“Tonight I can report to the American people and the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden,” Obama said during remarks that lasted 9-minutes in the East Room of the White House.

Justice has been done,” Obama said, noting it was close to 10 years since nearly 3,000 Americans had been killed in terrorists attacks on September 11, 2001, for which bin Laden and al Qaeda took responsibility.

In his remarks, Obama paid tribute to the many intelligence professionals for their patriotism and unparalleled courage in taking out the leader of al Qaeda and public enemy # one.

“Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome,” he said. “The American people do not see their work, nor know their names.  But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.”

Obama also urged Americans to think back to the sense of unity that prevailed following 9/11 saying, “…today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people…”

“The cause of securing our country is not complete.  But tonight, we are once again reminded that American can do whatever we set our mind to. This is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world safer place.”

Within minutes of Obama’s announcement, jubilant crowds gathered outside the White House gates, chanting “U.S.A., U.S.A.!”, waving American flags, cheering and singing the Star-Spangled Banner.

A U.S. official said bin Laden’s body has been buried at sea, the AP reports, although the exact location has not been disclosed.

Read President Barack Obama’s Remarks Below:

THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening.  Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history.  The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory — hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world.  The empty seat at the dinner table.  Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father.  Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace.  Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together.  We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood.  We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country.  On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice.  We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda — an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe.  And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.

Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort.  We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense.  In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support.  And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.

Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan.  Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.

And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.

Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden.  It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground.  I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan.  And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.  A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability.  No Americans were harmed.  They took care to avoid civilian casualties.  After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda’s leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies.  The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort.  There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us.  We must –- and we will — remain vigilant at home and abroad.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam.  I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam.  Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims.  Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own.  So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was.  That is what we’ve done.  But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding.  Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts.  They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations.  And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.

The American people did not choose this fight.  It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens.  After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war.  These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded.

So Americans understand the costs of war.  Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed.  We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies.  We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror:  Justice has been done.

Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome.  The American people do not see their work, nor know their names.  But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.

We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country.  And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.

Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.

And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11.  I know that it has, at times, frayed.  Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.

The cause of securing our country is not complete.  But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to.  That is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.

Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are:  one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you.  May God bless you.  And may God bless the United States of America.

Read More Here.

Prince William kisses his wife Kate, Dutchess of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace (AP/Matt Dunham)

Shanique Myrie

The attorney for the Jamaican woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted and verbally abused by a Barbadian immigration officer two weeks ago says he will take the matter as far as the International Court of Human Rights if necessary to get his client justice.

Jamaican lawyer Anthony Hylton, a former foreign affairs minister, gave that indication in an interview with the Daily Nation newspaper in Barbados.

In the article published today, Hylton said he would prove that 22-year-old Shanique Myrie was telling the truth about what happened on March 14 when she arrived at the Grantley Adams International Airport.

Read More Here.

A toddler is checked for radiation

Tokyo Electric Power Co., the power operator said, flames were no longer visible after 30 minutes, but due to high radiation levels at the reactor, workers have been unable to pour water into the pool storing the spent fuel rods to keep them cool.

While reactor #4 had been shut down before the earthquake for safety checks, it is believed that a highly radioactive substance was discharged from spent fuel rods stored in the reactor, after fire damaged the building.

Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, radiation has leaked from four of six reactors.

Over the past two days, 50 brave workers had stayed behind, following the evacuation of several hundred, to help avert a major nuclear disaster.  However, late on Tuesday, there were news reports that those remaining 50 workers had been ordered to evacuate as well.

Radiation levels are about 400 times the annual legal limit at the plant, according to news reports.

Although still unfolding, some experts describe the escalating nuclear crisis in Japan now as a level 6 on the International Nuclear Event Scale.

The Chernobyl disaster in 1986, described as the worst nuclear accident in history, is classified as a level 7 event.

Spent fuel now appears to be a problem at Fukushima’s reactor No. 4, where there was a fire early this morning.

Japan’s NHK World TV reported the problem late Monday, as did the New York Times [2]:

But late Tuesday, Japan’s nuclear watchdog said a pool storing spent fuel rods at that fourth reactor had overheated and reached boiling point and had become unapproachable by workers at the plant. The fire earlier Tuesday morning was sparked by a hydrogen explosion generated by rising temperatures at the fuel pool, which released radioactivity directly into the atmosphere.

The fourth reactor had been turned off and was under refurbishment for months before the earthquake and tsunami hit the plant on Friday. But the plant contains spent fuel rods that were removed from the reactor. If these rods had run dry, they could overheat and catch fire. That is almost as dangerous as the fuel in working reactors melting down, because the spent fuel can also spew radioactivity into the atmosphere.

Shigekatsu Oomukai, a spokesperson for the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, said the substantial capacity of the pool meant that the water in the pool was unlikely to evaporate soon. But he said workers were having difficulty reaching the pool to cool it, because of the high temperature of the water.

