MUMBAI: News broadcaster CNN International has announced a number of appointments within its international newsgathering operations in Asia-Pacific and Europe, Midlle East and Africa.

CNN International MD Chris Cramer says, “I am particularly delighted to have been able to make such a large number of strategically important changes from within the CNN family. This is a testament to the depth and expertise of the staff we have working at CNN”.

CNN Asia-Pacific managing editor, Jill Dougherty, will now be based in Washington D.C. and will be the US affairs editor, reporting for CNN International. She brings with her a unique global perspective having served as CNN’s Bureau Chief in Moscow for many years and previously, was a CNN White House correspondent travelling widely with former U.S. presidents.

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Taking Dougherty’s place is CNN International’s executive producer in Asia-Pacific, Ellana Lee. As acting managing editor for CNN Asia-Pacific, Ellana will oversee both the newsgathering and programming output from CNN’s Hong Kong production base as well as work closely with advertising sales and distribution.

Aneesh Raman has been appointed as CNN’s Middle East correspondent and will be based in Cairo. This new title reflects his role in reporting from across the Middle East. Previously based in Baghdad, Aneesh has reported from numerous places in the past few months including Iran, Syria and Lebanon.

CNN’s Jerusalem correspondent, John Vause will now cover China. He is based in Bejing. He has been CNN’s Jerusalem’s correspondent since October 2003, reporting from the frontlines on Israel’s war with Hezbollah, the Israeli pullout from Gaza and extensively covered the war in Iraq, being the only international TV reporter to visit the destroyed safe house of Al Qaeda leader, Abu Musab al Zarqawi.

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Atika Shubert, currently CNN’s correspondent in Tokyo responsible for the global news network’s coverage of Japan, moves to Jerusalem and joins the team led by Bureau Chief, Kevin Flower and correspondent, Ben Wedeman. Atika has covered several major news stories in Japan, including the recent election of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the birth of the new prince, the controversial deployment of Japan’s Self Defense Forces to Iraq, among other significant stories.

Joining CNN is Frederik Pleitgen who takes up the position as CNN’s Berlin correspondent. Frederik comes to CNN from German network broadcaster ZDF where he was the political editor.

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