it's a tuesday evening here in japan, i'm james tengan in tokyo. welcome to "newsline." japan's leaders say they're boosting their ability to fight internional terrorism. they've launched two government bodies to say -- they say will help tackle the threats. ministers and officials gathered at the prime minister's office. they inaugurated a foreign ministry intelligence unit and a body to coordinate the work of several ministries and agencies.

chief cabinet secretary suga said japan urgently needs to strengthen it's intelligence gathering capabilities. he called on officials to work together. >> translator: i would like all you professionals to eliminate bar years and do your best to gather vital information about international terrorism. >> deputy chief cabinet secretary will lead senior officials from the foreign minister, the defense ministry, the national police agency and the public security intelligence agency to coordinate intelligence gathering measures. the foreign ministry will appoint senior officials to monitor four regions. south asia, southeast asia, the middle east and africa. they will work with diplomatic staff overseas and exchange information with foreign intelligence services. analysts at a u.s. research firm offered a glimpse into the finances of the islamic state group. they estimate the militants take

in monthly revenue of about $80 million. researchers at the firm ihs say the group makes about half its money from taxes and confiscated property in areas it controls in syria and iraq. another 43% comes from smuggling oil. analysts say unlike al qaeda, the group doesn't rely on money from foreign donors. that helps the militants be less vulnerable to outside influence. but they say the group may be struggling with its finances. they appoint to reports thathe militants cut salaries and introduced new farm taxes. the analysts say air strikes by the u.s.-led coalition have hurt the group's ability to refine and transport oil. but they say tax revenues are much harder for the coalition to target without having a negative impact on civilians. u.s. presidential candidate abdullah abdull donald trump deleased a statement call for the ban of

all muslims entering the u.s. >> we could be politically correct and we can be stupid but it will get worse and worse. until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the danger the threat imposes, our country cannot be the victim of horrendous attacks by peoe that belie only in jihad. >> trump is leading the race for the republican nomination by a margin of more than ten points. analysts say his lead is expanding due to people's growing worries about terrorism. deputy national security adviser ben rhodes said trump's remarks are contrary to american values. an official of a muslim organization in the u.s. also denounced trump's statements. >> the threat echos the policies enacted by nazi germany against the jews. have we learned anything from history, mr. trump? >> trump released a statement one day after president barack

obama made a televised speech. obama urged people in the u.s. not to let the fight against terrorism be defined as a war between america and islam. he delivered the speech in the wake of the deadly shooting in california which killed 14. a u.s. band that was on stage in paris when attackers struck last month returned to the city to perform. members of the eagles of death metal joined a u2 concert in honor of the victims. >> they were robbed of their stage three weeks ago and we would like to offer them ours tonight. would you welcome the eagles of death metal? >> the group gave its rendition of the song "people have the power." ♪ people have the power ♪ people have the power >> they were performing at the bataclan concert hall when gunmen stormed the building.

133 people were killed in the attacks, 89 of them at the concert venue. >> >> it's very symbolic. it's a good, very good for french people and everybody. it's very nice. >> security was tight for the u2 concert with armed police deployed around the area. no incidents were reported. people ineijing are facing some of the worst air pollution ever recorded in the city. authorities are taking emergency steps to deal with the blanket of smog. >> beijing firms have raised the pollution alert to the most serious level of red. >> particles continue to top 200 micrograms per cubic meter in some areas. the world health organization considers the safe limit to be 25.

>> translator: the authorities are right to issue the alert. i'm all for stricter measures. >> translator: it's scary, because there's not much i can do to protect myself. the only thing i feel like i can do is hope things will get better. >> authorities have placed strict limits on driving. car owners can only use their vehicles every other day, depending on their license plate numbers. and the red alert forced many schools and kindergartens to close down. factories that are known to be polluters are suspending operations. authorities say the restrictions will remain in place through thursday. it was called a dream reactor but the dreams for the plan the in western japan were shattered after a series of accidents that started exactly 20 years ago. nhk world explains why japan's nuclear hope has only operated 250 days over two decades.

