welcome to nhk world "newsline." i'm shery ahn. u.s. federal reserve chairman ben bernanke gave an anticipated speech on the u.s. market economy. the markets were focusing on whether he would talk about more monetary easing but he did not mention specific plans. the gathering held in jackson hole behind closed doors was attended by many. will be delayed more than had been anticipated. he cited the reverse effects of the sector on financial markets.

bernanke also mentioned concern about european sovereign debts and developments related to the u.s. fiscal situation. he said these developments have hurt household and business confidence and both pose ongoing risks to growth. he said the federal reserve board will discuss measures at the committee meeting in september. he said the meeting would be held over two days instead of the originally planned one date to allow a fuller discussion. japan's prime minister naoto kan is leaving office less than a year after taking power. kan spoke to the nation. here's what he had to say. >> translator: earlier as of today i've decided to step down at the ruling democratic party president and also as long as the new leader is elected, i'm going to step down at the prime minister.

>> kan apologized for failing to prevent the nuclear crisis that followed the march 11th earthquake and tsunami. >> translator: now japan is a quake-prone country. but we do have a lot of nuclear reactors, nuclear plants in the land. and that is what we have experienced this time and that is the incident in which i felt the poorlessness as a prime minister because we were not able to prevent losing many lives at the time of the earthquake. and how to contain that aggravation of that nuclear accident that i was here, i will

see every day. to be honest as a nuclear disaster started to expand and will close. the large size of the evacuation as well as the long-term of the damage to the local community and how to grapple with that. the possible destruction of the nation is my conclusion to create a society less dependent on nuclear energy. >> the outgoing prime minister also urged japan's political parties to work together to help boost the country's lagging economy and tackle its deep debt. >> translator: social security and taxes, the sustainability of social security is very important. and this is something that any governments cannot avoid. and so in order to realize the minimum and happiness society,

we need to establish these reforms as the basis, the foundation. when we look at other nations, we cannot postpone the reform any longer. it is a difficult task, but we need to obtain the understanding and support of the people. we hope that the ruling and opposition parties will cooperate with each other to realize this. japan's coast guard says it's going to beef up its patrols following the intrusion of two chinese ships into japanese waters. two chinese fisheries surveillance ships were seen in the senkaku islands on wednesday. they are controlled by china but al -- japan but also claimed by china. the ramming of patrol ships by chinese boats in september

heightened tension between the two countries. the japanese coast guard plans to get maritime security defined laurnd pu. to investigate on land before police arrive. the japanese coast guard could then act if foreign nationals landed on japanese territories such as the senkaku islands without japanese permission. the situation in the libyan capital tripoli remains tense even though opposition forces have transferred their base into the city. groups loyal to libya leader muammar gadhafi continued to carry autothe attacks on friday. this comes despite an earlier announcement by the council that it moved its headquarters from the northeastern city of benghazi. in an attempt to launch surprise

attac attacks. attacks also continue in the city of the leader. on thursday night, opposition groups acaptured a building aftr a fierce gun battle. gadhafi and his family members were thought to have been in the building. their whereabouts remain unknown. the number two official told reporters that the top priority are to collect the weapons used by both sides and bring the situation in tripoli under control. here is the report. >> reporter: tripoli is in total silence. the only people out on the streets are soldiers with the national transitional council. they are guarding key locations against pro-gadhafi snipers.

the gun fire that continued into thursday night cannot be heard anymore. that's maybe because friday is an islamic day for prayers. shelters are closed that line tripoli's busiest shopping street. a family we came across here said they were there and looking for a place to buy food. after having exhausted their stock at home. many of the areas in the libyan capitals don't have water or electric. people are trying to survive and are waiting anxiously waiting for peace to arrive. hospitals are loaded with patients wounded by pro-gadhafi snipers.

but they are badly in need of medical supplies. one of the national transitional council's challenges will be to -- so life can start to get back to normal. futori, nhk world, tripoli. >> and here now is your extended weather forecast.

and that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm shery ahn. thank you for watching.

