hello and welcome to nhk "newsline." i'm keikichi hanada in tokyo with the latest at this hour. chinese scientists say the new strain of the bird flu virus may have evolved from at least four origins. the h7 n9 virus has inflected people in china and taiwan. 27 of them have died so far. researchers at the chinese academy of sciences and other institutions announced their findings in the medical journal lancet. they say the virus might have genes originating from ducks

living in shanghai and other areas near the mouth of the yangtze river. the virus may have genes transferred from mig ratory birds inflected with avian flu viruses. the researchers analyzed the genomics and found that the h7n9 strain evolved from four bird flu viruses and ducks probably acted as the intermediate hosts to transfer the virus from wild birds to domestic birds. health authorities are closely watching for the pocket of human-to-human transmission. there are reports that israel has carried out another air raid on syria. analysts say the attack targeted a suspected weapons site. the attack reportedly began on thursday and continued into friday morning. the associated press quotes israeli officials as saying

israeli air force jets targeted the shipment of advanced missiles bound for the lebanese militant group hezbollah. the syrian government has not responded to the alleged raid. in january israel reportedly carried out another attack on a syrian military research facility. the syrian government later released footage purportedly of the bombed facility and denounced israel for the attack. israel has been concerned about the possibility of weapons falling into the hands of islamic extremists in the turmoil of the syrian civil war. japan's finance minister taro aso says the country aims to revive its sme to support growth in asia. he spoke at the annual meeting of the asian development bank in new delhi on saturday. aso explained the japanese government is trying to get the country out of deflation through bold monetary easing and bold

growth strat new jersey. he add the 2k3w069 has adopted a policy that places importance on asia. asia is expected to remain the world growth center, and japan will support the region's efforts. aso said japan plans to use yen loans to help reduce poverty, improve infrastructure, and offer medical care around the continent. he called for creating a system to provide support for natural disasters that could hinder growth. he also said japan would step up bilateral financial cooperation in currency swaps in the event of a shortage of u.s. dollars. myanmar is celebrating its resumption of rice exports to japan after suspension of 45 years. maian mar was once the world's largest rice exporting country, but business declined due to the military regime. at ceremony was held in

myanmar's city on saturday. the commence minister said the country wants to regain its global position as a rice exporter. >> translator: i want to get a market share for myanmar rice in the world market. to be able to compete with other rice exporting countries as well as get a good sales price. we will continue to work. >> the japanese agriculture ministry official in charge of farm produce said japan's rice imports will boost income of myanmar's farmers. he added they will help with the country's dem mock kratization. japan imported large quantities of rice from myanmar after food shortages after world war ii but the exports were stopped in 1968. the first shipment of rice will amount to about 5,000 tons. japanese officials are seeking to increase safety at the country's nuclear power

plants. currently only the nuclear regular authority is responsible for nuclear plant safety, but the government is considering setting up a new organization that would involve the power companies. japan's minister said experts from the various power utilities would draw up measure to deal with problems after examining the facilities. motegi says the government wants to review the energy policy of the previous government. it had set the goal of shutting down all nuclear power plants in the next 20 years. >> japan has to rely about 90% of energy demand. we import all of them from overseas. it certainly is not sustainable. >> there are only 2 out of 50 nuclear reactors in the country still in operation since the

accident in fukushima. the demand for imported liquefied natural gas used at japan's thermal power plants has surged ever since. mon teg give says the government plans to allow utilities to restart plants once safety is verified. a former u.s. ambassador to japan says japanese leaders must be cautious about trying to rewrite the country's history. thomas shaffer says any such review could significantly harm japan's interests both in the united states and in asia. he made the comments during a symposium attended by former envoys to japan. the debate touched on recent visits by japanese cabinet ministers to a shrine in tokyo which honors the war dead including those convicted of war crimes. the visits sparked angry protests in china and south korea. >> people who were the victims of japanese aggression saw that

differently, but i understand, i think, the emotion of trying to honor those who had given their lives for the country. >> he also rejected efforts to justify the so-called comfort women issue. many women from korea, japan, china, and other countries were forced to work in brothels to serve japanese soldiers during world war ii. he urged caution against moving japan to review a 1993 government statement which expressed an official apology to the women. people in south korea are celebrating the reopening of one of the country's most revered strak tours, nam da money or the southern gate. the landmark building has been under renovation since it was destroyed in an arson attack in 2008. namdaemun was constructed about 600 years ago. it was one of four gates leading

into the capital seoul built for protection. it is listed as the first national treasure. but five years ago, a disgruntled south korean man set it on fire. the two-story wooden pavilion collapsed into flames. the south korean government spent about $25 million restoring the gate. workers used traditional building techniques whenever possible. they also preserved scorched pieces of wood as a reminder against future fires. president park geun-hye says the reopening will inspire her country. >> to protect the building against another fire, sprinklers

and surveillance cameras have been installed, and security guards will be on watch around the clock. up next, the world weather forecast. and that's it for this hour of "newsline." i'm keikichi hanada. on behalf of our team, thank you