>> repter: 1 94 it was hailed as a answer to nuclear power, what to do with reactor spent fuel. the multibillion dollar reactor was able to use the old fuel that contained plutonium to power itself. but any hopes for the multibillion dollar facility were soon overshadowed by safety issues and mismanagement. in 1995, a -- of sodium used to cool the reactor led to a halt in operations. to make matters worse, videotapes were concealed to cover up the details. public backlash forced closure of the management company. the japan atomic energy industry took over. but the problem didn't stop. in 2010, a three-ton piece of equipment fell into the reactor and couldn't be removed. and in 2012, about 10,000

instruments were found to have not been properly inspected. this former director was open with nhk about these problems. >> translator: we were busy trying to bridge maintenance gaps and that significantly increased the workload of those on the spot. we had no manpower to spare. unable to properly manage things, that formed a vicious cycle, making things worse and worse on the shop floor. >> reporter: the operator also admitted to the government that it failed to adequately assign and train a dwindling number of staff. last month a nuclear regulation authority issued a recommendation to science and technology minister. it called for a new operator. >> translator: we haven't seen acceptable improvements. we cannot fully trust the organization. >> reporter: a former member of the national nuclear commission

says there needs to be discussion on the reactor's future. >> translator: we need to once again debate the real necessity of the research and development of this sort of reactor and at what cost. then we can decide whether to go or not go with monju. >> reporter: the scien and technology ministry is still considering whether to appoint a new management body to resume operation or decommission it altogether. but some residents are not waiting. they are fighting against any re-opening. they plan to fight against a nuclear regulation authority to shut it down for good. nhk world. >> thank you. japan's economy is in better shape than government officials thought. gene otani has a wrapup of the

business headlines. japanese government officials had said the economy shrank from july to september. now they're saying it actually grew. that's after they factored in the latest statistics on corporate capital investment and other items. officials said the country's gdp expanded an annualized 1% in real terms in the third quarter, an upgrade of the preliminary figure of negative 0.8% announced last month. the economy grief 0.3% quarter on quarter. the latest figures marked the first expansion in the january to march period. retailers and construction firms spent more on facilities than previously estimated. their capital expenditure was upgraded from negative 1.3% to positive 0.6%. housing investment also rose to plus 2%. corporate inventory investment was a big drag in the preliminary figures. but it was revised up in the latest report. meanwhile, some items were slightly downgraded, individual spending was down from positive

0.5% to positive 0.4%. new numbers out of china show the world's second biggest economy keeps losing steam, trade figures for november show exports and import continue to fall. that means it will be next to impossible for beiji to achieve its growth target of about 6% for 2015. chinese customs officials say exports in november were down 6.8% from a year earlier. the fifth straight monthly decline. imports were also down 8.7% from the same month last year. that's the 13th consecutive fall. the bounty of trade for the 11 months through november is down 8.5% year-on-year. tokyo stocks closed lower despite the strong gdp figures, a plunge in oil prices weighed on sentiment. we go to mayu yoshida at the tokyo stock exchange. the gdp figures came in much

higher than consensus but equity investors shrugged them off, instead focusing on crude oil prices that dropped more than 5% overnight. the cheaper oil pressured markets here in tokyo today. the nikkei and the topix popped into the positive in the morning but soon lost ground and closed down 1%. the nikkei closed at a three-week low at 19,492. retail investors booked profits on recent gains. the topix closes at 1,568. the gdp has little impact on stock markets but it was a different story in currency markets. dealers bought the yen after the gdp so the stronger yen weighed on japanese exporters. toshiba fell 3% and it's actually been falling for four days in a row now. toshiba shares were also sold as japan's security watchdog called for a fine on toshiba for about $60 million over its accounting scandal. and sony and toyota were also lower on the stronger yen. the energy sector obviously led

losses today. i'll export impacts and the idemitsu kosan fell about 5% and japan petroleum export fell about 3%. brent dropped to its lowest level since the financial crisis, this is after opec decided to keep current production levels. all in all, it was all about the commodity rout that bared sentimentere in japan. mayu yoshida, nhk world. >> thank you. in china, the shanghai composite declined 1.9%, closing at 9,470. some investors are worried about capital outflow when another round of initial public offerings take place next week. taiwan's trade figures also tumbled. exports fell nearly 7% from a