♪ ♪ what do you ladies do? >> we're housewives. >> been a little tired lately, tv viewers? then this story about a group of offbeat housewives is sure to liven you up.

i'm a new adult and it's my first year as a director. everything at work is new to me. one day i saw this strange thing on the internet. delusional? strongest housewife troupe? >> hello, everyone! we are the angels! >> the angels, 11 dancing housewives. they may be weird, but they seem to be fairly popular in their namesake hometown.

who are they? and why are they dancing? intrigued by these wild housewives, i decided to visit them in their base, tokyo's komai city. and guess who showed up it at the local community center? a group of flamboyantly dressed women of uncertain age. >> she suggested i wore false eyelashes and just like at her. >> these eyelashes. >> today is an open practice day for the angels. we are thrilled that so many people have come to watch our practice. thank you so much for coming all the way out here. ♪

>> the housewives danced wildly in revealing costumes. i was overwhelmed by the performance, which was more polished than i had expected. what's more, they're 40. absolutely astonishing. >> translator: there must be all kinds of barrier, like age for instance. and their performance, it's amazing. >> translator: it cheers you up. yes, it does. >> they're so energetic. >> but, still, those costumes, aren't those a little too revealing? and those sexy poses? are they really ordinary

housewives? watching them, i became a little embarrassed. i decided to toss them a simple question -- don't you feel embarrassed? >> translator: not at all. i want to do more. >> translator: normally i feel embarrassed but when you get into the groove, it really feels good >> all the members, this woman was particularly high-spirited. she's mia taira, the leader of the angels. i was curious about miwa's lifestyle so i paid a visit to her home miwa was doing her

morning chores. she seemed like a competent h all-around home maker, which surprised me. >> translator: he loves his mr. bear blanket. >> miwa's expression softened when she was with her son. she was just a happy looking 42-year-old housewife with two children. but she soon showed her karma angel face. >> translator: hey, watch it, you! >> she just ran on and on with her pet luna. sometimes they'd go running for an hour. >> translator: luna is quite fast!

>> miwa says this daily run helps her keep a slim figure. it it's like a short distance sprint and quite a workout. it's good for burning fat. >> i noticed that miwa practiced dancing while doing her housework. >> translator: i suddenly started dancing like this and then things start flying around. and i'm banging the frying pan like this, and then the dog runs off. >> sitting near me while doing her homework is her daughter miyu. does your mother always dance when she he cooks? >> yes, she does. she's having fun. she's cool. >> do you want to become a karm ma angel? >> probably not. >> this kind looking man is

miwa's house o'kifumi. how would you describe your wife? >> well, she's certainly dynamic. that's for sure. she's a full-on type of person who gives 100% even when she could do the job with about 30% effort. she reminds me of those fish that die when they stop swimming. >> you mean tuna >> translator: yeah, that's right. i think she's like that. the busier she is, the more energetic she seems to be. >> translator: i'm probably the ultimate nnarcissist. it's no good looking at myself in the mirror and saying, oh, how pretty i am. i tell myself, oh, how ugly. i guess i'm a perfectionist. i have no room for compromises.

i wondered where miwa's unlimited ambition came from. i found a hint in a photograph. >> translator: this photo, this one. it was taken when i was 27. >> the thick eyebrows date the photo. was it it during the bubble economy? ♪ >> about 20 years ago japan was in the midst of a booming period called the bubble economy. just around when i was born. i hear that it was exciting and many people spent lavishly. miwa, a university student during the heyday of the bubble economy, busied herself with fashion, overseas trips and everything fun. miwa says that she had no concern for the future back then. sounds like a lucky time to me.

miwa was into acting, at the time small theaters were in vogue and she even established her own. looking back, miwa had a great time. >> translator: everything looks glorious when you're young. i had fun acting. i'm not sure i could do that again. >> at the age of 25, miwa was happily married. and soon after that she was blessed with two children. miwa pursued happiness at home as a full-time housewife. however, she was busy raising her children day in, day out.