This diagram [3] shows where spent fuel pools are located in the boiling water reactor system at Fukushima, a 1970s design by General Electric known as the Mark 1. As the graphic shows, while the spent fuel lies under a deep pool of water, it is outside the concrete-and-steel containment designed to trap radiation leaks.

GE defended the reactor design in a report by the Washington Post [4]:

“The BWR Mark 1 reactor is the industry’s workhorse with a proven track record of safety and reliability for more than 40 years,” GE said in a statement. “Today, there are 32 BWR Mark 1 reactors operating as designed worldwide. There has never been a breach of a Mark 1 containment system.”

The Associated Press and other news media reported rising radiation levels [5] from Fukushima. Reactor No. 4 had been shut for maintenance before the quake and tsunami, the AP said:

Japanese officials told the International Atomic Energy Agency that the reactor fire was in a storage pond and that “radioactivity is being released directly into the atmosphere. Long after the fire was extinguished, a Japanese official said the pool, where used nuclear fuel is kept cool, might be boiling.

“We cannot deny the possibility of water boiling” in the pool, said Hidehiko Nishiyama, an official with the economy ministry, which oversees nuclear safety.

The Times said spent fuel posed a long-term danger [6] at Fukushima Daiichi. Should spent fuel catch fire:

“It’s worse than a meltdown,” said David A. Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer at the Union of Concerned Scientists who worked as an instructor on the kinds of General Electric reactors used in Japan. “The reactor is inside thick walls, and the spent fuel of Reactors 1 and 3 is out in the open.”

Voice of America reported [7]:

The International Atomic Energy Agency said it was informed by Japanese authorities that the fire took place at a storage pond for spent fuel rods at the plant’s number 4 unit, and that radioactivity was released directly into the atmosphere at dose rates equivalent to 4,000 chest X-rays every hour.

The latest report [8] from the IAEA suggests radiation levels may be falling.

by Tom Detzel ProPublica

March 15, 2011

Where 1,400 once worked, a dedicated few–50 brave workers–remain at the nuclear facility, trying to keep water pumping into the multiple reactors and perhaps risking their lives for the greater good.

Initially, residents within a two-mile radius of the facility had been evacuated but this has now expanded.  There are reports too that radiation levels near Tokyo are nearly 10 times above normal.

Japan’s Prime Minister Naoto Kan described the unfolding disaster as the worst since World War II and admitted that the risk of further leaking of radioactive material exists. He called for evacuations within a 20 mile radius of the nuclear facility. He urged residents to take precautions, keeping windows and doors closed.

U.S. experts warn that, because of the clustering of reactors, trouble at one could set off an avalanche of challenges at several others, a scene which is currently playing out.  They note that it is the worst nuclear accident that any country has faced since Chernobyl, which occurred in 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plan in the Ukraine.

The Chernobyl disaster has been classified as the worst nuclear accident in history and the only one classified as a level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale.

Some experts have described the current nuclear disaster in Japan as a level 5–which is still far from over.

Explosion at Tukushima plant (Digital Globe viz NYT)

Around 6:14 a.m. Japan time, the third explosion in a series of blasts damaged # 2 reactor at Japan’s Fukushima plant.

There is uncertainty as to what caused this third blast.  But there are early reports that the latest explosion amounted to a different and more critical problem than the previous two blasts that occurred at reactors # 1 and # 3, on Saturday and Monday.

There are news reports that there is fire at a fourth reactor.

Read More Here

The guilty verdict came on the jury’s second day of deliberations.  Buju was not found guilty of a fourth charge, possession of a firearm in the furtherance of a drug-trafficking offence.

Buju, whose real name is Mark Myrie, had his bail revoked and was taken into custody until sentencing.

Buju’s first trial ended in a hung jury in September of last year.

Buju Banton, real name, Mark Myrie (Photo credit: caribbean360.com)

A second jury will today get to determine the fate of Grammy-award winner and reggae star Buju Banton after four days of testimony in which prosecutors painted him as a drug dealer and the defense countered with claims that it was the singer’s “big talking”, and not any illegal act, that has landed him in trouble.

Judge James Moody is scheduled to give the jury instructions on Friday, following which deliberations will begin on whether Buju is guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine; attempted possession with the intent to distribute cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking offense; and using a communication facility to facilitate a drug-trafficking offense.

U.S. prosecutors added two additional charges late last year, after a first trial on two charges ended with a hung jury.

Read More Here.

The “rice” is made by mixing potatoes, sweet potatoes and plastic. The potatoes are first formed into the shape of rice grains. Industrial synthetic resins are then added to the mix. The rice reportedly stays hard even after being cooked.

The Korean-language Weekly Hong Kong reported that the fake rice is being sold in the Chinese town of Taiyuan, in Shaanxi province.

Read More Here.