year ago. the taiex dropped 1.3%. the resource heavy index in sydney slipped 0.9%, falling to a three huff week low. the kospi declined for a fifth straight day. japan is trying to strike a deal with india to export bullet train technology. that's one of the things prime minister shinzo abe will talk about when he visits the south asian country from friday. abe will bring up the potential deal when he sits down with indian prime minister narendra modi. they plan to build a railway between mumbai and ahmedbod. geological research was conducted along the proposed route. the results show this type of system would be best suited for the railway. the estimated cost is about $15

kbl. japan offered loans to help fund it. here's a look at some of the other business stories we're following. the number of foreign tourists who came to japan on big passenger ships this year hit a record 1 million. that's about 2.5 times as many as last year. cruise ships made more than 1,000 port calls in japan annually in recent years. the transport ministry says only a limbed number of harbors can hand such large vessels. government officials come up with steps aimed at welcoming the growing number who visit japan. they plan to subsidize services that allow travelers to stay in vacant rooms and apartments. the officials have earmarked about $80 million for the current fiscal year. japan's current account for october was in the black for the 16th straight month. officials say it was nearly $12 billion. increasing trade surplus was the driving force hundred the figure as falling crude oil prices reduced energy imports in value

terms. operators of overseas fast food chains are setting their sights on japan. nhk world's akiko okamoto went to find more. >> reporter: employees with one of america's best-known fast food chains recently launched their second outpost in tokyo. staff at taco bell serve quick and cheap mexican cuisine. they offer dishes such as burritos and tacos, popular in the u.s. but unfamiliar to people in japan. taco bell opened stores in the '80s but struggled to market their food so they shut up shop. thgs are different this time. managers have been able to use social media to push their brand.

the company has returned at a time when an influx of foreign visitors is helping to globalize japan's fa food industry. and they've come up with a new strategy. they're offering office workers breakfast dishes with ingredients such as sausages and bacon, already popular among japanese diners. >> translator: i rarely eat mexican food, but the burrito has scrambled eggs inside, something i eat all the time. so it's a good breakfast meal. >> a senior manager at taco bell describes japan as a crucial market. >> you know, japan has such a huge power influence to other asian markets. the trends coming from their new way of eating and the food is delicious and transcending throughout industry as well. >> reporter: managers at other companies from the u.s., australia, and taiwan have

launched in japan this year. american burger chain shake shack opened its first asian location in tokyo, not far from the slated site of the 2020 olympic stadium. it built a fan base with burgers that contain beef free of hormones and antibiotics. in japan, the price starts at about $5.50. >> translator: it's organic, healthy and delicious. and on top of that, i think it's reasonably priced. >> reporter: shake shack tokyo has plenty of outdoor seating just like the original burger stand in new york city. in 2004, the founders opened their flagship store in madison square park. they say one of their strategies is to serve high quality food in picturesque settings.

the ceo believes his business will prosper in japan, just as it continued to grow in the u.s. even after the financial crisis. >> we helped redefine what people -- what traditional fast food used to be into a new place of quality, fun but still approachable pricing. i think that's what's made it so special. and i think that's good in any economy. >> reporter: with so many restaurants popping up, the race to capture the hearts of consumers in japan is on. nhk world, japan. that's it for business news. i'll leave you with the markets.

the united states temporarily lifted trade restrictions on myanmar. the u.s. treasury department announced that it will allow shipments to go through ports and airports that were black listed due to lumpgs to the country's former military regime it says the waer will last for six months. businesses will be able to trade goods not subject to u.s. economic sanctions through the ports. the u.s. state department says the sanctions waiver was not a response to the recent election in myanmar. but it called the election an important step forward for the country's democratic process. in the poll last month, opposition leader aung san suu kyi led her national league for democracy to a landslide victory. the party is expected to form a government in march. u.s. officials say washington will continue to review its

policies by monitoring myanmar's progress in human rights and other issues. japanese nobel prize winner is visiting sweden ahead of thursday's award ceremony. he's the co-winner of this year's nobel prize in physiology or medicine and he shared some of his thoughts with people around the world. nhk world has that story. >> reporter: he has all the answers to a problem. his connection to nature started early on. he grew up on a farm and said he always wanted to do something for others. he developed medicines widely used to treat diseases, particularly in africa and south asia.

