their threats against the united states and it's allies. >> translator: north korea is developing nuclear weapons in both quality and quantity. we will mercilessly punish the united states and it's lies. >> north korean leaders have threatened to attack targets in the u.s., south korea and japan. security analysts believe their forces have completed preparations for the launches of an immediate range and short range ballistic missiles. top diplomats say the work with chinese leaders to try to rein in the north koreans. john kerry made his first visit to japan as secretary of state. >> translator: we agreed that north korea should stop its provocative actions immediately and that we will show a firm stance on the denuclearization of the korean peninsula. we will never allow north korea to possess nuclear arms. >> we, japan, the united states and the other countries that i have met with in the last two days are committed to make that goal of denuke clarization a reality. >> kerry said he believes the chinese will take effective measures to row solve the crisis. he adiscussed the islands in th east china sea. he said they're trying to nurture a dialog with their chinese counterparts. kerry said u.s. officials remain neutral. two more chinese people have died of the h7n9 strain of bird flu. another 11 people were confirmed on sunday to have been infected. a 77 year old man and a 67 year old woman died in shanghai on sunday, while receiving treatment at a hospital. the state run shin juan news agency reports that two men age 65 and 34 were the first to be infected in hugh nan province. the total number of infections has reached 60. a korean jetliner had to make an emergency landing because of smoke inside the plane. it was on its way to los angeles from south korea. the pilot contacted the tower at around 9:40 on sunday. there was smoke in the cockpit of the boeing 777. all it 288 passengers and crew members were safely escorted off the plane and the flight was canceled. >> we're just told that there was a technical difficulty and they took all our food away, and we had to do an emergency landing. that's all they told us. >> korean air officials said they smelled something burning. the people of venezuela went to the poll does choose their next president. the election follows the death of the nation's long time president hugo chavez. it was a race between nicolas maduro and enrekay -- he garnered support by promising free education and medical care and the construction of low income housing. capri lez was narrowly defeated by chavez in last november's election. he has call ford change to help revitalize the economy. he enjoys growing support from businesses and venezuelans with high incomes. one recent poll still showed maduro leading the race. venezuela was staunchly anti-u.s. under chavez. the streets of london were filled with protesters. they were expressing their anger over the taxpayer money used to pay for the funeral of margaret thatcher. about 200 protesters gathered on saturday. local media say about $15 million will be spent for protecting important guests at the funeral to be held at st. paul cathedral. many criticize her for leaving people jobless. >> she saved the country for people like her. >> i just personally think that she did what she did for her country, whether it be right or wrong. it did help some people. obviously some people it didn't affect their lives. so just let her rest in peace. >> police will be on high alert on the day. funeral as protests are being planned near the venue. japanese prime minister shinzo abe has pledged to step up the search for the remains of japanese war dead on a small pacific island that saw some. fiercest fighting during world war ii. thousands died on the island in the final stages of the war in 1945. the remains of some 12,000 japanese soldiers have yet to be found on iwo jima. abe attended a memorial service on the island on sunday. >> translator: i cannot help but sympathize with the people who died, wishing for peace and security for their country and worrying about their families far away. >> after the service, abe inspected a trench in the northern part of the island where remains are being collected with the help of high performance underground exploration radar. he later said almost half of the remains are still missing and his office will take the lead in promoting steady progress in the search. myanmar's opposition leader aung san suu kyi is visiting kyoto. the visit is her first in 27 year the. she was in japan from 1985 to 1986 as a researcher at kyoto university. on sunday she inspected a small hydroelectric power generator that utilizes a river current. the people who installed the system explained how it worked. she had been keen on visiting the facility. aung san suu kyi will visit the research institute where she studied and deliver a lecture on monday. japan's consumption of liquid natural gas reached a record during the last fiscal year. the federation of electric power companies says consumption rose in fiscal 2012 to make up for the shortages after the accident at the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant the operation at plants across the country was only 3.9% during fiscal 2012. the rate for the year was the lowest sense the first nuclear plant began operation in 