Niamh Kennedy

I am a journalist working for CNN International in London. During my time at CNN, I have played an active role in the news-gathering operation, helping to break many stories during the coronavirus pandemic. I have a passion for television and radio journalism and have helped to produce reporter live shots and packages. I am a fluent French and Irish speaker and have reported extensively on stories from French speaking countries. I also speak conversational Italian and am always keen to learn more about foreign cultures. I cut my teeth as Radius Editor of Trinity's award winning University Times newspaper, editing a 24-page supplement on Dublin's cultural scene. My Law degree from Trinity College has provided me with an excellent understanding of not only media law but subjects including European Union Law, Medical Law and Ethics, Public International Law and International Human Rights Law. 


Russian naval exercises off Ireland's coast 'not welcome,' says Foreign Minister

On the front lines, Ukrainians brace for possible attack Boys fish for carp and perch in Marinka on Saturday. "They don't read the news and have no opinion about the Russian military buildup," Fadek said. "But they said their parents were extremely worried and watch television news constantly." On the front lines, Ukrainians brace for possible attack Zhanna, 42, is a lieutenant and doctor in the Ukrainian army, based in Avdiivka. Before joining the army last year, she was a pediatric physician

Burkina Faso's military says it has seized power

An army officer, along with more than a dozen soldiers, made the announcement on state television in an address to the nation on Monday night. Captain Sidsore Kader Ouedraogo declared that Kabore was ousted "given the ongoing degradation of the security situation" in Burkina Faso and the "incapacity of the government" to unite the population. He made the statement as spokesperson for a previously unknown entity, the Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration, or MPSR, its French language

French actor Gaspard Ulliel dead in skiing accident at 37

"Gaspard Ulliel grew up with cinema and cinema grew up with him. They loved each other madly," French Prime Minister Jean Castex tweeted Wednesday. "It's with a heavy heart that we will rewatch his most beautiful performances and catch his unique gaze. We have lost a French actor." The accident happened on Tuesday at 4 p.m. local time (10 a.m ET) at the La Rosière ski resort in the Alpine department of Savoie, according to a Wednesday statement from Albertville prosecutor's office. After Ulli

Boris Johnson denies he was warned 'BYOB party' was potential breach of Covid-19 rules

At that time, people in England were banned from meeting with more than one other person outdoors, and would be legally punished for doing so. In workplaces, official guidance stated that in-person meetings should only take place if "absolutely necessary." In his apology, Johnson admitted to attending the gathering but said "I believed implicitly that this was a work event." But on Monday, Johnson's estranged former senior adviser Dominic Cummings claimed he would swear under oath that the Prim

Kazakhstan death toll spikes as 164 reported killed and thousands detained in violent protests

The death toll -- a significant increase from Friday's count of 44 -- was announced Sunday on state-run TV channel Khabar 24, citing the Kazakhstan Ministry of Health. The unrest is the biggest challenge yet to autocratic Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's rule, with initial public anger over a spike in fuel prices expanding to wider discontent with the government over corruption, living standards, poverty and unemployment in the oil-rich, former Soviet nation, human rights organizations

Three women brutally killed in one day in France, in 'unbearable' start to new year

(CNN) On January 1, three women were killed in France, each allegedly by a partner or ex-partner, in what feminist campaigners described as an "unbearable" start to another year's tally of violence. France is just one of many countries grappling with what the United Nations has called a global shadow pandemic of violence against women, exacerbated by Covid-19 lockdowns which saw women confined at home with their abusers, increased financial pressures for many and limited access to support. It

Aoife Beary, Berkeley balcony collapse survivor, dies aged 27

She was left with life-altering injuries after the fourth-floor balcony of an apartment building in Berkeley, California collapsed and plunged 40 feet to the ground while she and her friends were celebrating her 21st birthday. Beary died "peacefully" on January 1 "after a brave battle with her injuries sustained" in the balcony collapse, according to her death notice. Five of the six killed in the June 2015 incident were Irish students, all aged 21, and one was a 22-year-old Irish-American. Se

Former Afghan President was given 'no more than two minutes' to get ready to flee Kabul

Ghani told BBC's Radio 4 "Today" program that his national security adviser informed him he must leave and that the departure was "really sudden," adding that it was "only when we took off, it became clear that we were leaving" Afghanistan. "On the morning of that day, I had no inkling that by late afternoon, I will be leaving," Ghani recounted during the interview with former UK Chief of Defense Staff General Nick Carter, broadcast on Thursday. Carter was guest-editing that edition of the BBC

Russian court shuts down Memorial Human Rights Center, day after sister group ordered closed

The center was charged with multiple violations of Russia's "foreign agent" law and "justifying terrorism and extremism" in its publications, a lawyer for the organization, Ilya Novikov, told CNN. "It is quite an expected decision after yesterday's [decision of the Supreme Court to shut down Memorial International]. We did not have any illusions about the hearing today," Novikov told CNN by telephone from the court. "But it is crucial that those persecutions did not discourage people and I thi