>> the drug that comes from his work has an enormous impact on human health and it is the ultrapoor. >> reporter: him and his co-winner revolutionized treatment for patients. and that those indices are on the verge of education. he also built a nobel museum and took part in a tradition for laureates, adding his name to those of past winners. there he donate d part of his research, microbe sples and molecular models. >> translator: i left something to let people know microorganisms are beautiful. >> reporter: he said this prize isn't the end of his work.

>> reporter: he urged his colleagues to never stop taking chances. because he says they never know what they may discover. nhk world. >> invaluable advice chia, thanks very much. fair weather prevails here in tokyo. jonathan oh joins us with this hour's update, starting with the unusually warm weather in western russia. >> it sounds interesting when it comes to talking about warm weather. we're in december. relatively speaking it's not warm for those in tokyo but those living in russia, 7 degrees for the high is warm. the average high is around n

negative 3 for this time of year. warm weather may sound like a good thing but when you have cooler weather, warm air at the surface level creates instability and stormy weather as well. we'll start in st. petersburg. the waves crash around because of the very strong winds that caused this type of instability. we're talking about trees being toppled over, cars also being damaged for some of the trees falling over into moscow. i mention already, temperatures move to 7. that's about 10 degrees higher than normal. and thankfully so, no casualties have been reported. we are looking at maybe another day of warm weather, not nearly as warm as 7 degrees. looking at a high of around 3 in moscow as we go throughout the day on tuesday, because high pressure is ushering in some of the southerly flow. now speaking of stormy weather, we go further toward the west into iceland. that low pressure system that

we've been monitoring closely is really gathering itself and some areas reporting gusts up to 216 kilometers per hour. in the process, notice how the system is starting to occlude. what that means is colder air is moving so quickly, that it's catching up to the warmer air and that's going to create even more instability in the process. we have more of a connection right in the center northern of the united kingdom. so be prepared for even wet and stormy and windy weather, especially in the northwestern portions of europe as we move forward in time. have the umbrellas handy. be careful. the umbrellas may break the other direction as well if it's windy enough. 13 in london, 11 in paris. again, a little bit cooler, 2 or 3 degrees or so in moscow with rain. coming up on tuesday but still warmer than normal for this time of year. looking at the forecast for east

asia, a little bit of a calmer weather pattern. we have a stationary front that's moving toward the south and east of japan. high pressure is providing more a sunny weather pattern over japan the korean peninsula and china. when you have the sedentary air pattern, that will lead into more of an air pollution situation. more of that smoggy condition will persist as we go toward the evening hours and possibly into the next couple of days or so. meanwhile, rain down toward the south and east from shanghai to hong kong will help to bring some of the wet weather in places as we go through wednesday. 16 shanghai, 25 in taipei, 13 in tokyo, 20 in hong kong. the western portions of the united states and the southwestern portions of canada, we have a vigorous system coming onshore. it tunes to remain over the area. we're talking about windy conditions and wet conditions. some areas could see close to 300 millimeters of rainfall as you go throughout the next day or so. please look at the possibility

of flash flooding and snow part of that forecast as well. windy conditions from vancouver to seattle over the next few daus. warmer conditions, upper 20s for tuesday and wednesday in los angeles. hope you have a good day wherever you are. here's your extended outlook.

an in-depth look at beijing's hazardous smog and much mq?q?q?q?q?q?q?

♪ >> this is "france 24." time for 60 minutes live, these are the headlines. republican front runner donald trump calls for a total ban on muslims entering america in the wake of the attack in california . critics and rivals slam him and his comments as in both reckless and unhinged. beijing issues its first ever maximum red alert for pollution.