1966. japan suspended all nuclear operations except for one in fukui prefecture. they're relying more on thermal power-generation. they use 30 million kiloliters of heavy oil. their figures were 22.6 times what they used in 2010, the year before the fukushima accident. there's no shortage of hot springs in japan. every minute, nearly 2.7 million liters of steaming water gushes out from springs all over the country. japanese like to soak in the springs for their healing properties and to relax. but increasingly, people are viewing them as a source of energy. they're looking for alternatives to nuclear power. nhk has the details. >> reporter: this district is a historical area. it's famous for hot springs. it draws some 200,000 visitors per year. last sunday it celebrated the opening of a power facility. it uses hot water. each generator can produce 50 kilowatts of energy. hot springwater is passed through a pipe. it heats and the vaporizes a certain type of gas which has a lower boiling point than water. the vapor can be used to move the turbine and generate power. it ensures stable power supplies and almost no carbon dioxide emissions. this was one of the reasons the facility was built. a local power company is raising fees due to rising fuel costs and the weaker yen. residents are hoping that supplying their own power will help them cut costs. >> translator: higher electricity charges will make it harder to manage. it's a wonderful idea to produce power locally for regional consumption. >> reporter: at another hot spring, one company has begun generating electricity from the water expecting profits. in this prefecture, the boasts the top operation. it has about 3,000 springs. steam can be seen rising across town. this man runs a business to supply hot springwater to locals. but only half the water that is gushed out is actually being used. >> translator: we have no choice but to discard surplus water. what a waste. >> reporter: last summer, they had some good news. a new law was introduced that requires power companies to boy renewable energy at fixed prices. he bought a generator and started operation. he secured a stable buyer fort electricity and expebt pekts sales to reach about $180,000 per year. >> translator: we expect to recoup our initial investments if four and a half years. we've decided on a way to manage it and generate profit. it's a solid business. >> reporter: the government estimates that power output using hot springs across japan will reach about 700,000 kilowatts, an equivalent about one nuclear reactor. the technology can also be used for warm wastewater. the developer of the machine sees promising opportunities. >> we were able to roll out a compact generator at a low cost. we have produced results using hot springs. so we aim to explore new markets for industrial use. >> reporter: the japanese government has started to offer subsidies for utilities to cover the cost of installing this new generator. the move to transform resources into new energy is gaining momentum. nhk world. cashmere wool is considered one of the finest types of fiber. it's mostly produced in china. production is on the rise due to booming exports as well as expansion of china's domestic market. but the development of this industry is not without consequences for the environment. nhk world reports. >> reporter: many people consider cashmere wool an ideal fabric for sweaters and scarves. not only is the wool light and soft, it's also very warm. the number of shops in chinese cities that sell cashmere goods has been rising. this one in central beijing opened last year. sweaters like these can cost more than $570. but shoppers are snapping them up. >> translator: it feels so soft, and i feel so comfortable in cashmere. >> reporter: this is in a region of inner mongolia. the people here produce 40% of the world's cashmere. the city is surrounded grasslands. it's an ideal region for raising goats that grow cashmere wool. and the temperature range also makes the wool grow better. as consumers buy more cashmere, the industry is booming. so many farmers here are switching from growing crops to raising goats. but the increase in the number of goats is destroying the environment. the animals eats the grass right down to its roots. and this is turning flatter lands into a desert. the wind blows the sand eastward. the results are felt by people across a wide area. >> translator: my throat starts aching. and some days, the sand dust is so bad i can't even go outside. >> reporter: three years ago, officials imposed limits of the number of goats each farmer can raise. later they also banned goats from certain grassland areas, but these measures began to limit the production of cashmere. so officials introduced other measures to protect the farmers. one encourages selective breeding of goats. limitations on the number of animals she can raise don't apply to goats born through selective breeding. she also receives public subsidies of more than $40 per head. goats produce -- selectively breeding the animals has raised. >> translator: we hope to continue improving the quality and the productivity of our wool. >> translator: cashmere production is vital to us. environmental problems put us in a dilemma. but we are struggling to continue cashmere production while at the same time