front is sweeping across much of the country and from north to south we've seen some really strong winds and heavy rain here, even parts of okinawa, nara getting some heavy rain, as i say, all the way up towards the north. as the system pulls away tomorrow, we are going to be seeing snow forming across the korean peninsula, as well as the western edge of japan. this is going to continue as the sea effect machine gets going here, really through the end of

the work week, so we'll be seeing that snow accumulating through northern japan and also temperatures dropping. at the moment, temperatures are not bad, 18 degrees forecast for tokyo on tuesday, but that is going to start to fall through the work week as the colder air gets to grip with japan. meanwhi meanwhile, 5 degrees here, 7 in beijing, minus 16 up in ulan bator. much of china is staying dry. cloudy skies there, and a little bit better in hong kong and taipei, both at 21 degrees. on we go into the americas. out west, things are going to be looking quite clear. high pressure is keeping things dry. out to the east, a bit of a different story. very wet in the southeast and you can see where the purples and pinks are popping up. this is where we're seeing a mix of freezing rain and sort of slush, snowy, slushy mix. where you see the freezing rain here through the carolinas, in towards georgia, as well as much

of northeastern portions of texas, you're going to be seeing really bad driving conditions. you need to check that local forecast before you set out, because even just a few centimeters accumulating of ice there on the ground can make for dangerous driving conditions. up towards the northeast, it's going to be mostly snow with the heaviest moving across the great lakes. this is going to start to wind down for you on your monday. daytime, that's the lake effect snow, but by the end of monday in the evening hours, you're going to see another system coming through, so more snow basically is the message. your monday high temperature is not looking high at all across much of the continent. take a look at these single digit highs. 2 degrees in oklahoma city. 6 in atlanta, as well as in houston. 3 for you in d.c. 2 in new york city. it is looking very chilly indeed. no problems down towards the southwest, l.a. 23 and sunshine, not bad for the northwest either, and actually temperatures will gradually

improve for people in central portions of the continent. denver getting up to 12, i think, by thanksgiving. however, will stay frigid for you here in the northeast. a quick look into europe tells us that things are mostly dry across the west with high pressure in control, but there is a low pressure system moving through the mediterranean, that will keep things stormy with the potential of flash flooding and hail and here on into turkey, too, with snow gathering in the mountains. 22, 40 centimeters in portions of the alpines and northwestern balkans, as well. chilly, even down in the south temperatures only reaching up to the mid teens. here's your extended forecast.

that's "newsline" for this hour. i'm gene otani in tokyo.

and foreign ministers their wreath to a euphoric welcome after signing a historic nuclear agreement with world powers, but not everyone is happy. -- in the army eastern city of benghazi, at least nine people killed and 49 wounded in clashes with fighters from the country's main jihadist group. antigovernment protesters in thailand have entered the finance ministry compound in the capital. hello, you're watching "france 24." live from paris, i'm karen roberts. the u.n. international special representative