>> talking to the taliban. >> thank you very much. appreciate it. >> members of the islamic group speak exclusively to nhk about their backroom negotiations with the u.s. aimed at ending the war in afghanistan. welcome to nhk world "newsline." on the front lines, u.s.-led forces are at war with the taliban. it's been like that for more than a decade.

american leaders are still focused on winning, even as they're prepared to pull their combat troops out by the end of 2014. both sides have publicly refused to hold peace talks. but behind the scenes, they started negotiating in 2010. nhk world's hideki yui has been following this story, and he's the first to get interviews with members of the taliban's negotiating team. here's his exclusive story. >> reporter: u.s. and taliban negotiators have met at least five times over the past two years. most of the meetings took place in the doha. thank you very much. appreciate it. the taliban has a five-man negotiating team there. i was able to interview two of them. one of the negotiators was sayyed rasul, a religious leader

who is said to have the trust of the taliban spiritual leader. >> translator: peace and reconciliation has been our demand for a long time. and it still is, even now. we want to have peace, prosperity, and the reconstruction of afghanistan. >> reporter: taliban negotiators said they and their u.s. counterparts agreed on two conditions for starting full-fledged peace talks. the first was the opening of a representative office for the taliban in qatar. the second was a prisoner exchange involving a u.s. soldier and five senior taliban members. the other taliban negotiator i spoke with was a former diplomat.

he says taliban leaders are willing to peace if they can establish their goal of reestablishing our islamic government in afghanistan. >> we came to an understanding that the american side should take steps regarding confidence building missions. >> reporter: but progress on the proposed talks came to a halt. members of the u.s. congress objected to the idea of releasing taliban officials from prison. and afghan president hamid karzai was unhappy that u.s. and taliban negotiators have met without members of his government. then u.s. special envoy mark grossmont presented a new condition. the u.s. wanted the taliban to issue a statement, saying it would cut ties to al qaeda and negotiate with the karzai administration.

>> translator: al qaeda has no presence in afghanistan, nor have we brought al qaeda to afghanistan. we have no link with it. >> reporter: but the new u.s. condition proved to be a sticking point. so taliban negotiators opposed the idea of opening a dialogue with the karzai administration. >> we, the islamic community of afghanistan, will talk with the united states about ending the occupation of afghanistan. it is not in the power of the kabul administration. >> reporter: taliban members decided in march this year to suspend their talks with u.s. negotiators. >> translator: from different channels, indirect approaches were there, but they were not fruitful, so we suspended the talks from our side.

confidence-building measures must be taken to end fighting. i've already said that this war has been imposed on us. >> this can be a part of the package. we can reach about that. it means if they decide not to talk to the community of afghanistan, it means the opportunity to approach the islamic community will have no option except to follow the same option to resisting in order to gain the goal. >> reporter: u.s. and taliban negotiators seem to be making progress on finally ending afghanistan's long war. but now the taliban says it's up to the u.s. side to get the talks going again. hideki yui, nhk world, doha. >> a complete transcript of hideki's interview with taliban

negotiators can be found on our website. the address is right there on your screen. workers at japanese-affiliate factories in china are striking. they're protesting japan's nationalization of the senkaku islands in the east china sea. thousands of chinese employees walked out at at least two appliance factories in guangdong province. manufacturing oempgss stopped for several hours as the workers rallied outside the factories shouting that the islands belonged to china. about 100 police officers attended. the shenzhen commerce said wo workers held similar protests. they reportedly broke factory gates and fences. at a press conference, chinese foreign ministry spokesperson hong lei did not directly answer a question about who would pay composition for businesses that suffer damage.

>> translator: china, as a law-abiding nation, will protect the safety of foreign personnel and institutions in line with the law. relevant cases will be handled properly. >> lei added that the japanese government's purchase of the islands is illegal. he said japan should recognize the china people's strong objections to this action and their firm resolve to rho text china's sovereignty. north korea on thursday strongly criticized a u.s. plan to deploy another early warning radar system in japan to counter possible missile threats from the north. japan already has one powerful x-band radar system in place. u.s. defense secretary leon panetta disclosed the deployment plan in tokyo on monday after meeting with his japanese counterpart satoshi morimoto. north korea's foreign ministry said in a statement that the step would only add to tensions

and fuel a race for military expansion. the statement went on to stress the north would continue to further its nuclear program. the statement said it's only natural for the country strengthen its nuclear deterrent in the face of an arms buildup by the united states, which has the world's largest nuclear arsenal. there's a new alert on global warming. researchers using satellite data say arctic sea ice coverage has shrunk to a record low. they say the ice is shrinking faster thanredicted and could have a grave impact on the world's climate. scientists from nasa and the university of colorado say the polar icecap measured 3.4 million square kilometers as of september 16th this year. the figure is the smallest since 1979 when comparable recordkeeping began. the polar icecap is now nearly

half of its average area through 2000. the measurement is lower than the previous record set in september of 2007 by 760,000 square kilometers. the researchers say higher-than-average summer time sea temperatures and a sweeping storm last month melted the ice. arctic sea ice has long been recognized as a sensitive climate indicator. the scientists say the ice could shrink further toward the end of the month as it normally reaches its minimum in september. japan's plan to do its part to slow climate change has hit a snag. the country once relied on nuclear power as a cleaner source of energy. but it's used much less of it in the year and a half since the accident at fukushima daiichi. and that trend could continue. politicians have crafted a new energy policy that takes the focus off nuclear which for now means a bigger role for fossil fuels. former minister set levels by