protecting grasslands. >> reporter: the rising popularity of cashmere products has come as a mixed blessing for this community. farmers are caught between profits and destroying the environment. nhk world, china. natural disasters can prompt a sort of spiritual quest among the people who survive. many japanese started rethinking their lives after the disaster two years ago. now many of them are turning to an indian philosopher for comfort. >> reporter: indian thinker recently returned to japan. this was his tenth visit. he lectured in seven cities across the country. his theme was be the change. it's a quote from gandhi. when he speaks venues fill quickly with people in search of inspiration. >> in spite of that we have to have hope. we have to have optimism. so whatever small action you can take, however small it is, just take that ak with positive energy. a small action is leak seed. from a small seed grows a large tree. >> reporter: he was born in 1936. he edits a philosophical magazine and also teaches. his thinking combines oriental culture with western thought. he teaches in a college, a school for environmental education which he founded. he says for example if everyone starts to choose organic foods over processed foods it will bring about automatic charnge t the economy. it will bring changes to society naturally. after the great east japan earthquake, he met some students from the affected areas. >> through this difficult time, let us build a new future which is more resilient and more sustainable. >> reporter: what do you think the japanese people learned from the disaster? have they gained anything from it? >> now we also have to learn some lessons from this disaster. the lesson we have to learn is that nature is stronger than any technology, any science, any human industry or human ng knewity. so we have to be humble towards nature. >> reporter: kumar says the tragedy gives us an opportunity to rethink how we live, to co-exist with nature. >> be the change that you want to see in the world and create new kind of agriculture, new kind of industry, new kind of technology, which is sustainable. which is in harmony with nature. then you can be the leader. >> reporter: no society can change overnight. but this thinker from india has struck a chord with people who want to improve their lives in japan. nhk world, toke yoi time to get a check on the weather. it's pretty sunny here in tokyo. a great day to get out. >> good morning, kathryn, yes, it is a very sunny day across tokyo and that includes talk yama. the sound of drums under clear skies. this is talk yama spring festival. it is regarded as one of the most beautiful festivals in japan. the floats are beautifully decorated with carvings, thick curtains and bamboo blinds. this festival will end today with an estimated 180,000 spectators. they will see clear skies and sunny weather today with temperatures reaching up to about 21 degrees. so it's going to be a perfect day to watch that festival and go out there, enjoying really clear skies across much of the country irhoo. but due to the cold front that slipped across the area, chasing after is the chilly winds. so a lot of the areas will see chilly temperatures. clear across northeastern china we have a low pressure system with the cold air aloft moving into the area. and that's going to dump some heavy snow. this is going to be some mixed precipitation, rain and snow. down towards southwestern china, heavy rain will be likely to continue in northeastern india, myanmar as well as southwestern china and the border across the indough china peninsula. it will be targeting southern thailand where we already have a report of 120 millimeters in the past 24 hours. the land is very saturated. and the heavy down powpour is ly to continue. we're looking at a lot of double digits across asia now except for a single digit of 4 degrees. seoul, 12 degrees. and that's going to go up to 18 degrees on your tuesday. tokyo, we're looking at it 21 degrees warm and nice sunny day. across north america there's a winter storm moving towards the east battering the dakotas. we still have warnings and watches in effect in north dakota and due to the strong winds gusts of 64 kilometer the per hour still likely. and on top of that an additional 45 centimeters of snow. and that could bring some whiteout conditions. if you must travel, please do carry your emergency kit in your car along. that's going to travel towards northeast. but the cold front sagging into the panhandle of texas. we cannot rule out the possibility of tornados. out here in southeast corner, this is another area where we're watching severe thunderstorms. and that includes tornados. we do have a report of a tornado touchdown in florida already. and that's likely to continue. the conditions will be tapering off on your hon, however, it's going to be unstable. and still unstable here across colorado as well with the heavy snow. additional amounts could be about 60 cent meters. denver, we're looking at 4 degrees. 17 here in new york. and washington, d.c. at 19. we're wondering what's going to happen for boston. it's going to be a perfect day for runners. you may see some record running. here's our extended forecast. and that is all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks so much for joining us