Jackie Northam

The Global Afterlife Of Your Donated Clothes

Jackie Northam — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:59:00 +0000

On a bright and warm Saturday morning, there's a steady flow of people dropping off donations at Martha's Table, a charity in downtown Washington, D.C. A mountain of plastic and paper bags stuffed with used dresses, scarves, skirts and footwear expands in one corner of the room. Volunteers sort and put clothes on hangers.

First U.S. Company To Enter Export Market For Natural Gas

Jackie Northam — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:14:00 +0000

With supplies high and prices at historic lows, there's debate whether companies should be allowed to export the gas overseas for a higher price. Many energy companies have applied for government approval to ship liquefied natural gas worldwide. So far, only one company has gotten a license to do that in the past 30 years..

Port Of Baltimore Seeks Boost From Panama Canal Expansion

Jackie Northam — Mon, 06 May 2013 07:42:00 +0000

There is constant motion around four new supersized, Chinese-made cranes as they unload cargo from a ship at the Port of Baltimore's freshly constructed Seagirt Marine Terminal.

Control cabs whir across the cranes' broad steel beams, and thick cables spin from giant wheels. Containers packed with consumer goods — TVs, clothing and the like — are hoisted from the ship and transferred to a flatbed truck waiting 140 feet below; the truck then peels away and is immediately replaced by another.

Labor Watchdog Groups Limited In Their Power To Enforce Laws

Jackie Northam — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:14:00 +0000

The collapse of the garment factory in Bangladesh is seen as a gross violation of safety and workers rights. There are international organizations which try to guide and encourage companies and governments towards better codes of conduct, but the groups have no legal recourse.

Britain's Iron Lady, Former Prime Minister Thatcher, Dies

Jackie Northam — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:57:00 +0000

Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher died Monday following a stroke. She was 87. Despite many accomplishments during her 11 years in office, she was a divisive figure, and there is still much bitterness surrounding the woman who was dubbed the Iron Lady.

Thatcher's long journey to becoming one of Britain's most influential leaders began in humble surroundings. She was born on Oct. 13, 1925, in the small English town of Grantham.

Google's Eric Schmidt Heads To Another Isolated Asian Nation

Jackie Northam — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Google's executive chairman, Eric Schmidt, who went to North Korea in January, is making a short visit Friday to Myanmar, also known as Burma.

Why is the senior executive of a U.S. technology powerhouse visiting some of the poorest and least wired countries in Asia?

Schmidt will be the first top U.S.

At A Pakistani Mobile Library, Kids Can Check Out Books, And Hope

Jackie Northam — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 21:34:00 +0000

On a cold, rainy morning, a van pulls up outside a rural elementary school on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan's capital. The fluorescent green vehicle provides a flash of color on this otherwise gray day.

Controversial Cleric Stirs Protests Upon Return To Pakistan

Jackie Northam — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:03:00 +0000

In Pakistan, a controversial Muslim cleric has been shaking up the political scene.

Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri returned to his home country late last year, after spending eight years in Canada.

Amusement Park Planned In The Town Where Bin Laden Hid Out

Jackie Northam — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:52:00 +0000

Developers in Pakistan will soon break ground on a new amusement park and outdoor activity center, a private, $30 million project billed as a state-of-the-art facility that will bring jobs to a hard-hit area.

But there's one issue that's raising some eyebrows: the site is in Abbottabad, not far from the place where Osama Bin Laden secretly lived until American forces killed him.

This does not trouble Sheikh Kaleemuddin, the project director, who is effusive about the picturesque spot where he plans to build.

A narrow, fast-moving creek courses over a bed of flat stones running through a

Obama's Promise To Close Guantanamo Prison Falls Short

Jackie Northam — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 08:35:00 +0000

In one of his first acts as commander in chief, President Obama in 2009 signed an executive order to close the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

It was part of a campaign promise the president made, to close the camp and "determine how to deal with those who have been held there." But four years on, the controversial prison remains open.

The president and his administration believed Guantanamo was a symbol of the contentious counterterrorism policies of his predecessor, George W.

'Algerian Style': Cooperative, To A Point

Jackie Northam — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 10:38:00 +0000

The Algerian government gave no advance notice that it was planning to launch a military operation to rescue hostages at the remote In Amenas natural gas field, despite offers of support and advice by many nations, including the U.S.

The anger and disappointment in Washington is muted, however, because the U.S. sees Algeria as a critical ally in the fight against terrorism.

Logistical Dependence

The U.S. has been nurturing relations with Algeria since the 1990s.

Future Of U.S. Troops Looms Over Afghan Leader's Visit

Jackie Northam — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 08:49:00 +0000

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is in Washington this week for meetings with President Obama and other senior administration officials. The talks are expected to help set the framework for U.S. involvement in Afghanistan after the bulk of American and NATO forces leave at the end of 2014. One of the key issues to be discussed is the number of American troops to remain in Afghanistan after that date.

Obama and Karzai have met several times in the past, but not always on the best of terms.

In Pakistan, Secrets Of A 3,000-Year-Old Cemetery

Jackie Northam — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 10:59:00 +0000

High on a hill overlooking Pakistan's scenic Swat Valley sits a recently excavated cemetery. Italian archaeologist Luca Maria Olivieri walks across the site and lays a sun-beaten hand on a clay slab jutting out from a high, dun-colored wall.

In Pakistan Shooting, Malala's Friends Also Bear Scars

Jackie Northam — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 10:01:00 +0000

On Oct. 9, in Mingora, Pakistan, in the country's picturesque Swat Valley, Kainat Riaz left her high school and climbed into the back of a small van. The bright-eyed 16-year-old sat near another schoolgirl, Malala Yousafzai.

At just 15, Malala, an outspoken critic of the Taliban, had already earned a name in her country — and internationally — for her courage. Kainat says there was a lot of chatter in the six-seat van as it shuttled the girls home.

Then, in the middle of a busy road, the van suddenly stopped, and a masked gunman got into the vehicle.

"We saw a gun in his hand.

Prisoner Release Shifts Pakistan's Afghan Policy

Jackie Northam — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 08:58:00 +0000

There has been a small but potentially important breakthrough in the faltering Afghan peace process. In what is considered a good-faith gesture, Pakistan last week released at least nine Afghan Taliban prisoners. The move is seen as part of an emerging new strategy by Pakistan as it eyes the looming drawdown of U.S. and Western troops in Afghanistan.

Pakistan's decision to release the prisoners has been met with equal doses of skepticism, surprise and relief.