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
The storm-related death toll has now reached 24 in Madagascar, where forecasters say Tropical Storm Cheneso poses a continued threat with heavy rainfalls, storm-related landslides and high seas as it lingers along an offshore track over the Mozambique Channel. The National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) in Madagascar…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Progress in African governance has stalled since 2019 due to security challenges and the economic and health impacts of COVID, as well as “widespread democratic backsliding” that poses a threat to development, according to the just-released annual report from the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. Data from the Ibrahim Index of African…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Forecasters now say an intensifying Tropical Storm Cheneso poses a continued threat to Madagascar after re-emerging over the Mozambique Channel, with the country’s National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) warning of heavy rainfalls, storm-related landslides and high seas as it lingers along an offshore track. The National Bureau…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Kenya’s Raila Odinga, the main opposition candidate who lost a presidential bid to President William Ruto in August, says his party won’t accept the current government following the allegations of false results reporting from an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) staffer who leaked documents to Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The United States plans to identify the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company active on the African continent, as a significant transnational criminal organization. The U.S. Treasury also plans to impose additional sanctions against Wagner this week, according to John Kirby, the National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications….
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The damage may not be over with Tropical Storm Cheneso, which crossed Madagascar over the weekend after making landfall on Thursday. The storm is now re-emerging over the Mozambique Channel but is moving slowly, adding to the threat of flash flooding, heavy seas and storm-related landslides. The National Bureau of…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
A new report on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and how best to leverage the potential of public-private partnerships was released in conjunction with this week’s World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos. AfCFTA: A New Era for Global Business and Investment in Africa, published by the WEF,…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
It’s just 38 days until national elections in Nigeria, and Mahmood Yakubu, head of the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), assured Tuesday that his organization is prepared to meet the challenge of managing 93.4 million registered voters as the February 25 elections move ahead as scheduled. Yakubu, speaking at…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Opposition leaders in Benin are rejecting the results of national legislative elections that included their participation for the first time since 2019, despite making small gains in capturing seats in parliament. Eric Houndété, head of the main opposition party The Democrats, held a press conference Thursday to present claims of…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Uganda declared an end to its Ebola outbreak on Wednesday, after completing a 42-day waiting period in which no new cases emerged. The announcement came less than four months after the first case was identified in September. “Uganda put a swift end to the Ebola outbreak by ramping up key…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Newly appointed Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang arrived in Ethiopia on Tuesday, as part of Beijing’s tradition to begin each year with a diplomatic tour of African nations. Talks in Ethiopia focused on investment and economic development, according to Ethiopian officials. “The relationship between the two countries remains steadfast,” said…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address on Sunday as the African National Congress marked its 111th year, prioritizing the country’s energy crisis and economic challenges in his speech at Mangaung, Free State. Ramaphosa, re-elected as ANC leader in December despite being the subject of recent corruption investigations,…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Along the border between Botswana and Zimbabwe, researchers are using computer model simulations to understand the impacts of human-wildlife conflict and how to reduce its costs to both the community and the surrounding ecosystem. Still a pilot program funded by the European Union, the approach is used in the Hwange-Kazuma-Chobe…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Beginning on Friday, travelers arriving in Ghana from China will require screening for COVID-19 due to concern over the current rise of coronavirus cases in China. They will need to produce a 48-hour negative PCR test and undergo a mandatory antigen test on arrival. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The southern African nation of Mozambique has taken its seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), beginning a two-year term to which it was elected in June alongside Ecuador, Japan, Malta and Switzerland. Mozambique joins Ghana and Gabon in serving on the council, with Kenya departing after completing its…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times