South Africa has passed its Omicron outbreak peak, top researcher says

The country has "surpassed the peak of the Omicron wave now, driven by the significant decline in the populous province and epicenter: Gauteng," Ridhwaan Suliman, senior researcher at the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), told CNN on Wednesday. This was echoed by one of the country's top scientists, Michelle Groome of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), who told a media briefing earlier Wednesday that all indications show "that we've surpa

Ethiopian government rejects Tigrayan fighters' ceasefire call, dashing hopes of an end to the conflict

(CNN) The Ethiopian government has dismissed calls for a ceasefire from Tigrayan fighters in the north of the country, saying the olive branches it previously offered them have been rejected many times. The leader of Ethiopia's northern Tigray region had announced a withdrawal of rebel forces from neighboring areas in the country on Sunday, a move that raised hopes of a ceasefire after 13 months of war. But Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's spokesperson Billene Seyoum on Tuesday cast doubt on the mo

Germany issues world's strongest recommendation for mixing Covid-19 vaccines

(CNN) Germany has issued what appears to be the strongest recommendation anywhere for the mixing of Covid-19 vaccines on efficacy grounds. The German Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) said Thursday that people who receive a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine "should get an mRNA vaccine as their second dose, regardless of their age." This makes Germany one of the first countries to strongly recommend that people who have received a first dose of AstraZeneca receive either a Pf

Denmark passes law to move asylum centers outside the EU

The bill paves the way for the establishment of offshore asylum centers outside the European Union. It was approved in Danish parliament on Thursday, a parliamentary press officer told CNN. The legislation aims to send asylum seekers to reception centers in third countries once a quick process has been completed in Denmark. But the government has yet to outline where these centers will be placed, as it has not reached an agreement with a third country, Danish government spokesperson on immigrat

At least 31 dead and thousands displaced after volcanic eruption in Democratic Republic of Congo

(CNN) At least 31 people have died and hundreds of children were feared missing or separated from their families Monday after Mount Nyiragongo erupted in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the weekend. Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya confirmed the updated death toll in a statement Monday, adding it would probably rise as first responders are still searching for people. Nine people died in a car accident as they tried to flee, four people died while trying to escape a priso

Rome's Colosseum to get new floor with gladiator's view

The project "will give us back the same vision from the stage of the monument that it had in ancient times," Colosseum director Alfonsina Russo said in a press conference Sunday. Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini hailed it as an "extraordinary project," which will allow visitors to walk on the new floor and go to the center of the Colosseum. The floor will serve as a stage for cultural events and visitors will be able to see the monument as it was until the 19th century, Franceschini

There was "no place to move, and people started to fall to the ground," witness says

Israeli investigators are examining what caused a crush that killed at least 44 worshipers at a mass religious gathering in Mount Meron overnight. Thousands of worshipers had crowded onto the mountain burial site to celebrate the Lag B'Omer holiday, an annual event to pay homage to second-century Mishnaic sage Rabbi Shim Bar Yochai. But in the early hours of Friday morning, singing and dancing erupted into chaos, as a huge wave of people trapped others beneath them, including children, witness

Washington Post columnist speaks to about losing a parent in India to Covid-19

From CNN's Manveena Suri in New Delhi and Chandler Thornton in Hong Kong Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for people to continue to come out "in line with Covid-19 protocols" and vote during the last phase of West Bengal state elections. Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have come under fire for holding several rallies ahead of the elections in West Bengal, with thousands in attendance and failing to abide by social distancing guidelines. Critics have accused the BJP of putt

UK says it doesn't have excess Covid-19 vaccine doses to send to India, but is providing them at cost

The British health minister has said that the UK does not currently have any excess doses to send to India -- currently home to the world's worst coronavirus outbreak -- despite the country's ongoing vaccination rollout that has successfully vaccinated its priority groups and is now targeting younger ages. In spite of mounting calls for rich nations to equitably distribute their surplus vaccines, Hancock said that they are providing India with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine at cost and are also

Countries pledge oxygen and medical assistance to India as crisis deepens

A number of countries have pledged to send oxygen and other medical assistance to India as the country is battling the force of a devastating second coronavirus wave, with hospitals in the capital reporting severe oxygen shortages. For the past two weeks, medical facilities there have been running out of oxygen and ICU beds, with patients left to die at home and outside hospitals while waiting for care. On Tuesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Tuesday that Delhi government is impo

Chad's President Idriss Deby killed in frontline clashes with rebels, state TV reports

(CNN) Chad's long-serving President Idriss Deby has died from injuries sustained in clashes with rebels, the army said in a surprise announcement Tuesday, plunging a volatile region deeper into crisis. Army spokesman Azem Bermendao Agouna told state TV said Deby -- a longtime Western ally in efforts to quell Islamist militias in north Africa -- died "as a result of his injuries on the front line." Reuters said Deby had been visiting troops fighting rebels in the north of the country. The annou
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