she became stressed out from bottling up her real ambitions and gained 12 kill kilograms. >> when the kids were still babies, i used to get hysterical, screaming i had it to look after the kids all day. i used to take it all out on my husband, yelling at him to come home earlier. >> translator: she was always saying that she was exhausted. she wasn't as full of life as she is now. >> miwa would spend days brooding. but then five years ago she reached a turning point. it it was at christmas 2005. she put on a show for the children with some other mothers. back on stage, miwa remembered what was missing in her life.

that motivated her to form the karma angels. she wanted the audience to enjoy themselves even more. the costumes and choreography became more sparkly and sexier. >> translator: i probably wanted to satisfy myself, but you don't think that will ever happen. so each time i push the limits. many of my friends want to become full-time housewives one day, but none of them are like miwa. her vigorous and leeway are two words used to describe my generation. unlike others my age, i think carnivorous women like miwa are cool.

the karma angels has 11 members now. attracted by miwa's cool style and enthusiasm, the numbers are increasing one by one. >> translator: the best move would be this. you have to think about the flow. come on, have a look. >> i wonder how each member really feels about being a karma angel. one woman caught my attention as i watched them rehearse. even during hard practice, this woman's laughter rang through the room. she always brightened things up.

kayo utiyya. kayo lives about five minutes away from miwa. i was surprised to see the chaotic condition of her home. kayo has a dog and two elementary school sons and her oldest son is in junior high school. >> translator: it's like a war until about 9:00. >> kayo proves to be a dynamic mother to her three growing sons. i helped prepare dinner just like a daughter would.

boiled dumplings for their fare that weekend, the boys' favorite dish. we just kept making dumpling after dumpling. >> translator: here you are! >> translator: let's eat! >> the boys gobbled up the dumplings as fast as their mother could boil them. 102 in all. i was impressed by their enormous appetites. good? >> translator: i'm so full. >> my head was spinning that evening. but kayo seems to enjoy her busy life. >> translator: if there's enough, then it's lucky. if not, i apologize. i wouldn't be able to survive with three boys if i panicked every time i was short of dumplings.

kayo is so tough it i decided to interview her husband, too. what would you say kayo's strong point is? >> translator: her strong point, well, that she isn't fussy. she doesn't get discouraged even if she can't handle every problem perfectly. i think that's what's great about her. >> translator: this isn't my part. >> kayo may be a fun loving housewife, but her past was quite surprising. kayo used to work as a popular mc at a wedding hall in tokyo. lasers and dry ice created the backdrop for weddingor ceremonies back then. kayo remembers how she loved bringing excitement to one of life's happiest moments. >> translator: yes! it was great fun. i mean, it it's a p happy moment. weddings are joyful, full of happiness.

many people thank you. ah, i used to love it it. >> kayo got married when she was 27. she aimed to juggle both work and family. but she had to quit work when her third son was born. >> translator: i didn't give up. it it was something that just became impossible. if it was a matter of trying hard, then maybe i would have continued. but there was no child care available. >> kayo now raises her sons in a positive manner. >> translator: can you do this? >> above all, she enjoys being with her children as they grow up.

but as her boys got older and she had some time to herself, she began to feel something was missing. then she met miwa. she found a satisfaction that was too exciting for words as she danced in the troupe. the karma angels are an important part of her life now. why are did you join? >> translator: why? because it looked fun. i'm not sure. a part of me, something hidden within me while i was wrapped up being the mother, just exploded. i tell people that i fool around seriously. >> fool around seriously. have i ever been into something

so much that i could say that? perhaps those of us in our 20s facing uncertain futures are to uptight. ♪ i could clearly see that all the 40ish housewives i met through the karma angels were having a good time. maybe their inner strength comes from having seen the good times roll. in 20 years' time when i'm in my 40s, would i be as positive as the karma angels? >> translator: my article is to collaborate with "exile". >> translator: i'll dance as long as i can. >> translator: i'm working on a dance with a cane. >> translator: i think we're heading for the unknown.

>> i visited kayo once more in order to thank her. for some reason, she met me at the door wearing a wig. >> this is for you! >> being with these fun loving people felt good. but i had to admit that i was a little worried that i wouldn't be able to return to normal life. then their mysterious power engulfs everybody one by one. in these tough time it's may be a good idea to follow the example set by these gutsy, high-spirited women.