2020. he made the pledge three years ago at u.n. headquarters. the government unveiled its new energy policy document last friday. it said japan would phase out nuclear energy by the 2030s. the document suggested that reducing reliance on nuclear energy would lead to more dependence on coal-fired power plants. it concluded that emissions could only be cut by 5% to 9% by 2020. cabinet members announced their final policy on wednesday. they were less clear about phasing out nuclear energy. in m japanese are still trying to figure out what all of this means. we spoke earlier with nhk world's susumu kojima, who's following the story. >> what will happen to the reduction target in this new energy policy? >> the government says they haven't given up their goal to cutting emissions by 25%, but the way things are, it would be quite difficult to achieve that. 25% was an ambitious target even before the accident.

government officials imagined nuclear plants as the key source of energy when they set their target. those plans mean significant green house gases are in the plans. the government had a plan to build nine new reactors to meet the target. now only two reactors are up and running. the government is promoting energy-saving technologies and renewable energy, but for now, coal and natural gas have replaced nuclear energy as the main sources of power. >> so what will happen if government leaders withdraw from this target? >> well, as you know, the fight against climate change is a global issue. negotiators from around the world are trying to agree on new climate treaty by 2015. they hope to cover all measures including managing economies such as china and india. experts on climate change say if the japanese government weakens its target, it will be hard for

the negotiations. >> so what next? >> the new energy policy announced on wednesday is still a broad outline. we are still waiting for the details. an expert says government officials should give more consideration to climate change as they debate energy policy. >> i think it's necessary for the government to let the people know that both the nuclear policy and the climate change is important and we need to tackle those two issues in a parallel manner. >> government officicals say they finalize their plans on how to reduce emissions by the end of this year. japanese leaders are also working on curbing the carbon people burn just getting from point a to b. they're supporting manufacturers that make electric vehicles. more than 200 companies have gathered in tokyo to showcase their latest products, and many

of them have one thing in common. they're thinking small. nhk world's junio sumoto explains. >> reporter: people line up one by one to try out cars that are built for drivers but little else. these electric cars are called ultrasmall vehicles. some say this is the future. >> it's easy to control because it's small. >> translator: i don't go very far so i would just use it around my neighborhood. it would be great if my grandmother were able to drive it as well. >> reporter: 260 domestic and foreign companies that make electric vehicles or cars have gathered here to showcase their latest technologies. >> translator: ultrasmall vehicles are creating new business opportunities.

we're expecting a big new market to emerge. >> reporter: many of the participants are small enterprises that are aiming to break into this business. these ultrasmall vehicles are drawing more attention because of their ecofriendly and convenient characteristics. and japanese government officials are encouraging companies to make them. they see tiny automobiles as a way for people to get around in local communities. the entire length of this car is less than two meters. still, it can reach a top speed of 55 kilometers per hour. the company that makes this ultrasmall vehicle has been operating since 2011 from a city in southwestern japan. its parent company is a big pharmaceuticals manufacturer that started the auto business

to take advantage of opportunities in the fields of environmental protection and energy conservation. >> translator: many people find our urban transportation networks inconvenient. our mission is to improve this and to help protect the environment and conserve energy. >> reporter: tailoring ultrasmall vehicles to specific needs is part of the business. this manufacturer from osaka make what is appears to be an unfinished product. no roof, no windshields, no doors. buyers can customize it to their own tastes. transport ministry officials say they will classify ultra small vehicles as street legal before april 2013, but they along with

manufacturers are concerned about how these automobiles will fare on busy streets in cities such as tokyo. they also worry the price. which could come in around $10,000. still, they say they're committed to facing these challenges head on. they want drivers to start thinking small and start reducing their impact on the environment. jun yotsumoto, nhk world, tokyo. the head of the bank of japan made a special request to the securities industry to cruz utilize the funds of the markets to spur new industries. the governor was commenting at a convention of securities firms. he urged them to make use of apple money provided through the central bank's measures to support new industries and struggling companies.

he also asked them to help japanese firms with merger and acquisition deals overseas to take advantage of the strong yen. shirakawa also stressed the central bank will continue its easing monetary policy to pull the country out of a deflationary spil. >> the bank of japan will steadily continue its monetary easing policy by expanding the asset line program. >> boj policymakers decided on wednesday to add about $128 billion to its asset-buying program. shirakawa says the measures are intended to support the nation's economy by providing funds to the market as china and other countries slow down. the head of japan's insurers association says japanese firms that suffer damage from protests in china will be compensated. hundreds of millions of dollars may be paid out. general insurance association chairman yasuyoshi said firms that have policies to cover

