Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Laureen is a freelance journalist creating high-quality, informed content on international affairs, politics and technology. She has worked both in and out of newsrooms since 2000. She is a former paramedic with significant experience in community resilience and nonprofit community development initiatives, and maintains "a passion for action" on sustainability and climate change. She also is trained in conflict resolution and diversity, and has special interests in science and medical reporting, and culture and religion issues. Laureen received her MSJ from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in the United States, and completed additional graduate study in theology at University of Notre Dame. Follow Laureen on Mastodon at @laureen@m.ai6yr.org
Vice President Kamala Harris of the United States arrived in Accra on Sunday, beginning a three-nation tour that focuses on investment and African economic growth. “Today begins a weeklong journey, first here in Ghana, then on to Tanzania and then Zambia,” said Harris during public remarks. “I’m very excited about…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Earlier this week, the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development wrapped up in Addis Ababa with an emphasis on how African nations can take action on climate change while developing their economies. Support for the evolving African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was high on the…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Nigerians will begin their observance of Ramadan on Thursday, following an announcement from the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and its National Moon Sighting Committee that the crescent moon was observed, marking the start of the holy month of fasting and prayer. “May Allah make it a blessed…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The government of Eritrea has denied allegations that its military forces engaged in war crimes during the Tigray conflict in northern Ethiopia, a conflict in which it has often claimed its personnel were not involved. The denial issued Tuesday followed a statement from Tony Blinken, the United States Secretary of…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The death toll following tropical storm Freddy has risen to at least 447 in hard-hit Malawi, where President Lazarus Chakwera has declared a two-week period of mourning and closed schools in affected areas through the end of the month. Another 282 people were still missing as of Saturday, according to…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
As if the Nile River isn’t already affected by enough climate and regional geopolitical pressure, now there’s a new report on how heavy metal toxicity may be causing irreversible damage to its waters. Scientists with the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California found that the impacts…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Secretary of State Antony Blinken of the United States has announced US$331 million in new funding for humanitarian aid in Ethiopia, where he met with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other leaders on Wednesday as part of an African tour that continues through the end of the week. Blinken said…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Tropical storm Freddy continues to impact Malawi with flooding rains and mudslides that have claimed some 200 lives, although some improvement in storm conditions is forecast by Wednesday evening. “However, the threat of flooding remains high in some areas,” warned the country’s Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services in…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Africa’s startup founders and investors are watching what happens next for Silicon Valley Bank (SBV), which was shutdown by regulatory authorities in the United States on Friday—essentially freezing thousands of accounts at the tech-friendly bank and raising questions about what happens to startup funds. “Check in on your fellow tech…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Tropical Cyclone Freddy has made its second landfall in Mozambique, hitting the Zambezi region with extreme rainfall and winds as agencies in neighboring Malawi keep a close eye on the forecast track. The storm’s winds measured at least 150 kilometers per hour as it approached the mainland. Météo France, reporting…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The Sahel nation of Burkina Faso registered the world’s largest decline in overall freedom, largely due to the two coups experienced in 2022, according to a newly released annual report from the Freedom House organization in the United States. Tunisia, Guinea and Mali also registered some of the highest declines…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA), an independent African forum, announce a three-year project to help curb money laundering, bribery and other illicit financial flows (IFF) in African nations. The formal launch of the African Financial Integrity and Accountability Support Project (AFIAP) was…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
At 32 days, Tropical Cyclone Freddy has now become the longest-lived tropical storm ever recorded, with impacts that still haven’t quit as it makes another pass at Madagascar and Mozambique following its long journey across the entire Indian Ocean. The storm’s winds measured 150 kilometers per hour at about 9:30…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
African leaders are celebrating news of successful negotiations for a High Seas Treaty, the long-awaited United Nations agreement to protect global oceans and ecosystems through international cooperation. The treaty, approved by delegates to the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), follows years of talks that…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
French President Emmanuel Macron continues his African tour through Sunday, completing stops in Angola and Congo Brazzaville on Friday as he seeks to reassure leaders of France’s commitment to Africa while acknowledging that the vestiges of the colonial era are forever in the past. Macron met with his Angolan counterpart,…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times