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.

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.

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

Jackie Northam — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:43:00 +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.