damages from social disturbances will receive indemnity payments. officials at insurance firms say many japanese companies running businesses in china buy insurance policies with such provisions. they say they will look into details of their clients' policies to make payments as swiftly as they can. toyota motor president toid toid says anti-japanese sentiment will reduce car sales. toyoda is the current head of the japan automobile manufacturers association. >> translator: it was very regrettable that some japanese car dealerships in china were damaged in the demonstrations. i felt like my own body was being tortured watching the cars being destroyed. >> toyoda said many chinese customers will likely refrain from buying japanese vehicles because of the current political sentiment. he said japanese carmakers had

grown in china by developing and producing vehicles that meet the needs of the local chinese people. toyoda urged the governments of both countries to work to improve relations. he said the situation should be brought under control as soon as possible for the prosperity of both countries. global investors are seeking the relative safety of yen-denominated assets as the european debt crisis continues. the balance of japanese government bonds held overseas held hit a new record high at the end of june. the bank of japan released the figures on thursday. overseas holdings exceeded $1 trillion. that's 8.7% of total japanese government bonds outstanding, the highest ratio on record. domestic financial institutions are also buying more japanese government bonds. they account for 65% of the total outstanding balance. banks are looking for steady earnings as japanese firms show sluggish demand for loans. here are the latest market figures.

when it comes to digital games, the japanese market is one of the largest in the world. the 2012 tokyo game show has everything for the real and virtual challenger. but the industry is changing. it's no longer just about clever plots and consoles. nhk world's rena nakato explains. >> reporter: high-tech displays, characters, and idol groups. they're all here at one of asia's largest gaming events. 1,600 booths of the most advanced consoles and gadgets

are on display. you can even step into a never-before-seen alternate reality. but industry officials say the days of bulky hardware, such as controllers and consoles, could be coming to an end. instead, companies are now shifting their focus to software, making games that anyone can play anywhere. mobile devices have changed japanese gaming culture. players can instantly hook up with others on their smartphones and tablets. software developers now take up most of the booth space at the convention. companies once better known for their hardware are now converting their most popular games into apps for mobile devices. industry resource pwc global entertainment and media outlook says japan's video game market ranks third in the world after the u.s. and china.

83 international exhibiters are here to get a bite of japan's growing mobile game market. >> i think it's a good market, but it's a hard market. so it's a tough wait, but we are confident, we are working on it. >> it's so small! the market is so small. so we are seeking for more wide market. >> reporter: they're not the only ones looking beyond their borders. the japanese makers of this game were one of the first to globalize. they adapted games to film and other media. now they're eyeing emerging markets. >> translator: the android and ios systems will spread in southeast asia and the middle east. our focus now is to provide games that those users will want to play.

>> reporter: the 2012 tokyo game show suggests mobile computing has changed the rules of the game. the challenge for companies now to stay one step ahead of their users. they don't want it to be gam over. masayo nakajima, nhk world, chiba. and for an update on the weather forecast, here's mai shoji. >> clear skies across much of the eastern portion of japan. we may even see some thunderstorms. it will be persisting into the friday afternoon hours. some of the eastern portions as well could find some unstable weather, especially in the afternoon, evening hours due to the combination of the very humid air on the surface and the upper-level cold air. now, across much of the southwestern islands of japan,

another different story here due to this stationary boundary that is stretching all the way into southern china. so you'll be seeing some storms on the very severe side, frequent lightning, damaging winds and even some sudden burst of showers to watch out for. and that is also here in the southeastern sides, especially south of yongzhe river. up to 120 millimeters in the next few hours. the tropical depression that is sitting east of the philippines looks like it's going to be intensifying due to the very warm water. the sea surface temperature is over 29 degrees as of now, so that will be intensitying in making the tropical depression into a tropical storm in the next 24 hours possibly. but this will be surging a lot of moisture towards the western sea boards. we already have a report of 74 millimeters in the past 24 hours in much of the western seaboard

regions. but that is going to be continuing on the very well-saturated land, so flooding will be at very high risk and they'll be continuing into the weekend. tokyo, take a look at that. finally we're seeing the 20s so looks like we're going to be having a little bit of a taste of autumn to begin on friday but still in the 30s in the tropics. let's move over to the americas now and let me first take you to a video coming out from cape canaveral. fair weather led to a final takeoff of the space shuttle "endeavor" on wednesday. unlike its past launch from cape canaveral, it was strapped to a 747 specifically built to carry the shuttle. this is its first launch since 1992. "endeavo "endeavour" has had 25 missions and has spent 299 days in space with its final mission of 2011. now it is enright to wra where

it d will spend its days in retirement at the california science center in los angeles. looks very heavy. let's move back and talk about weather. things were rough in the eastern sea boards and that's going to be clearing off in here. a low-pressure system will be affecting much of ontario with a few showers. however, in back of it, pretty breezy conditions will be prevailing, so watch out for those items, especially for those of you in the eastern wyoming region. but nothing much to talk about here in this continent. and things are looking pretty fine with the temperatures, as well, especially in the eastern sea boards, washington at 25 degrees. winnipeg on the chillier side at 14 degrees. still pretty summer-like here in houston in the 30s. here's your extended forecast. ♪

we'll be back with more updates in 30 minutes. i'm gene otani in tokyo. for all of us here at nhk world, thanks for joining us.