ldp leader tanigaki said the statement must be discussed in the diet. >>> the world health organization says the new h1n1 influenza pandemic is now over after assessing the global situation at a meeting of international experts on tuesday. the highest alert has been in place since june last year. >> the world is no long er in influnsa pan demache letter. we are now moving into post-pandemic period. >> the decision came while no widespread infections of the flu virus have been reported, even from the southern hemisphere, which is now in winter. w.h.o. director general margaret chan says the decision does not mean that the h1n1 virus has gone away. she says the virus will take on the behavior of a seasonal influenza virus and continue to circulate for some years to come. the w.h.o. says about 18,500 people in 214 nations and territories have died since the h1n1 outbreak began in april 2009. >>> japan's food self-sufficiency rate in fiscal 2009 fell 1 percentage point from the previous year to 40%. it's the first drop in three years. the agriculture ministry announced the rate, which is ba